www.taxprofessionals.com - TaxProfessionals.com
Posted by MPS Tax

Itemizing vs. Standard Tax Deduction: What’s the difference?

Itemizing vs. Standard Tax Deduction: What’s the difference?

Recognize whether which of the standard deduction and itemized deduction suits you before you file.

Although you don’t have plenty of choices when it comes to paying taxes, you can have an advantage from substantial deductions that lessen the amount you owe the US government.

A deduction protects a share of your earnings from income tax. As Tim Clairmont, the founder and CEO of Clear Financial Partners (a wealth management company in Lake Oswego, Oregon) have said: "Imagine you have $100,000, and you get to make some of that invisible (to taxes)."

Now that the individual exemptions have been removed, deductions are particularly significant. Taxpayers could have an exemption of $4,050 for themselves and each of their dependents in the past. However, those exemptions were removed for the 2018 tax year under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act which now makes deductions the main way to lessen taxable income.

There are two deduction choices a taxpayer can have whether it is a standard deduction or itemized deductions. Itemizing is made up of individual deductions which together helps lessen the amount of taxable income you pay while standard deduction is the government's built-in deduction that one can take while preparing their taxes.

Continue reading to learn the advantages and disadvantages of a standard deduction and itemized deduction to choose which approach is suitable for you.

Standard Deduction

The standard deduction was almost doubled for the 2018 tax year and was again increased for 2019 this is to remunerate for the removal of personal exemptions. You are allowed to take one of the following standard deductions depending on your tax-filing status:

    •    Married of single individual filing: $12,200.

    •    Head of household: $18,350.

    •    Married jointly filing or qualified widow/er): $24,400.

As the managing partner in the Philadelphia office of the accounting firm Friedman LLP, Kim Dula has said: "Everyone is entitled to a standard deduction." There are no requirements for eligibility, no special forms to accomplish and no income boundaries. As Dula says it, "It's a freebie."

Here are the main advantages of the standard deduction:

    •    It is not difficult, it is convenient and it saves time.

    •    Certain taxpayers qualify for a larger deduction.

    •    Anybody can claim it.

It is not difficult, it is convenient and it saves time. Choosing for the standard deduction might be a clever way to go if you like to have your taxes as simple as possible. The standard deduction is basically an automatic process that does not need you to allocate time or energy to tracking costs. As an outcome, it keeps you away from the concern of giving documentation, filling out a Schedule A form or requiring to comprehend distinctions of tax law.

Certain taxpayers qualify for a larger deduction. Based on age or incapacity, certain persons might be eligible for a rise in their deduction. Depending on their tax-filing status, taxpayers aged 65 and above or blind are allowed an added deduction of $1,300 to $1,650.

Anybody can claim it. Even if you don't have expenses that qualify you to make itemized deductions, you will still be allowed to take a standard tax deduction.

Based on your financial situation, the standard deduction may not be the best choice although it is a simple scheme. Here are the disadvantages of choosing the standard deduction:

    •    Standard deductions have filing restrictions.

    •    You may end up with a lesser deduction.

Standard deductions have filing restrictions. A few scenarios would not be enough to take a standard deduction. If you are married and filing individually, you will not be able to claim a standard deduction if your partner itemizes his or her deductions. Although not as typical, if you are a non-resident foreigner, a dual-status foreigner or somebody who is filing a tax return for a period of less than a year, then you will not be qualified for the standard deduction. If you've been claimed as a dependent on someone else's taxes, your deduction can also be restricted.

You may end up with a lesser deduction. The standard deduction amount may be lesser than the amount you could subtract if you itemize. For instance, the standard deduction may be less than the total amount of mortgage interest, real estate taxes and charitable donations you have paid and could deduct.

Itemized Deductions

Itemized deductions can end up in a different amount for each taxpayer in contrast with the standard deduction. Itemized deductions can be claimed based on Schedule A form and this can be divided into five primary divisions:

•    Medical and dental costs.

•    Taxes you paid.

•    The interest you paid.

•    Aids to charity.

•    Theft losses and casualty

There is also a route for other itemized deductions that covers less common circumstances like gambling losses and certain investments that are not recovered in a pension. Nonetheless, Timothy Speiss, the co-leader of the personal wealth advisors group at accounting firm EisnerAmper in New York City said that state and local taxes, mortgage interest and charitable contributions will make up the bulk of itemized deductions for most people.

These are the advantages of itemized deductions:

    •    More expenses can be claimed.

    •    More money can be saved from taxes.

More expenses can be claimed. A few of the expenses permitted with itemization are mortgage interest, property taxes, and medical bills. Although some of these categories have caps or restrictions, taxpayers with big mortgages who generously give to charity may discover that they acquire a bigger deduction through itemizing.

More money can be saved from taxes. You might be able to receive a bigger tax refund since you can take in more deductions when itemizing. The amount you will save by itemizing will be based on your tax bracket. For example, income taxed in the 25% tax bracket will get a 25 cent tax savings for every dollar itemized beyond the standard deduction.

Itemizing deductions also have some disadvantages. These are the disadvantages of itemized deductions:

    •    There will be more paperwork and effort to itemize.

    •    There are limitations to selected itemized deductions.

There will be more paperwork and effort to itemize. Itemizing is a manual procedure that needs collecting of documentation and adding up expenses dissimilar to standard deductions. It depends on how good your records are and the number of your deductions, this time-consuming process may not lessen your taxable income sufficiently to make it worth the effort.

There are limitations to selected itemized deductions. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act limits the itemized deduction for state and local taxes as well as property taxes, at $10,000. Moreover, only interest on the first $750,000 of a new mortgage can be counted in and interest on home equity loans used for purposes other than a renovation is no longer subject to deduction.

Should You Choose Itemized Deductions?

Anybody with deductible expenses that go beyond the standard deduction should itemize. As Clairmont has said think of the standard deduction as a hurdle and you have to get over that hurdle to itemize.

For a lot of people, it could be tough to clear that amount except if they have mortgage interest or property taxes to deduct.  Speiss has said that the standard deductions are designed for people who don't own a home. It may hard to look for adequate deductions to itemize except if somebody has substantial charitable donations or a major medical event.

Dula says that even those who do not think they can itemize must still be tracing expenses to be sure they are not missing out on a tax break. Furthermore, those who can't itemize on a yearly basis may be capable to do so for some years if they bundle their charitable donations. Dula explained that there are more and more people who are using donor-advised funds. Taxpayers who like to give can make a substantial and deductible impact to a fund in one year and then gradually expand that money to charity over time.

MPS Tax
Contact Member