What do all the different colors in Forms Mode mean?
by TurboTax • 
Updated April 1, 2026 11:52 AM
When you look at an onscreen tax form using Forms Mode, you might wonder why one figure is blue, while others are red or black. This chart explains it all:
| Color | Meaning |
| Blue | You entered this data, either in the interview or Forms Mode. |
| Black | The program populated this data or calculated this amount. |
| Red | This data has either been overridden or is invalid (for example, a nonexistent ZIP code). |
| Red italics | You marked this amount as estimated. |
| Black italics | The program calculated this amount from an amount you marked as estimated. |
| Purple | This information has supporting details. |
| Aquamarine | This data was transferred over from last year's return. |
| Green | This data was imported from Quicken or QuickBooks. |
| Yellow fields (Windows) | Yellow fields allow user input. Anything you enter here shows up in blue. |
