On-line Turbotax Question

Does it give you the place to enter the total $ amount for these contributions? The itemized list of these cash contibutions is optional, and does not need to be sent to the IRS, AFAIK. That, of course, if the amount is no more than $500.

no, it doesn't allow me to put in $ amount

Just a shot, are you allowed to itemize? Maybe TT has already figured out you can't (or choose not to), so it's a moot point since chartible deductions aren't allowed if you don't/can't itemize using Sch 'A'.

I always itemize since have lots of deductions

Yeah, well, like I said, it was a shot. Plus the fact that if you include a hell of a lot of charitible deductions, that alone would cause TT to use Itemized deductions instead of taking the Standard Deduction. Sorry I can't think of anything else. I use the local PC version, so I can't test anything for you.

"no, it doesn't allow me to put in $ amount "

I don't use the interview, so I don't know what you saw. But, if you go to the federal tax section then click on deductions and then charitable deductions it asks if you want to use "ItsDeductable." When I say no, I get a table with my last year's cash dedcutions and charites with a 2004 and 2005 column with some blank rows for more charities.

This didn't happen for me. So, I just said "yes" and it then allowed me to enter the cash contributions and then allowed me to import it back to Turbotax. Seems roundabout, not like last year.