Where to enter payments for previous years' taxes?

[jbh123]

If someone didn't pay 2020 and 2021 federal or state taxes in the years they were due, but did pay them (plus penalties and interest) in 2023, where should they record those payments in TurboTax desktop for 2023? I see a place to enter past-due state taxes paid in 2023 (screenshot below), but I don't see the equivalent for federal. Can anyone help?

[xmasbaby0 · Accepted solution]

Federal tax you paid is not deductible on a federal return.   There is a handful of states in which you can enter federal tax paid on the state return.  But you cannot ever deduct penalties and interest you paid for the back taxes.

There are several  states that allow you to enter the federal tax you paid on your state return--Alabama, Iowa. Missouri, Montana, and Oregon.  If you are filing in one of these states watch for the deduction when you prepare your state return.

[jbh123]

@xmasbaby0thanks for the reply.
You wrote:

There are several  states that allow you to enter the federal tax you paid on your state return--Alabama, Iowa. Missouri, Montana, and Oregon.  If you are filing in one of these states watch for the deduction when you prepare your state return.

While using TurboTax desktop (Windows), I didn't see anywhere to enter the info mentioned above in the state return, even though it is one of the states you listed.

Is that even going to matter, though? In other words, is it likely to reduce any amount of taxes owed or to increase any refund? Or is this calculation a sub-component of trying to determine whether to take the standard deduction vs. itemizing?

[CatinaT1]

If you are taking the standard deduction, it will not change anything.