Standard Deduction

The standard deduction is a flat dollar amount you can subtract from your AGI without needing to track or substantiate any actual expenses, and it is adjusted for inflation every year. For 2025, the amounts are $15,750 for Single and Married Filing Separately, $31,500 for Married Filing Jointly and Qualifying Surviving Spouse, and $23,625 for Head of Household — all raised by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). For 2026, the figures rise further to $16,100, $32,200, and $24,150 respectively under Rev. Proc. 2025-32.

You claim the standard deduction directly on Form 1040 by not itemizing; there is no separate form or schedule required, which is exactly why the majority of filers use it. Taxpayers who are 65 or older, or who are blind, get an additional amount on top of the base figure — for 2025 that is an extra $2,000 for Single and Head of Household filers, or $1,600 per qualifying spouse for married filers, rising to $2,050 and $1,650 respectively for 2026.

The standard deduction only makes sense to skip if your itemized deductions on Schedule A — mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charitable gifts, and qualifying medical expenses — add up to more than the flat amount for your filing status. Since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act roughly doubled the standard deduction starting in 2018, and OBBBA has continued raising it, a shrinking share of taxpayers itemize each year. It is still worth totaling your itemized deductions annually, especially in a year with a large one-time expense like a home purchase or major medical bill, to confirm which option actually saves more.