The tax calculated on your return may not always match the tax tables provided by the IRS. Returns containing certain forms or taxable income amounts may need to calculate the tax on the return using a different method or worksheet as outlined in the 1040 Instructions.
When the tax on line 16 does not match the tax in the tax table:
Things to Check | Reason |
Does your return contain form 2555, Foreign Earned Income Exclusion? | If you claimed the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, housing exclusion or housing deduction on form 2555, you must figure your tax using the Foreign Earned Income Tax Worksheet.
1040 Instructions Line 16 , Foreign Earned Income Worksheet The program has already made this calculation for you. |
Does you return contain capital gains or qualified dividends? | When you have qualified dividends or capital gains, you do not use the tax table. Instead, you will need to use the Capital Gains Worksheet to figure your tax.
1040 Instructions Line 16 , Qualified Dividends and Capital Gains Worksheet The program has already made this calculation for you. |
Is your taxable income more than $100,00? | If your taxable income is $100,000 or more, you must use the alternate Tax Computation Worksheet.
1040 Tax and Earned Income Credit Tables The program has already made this calculation for you. |
Did your child have more than $2,500 of unearned income reported on your return? | If the dependent child claimed on your return has more than $2,500 in unearned income, you must use Form 8615 to calculate the tax due on the return.
The program has already made this calculation for you. |
Do you have a Schedule D included in your return? | If you have to file Schedule D and line 18 or 19 of Schedule D is more than $0 and lines 15 and 16 are gains, use the Schedule D Tax Worksheet to figure the tax.
The program has already made this calculation for you. |
Do you have a Schedule J included in your return? | If you have income from farming or fishing and you choose to figure your tax using income averaging. NOT SUPPORTED in the program. |