Help! How to find AMT Prior Depreciation when switching from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA?

Look for Form 6251 (Alternative Minimum Tax) on your previous TurboTax returns. The AMT prior depreciation should be listed there, typically on line 2g or in a similar section depending on the tax year. The depreciation difference between regular tax and AMT accumulates over the years, which is why FreeTaxUSA needs this information. If you don't have the actual forms, you might need to log back into your TurboTax account and download the complete PDF of your previous returns. Sometimes TurboTax only gives you a summary unless you specifically request all the forms and worksheets. Another option is looking at your previous Form 4626 if you filed business taxes. The difference between regular depreciation and AMT depreciation should be tracked there.

Had the EXACT same issue last year! After hours of frustration, I found out about taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) and it literally saved my sanity. You can upload your previous tax documents and it extracts all the important carryover information, including AMT prior depreciation. I was skeptical at first but all I did was upload my previous TurboTax PDFs and it produced a report showing exactly where to find the AMT prior depreciation amount and what values to enter in FreeTaxUSA. It even explained which line items from my old returns corresponded to the FreeTaxUSA entry fields. Saved me hours of digging through forms!

I have to admit I was skeptical about taxr.ai but I decided to try it before spending hours manually searching through my old returns. It actually worked really well! I uploaded my last 3 years of TurboTax returns and it immediately identified my AMT prior depreciation amount along with all my rental property information. The report showed me exactly which line on Form 6251 had the information FreeTaxUSA was asking for. What surprised me was it also caught a couple other carryover items I would have missed completely - like some passive activity losses from 2023 that were limited but could be applied this year. Definitely saved me from leaving money on the table.

If you're struggling to reach TurboTax support about this (they're SWAMPED this time of year), try Claimyr (https://claimyr.com). I was on hold with TurboTax for 2+ hours trying to get help accessing my old returns when I found this service. They got me connected to an actual TurboTax support agent in about 15 minutes instead of the 2+ hour wait. You can see how it works here: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c - basically they navigate the phone tree for you and call you when an actual human is on the line. The TurboTax agent was able to help me find my old complete returns with all the AMT information I needed. Saved me an entire afternoon of listening to hold music!

Ok I have to eat my words. I tried Claimyr after posting that skeptical comment because I was desperate to talk to someone at TurboTax about accessing my complete returns from previous years. The website estimated a 95 minute wait, but I got a call connecting me to a TurboTax rep in about 25 minutes. The rep walked me through accessing my complete tax return PDFs with all forms and worksheets (turns out I only had the "user copy" which was missing key forms). Found my AMT prior depreciation on Form 6251 line 2g just like someone mentioned above. Was able to enter it in FreeTaxUSA and finally finish my return. Not gonna lie, pretty impressed this actually worked.

Another tip if you're switching tax software - download the FULL PDF returns from TurboTax, not just the summary returns they default to. I learned this the hard way. 1. Log into TurboTax 2. Go to Tax Home 3. Select the year you need 4. Look for "Print & File" section 5. Choose "Print return" 6. Select "Full tax return" (NOT "taxpayer copy") 7. Download as PDF The full return includes ALL worksheets and supporting forms like 6251 for AMT, which is where you'll find that prior depreciation info. The taxpayer copy often omits these detailed worksheets.

Just adding that if you're going to continue with FreeTaxUSA in future years, make sure you save a copy of this year's Form 6251 where your AMT prior depreciation will be calculated. That way next year you won't have this same problem. I switch tax software every couple years to find the best deal and I've learned to keep my own "tax transition document" with all the carryover values like capital loss carryovers, passive activity losses, AMT adjustments, etc.

This is such a common issue when switching tax software! I went through the exact same thing last year switching from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA. The AMT prior depreciation is definitely buried in those forms, but once you find it, you'll be all set. One thing I'd add to the great advice already given - if you have multiple rental properties like I do, make sure you're getting the TOTAL cumulative AMT prior depreciation across all properties, not just one. It's easy to miss if you have properties acquired in different years with different depreciation schedules. Also, FreeTaxUSA's customer support is actually pretty good if you get really stuck. They helped me verify that I had entered the right amount when I was unsure. Much better than TurboTax's support in my experience, and you're not paying those crazy fees! Stick with the switch - it's worth the one-time hassle to save hundreds of dollars every year.

I went through this exact same headache two years ago when I switched from TurboTax to FreeTaxUSA! The frustration is real, but don't give up - the savings are absolutely worth it. A few additional tips that helped me beyond what others have mentioned: 1. If you can't find Form 6251 in your TurboTax returns, check if you actually had AMT liability in previous years. If your rental depreciation differences were small, you might not have triggered AMT, meaning the "prior depreciation" amount could legitimately be zero. 2. Look for any worksheets labeled "AMT Depreciation Adjustment" or "Section 1250 Property" - sometimes TurboTax buries this info in supporting worksheets rather than the main forms. 3. If you're still stuck, consider calling FreeTaxUSA support directly. They're surprisingly helpful with these transition issues and can sometimes walk you through exactly what TurboTax information they need. I've saved over $800 in the past two years by switching away from TurboTax's inflated pricing. The one-time hassle of finding these carryover numbers is absolutely worth it. Once you get through this year, you'll have everything properly set up in FreeTaxUSA for future years. Don't let TurboTax win by forcing you back with their deliberately opaque record-keeping!

I'm going through this exact same nightmare right now! Been using TurboTax for years and decided to switch to FreeTaxUSA to save money, but now I'm stuck on this AMT prior depreciation too. I have one rental property that I've owned for about 5 years, and I know there were some depreciation differences for AMT purposes, but finding the actual number is like searching for a needle in a haystack. Reading through all these responses is super helpful - I had no idea about the difference between the "taxpayer copy" and "full tax return" from TurboTax. I've definitely been looking at the wrong documents! Going to try downloading the complete returns with all the worksheets and see if I can locate Form 6251. Has anyone here actually calculated what they've saved by switching away from TurboTax? I'm curious if the annual savings really add up to enough to justify this headache. TurboTax quoted me $189 this year for my situation, while FreeTaxUSA is only $25. That's $164 in savings just this year, so I guess it's worth pushing through this frustration!