How does the standard deduction work? The standard deduction is the amount taxpayers can subtract from income if they don't break out deductions for mortgage interest, charitable contributions, state and local taxes and other items separately on Schedule A.
The standard deduction is a specific dollar amount that reduces the amount of income on which you're taxed. Your standard deduction consists of the sum of the basic standard deduction and any additional standard deduction amounts for age and/or blindness.
Taking the standard deduction might be easier, but if your total itemized deductions are greater than the standard deduction available for your filing status, saving receipts and tallying those expenses can result in a lower tax bill.
You subtract your standard deduction directly from your adjusted gross income. If you do not wish to use the standard deduction, you can claim itemized deductions. Doing so takes additional time, but that extra effort can result in big tax savings, especially if you have big deductions like mortgage interest.
In general, individuals not in a trade or business or an activity for profit, may take a standard deduction or itemize their deductions. The standard deduction is a flat amount based on your filing status (single; married filing separately; married filing jointly; head of household; or qualifying surviving spouse).
Most taxpayers opt for the standard deduction simply because it's less work than itemizing, but that doesn't mean it's the right choice for everyone. Here's a quick overview of what the standard deduction is, which taxpayers it works best for, and the standard deduction amounts for tax years 2023 and 2024.
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.
Taxpayers benefit from the standard deduction if their standard deduction is more than the total of their allowable itemized deductions. They can use the Interactive Tax Assistant, How Much Is My Standard Deduction? to determine the amount their standard deduction and if they should itemize their deductions.
The standard deduction: Allows you to take a tax deduction even if you have no expenses that qualify for claiming itemized deductions. Eliminates the need for itemizing deductions. Allows you to avoid keeping records and receipts of your expenses in case of a tax audit.
If you pay mortgage interest, state and local income or sales taxes, property taxes, or have medical and dental expenses that exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income, your itemized deductions may exceed your Standard Deduction.
In many cases, if you don't earn more than the Standard Deduction you won't have to file income taxes. For example, if the Standard Deduction is $12, 950, and you earn less than $12,950, then you might not need to file your income tax return.
Itemized deductions might add up to more than the standard deduction. The more you can deduct, the less you'll pay in taxes, which is why some people itemize — the total of their itemized deductions is more than the standard deduction.
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.
IRS extra standard deduction for older adults
For 2023, the additional standard deduction is $1,850 if you are single or file as head of household. If you're married, filing jointly or separately, the extra standard deduction amount is $1,500 per qualifying individual.
Taxable income – Taxable income is arrived at by subtracting the standard or itemized deductions—whichever amount is greater—from your AGI.
Standard deductions have filing limitations.
You won't be able to take a standard deduction in a few scenarios. For instance, if you are married but filing separately, you may not be able to take the standard deduction if your spouse itemizes. The same is true if you are claimed as a dependent on someone else's return.
Generally, the standard deduction is available to anyone who doesn't itemize, although there are a few exceptions. You cannot claim the standard deduction if: You are married and file separately from a spouse who itemizes deductions.
You can claim part of your total job expenses and certain miscellaneous expenses. These expenses must be more than 2% of your adjusted gross income (AGI).
If the standard deduction reduces your AGI enough, a portion of your taxable income could drop into a lower tax bracket, saving you more on taxes. The standard deduction applies to the tax year, not the year in which you file.
If your deductions exceed income earned and you had tax withheld from your paycheck, you might be entitled to a refund. You may also be able to claim a net operating loss (NOLs). A Net Operating Loss is when your deductions for the year are greater than your income in that same year.
The IRS considers an individual to be 65 on the day before their 65th birthday. The standard deduction for those over age 65 in 2023 (filing tax year 2022) is $14,700 for singles, $27,300 for married filing jointly if only one partner is over 65 (or $28,700 if both are), and $21,150 for head of household.
The standard deduction reduces a taxpayer's taxable income by a set amount determined by the government. It was nearly doubled for all classes of filers by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as an incentive for taxpayers not to itemize deductions when filing their federal income taxes.
Key takeaways. IRS rules may let you deduct interest paid on your mortgage on your income tax return. To claim this deduction, you need to itemize — you cannot take the standard deduction.
If you are 65 or older and blind, the extra standard deduction is: $3,700 if you are single or filing as head of household. $3,000 per qualifying individual if you are married, filing jointly or separately.