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2026 Standard Deduction Calculator

Find your 2026 standard deduction, including the extra amount for being 65 or older or blind, the limit for dependents, and whether itemizing would save you more.

Born before January 2, 1962

$

Optional. Mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charity, medical over 7.5% of AGI

$

Optional. Deductible up to $1,000 ($2,000 joint) if you take the standard deduction

$

Optional. Used for the senior deduction phase-out and the tax savings estimate

Your 2026 standard deduction

Standard deduction

$18,150.00

Base standard deduction
$16,100.00
Additional for 65+ or blind (1 x $2,050)
$2,050.00
Standard deduction + charity deduction
$19,150.00
Your itemized deductions
$12,000.00
Better choice (by $7,150.00)
Standard
Federal tax saved by that choice
$858.00

Uses 2026 IRS amounts: $16,100 single or married filing separately, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household, plus $2,050 (unmarried) or $1,650 (married) per 65+ or blind box. The comparison counts the non-itemizer charity deduction on the standard side; tax savings use 2026 brackets and ignore credits.

2026 deductions on top of the standard deduction

Extra deductions you can also take

$7,000.00

Senior deduction (Schedule 1-A)
$6,000.00
Charitable deduction (up to $1,000.00)
$1,000.00
Standard deduction
$18,150.00
Total deductions
$25,150.00
Estimated taxable income
$34,850.00

The $6,000 senior deduction requires being 65 or older by the end of the year and a valid Social Security number. The charitable deduction for non-itemizers starts in 2026 and covers cash gifts to qualifying charities (not donor-advised funds). Estimated taxable income is MAGI minus total deductions and ignores other Schedule 1-A deductions.

2026 standard deduction amounts

Filing statusStandard deductionAdditional per 65+ or blind boxWith age 65+
Single$16,100$2,050$18,150
Married filing jointly$32,200$1,650$33,850 one spouse, $35,500 both
Qualifying surviving spouse$32,200$1,650$33,850
Married filing separately$16,100$1,650$17,750
Head of household$24,150$2,050$26,200

Each box you check (65 or older, blind) adds the additional amount, so a single filer who is both 65 and blind adds $4,100. If someone can claim you as a dependent, your base standard deduction is the greater of $1,350 or your earned income plus $450, capped at the regular amount for your filing status.

Two newer deductions sit on top of the standard deduction. The $6,000 senior deduction (Schedule 1-A, tax years 2025 through 2028) is available to each taxpayer 65 or older, whether or not you itemize, and phases out by 6% of modified AGI above $75,000 ($150,000 joint). Run your numbers in the senior deduction calculator. And starting in 2026, non-itemizers can deduct cash gifts to qualifying charities of up to $1,000 ($2,000 married filing jointly).

Example: a single filer who is 65 has $12,000 of itemized deductions, gave $1,000 in cash to charity, and has $60,000 of modified AGI. Their standard deduction is $16,100 plus $2,050, or $18,150. Adding the $1,000 charity deduction gives $19,150, which beats itemizing by $7,150 and saves $858 of federal tax in the 12% bracket. On top of that they get the full $6,000 senior deduction, for $25,150 of total deductions and $34,850 of taxable income.

Some tax breaks only work if you itemize. Gambling losses, for example, are deductible only on Schedule A, so check the gambling winnings tax calculator before assuming the standard deduction wins. Married couples weighing separate returns should know both spouses must make the same choice; compare both ways with the married filing jointly vs separately calculator. To see what you owe after your deduction, use the federal income tax calculator.

If you itemize, you can deduct state sales tax instead of state income tax (within the SALT cap). The reverse sales tax calculator backs the tax out of a receipt total.

Frequently asked questions

What is the standard deduction for 2026?

For 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $32,200 for married couples filing jointly (and qualifying surviving spouses), and $24,150 for head of household. Taxpayers who are 65 or older or blind add an additional amount on top.

What is the standard deduction for seniors over 65 in 2026?

A single or head of household filer who is 65 or older adds $2,050, so a single senior gets $18,150. Married taxpayers add $1,650 for each spouse who is 65 or older, so a joint return with both spouses 65+ gets $35,500. Being blind adds the same amount again. Separately, seniors can claim the new $6,000 senior deduction for 2025 through 2028, which phases out above $75,000 of modified AGI ($150,000 joint).

Should I itemize or take the standard deduction?

Take whichever is larger. Add up your mortgage interest, state and local taxes (capped), charitable gifts, and medical expenses above 7.5% of AGI. If the total beats your standard deduction, itemizing saves money. Most households take the standard deduction. In 2026, standard deduction filers can also deduct some cash gifts to charity, which tilts the decision further toward the standard deduction.

What is the standard deduction for a dependent?

If someone else can claim you as a dependent, your 2026 standard deduction is the greater of $1,350 or your earned income plus $450, but not more than the regular standard deduction for your filing status. A dependent who is 65 or older or blind still adds the additional amount on top.

Can I take the standard deduction if my spouse itemizes on a separate return?

No. If you are married filing separately and your spouse itemizes deductions, your standard deduction is zero and you must itemize too, even if your own itemized deductions are small. Both spouses need to make the same choice.

Did the standard deduction change under the 2025 tax law?

Yes. The 2025 law (known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act) made the higher standard deduction from the 2017 tax law permanent instead of letting it shrink after 2025, and increased it for 2025 to $15,750 single and $31,500 joint. It is adjusted for inflation each year, which produces the 2026 amounts of $16,100 and $32,200.

Can I take the standard deduction and still deduct charity in 2026?

Yes. Starting in 2026, taxpayers who do not itemize can deduct cash gifts to qualifying charities of up to $1,000, or $2,000 for married couples filing jointly, on top of the standard deduction. Gifts of property and contributions to donor-advised funds do not qualify.

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