TurboTax Online wouldn't let me clear it's review until I cleared out the $300 above the line charitable contribution from line 10b. Hows do I get it back?

[lou22]

I entered my cash contributions under deductions, but there's no screen about the stimulus deduction after Deductions and Credits but before Other tax Situations. I'd like to confirm that I'm getting that $300 deduction.

[KathrynG3]

The stimulus and the charitable donation additional deduction are two separate entries in your TurboTax program.

First, by clearing out any override, then the cash donations made while also claiming the standard deduction will be taken. 

• To see this in TurboTax, Follow these steps:
  1. Go to the left menu and select Tax Tools.
  2. Select Tools.
  3. Select View Tax Summary.
  4. Return to the left menu and select Preview my 1040.
  5. Scroll down to Line 10b to see what amount is being reported.
      
  6. To return to your program, return to the left menu and select Back.

Second, to get to the stimulus section and report the Recovery Rebate Credit, this is after the Other Tax Situations tab.

1. Go to the search box and enter stimulus. Click the Jump to link.
2. Answer Yes.
3. At the next screen, Let's double-check the amount you received, answer No to edit the first-round and second-round amounts.
4. If no stimulus amount was received, enter 0. An amount should be entered in each box. When finished, click Continue.

[lou22]

@KathrynG3 ,

     Thanks for your reply. I'm interested in the first thing you mentioned. When I do as you suggest, Line 10b is blank, but if I delete my two cash charitable donations (both above $300) my owed tax goes up, and when I add them back, it goes down for the first one but not the second. I'm very confused. One of the two cash donations is $2500, if that has anything to do with the 2500 shown here. 

 

[JamesG1]

Are you qualifying for the standard deduction or itemized deduction?

You have to qualify for the standard deduction before the screen appears.  So you may want to change the value of one or more itemized deductions to $1 so that you qualify for the standard deduction.

If you are in TurboTax Online, the screen Charitable Cash Contributions under CARES Act appears as the end of Deductions & Credits. First you have to pass the screen Based on what you told us, the standard deduction is best for you at the end of Deductions & Credits.

Follow these steps: 

• At the top of the screen, click on Deductions & Credits.
• Scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Wrap up tax breaks.
• Continue through several screens.
• At the screen Based on what you told us, the standard deduction is best for you, click Continue.
• At the screen Any Charitable Cash Contributions? delete the dollar amount.

Continue through Federal Review to make sure that things look correct.

Then restore your itemized deductions dollar amounts.

See also this TurboTax Help.

[lou22]

@JamesG1, 

     Thanks, that's the detail I was missing. It has me itemizing. I didn't even realize it's had me on the standard deduction for the past several years and my mortgage interest keeps getting lower and lower. Well, that's good & bad news. Now I gotta dig up my non-cash donations to Goodwill and such and enter them all in. 

Thanks again!