Why does TurboTax automatically increase my refund when I include home equity interest from 2018 while using the standard deduction?

[cubberly]

I have nearly completed by taxes, but I have been uncertain if my home equity loan interest on my rental property should be list as a deduction. When I read through the requirements, it appears to me that the interest is "qualified," yet the anwer on Quicken help just blanketly says home equity interest is not deductible. Why then, when I test it out and insert the 2018 home equity interest as qualified, does my refund amount at the top of the TurboTax page, does the refund increase?

[MichaelL1]

You are telling TurboTax that the Sch E rental interest is "qualified" mortgage interest on the rental property.

If the home equity is not qualified mortgage interest on the rental it should not be on the Sch E rental

[cubberly]

But it becomes qualified when I itemize deductions, so why does TurboTax not recognize it as qualified when it had me use the standard deduction? According to what I have read, it is qualified interest. If Quicken cannot recognize it as not deductible under the standard deduction, why am I using Quicken? I think this is something Quicken needs to correct.

[MichaelL1]

Until you enter your itemized seductions completely TurboTax does not know if you can itemize or take the standard deduction.  
What you said in original question about being on a Sch E, has nothing to do with the Sch A itemized deductions.

[cubberly]

That is not true. Per what I've gleaned from help in TurboTax I cannot deduct my home equity interest on my rental property if I use, as TurboTax recommends, a standard deduction. TurboTax should be able to indicate that I cannot deduct this interest if I am using the standard deduction by saying so or simply checking unqualified interest for me. If I hadn't read something about that deduction going away in 2018, I would have inserted it and apparently gotten more in my refund.  I had completed and TT had reviewed my file for problems and still did not indicate my HE interest was not qualified. I still believe that TT should have prevented me from getting an increased refund by checking qualified after I had complete the return. I think this is a problem with TurboTax. I guess if you don't agree, I won't continue the conversation. However, I will probably have to talk with a tax person in my area on this. Thanks anyway.