It’s my annual Taxes from A to Z series! This time, it’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) style. If you’re wondering whether you can claim house office expenses or whether to deduct a capital loss under the new law, you won’t want to miss a single letter.
X is for Schedule X.
Fun fact: There is no Schedule X for individuals for federal income tax purposes. The form 1040 has six new numbered schedules (you can see those here) and twelve returning lettered schedules. The lettered schedules are:
- Schedule A, Itemized Deductions
- Schedule B, Interest and Ordinary Dividends
- Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business (Sole Proprietorship)
- Schedule C-EZ, Net Profit from Business (Sole Proprietorship)
- Schedule D, Capital Gains and Losses
- Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss
- Schedule EIC, Earned Income Credit
- Schedule F, Profit or Loss From Farming
- Schedule H, Household Employment Taxes
- Schedule J, Income Averaging for Farmers and Fishermen
- Schedule R, Credit for the Elderly or the Disabled
- Schedule SE, Self-Employment Tax
But that doesn’t mean that there is no Schedule X on any individual income tax returns. Some states, including California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Tennessee and Utah, have a Schedule X for state income tax purposes (some local tax authorities have them, too).
Taxpayers can get used to the idea that values on schedules transfer exactly from federal to state on the same schedules, but that’s not always the case. Notwithstanding that the rules can be different, the schedules may be, too. For example, in Pennsylvania, you report dividends on Schedule B for state purposes, just like on the federal return. And you report your business income on Schedule C for state purposes, just like on the federal return. But Schedule A? It’s not used for itemized deductions at all; it’s used for interest.
The bottom line? Pay attention to your returns, even if (maybe especially if) you are self-self-preparing with tax software. Double-check the interplay of your state and federal tax returns and make sure that you are reporting correctly on both.
For more Taxes From A To ZTM 2019, check out the rest of the series:
- A is for Alimony
- B is for Bracket Creep
- C is for Credit For The Elderly Or The Disabled
- D is for Due Dates
- E is for Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)
- F is for Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA)
- G is for Gross Estate
- H is for Home Office Deduction
- I is for Innocent Spouse
- J is for Jackpot
- K is for Kiddie Tax
- L is for Long-Term Capital Gains or Losses
- M is for Medical Expenses
- N is for Notice
- O is for Opportunity Zone
- P is for Pass-Through Deduction
- Q is for Qualified Business Income
- R is for Real Estate Investment Trust
- S is for Security Deposit
- T is for Trust Fund Taxes
- U is for Unadjusted Basis
- V is for VITA
- W is for Withholding