Question

As I'm reviewing my federal taxes, it's telling me to fill out line 18 of the Schedule SE worksheet. I don't want to defer. I only need section I on that form.

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
February 1, 2021
4 replies
0 views

As I'm reviewing the Federal taxes there is a page that says:

Some of your self-employment taxes may be eligible for deferral
1. Select Federal.
2. Choose Deductions & Credits.
3. Select 'I'll choose what I work on'.
4. Under 'Tax relief related to COVID-19', select 'Self-employment tax deferral'.

I never see a place to select Federal.. but I actually don't want to defer anything.. I think this is why I'm being asked to fill out line 18.

Thanks for your help.

TurboTax Deluxe Online

C

Christie11

Employee

I have the exact same issue. In fact, in an earlier section TT asks if you want to defer.... I selected no and it still prompts me to fill out line 18 when I do my federal review. I even went back to make sure I selected no and cleared cache, signed back in, and it is still not updated.

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npierson777

You still need to put a number to the line 18. Just put 0 there is you don't want to defer any SE taxes.

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jtccjtAuthor

Thanks. Is this different from last year? Looking at last year's returns I only had the short schedule SE. I used TurboTax last year too.

VolvoGirl

Employee

Yes deferring the tax is new for 2020 because of Covid-19.

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Christie11

Employee

For those of you on this thread who had non-farm self-employment income, is it properly reflecting as non-farm income on your SE-T or is it showing as farm income? I have a separate thread on the issue I am encountering and I probably wouldn't have noticed it if I wasn't being prompted to enter in line 18 on the form and noticed it. Thanks!

AmyC

Employee

The SE is self-employment form. Line 18 is for the amount of money earned between March 27, 2020 and December 31, 2020. The self-employment tax on that portion can be postponed for payment in the following year. You can postpone that portion of your taxes due with no penalties or interest. If you want to pay your taxes in full this year, put a zero on that line.

The SE covers all types of self-employment. You will see line 14 for $5,640 under Farm Optional Methods, it is part of the worksheet. What are you seeing that says farm in your return, if you don't have a farm?

@Christie11

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M

msteel0

Check your forms before you file! TT may be having you defer SE tax when you do not intend to do so.

There is apparently a bug in this section of TT (online, at least), according to a tech at the TT help line.

No matter what I answer to the deferral question, TT tells me I am not eligible.

When TT prompted me for Line 18 of Sch SE, I entered the full amountof my SE because in my case all of my SE income fell in that time period.

However, despite my telling TT I did not want to defer, and despite TT's telling me that I was not eligible, TT still entered the maximum deferrable amount from Line 26 of SE onto line 12e of Schedule 3.

When I called TT help I was told this was a known issue and that I would be contacted when it was resolved. I'm not sure if I want to keep waiting, since entering 0 on Schedule SE Line 18 achieves the desired end. Of course in my case that is not technically correct, and think the proper way to make the election is to enter 0 on Schedule 3 line 12e . It's just that I can't get TT to do that for me.