What this line means
The grand total of all supplemental income and loss reported on Schedule E. Line 40 combines the totals from all five parts: rental real estate and royalties (Part I, line 26), partnerships and S corporations (Part II, line 32), estates and trusts (Part III, line 37), REMICs (Part IV, line 38), and farm rental income (Part V, line 39). This single number flows to Schedule 1, line 5 and ultimately to Form 1040.
Does this apply to you?
- You completed any part of Schedule E and need to carry the result to your Form 1040
- You have income or loss from multiple supplemental income categories that must be combined
- You need to verify that all Schedule E parts are correctly totaled before filing
Easy to overlook
Only completed parts contribute to line 40 If you only have rental income (Part I), line 40 equals line 26. You do not enter zeros for Parts II through V — those parts are left blank. But if you completed multiple parts, every part’s total must be included. Skipping a completed part understates or overstates your total supplemental income. Cross-check each part’s total line (26, 32, 37, 38, 39) against line 40. 1 IRS Schedule E instructions — Line 40
This total includes both deductible amounts and amounts limited elsewhere The amounts entering line 40 have already been through basis, at-risk, and passive activity limitations. Line 40 reflects only the currently deductible portions. Suspended losses from Form 8582, excess basis losses, and at-risk limitations do not appear on line 40 — they are tracked on their respective forms and carry forward to future years. 2 General filing pattern — Schedule E total not carried to Schedule 1
Watch out for this
Entering line 40 on the wrong line of Schedule 1. The Schedule E total goes on Schedule 1, line 5 (Rental real estate, royalties, partnerships, S corporations, trusts, etc.). Entering it on a different Schedule 1 line — such as line 3 (business income) or line 8z (other income) — misclassifies the income and can trigger IRS matching errors.
Footnotes
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IRS Schedule E (Form 1040) Instructions, Line 40. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040se ↩
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IRS Schedule E (Form 1040) Instructions, Summary. https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1040se ↩