Itemize Age License For Free

Taxpayers Age 65 & Older If you, or your spouse, were born on or before January 1, 1958, you may qualify to claim an age deduction of up to $12,000 each for 2022. The age deduction you may claim will depend upon your birth date, filing status and income.

If you are 65 or older or blind, you can claim an additional standard deduction. For 2023, that 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.

Unless you were ineligible for the standard deduction, this means that you took the standard deduction. Another way to check whether you itemized your deductions or took the standard deduction is to look at your Form 1040. Line 9 lets you enter the amount that you are deducting for itemized or standard deductions.

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.

Itemized deductions, subject to certain dollar limitations, include amounts you paid, during the taxable year, for state and local income or sales taxes, real property taxes, personal property taxes, mortgage interest, disaster losses, gifts to charities, and part of the amount you paid for medical and dental expenses.

The 2% rule for itemized deductions is a concept that used to apply to certain types of miscellaneous expenses in excess of 2% of your adjusted gross income (AGI). In 2018, this rule changed, but some people still qualify to deduct certain unreimbursed employee business expenses.

The standard deduction is the better deal for most taxpayers and will result in a lower tax bill. However, if you had a certain life event or unexpected expense occur in 2022, such as a large medical bill or purchasing a home, itemizing your deductions instead could save you more money.