Standard deduction 2024 (taxes due 2025)
The standard deduction for 2024 is $14,600 for single filers and married people filing separately, $21,900 for heads of household, and $29,200 for joint filers and surviving spouses. $14,600.
As a result, for 2024, a single taxpayer can claim a federal estate and lifetime gift tax exemption of $13.61 million. Couples making joint gifts can double that amount. This exemption has helped affluent families pass along substantial gifts tax-free.
The standard deduction varies by filing status and is indexed for inflation. In 2024, the standard deduction is $14,600 for single filers and married persons filing separately, $21,900 for a head of household, and $29,200 for a married couple filing jointly and surviving spouses.
After an inflation adjustment, the 2024 standard deduction increases to $14,600 for single filers and married couples filing separately and to $21,900 for single heads of household, who are generally unmarried with one or more dependents. For married couples filing jointly, the standard deduction rises to $29,200.
Who Does Not Have to Pay Taxes? You generally don't have to pay taxes if your income is less than the standard deduction or the total of your itemized deductions, if you have a certain number of dependents, if you work abroad and are below the required thresholds, or if you're a qualifying non-profit organization.
To get the most out of your benefit you need to plan carefully, however, since you could owe income taxes on as much as 85% of your Social Security. $45,864: Maximum Social Security benefit for someone retiring at full retirement age in 2024. 85%: Maximum portion of Social Security benefits subject to income taxes.
3. Additional Standard Deduction for Taxpayers 65+ in 2025. Single Filers and Heads of Household: The additional deduction for those aged 65 or older will increase from $1,950 (2024) to $2,000 in 2025.
• Personal exemptions generally allow taxpayers to claim themselves (and possibly their spouse) • Dependency exemptions allow taxpayers to claim qualifying dependents. The deduction for personal exemptions is suspended (reduced to $0) for tax years 2018 through 2025 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
Federal Exemption Amount. The amount which can pass free of federal estate, gift and generation-skipping taxes (“the federal basic exclusion amount”) has increased in 2024 from $12.92 million to $13.61 million per person.
Another key difference: While there is no federal inheritance tax, there is a federal estate tax. The federal estate tax generally applies to assets over $13.61 million in 2024 and $13.99 million in 2025, and the federal estate tax rate ranges from 18% to 40%.
Bottom Line. California doesn't enforce a gift tax, but you may owe a federal one. However, you can give up to $19,000 in cash or property during the 2025 tax year and up to $18,000 in the 2024 tax year without triggering a gift tax return.
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.
Standard Deduction Changes for 2024
For tax year 2024, the standard deduction for married couples filing jointly rises to $29,200, an increase of $1,500 from 2023. For single taxpayers, the standard deduction rose to $14,600, a $750 increase from the previous year.
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.
At what age is Social Security no longer taxable? Social Security income can be taxable no matter how old you are. It all depends on whether your total combined income exceeds a certain level set for your filing status. You may have heard that Social Security income is not taxed after age 70; this is false.
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.
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.
The personal exemption for 2024 remains at $0 (eliminating the personal exemption was part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA).
For 2024, the additional standard deduction amounts for taxpayers who are 65 and older or blind are: $1,950 for Single or Head of Household (increase of $100) $1,550 for married taxpayers or Qualifying Surviving Spouse (increase of $50)
If you have income below the standard deduction threshold for 2024, which is $14,600 for single filers and $29,200 for those married filing jointly, you may not be required to file a return. However, you may want to file anyway.