Standard Deduction for 2025: How Much It Is and Who Gets More
The 2025 standard deduction is $15,750 single and $31,500 married filing jointly. Here's who gets a higher amount, and how 2026 compares.
TaxWallet Newsroom
October 26, 2026
The standard deduction is the amount you subtract from your income before tax is figured, without having to list any expenses. Most people take it, because it's bigger than what they could itemize. For the 2025 tax year, the one you file in early 2026, the amounts went up.
The 2025 standard deduction
| Filing status | 2025 standard deduction |
|---|---|
| Single | $15,750 |
| Married filing separately | $15,750 |
| Head of household | $23,625 |
| Married filing jointly | $31,500 |
These are the amounts in the Form 1040 instructions for tax year 2025.
Who gets more: age 65 and blind
You get an additional standard deduction if you're 65 or older at the end of the year, or blind. You get it once for each condition, and on a joint return once for each spouse who qualifies.
| Status | Extra amount per condition |
|---|---|
| Single or head of household | $2,000 |
| Married (jointly or separately) | $1,600 |
Example: a married couple filing jointly, both 65 or older, add $1,600 twice to $31,500, for a standard deduction of $34,700.
The IRS treats you as 65 on the day before your 65th birthday. Someone born on January 1, 1961 is treated as 65 at the end of 2025.
Who gets less: dependents
If someone can claim you as a dependent, your standard deduction is limited. For 2025 it's the greater of $1,350, or your earned income plus $450, but never more than the regular amount for your filing status. That's why a teenager with a summer job usually owes nothing on it.
Filing status matters more than you think
Look at the table again. Head of household gets $7,875 more than single. If you're unmarried and you pay more than half the cost of keeping up a home for a qualifying person, such as a child who lives with you, you may qualify. The rules are in IRS Publication 501, Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information.
The secret: if you were married at the end of the year but lived apart from your spouse for the last six months, and your child lived with you, the IRS may "consider you unmarried." That can let you file as head of household instead of married filing separately, and the difference in the standard deduction alone is $7,875. Most people in that situation never ask. Publication 501 has the test; ask your preparer to walk through it with you.
Standard or itemized?
You itemize instead when your deductible expenses add up to more than your standard deduction. The big ones are mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charitable gifts and medical costs above 7.5% of your income. The state and local tax cap went up for 2025, so more people may come out ahead by itemizing. We explain it in the SALT deduction for 2025.
What changes for 2026
For the 2026 tax year, the one you'll file in 2027, the amounts go up again:
| Filing status | 2026 standard deduction |
|---|---|
| Single or married filing separately | $16,100 |
| Head of household | $24,150 |
| Married filing jointly | $32,200 |
The additional amount for age 65 or blind is $2,050 for single and head of household, and $1,650 for married filers.
Worked examples
A single worker, age 30. Wages of $45,000, no dependents. Standard deduction: $15,750. Taxable income before any other adjustments: $29,250.
A head of household, age 40, with one child. Wages of $45,000. Standard deduction: $23,625. Taxable income: $21,375. Same pay as the single worker, $7,875 less taxable income, and that's before the Child Tax Credit.
A married couple, one spouse 66, one spouse 63. Joint wages and pension of $80,000. Standard deduction: $31,500 + $1,600 (one spouse 65 or older) = $33,100.
A single retiree, 70, who is also blind. Standard deduction: $15,750 + $2,000 (age) + $2,000 (blind) = $19,750.
Common mistakes
- Missing the age box. The extra amount only applies if the box for age 65 or blind is checked on the return. Software usually calculates it from the date of birth, so the date of birth has to be right.
- Filing single when head of household fits. It's the most expensive filing status mistake for single parents.
- Married filing separately without checking the itemizing rule. If one spouse itemizes, the other must too, and their standard deduction becomes zero.
- Assuming last year's amount. The standard deduction changes every year with inflation.
Do I still have to file?
Even if your income is below the standard deduction, filing can still be worth it. If you had tax withheld or qualify for a refundable credit like the EITC, the only way to get that money back is to file a return.
Find a TaxWallet office
A TaxWallet office can check your filing status and run both options, standard and itemized, before you sign. See your estimate, or ask your preparer.
FAQ
What is the 2025 standard deduction for married filing jointly?
$31,500. Add $1,600 for each spouse who is 65 or older or blind.
What is the 2025 standard deduction for single filers?
$15,750, plus $2,000 if you're 65 or older and another $2,000 if you're blind.
Can I take the standard deduction if my spouse itemizes?
No. If you're married filing separately and your spouse itemizes, you have to itemize too.
Where are the rules?
IRS Publication 501 and the Form 1040 instructions.
General information, not tax advice. Your own situation can change the answer; check with a preparer.