The standard deduction amount for tax year 2023 (filed in 2024) is $13,850 for single filers, $27,700 for married couples, and $20,800 for heads of household.
The standard deduction for single taxpayers without dependents will increase to $15,000, to $22,500 for single taxpayers with dependents and to $30,000 for married taxpayers filing together for the 2025 tax year.
The IRS boosted tax brackets by about 7% for each type of tax filer for 2023, such as those filing separately or as married couples.
Note: Last year (2023), the additional standard deduction was $1,850 (single or filing as head of household). If you're married, filing jointly or separately, the extra standard deduction amount was $1,500 per qualifying individual. Also, the IRS has just announced the 2025 extra standard deduction amount.
Standard deduction for seniors – If you do not itemize your deductions, you can get a higher standard deduction amount if you and/or your spouse are 65 years old or older. You can get an even higher standard deduction amount if either you or your spouse is blind.
Social Security can potentially be subject to tax regardless of your age. While you may have heard at some point that Social Security is no longer taxable after 70 or some other age, this isn't the case. In reality, Social Security is taxed at any age if your income exceeds a certain level.
Or do you mean the withholding taken out of your Social Security checks? That does count towards your federal income tax like any other W2 or 1099 withholding. You will get a SSA-1099 each January to enter into your tax return.
Seniors over age 65 may claim an additional standard deduction of $1,950 for single filers and $1,550 for joint filers. The personal exemption for 2024 remains at $0 (eliminating the personal exemption was part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA).
Not eligible for the standard deduction
Certain taxpayers aren't entitled to the standard deduction: You are a married individual filing as married filing separately whose spouse itemizes deductions. You are an individual who was a nonresident alien or dual status alien during the year (see below for certain exceptions ...
Standard deductions.
For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately for tax year 2025, the standard deduction rises to $15,000 for 2025, an increase of $400 from 2024. For married couples filing jointly, the standard deduction rises to $30,000, an increase of $800 from tax year 2024.
If your expenses throughout the year were more than the value of the standard deduction, itemizing is a useful strategy to maximize your tax benefits. Keep in mind that not all expenses qualify when you itemize. Itemized deductions include products, services, or contributions that have been approved by the IRS.
Dependent Exemption: each dependent claimed on a tax return is typically worth $2,000. This means that for every dependent you qualify to claim, you can reduce your taxes by this amount, potentially resulting in lower tax liability or a higher tax refund.
The standard deduction is a specific dollar amount that reduces the amount of taxable income. The standard deduction consists of the sum of the basic standard deduction and any additional standard deduction amounts for age and/or blindness. In general, the IRS adjusts the standard deduction each year for inflation.
If you owe money to a federal or state agency, the federal government may use part or all of your federal tax refund to repay the debt. This is called a tax refund offset. If your tax refund is lower than you calculated, it may be due to a tax refund offset for an unpaid debt such as child support.
“This is simply a way for Congress to obtain more revenue for the federal government at the expense of seniors who have already paid into Social Security.
By placing a “0” on line 5, you are indicating that you want the most amount of tax taken out of your pay each pay period. If you wish to claim 1 for yourself instead, then less tax is taken out of your pay each pay period.
Taxes aren't determined by age, so you will never age out of paying taxes. People who are 65 or older at the end of 2024 have to file a return for tax year 2024 (which is due in 2025) if their gross income is $16,550 or higher.
For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $13,850 for 2023, up $900, and for heads of households, the standard deduction will be $20,800 for tax year 2023, up $1,400 from the amount for tax year 2022.
Each year, the IRS updates the standard deduction to keep up with inflation, so it tends to increase over time. Your standard deduction amount usually depends on your tax filing status. For example, people married filing jointly get a bigger deduction than single filers.
Have you heard about the Social Security $16,728 yearly bonus? There's really no “bonus” that retirees can collect. The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses a specific formula based on your lifetime earnings to determine your benefit amount.
Extra tax deductions for seniors
If you don't itemize your deductions, you can get an extra standard deduction if you and/or your spouse are 65 years old or older. These are $1,950 for single filers and $1,550 for married individuals filing jointly.
If your spouse dies, do you get both Social Security benefits? You cannot claim your deceased spouse's benefits in addition to your own retirement benefits. Social Security only will pay one—survivor or retirement. If you qualify for both survivor and retirement benefits, you will receive whichever amount is higher.