Solo401k not calculating correctly

[daichovo]

My self-employed income net is about 57000.  I have no other income.  I'm a sole proprietor, business is just me.

Any calculation I use says that I should be able to put about $31,000 total in: $20,500 "employee" contribution, and additional $10,500 "employer" contribution (both are me).

Turbo tax says I can only put in $19,500 total.  If I enter in the 20,500 and 10,500 numbers nothing changes from if I just click "max account" and it puts $19,500.  Please help.

[Anonymous_]

@dmertz 

[dmertz · Accepted solution]

Check the amount on Schedule 1 line 16.  For a net profit of $57,000, your maximum combined employee elective deferral ($20,500) and employer contribution ($10,595) should be $31,095.  In the online version of TurboTax you can select Tax Tools -> Tools -> View Tax Summary -> Preview my 1040.  TurboTax automatically calculates the maximum combined contribution when you mark the Maximize box for an individual 401(k) contribution.

Note that the Your Self-Employed Retirement Deduction page shows the 2021 elective deferral limit of $19,500 even though the calculations are using the 2022 limit of $20,500.  This page also shows only the employer elective deferral, not the employer contribution.  Every year the TurboTax developers have difficulty making such simple corrections to the software and it can be well into January before the appropriate corrections are made.  At least this year they seem to already have the calculation correct.

[daichovo]

OK.

So I figured out how to fix this.  I had been entering in $20.5k and then clicking it to max.  I deleted the $20.5k and then clicked max, and the line 16 finally calculated properly.

However, no matter if I enter in max or a lesser # (like $20.5k or even lower) the taxes I owe don't change.  This seems incorrect?  The taxes I owe stay the same for any amount over $9000 contributed, $10k, $20k, $30k, it's all the same at that point.  

[VolvoGirl]

I think because the deduction only reduces the regular income tax.   Even though you can reduce your taxable income to zero you still owe the self employment tax on your Net Profit.  

[daichovo]

OK this makes sense, thank you.