bikeman564™ Posted January 12 Share #1 Posted January 12 I use to be able to up to $300 dollars of charitable donations w/o itemizing. And now, not allowed😡 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralphie ★ Posted January 12 Share #2 Posted January 12 Did they change that again? I originally thought that it couldn’t be deducted for the last few years, but then I looked again and thought you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted January 12 Author Share #3 Posted January 12 2 minutes ago, Ralphie said: Did they change that again? I originally thought that it couldn’t be deducted for the last few years, but then I looked again and thought you can. Last few years it was a line on the 1040, and now its gone. I did some searching and it changed this year to not being able to. It doesn't equate to much back for me, but why do I want to pay more taxes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted January 13 Share #4 Posted January 13 1 hour ago, bikeman564™ said: Last few years it was a line on the 1040, and now its gone. I just filed using last years form because it still had the deduction on it. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted January 13 Share #5 Posted January 13 In most countries, the government does your income taxes for you and you can then itemize extras if you have enough of them. Even if you do the short form, the government checks it, so why doesn't it just do it for you? But the H&R Block, etc. lobby pays off Congress so we'll never see it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted January 13 Author Share #6 Posted January 13 4 minutes ago, MickinMD said: so why doesn't it just do it for you? Do what for me? And I can itemize but the standard deduction is $12,950. I can't come close to that. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikeguy Posted January 13 Share #7 Posted January 13 2 hours ago, Ralphie said: I originally thought that it couldn’t be deducted for the last few years, That was true for me too. I was over the limit for deductions. 2 hours ago, bikeman564™ said: why do I want to pay more taxes? Someone's got to pay... better you than me. I won't have all the forms I need to start working on my taxes until the first week in February. 2 hours ago, Ralphie said: Did they change that again? That's why I use TurboTax. I just answer the questions, and fill in the numbers, and download the data when I can, and the software figures out if I need to pay or not. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizeye Posted January 13 Share #8 Posted January 13 Simple solution...don't make charitable contributions. Problem solved and no additional tax. Besides, all the recipients will do is put you on a marketing list and want more, more, more. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddmaxx ★ Posted January 13 Share #9 Posted January 13 I suspect that the IRS correctly determined that most people were deducting $300 without ever giving a dime to charity. It was too obvious a scam to let slide. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizeye Posted January 13 Share #10 Posted January 13 3 hours ago, maddmaxx said: I suspect that the IRS correctly determined that most people were deducting $300 without ever giving a dime to charity. It was too obvious a scam to let slide. It is the math that caught them. Strongly suspect that they didn't go to church every Sunday, and even if they did it was putting $5.77 non-traceable cash in the tithing basket as it was passed around. Should be at least $10 cash for $520 deduction. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razors Edge ★ Posted January 13 Share #11 Posted January 13 3 hours ago, maddmaxx said: I suspect that the IRS correctly determined that most people were deducting $300 without ever giving a dime to charity. It was too obvious a scam to let slide. I always thought that was the sort of value embedded in the standard deduction. Like "we all know folks have some deductions for whatever reason, so everybody get's $xyz regardless". I didn't realize there was a standard plus option. @Kirby is the TAX BOSS. She'll sort this out ASAP! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tizeye Posted January 13 Share #12 Posted January 13 11 hours ago, bikeman564™ said: Do what for me? And I can itemize but the standard deduction is $12,950. I can't come close to that. The standard deduction for joint filing is even higher at $25900. I haven't been able to itemize ever since Bush in the process of the acclaimed lowered tax rates, eliminated deduction (or allowed if above a percentage of the AGI) and raised the standard deduction. I have found that some of those eliminated/reduced, such as mileage, interest, and charitable deductions can be claimed if related to (or shifted to) business income. Everyone should have an LLC that is reported on a schedule of their personal return! 11 hours ago, Bikeguy said: That's why I use TurboTax. I just answer the questions, and fill in the numbers, and download the data when I can, and the software figures out if I need to pay or not. Likewise, But I detest their making me go through each of the questions - such as mortgage interest, medical costs, charitable donations, etc. - just to see if I qualify for itemizing only to tell me what I knew from the start - "Your best option is the standard deduction. I knew that, just like I knew 1040EZ wouldn't work where they wouldn't as those questions. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MickinMD ★ Posted January 13 Share #13 Posted January 13 15 hours ago, bikeman564™ said: Do what for me? And I can itemize but the standard deduction is $12,950. I can't come close to that. I didn't explain enough. If the standard deduction is all you and I are doing, WHY do we have to fill out income tax forms when the IRS will check it anyway? Why doesn't the IRS, which has all the income forms, etc. on file anyway, fill out the income tax forms for us as in done in most other high income countries and then you can modify it if it doesn't include new dependents, deductions, etc.? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted January 13 Share #14 Posted January 13 39 minutes ago, MickinMD said: I didn't explain enough. If the standard deduction is all you and I are doing, WHY do we have to fill out income tax forms when the IRS will check it anyway? Why doesn't the IRS, which has all the income forms, etc. on file anyway, fill out the income tax forms for us as in done in most other high income countries and then you can modify it if it doesn't include new dependents, deductions, etc.? Because I would much rather fill out the forms, have the government check them, and have it come back to me if there's an error than have my taxes filled out by some machine or algorithm or some uncaring ill-trained anonymous temp employee, buried deep in a massive bureaucracy, hired for the crunch season who calculates my taxes by rote without a care whether it's done properly, and then I'm stuck having to fight to prove to the government that they made a mistake and they owe me money. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted January 13 Share #15 Posted January 13 19 minutes ago, MickinMD said: I didn't explain enough. If the standard deduction is all you and I are doing, WHY do we have to fill out income tax forms when the IRS will check it anyway? Why doesn't the IRS, which has all the income forms, etc. on file anyway, fill out the income tax forms for us as in done in most other high income countries and then you can modify it if it doesn't include new dependents, deductions, etc.? They barely have the resources to check your math. We really need to do a massive, expensive overhaul that will streamline this in the long run. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted January 13 Author Share #16 Posted January 13 20 minutes ago, MickinMD said: I didn't explain enough. If the standard deduction is all you and I are doing, WHY do we have to fill out income tax forms when the IRS will check it anyway? Why doesn't the IRS, which has all the income forms, etc. on file anyway, fill out the income tax forms for us as in done in most other high income countries and then you can modify it if it doesn't include new dependents, deductions, etc.? If by "we" you mean U.S. tax filers. I don't know. But as @Thaddeus Kosciuszko mentioned. I rather do it myself. I've used Turbo Tax for years. I stopped because of the cost v. how easy mine are to do. And secondly, typing values into Turbo and having it spit out a dollar amount tells me nothing, except the bottom line. Having done my own taxes, I like knowing what every line on the forms means. And because I'm doing the math, I have an understanding of each lines impact. IIRC didn't Trump want to streamline income taxes with basically a post card (for lack of a better word)? Also raising the standard deduction makes it easier. But easy is relative. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bikeman564™ Posted January 13 Author Share #17 Posted January 13 10 minutes ago, 12string said: They barely have the resources to check your math. We really need to do a massive, expensive overhaul that will streamline this in the long run. They barely have enough time to do anything. I received my return last year, in July. But they did pay me $10 interest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12string Posted January 13 Share #18 Posted January 13 4 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said: They barely have enough time to do anything. I received my return last year, in July. But they did pay me $10 interest They still have 9 million returns from last year not even opened. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JerrySTL ★ Posted January 13 Share #19 Posted January 13 Remember that the IRS doesn't make the rules. It's your congressmen and senators. Blame them. The IRS does have some latitude in implementing and enforcing tax laws but our elected officials make the laws. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bikeguy Posted January 13 Share #20 Posted January 13 17 minutes ago, bikeman564™ said: They barely have enough time to do anything. Last February I had to call the IRS to sort out why my PIN number (or whatever it's called) didn't work. OMG... it took MANY calls and at least 4 hours of hold time (on the 2 calls that actually got thru) to get a response. A much simpler tax code and process is needed. Good luck getting that passed thru congress. Everyone has their own idea about what 'fair taxes' look like. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Kosciuszko Posted January 13 Share #21 Posted January 13 2 minutes ago, Bikeguy said: A much simpler tax code and process is needed. Be careful what you wish for: 1 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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