In 2017, Congress made a landmark change by nearly doubling the standard deduction. As a result, the number of filers itemizing deductions dropped to about 15 million in 2021 from about 47 million in 2017, according to the latest IRS data.
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 $12,950 for single filers and $25,900 for married couples filing jointly. In 2023, it bumps up to $13,850 for singles and $27,700 for married couples. Taxpayers age 65 and older receive an additional standard deduction. For most single filers, it is $1,750 for 2022 and $1,850 for 2023. For married couples filing jointly, it is $1,400 for 2022 and $1,500 for 2023, for each spouse age 65 and older.
About 90 percent of filers now take the standard deduction.