What this line means
A net operating loss (NOL) deduction carried forward from a prior year. An NOL occurs when your allowable tax deductions exceed your gross income in a given year. The excess loss carries forward to future years and is claimed here as a negative number that reduces your current-year income. NOLs arising after 2017 can offset up to 80% of taxable income in the carryforward year.
Does this apply to you?
- You had a business loss in a prior year that exceeded all your other income
- You are carrying forward an unused net operating loss from a previous tax return
- You are a farmer or rancher carrying back a farm loss (the only remaining carryback allowed for most taxpayers)
Easy to overlook
The 80% limitation applies to post-2017 NOLs Net operating losses arising in tax years after 2017 can only offset 80% of your taxable income in the carryforward year. 1 If your NOL carryforward is $100,000 and your current-year taxable income before the NOL is $80,000, you can only use $64,000 of the NOL (80% of $80,000). The remaining $36,000 carries forward. Pre-2018 NOLs were not subject to this limitation. General filing pattern — NOL 80% limitation overlooked
Farm losses retain the two-year carryback option While most NOLs can only be carried forward (not back), farm losses from 2018 and later can still be carried back two years. 2 A farmer with a large loss year can amend the two prior years’ returns to claim a refund. This is one of the few remaining carryback provisions in the tax code and is frequently missed. IRS Publication 536 — Net Operating Losses
Watch out for this
Entering the NOL as a positive number. Line 8a is shown with parentheses on the form, indicating it is typically a negative amount that reduces income. If you enter a positive number, it increases your income instead of reducing it. The NOL deduction reduces your total on line 9.
Footnotes
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IRS Publication 536, Net Operating Losses (NOLs), 80% Limitation. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p536.pdf ↩
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IRS Publication 536, Net Operating Losses (NOLs), Farm Losses. https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p536.pdf ↩