New Year, Bigger Standard Deduction: How Much Will You Save On Your 2024 Tax Return?

Although the due date for your 2024 federal income tax return is a long way off (it’s not until April 15, 2025), smart taxpayers will start thinking about their tax bill for the new year far in advance. Proper tax planning takes time, so it’s actually wise to begin collecting information about your 2024 taxes now (if you haven’t already started). That way, you have as much time as possible to minimize your tax bill for the 2024 tax year. Fortunately, the IRS has already calculated the most important 2024 tax deduction for the vast majority of people—the standard deduction.  This tax deduction is adjusted each year to account for inflation, which helps taxpayers by increasing their deduction nearly every year (and certainly this year, since inflation is still on the high side). So, if you want to kick-start your 2024 tax planning, all the various standard deduction amounts for the new year are laid out below. Since the standard deduction is claimed by about 90% of all Americans, it’s something you definitely want to be on top of well before it’s time to file your 2024 return. WealthUp Tip: Federal income tax returns for the 2023 tax year are due April 15, 2024 (April 17 for residents of Maine and Massachusetts). Tax returns for the 2024 tax year are due April 15, 2025. Related: Federal Tax Brackets and Rates for 2024

Standard Deduction Amounts for the 2024 Tax Year

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Your standard deduction for the year primarily depends on your filing status, but it can also be impacted by your age, whether or not you’re a dependent, and even your vision. Retired: Retirement Plan Contribution Limits and Deadlines for 2023 For the 2024 tax year, the basic standard deduction based on your filing status will be as follows:

Standard Deduction Limit for Dependents

The basic standard deduction is capped for people who can be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return. For 2024, a dependent’s basic standard deduction will be limited to the greater of:

• $1,300
• Your earned income plus $450 (but not more than the applicable basic standard deduction amount)

Earned income includes salaries, wages, tips, professional fees, and other compensation for work. It also includes any part of a taxable scholarship or fellowship grant. Related: “Kiddie Tax” for 2024

Additional Standard Deduction for Age and/or Blindness

Anyone who’s at least 65 years old or legally blind at the end of next year will be able to claim the following additional standard deduction amount for the 2024 tax year:

• $1,550 for married couples filing jointly, married taxpayers filing separately, and surviving spouses
• $1,950 for single and head-of-household filers

For married couples who file a joint tax return, both spouses will get an additional standard deduction for being at least 65 years old or blind. If you or your spouse is both 65 or older and blind, then the additional deduction for that person will be doubled. Related: Don’t Believe These 17 Social Security Myths If you’re married but file a separate return, your spouse will be eligible for the additional standard deduction on your return only if he or she has no income, isn’t filing a return, and can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return for the tax year. The additional deduction will also be doubled for separate filers for either qualifying spouse who is both 65 or older and blind. For more on the standard deduction, including the 2023 standard deduction amounts, see What Is the Standard Deduction? Related: States That Tax Social Security Benefits

Inflation Adjustments for the 2024 Standard Deduction Amounts

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The 2024 basic standard deduction amounts for most people increased by approximately 5.4% when compared to the 2023 amounts (5.3% for head-of-household filers). That rate of increase is higher than what we normally see because the inflation rate is still relatively high. Related: IRA Contribution Limits for 2024 [Save More in 2024] WealthUp Tip: The 5.4% increase translates to a $750 jump in the basic standard deduction from 2023 to 2024 for single taxpayers, a $1,500 rise for joint filers, and a $1,100 boost for head-of-household filers. However, the basic standard deduction jumped a whopping 6.95% from 2022 to 2023 for the majority of people (7.22% for head-of-household filers). That’s because the inflation rate was even higher in 2022 than it was in 2023. Related: 7 Monthly Dividend Stocks for Frequent, Regular Income The standard deduction amounts don’t usually rise as swiftly as they did for 2022 and 2023, though. That’s because the inflation rate has been unusually high over the past couple of years. Related: 5 Best Fidelity Retirement Funds [Low-Cost + Long-Term] Since the standard deduction was nearly doubled by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (starting with the 2018 tax year), the increases have been more modest, as shown in the table below. Note that, if any increase triggered by the inflation adjustment rules is not a multiple of $50, the increase is rounded to the next lowest multiple of $50. Related:

• 401(k) Contribution Limits for 2024
• Child Tax Credit FAQs [What Every Parent Needs to Know]