Why does TurboTax keep asking for AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) info on Form 6251?

Form 6251 isn't something you "receive" - it's a form that gets filled out as part of your tax return if you might be subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax. TurboTax is asking because based on your income, deductions, or other factors, it's trying to determine if you need to pay AMT. The AMT is basically a parallel tax system designed to ensure people with high incomes and lots of deductions still pay a minimum amount of tax. TurboTax is probably asking for last year's AMT information to help with calculations for this year. If you don't have your previous tax return handy, you can get a transcript from the IRS website or check if you still have access to last year's TurboTax file. If you didn't actually have to pay AMT last year, you might be able to enter zeros, but I'd recommend finding your previous return to be sure.

I ran into this exact issue last month and wasted hours trying to figure it out! After lots of frustration, I discovered taxr.ai (https://taxr.ai) which helped me understand what was happening with my AMT situation. I uploaded my previous returns and it highlighted exactly where to find the info TurboTax was asking for. Turns out I did have AMT calculations last year but didn't know it because TurboTax handled it behind the scenes. Their tool breaks down complex tax forms into plain English and shows you exactly where to find specific numbers. For me, it pointed out the exact line on my previous return that contained the AMT information TurboTax was asking for. Saved me from having to call and wait on hold with TurboTax support!

Just wanted to follow up that taxr.ai was super helpful with my AMT question! After uploading my old H&R Block return, it immediately pointed out that the AMT information was on page 2 of my previous filing that I had completely overlooked. The tool highlighted exactly which numbers needed to go where in TurboTax. What was really useful was how it explained what each number meant in simple terms rather than tax jargon. Took less than 5 minutes to solve a problem I'd been stuck on for days.

If you're still stuck with this AMT form issue, you could try calling the IRS directly. But good luck with that... I spent 3 hours on hold last week trying to get help with a similar question. Eventually I found Claimyr (https://claimyr.com) which got me connected to an actual IRS agent in about 20 minutes. You can see how it works in this video: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c The agent was able to pull up my previous return and walk me through exactly what numbers I needed for the AMT section in TurboTax. They explained that Form 6251 is calculated as part of your return, and the previous year's amounts can affect current year calculations. Was definitely worth it to get an official answer instead of guessing.

Had to come back and eat my words. After getting nowhere with my AMT question for days, I tried Claimyr out of desperation. Not gonna lie, I was 100% expecting it to be a scam. But holy crap, it actually worked! After trying to call the IRS myself multiple times and never getting through, I got connected to an agent in about 35 minutes. The agent confirmed that since I never actually paid AMT last year, I could enter zeros in those fields and TurboTax would calculate everything correctly for this year. Problem solved and I finally submitted my return yesterday. Sometimes being wrong feels pretty good.

Just a tip: if you just want to finish your taxes now, you can try entering zeros in those AMT fields. In many cases, if you didn't actually pay AMT last year, zeros will work fine and TurboTax will let you continue. Then once you get your old return, you can always go back and correct those fields if needed before filing.

Anyone know the income threshold for AMT in 2025? I'm making around $120k this year and wondering if I should be worried about this for next year's taxes.

I've been dealing with tax prep for years and this AMT confusion happens more often than you'd think. Here's what's likely happening: TurboTax is asking for your prior year AMT information because it needs to calculate your current year AMT credit carryforward, if any. Even if you didn't explicitly "pay" AMT last year, the calculation might have been done behind the scenes. Check lines 10-11 on your previous year's Form 1040 - if there's any amount on line 45 (Alternative Minimum Tax), that's what TurboTax needs. If you're confident you had no AMT last year and your income was under the exemption amounts, entering zeros should be fine. But the safest approach is to get your prior year return transcript from the IRS website (takes about 5 minutes if you can verify identity online) or access your old TurboTax account if you used them before. Don't stress too much - this is a common software quirk, not a sign you did anything wrong!

I had this exact same problem last year! The frustrating thing is that TurboTax doesn't clearly explain WHY it's asking for this information. After going through this headache myself, I learned that the software needs your prior year AMT data to properly calculate any AMT credit you might be entitled to this year. Here's what worked for me: Log into your IRS online account at irs.gov and request a "Tax Return Transcript" for last year. It's free and if you can verify your identity online, you'll get it instantly. Look for any AMT-related entries - they'll be clearly labeled. If you used TurboTax last year, you can also log into your old account and view/download your previous return as a PDF. The AMT information will be buried in there somewhere, usually as part of the Form 6251 calculation even if you didn't owe any AMT. Worst case scenario, if you're absolutely certain you had no AMT last year (income under $75k, standard deduction, no complex investments), then entering zeros is probably safe. But getting the actual numbers from your prior return is always the better approach to avoid any issues down the road.