Itemized vs Standard Deductions for NY Form IT-201 in Lacerte

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How can I force the standard deduction for the NY IT-201?

There is an entry in Screen 25: Itemized Deductions > New York Itemized Deductions and Adjustments > Force standard deduction (check box) Screen 25 code 164.

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Federal Form 1040 includes Itemized Deductions. Why does the New York Form IT-201 show the Standard Deduction instead of Itemized Deductions New York Form IT-201?

Beginning with tax year 2018, New York allows you to choose to itemize deductions for the state, even if you did not itemize deductions on your federal return. For more information, you can see the IT-196 instructions at: https://www.tax.ny.gov/forms/current-forms/it/it196i.htm

Lacerte will optimize between the NY standard deduction and itemized deductions to give the taxpayer the larger amount of tax savings.

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I itemized deductions on Federal Form 1040. Why does Lacerte take the Standard Deduction instead of Itemized Deductions on New York Form IT-201?

Beginning with Tax Year 2018, the Tax Law allows you to itemize your deductions for New York State income tax purposes whether or not you itemized your deductions on your federal income tax return (federal Schedule A, Itemized Deductions).

In general, your New York itemized deductions are computed using the federal rules as they existed prior to the enactment of the TCJA. Additionally, there are two new itemized deduction adjustments:

• Farm donation to food pantries subtraction adjustment – You may not use the same qualified donation to a food pantry to claim both a charitable contribution itemized deduction and a farm donation to food pantries credit (see Form IT-649, Farm Donations to Food Pantries Credit) for New York income tax purposes.
• Union dues addition adjustment – The portion of your union dues not included as a miscellaneous itemized deduction on Form IT-196, New York Resident, Nonresident, and Part-Year Resident Itemized Deductions, line 21, can be added to your total itemized deductions when computing your New York itemized deduction.

For additional information, see Form IT-196 and its instructions.

New York Itemized Deductions can be adjusted. 

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