Why is the federal refund more with Itemization in my 2018 taxes when Schedule A Itemized deductions (17,xxx) are less than standard deduction (24,000). (used turbotax)

[VolvoGirl]

It might be hard to explain but I think if you take the higher Standard Deduction it will decease your income and you may not be getting as many non-refundable credits.  So by having a higher taxable income (and tax) you might qualify for more credits.

[rkpulavarthi]

Thanks for the reply. What other refundable credits would be affected by Itemizing deductions?

Schedule A has "If you elect to itemize deductions even though they are less than your standard deduction" checked. I tried amending the return and it confirms the same that Itemizing gets more refund but does not show how.

[VolvoGirl]

You would have to print it out both ways and see what lines are different. Compare them line by line.