Confused about what actually gets reported on Form 1040 Line 26 for 2024 taxes?

Line 26 on Form 1040 is specifically for federal estimated tax payments and any amount applied from your previous year's return. It does not include state or city tax payments - those are reported on your state and local tax returns. To break it down: Line 26 includes any quarterly estimated tax payments you made to the federal government for the tax year you're filing, plus any overpayment from last year's federal return that you chose to apply to this year's taxes instead of getting a refund. Any additional federal taxes you paid with last year's return wouldn't go on line 26 - that was for last year's taxes. But if you had a refund from last year and applied it to this year, that amount would be included on line 26.

Just wanted to share my experience - I was struggling with the same thing last month until I found https://taxr.ai which helped me sort through all my payment records. I uploaded my IRS account transcript and it instantly identified all my estimated payments that should go on Line 26. Saved me a ton of time trying to match payment dates with what the IRS actually received. They also explained that Line 26 is strictly for federal payments, not state/local. Helped me avoid mixing up my payment types which I totally would have done otherwise.

Guys I gotta say I was skeptical about that taxr.ai site mentioned above but I gave it a try because I was stuck with the same Line 26 question. Super helpful! I uploaded my IRS transcript which had payments scattered across different dates and it sorted everything out perfectly - showed me exactly which payments belonged on Line 26 (only federal estimated payments + my extension payment + last year's applied refund). It even caught a payment I made that I completely forgot about! Definitely made the process way easier than trying to decipher everything myself.

If you're having trouble reaching the IRS to verify your payments, try https://claimyr.com - I used it last week after spending hours on hold. They got me connected to an IRS agent in about 20 minutes who confirmed all my estimated payments that should go on Line 26. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c Definitely worth it when you need to verify what the IRS actually has on record for your estimated payments before you file. The agent was able to tell me exactly which payments they had received and which dates they were applied to.

Ok so I need to publicly admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment I decided to try it since I was desperate to confirm my estimated payments before the filing deadline. It actually worked exactly as described - they called me when they had an IRS agent on the line and I was able to verify all my payments. The IRS agent confirmed my four quarterly payments plus my extension payment all needed to go on Line 26. They also told me my state tax payments are handled completely separately on state returns. Definitely worth it to have the peace of mind that my Line 26 entry matches what the IRS has in their system.

To add to the discussion: Line 26 is for "2024 estimated tax payments and amount applied from 2023 return." I made the mistake last year of including a state tax payment and the IRS sent me a correction notice. Keep state and federal completely separate! Quick tip: You can also check your IRS online account (if you have one set up) to see your payment history. That'll show you exactly what the IRS has recorded for your federal estimated payments.

I had this exact issue last year and learned that Line 26 ONLY includes: 1. Federal estimated tax payments (the quarterly ones) 2. Any overpayment from last year that you applied to this year 3. Any payment made with an extension form 4. Any payment made after filing an extension but before filing your return State and local tax payments NEVER go on federal form 1040. They go on their respective state/local forms.

Small tip: if you ever need to make an additional estimated payment outside the usual quarterly schedule, use Form 1040-ES. Those payments would also go on Line 26. I had to do this when I suddenly had capital gains midyear and needed to make an extra payment to avoid underpayment penalties.

Just to clarify something that might help others - if you made your estimated payments through EFTPS (Electronic Federal Tax Payment System), those definitely go on Line 26. I was confused about this because the confirmation numbers look different from regular bank transfers, but they're still federal estimated tax payments. Also, if you're self-employed and made estimated payments that included both income tax and self-employment tax, the entire payment amount goes on Line 26. You don't need to separate out just the income tax portion - it all counts as estimated tax payments for Line 26 purposes. The key thing to remember is that Line 26 is essentially "money you already sent to the federal government for this tax year" whether through quarterly payments, extension payments, or applied refunds from last year.