Even though I've listed the charitable donations in one spouse's name when I finish that page TurboTax then shows it in the other person's name. How can I correct this?

[johndittrich]

This appears to be a TurboTax error. I need to know how to fix it. I tried doing it over again, recording the donations in the second spouse's page but when finished TurboTax puts the Donations total in the first spouse's name.

[warrencheswick · Accepted solution]

Charitable donations can be claimed in either spouses name. Turbotax defaults to what is most beneficial. Try using the easy step method. At the very end it will bring up charitable donations optimizer where you should be able to override the optimal allocation of donations claims

[dplummer]

I have tried to use the optimizer to shift the donations to the other spouse, and the change doesn't 'stick' -- the optimizer makes the change, but as soon as I close it, the returns revert to the previous split.  How do I make this change permanent?

[johndittrich]

Turbotax seemed to want to use the other spouse and at the end when the topic came up again it didn't really make a difference money wise which one declared so I just left it. It seems to me there was a choice at the end that would allow changing this but it sounds like you've maybe reached that point. If not wait until the place near the end that brings up the donations option again and try changing it there.

[george-chamberla]

I have the same issue with Turbotax 2015 Standard. The optimizer settings don't wstickrk, and it doesn't matter  if I put all the donations on the higher-earning spouse's return - they always get applied to the lower earning spouses tax form which is much less beneficial.

[bweatherill]

I have the same problem......regardless of which spouse I input the Charitable donations in the Charitable donations worksheet, they all end up on the first spouse's Schedule 9.  Then, using the "optimizer", it appears to fix the problem  by switching the donations over to the second (higher income) spouse, however upon exiting the optimizer, it reverts to putting all donations to the first (lower income) spouse.
Using the "easy step" method (which is anything but "easy", rather it is annoyingly painful having to wade through dozens of questions and answers for both spouses, before getting to the Charitable donations) eventually allowed me to override the "optimizer" and get the software to leave the donations where I want them.   This glitch is very annoying and needs to be fixed by next year.  
To the software developers, please confirm that this has been fixed before I purchase this software again.

[femabits]

I just noticed the same problem in the 2018 tax year (2019 edition) of turbotax. I entered my charitable donations and that of my wife. when i choose optimize at the end, nothing happens. what should happen is for the program to move all my wifes contribution under my name as i am the higher income earner. too many glitches with turbotax.

[dplummer]

This is still a problem on the 2021 tax year product.  Come on , Intuit -- fix this already!

[kenmaclean17]

Only way I have found to fix this is to open up schedule 9 and do an override on line 1 for each spouse.   Put the total donation amount on line 1 of the spouse you wish to claim the donations, and zero on the other.

[kenmaclean17]

found out that can't netfile with an override. , but can change the donations page worksheet to change which spouse claims it.