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New Member
posted Jun 13, 2020 5:11:22 PM

Where specifically do you input the half of self employment tax you can deduct? I've tried all the suggestions and nothing matches what I am looking for.

I try to make adjustments in the self employment tax page and there is no appropriate place to adjust my income.  I don't want to deduct this in the wrong place.

0 10 4810
10 Replies
Not applicable
Jun 13, 2020 5:17:53 PM

it should be done automatically unless you overrode something.

Schedule 1 line 14 is where it will appear. 

New Member
Jun 13, 2020 5:24:26 PM

I need to know where to put it online. Not on the paperwork.

Level 15
Jun 13, 2020 5:27:45 PM

As answered above you don't enter it. Turbo Tax automatically puts half of your self employment tax on 1040 Schedule 1 line 14.

 

The SE tax is already included in your tax due or reduced your refund.  It is on the 1040 Schedule 2 line 4 which goes to 1040 line 15.  The SE tax is in addition to your regular income tax on the net profit.  You do get to take off the 50% ER portion of the SE tax as an adjustment on 1040 Schedule 1 line 14 which flows to 1040 line 8a.  Turbo Tax automatically calculates the SE Tax and Adjustment.

 

The 50% SE tax deduction only reduces your taxable income and regular income tax.  It will not reduce your schedule C Net Profit or reduce the total self employment tax.  

New Member
Jun 13, 2020 5:45:43 PM

So I don't need to input the number anywhere? Because everything I've read sounds like I need to. Here's an example as to why I am confused:

 

"Then you would report one-half of your self-employment tax, $2,473, ($4,945 X .50) on Form 1040 as an adjustment to income, which reduces your Adjusted Gross Income and the amount of income tax you owe." 

 

It sounds like I have to back track and put that number somewhere to get the deduction. Is it just describing what someone does if they are filling out paper taxes not doing it online? I wish they said somewhere that online does it automatically lol. Thanks for the help!

Level 15
Jun 13, 2020 5:54:21 PM

Where did you read that?  If you are filling out your return by hand manually yes you need to enter it.  But Turbo Tax is a program that does the entries for you and fills out the forms.  Especially that one.  You just enter your income and expenses and Turbo Tax fills out Schedule C and calculates the net profit or loss.  Turbo Tax calculates the self employment tax on your Net Profit and fills out the 1/2 deduction.  That's why you use Turbo Tax.  

New Member
Jun 13, 2020 6:03:22 PM

I got that from one of turbo taxes articles. Thank you so much for your clarification! I have been looking everywhere to verify what I needed to do. Literally hours of reading lol. You're awesome!

Not applicable
Jun 13, 2020 6:03:52 PM

forget about what you've read.  we'll try again.  once you enter your schedule C info, input the self-employment income line from that line on all 1065  k-1's, if you have them and all your w-2 info if you have them,  TT will use that info to generate Form 1040-SE which calculates the self-employment tax.  it will then take 1/2 of that and put it on schedule 1 line 14 (deduction for SE-Tax).  you do nothing with regard to the SE tax or the 50% deduction. 

Level 15
Jun 13, 2020 6:11:18 PM

Have you seen this article?  What is the SE Tax

https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/self-employed/help/what-is-the-self-employment-tax/00/25922

 

It says.....

We report your SE tax on Schedule SE and also calculate the deduction that goes along with it.

Level 15
Jun 13, 2020 7:17:09 PM

yes instructions are mostly written for persons using pencil and paper to fill out their own tax forms.

 

You use Turbotax to avoid all that; that's what your paying for.

Level 15
Jun 13, 2020 7:19:49 PM

Turbotax would not let you put in that number because it knows it is going to do it for you.