Don't
claim the standard deduction on your tax returns when you can qualify for an itemized deductions that could significantly lower your tax bill some more.
All taxpayers can use Form 1040; however, to use Form 1040A you must satisfy a number of requirements, such as having taxable income of $ 100,000 or less and
claiming the standard deduction rather than itemizing.
By claiming charitable donations as tax deductions on Form 1040, Schedule A, Itemized Deductions, instead
of claiming the standard deduction, you could even lower your taxable income.
About 70 % of Americans
claim the standard deduction when filing their taxes, and their paychecks will almost certainly increase — albeit slightly — if tax reform passes.
Since taxpayers can
only claim the standard deduction if they do not itemize their deductions, the proposed increase in the standard deduction would effectively reduce the number of taxpayers claiming itemized deductions, and by consequence, remove some of the incentives for purchasing real estate.
Americans who
do claim the standard deduction would be able to further reduce their taxable income under the GOP's tax plan, in turn reducing their tax bill.
However, if you're taking required minimum distributions (RMDs) from your traditional IRA, there's a smart strategy that will still allow you to obtain a financial benefit from your charitable donations, even if you're
still claiming the standard deduction.
The estimates in the chart show how much single, childless taxpayers at different income levels
who claim the standard deduction might save if tax reform becomes law.
Under the GOP proposal, Americans who
claim the standard deduction will be able to deduct $ 12,200, slightly higher than the current combined $ 10,400 deduction, which includes the standard deduction and one personal exemption.
«The qualified charitable distribution enables a taxpayer to
claim the standard deduction and still get the charitable deduction,» said Slott of Ed Slott & Co. «If you qualify, it's the only way you should give to charity.»
She said the deduction is typically claimed by families who earn at least $ 60,000 annually, since below that income level most families do not itemize and instead
claim the standard deduction.
For a family of four with a household income of $ 175,000, we assumed they would itemize deductions in 2017, and
claim the standard deduction in 2018.
The estimated federal tax savings below are for a single, childless taxpayer who
claims the standard deduction.