If you have a Net Operating Loss (NOL) amount on Line 8 of Schedule 1 (Form 1040) Additional Income and Adjustments to Income, this amount is automatically entered as a positive number on Line 2e of Form 6251 Alternative Minimum Tax - Individuals. If the tax liability on the return did not decrease as much as expected after entering the NOL, it could be because the return is subject to the Alternative Minimum Tax and an adjustment to the NOL on Form 6251 is needed. This is called the Alternative Tax Net Operating Loss Deduction (ATNOLD), which is entered on Line 2f. The TaxAct program does not support the automatic calculation of this amount. You must manually calculate the amount and enter it on Line 2f of Form 6251.

Per IRS Instructions for Form 6251 Alternative Minimum Tax—Individuals, page 3:

Line 2f—Alternative Tax Net Operating Loss Deduction (ATNOLD)

The ATNOLD is the sum of the alternative tax net operating loss (ATNOL) carrybacks and carryforwards to the tax year subject to the limitation explained later. Figure your ATNOLD as follows.

Your ATNOL for a loss year is the excess of the deductions allowed for figuring AMTI (excluding the ATNOLD) over the income included in AMTI. Figure this excess with the modifications in section 172(d), taking into account your AMT adjustments and preferences (that is, the section 172(d) modifications must be separately figured for the ATNOL). For example, the limitation of nonbusiness deductions to the amount of nonbusiness income must be separately figured for the ATNOL, using only nonbusiness income and deductions that are included in AMTI.

Your ATNOLD may be limited. To figure the ATNOLD limitation, you must first figure your AMTI without regard to the ATNOLD. To do this, first figure a tentative amount for line 2d by treating line 2f as if it were zero. Next, figure a tentative total of lines 1 through 3 using the tentative line 2d amount and treating line 2f as if it were zero. This is your AMTI figured without regard to the ATNOLD. Your ATNOLD is limited to 90% of the result.

However, the 90% limit doesn’t apply to an ATNOL that is attributable to qualified disaster losses before December 19, 2004 (as defined in section 172(j)), qualified Gulf Opportunity Zone losses (as defined in section 1400N(k)(2)), qualified recovery assistance losses (as defined in Pub. 4492-A, Information for Taxpayers Affected by the May 4, 2007, Kansas Storms and Tornadoes), qualified disaster recovery assistance losses (as defined in Pub. 4492-B, Information for Affected Taxpayers in the Midwestern Disaster Areas), or a 2008 or 2009 loss that you elected to carry back more than 2 years under section 172(b)(1)(H). Therefore, if an ATNOL that is carried back or carried forward to the tax year is attributable to any of those losses, the ATNOLD for the tax year is limited to the sum of:

1. 1. The smaller of:
2. a. The sum of the ATNOL carrybacks and carryforwards to the tax year attributable to net operating losses other than those losses described in 2a below, or
3. b. 90% of AMTI for the tax year (figured without regard to the ATNOLD); plus
4. The smaller of:
5. a. The sum of the ATNOL carrybacks and carryforwards to the tax year attributable to qualified disaster losses, qualified Gulf Opportunity Zone losses, qualified recovery assistance losses, qualified disaster recovery assistance losses, and any 2008 or 2009 loss that you elected to carry back more than 2 years under section 172(b) (1)(H), or
6. b. 100% of AMTI for the tax year (figured without regard to the ATNOLD) reduced by the amount determined under (1).

Enter on line 2f the smaller of the ATNOLD or the ATNOLD limitation. Enter it as a negative amount.

Any ATNOL not used may generally be carried back 2 years or forward up to 20 years if it arose before your 2018 tax year. Any ATNOL arising after your 2020 tax year may generally be carried forward indefinitely. For more information about carryover periods and special rules for 2018 through 2020 losses, see Pub. 536.

The treatment of ATNOLs doesn’t affect your regular tax NOL. However, if you elected under section 172(b)(3) to forgo the carryback period for the regular tax, the election also applies for the AMT.

To access the ATNOLD of Form 6251 in the TaxAct program (if you need help accessing Form 6251, go to our Form 6251 - Alternative Minimum Tax - AMT FAQ):

1. From within your Form 6251, continue with the interview process until you reach the screen titled AMT - AMTNOL.
2. Click the data entry field that applies to your situation, and type the amount.

Note that any link in the information above is updated each year automatically and will take you to the most recent version of the webpage or document at the time it is accessed.