For the 2025 tax year, individuals aged 65 or older can claim a new "senior bonus" deduction of $6,000, which is separate from the standard deduction and existing additional senior deductions. This deduction, available through 2028, provides up to $12,000 for married couples if both spouses qualify. It begins to phase out for taxpayers with a Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) over $75,000 for singles ($150,000 for joint filers).
The $6,000 senior deduction is in effect from tax years 2025 through 2028. It applies to taxpayers 65 and over, regardless of whether they itemize their tax returns or take the standard deduction.
For tax year 2025, seniors (65+) get a new $6,000 "bonus" federal tax deduction (or $12,000 for couples) under recent legislation, in addition to existing age-based deductions, phasing out at higher incomes (MAGI $75k single, $150k joint) and requiring filing jointly if married to claim the full amount, while some states also offer senior property tax exemptions, like Colorado's temporary reinstatement for recent movers, requiring separate applications.
For 2025, the extra deduction is: $6,000 per qualifying senior. Applies to each spouse if both are 65 or older. That means a married couple where both spouses are over 65 could receive an additional $12,000 by claiming this new deduction.
For tax year 2025, seniors filing as single or married filing separately will usually need to file a return if both: you are at least 65 years of age. your gross income for tax is $17,750 or more.
You can't entirely avoid taxes on a bonus, but you can significantly lower the amount by contributing to tax-advantaged accounts (401(k), IRA, HSA), deferring the bonus to a year you expect to be in a lower tax bracket, or making charitable donations, thereby reducing your taxable income or increasing deductions at tax time.
Employers can use two different withholding methods: The percentage method (a flat 22% rate on bonuses under $1 million) or the aggregate method, which combines your bonus with regular pay.
You must be aged 20 and below, or 55 and above, in the disbursement year. Lower-income senior Singapore citizens will receive cash payments of $600 to $900 through the AP Seniors' Bonus. The AP Seniors' Bonus will be disbursed over three years, from 2023 to 2025. The last disbursement was made in February 2025.
There is an income cap, however. For individuals, the deduction is gradually reduced if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) exceeds $75,000. It's completely phased out at $175,000. For couples filing jointly, the deduction starts to be reduced at $150,000 and is completely phased out at $250,000.
The new senior tax deduction of up to $6,000 for single filers and $12,000 for joint filers, was created to help cover taxes on Social Security benefits. Taking the new senior deduction helps to reduce your taxable income, which can mean less tax or potentially an even bigger tax refund when you file your return.
From 2025 to 2028, adults age 65+ can claim a temporary bonus deduction of $6,000 if single or $12,000 if married filing jointly. For the 2025 tax year, the total standard plus bonus deduction for those age 65 and older is $21,750 for a single person and $43,500 for a married couple filing a joint return.
Some of the major tax changes effective from April 1, 2025, are revised tax slabs, rebate of up to Rs. 60,000, revised ITRU deadlines, calculation of partner's remuneration allowable as a deduction and revised TDS/TCS threshold limits. What is the Rebate available under section 87A?
Why is tax withholding on bonuses so high? Since bonuses are paid in addition to your normal paycheck, taxes are withheld at a higher rate than your regular wages. This is because they are considered supplemental income.
Bonus contributed pre-tax to super
For example, tax on a $50,000 bonus: Paid to you and your marginal tax rate is 32.5% = $16,250. Paid to you and your marginal tax rate is 37% = $18,500.
In the old tax regime , the basic exemption limit for senior citizens is Rs. 3,00,000/- and for super senior citizens, it is Rs. 5,00,000/-. In the new tax regime, no income tax is payable upto the total income of Rs. 7 lakh.