Standard Deduction Calculator

Should you take the standard deduction or itemize? Put in your income, filing status and itemized total and this standard deduction calculator compares the two and shows which one saves you more in 2026.

Example filled in: $80,000 a year, single, $12,000 of itemized deductions. Change any number below to run your own figures.

How to use this standard deduction calculator

Enter your annual income and filing status.
Enter your itemized deductions total — add up mortgage interest, state and local taxes (capped), charitable gifts, and medical costs over the limit.
The calculator figures your tax both ways and shows which deduction wins, and by how much.

Formula

The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. Taxable income = income − the deduction you take. Federal tax is then figured from the simplified 2026 brackets. You take whichever deduction is larger — the tax on the smaller taxable income is lower. The saving is the difference between the two tax bills.

Worked example — $80,000 with $12,000 itemized

$80,000 a year, single: the standard deduction is $16,100, so taxable income is $63,900 and the tax is $8,830. With $12,000 itemized, taxable income is $68,000 and the tax is $9,732. The standard deduction wins, and it saves you $902. If your itemized total were $20,000 instead, taxable income would be $60,000, the tax would be $7,972, and itemizing would win by $858. The break-even point is your standard deduction: itemize only when your itemized total is above it.

Frequently asked questions

How much is the standard deduction in 2026?

The 2026 standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, and $24,150 for head of household. It comes from IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 and is updated every year for inflation.

Should I take the standard deduction or itemize?

Take whichever is larger. Add up your itemized deductions — mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charitable gifts, and medical costs above the limit. If the total is more than your standard deduction, itemize. If it is less, take the standard deduction. Most people take the standard deduction, because the 2026 amounts are high.

What counts as an itemized deduction?

The common ones are mortgage interest, state and local taxes (capped at $10,000 in most cases), charitable gifts, and medical costs above 7.5% of your income. Keep receipts and records for anything you itemize.

Does the standard deduction change my tax bracket?

It can. The deduction lowers your taxable income, and a lower taxable income can fall in a lower bracket. On $80,000 a year, single, the standard deduction takes taxable income from $80,000 to $63,900 — still in the 22% bracket, but with less income taxed at 22%.

Can I switch between the standard deduction and itemizing each year?

Yes. You choose each year when you file. If you buy a house one year and your mortgage interest pushes your itemized total above the standard deduction, itemize that year and take the standard deduction the next.

Sources and 2026 figures. IRS Publication 15-T; IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Standard deduction 2026: $16,100 single / $32,200 married filing jointly / $24,150 head of household. Social Security wage base 2026: $184,500. Social Security 6.2%, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% over $200,000). Results are estimates, not tax advice.

Estimate, not tax advice. This site uses simplified 2026 tables for illustration. Check your figures against IRS Publication 15-T and a tax professional.