Standard vs. Itemized Deduction worksheet

1. Itemizing beats the standard deduction by: $5,000.00

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $20,200.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$11,250.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$1,900.00}-\mathrm{\$110,000.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$1,350.00}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$9,500.00}+\mathrm{\$11,250.00}+\mathrm{\$1,350.00}$$=\mathrm{\$22,100.00}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for married filing separately filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$16,100.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$17,100.00}$

5. Itemizing is larger, so it saves you more. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$22,100.00}-\mathrm{\$17,100.00}$$=\mathrm{\$5,000.00}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$1,100.00}$

2. Itemizing beats the standard deduction by: $962.50

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$8,500.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$2,600.00}-\mathrm{\$107,500.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$2,062.50}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$7,500.00}+\mathrm{\$8,500.00}+\mathrm{\$2,062.50}$$=\mathrm{\$18,062.50}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for single filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$16,100.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$17,100.00}$

5. Itemizing is larger, so it saves you more. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$18,062.50}-\mathrm{\$17,100.00}$$=\mathrm{\$962.50}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$211.75}$

3. The standard deduction beats itemizing by: $6,412.50

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$9,500.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$2,500.00}-\mathrm{\$132,500.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$1,837.50}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$7,400.00}+\mathrm{\$9,500.00}+\mathrm{\$1,837.50}$$=\mathrm{\$18,737.50}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for head of household filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$24,150.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$25,150.00}$

5. The standard deduction is at least as large, so take it. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$25,150.00}-\mathrm{\$18,737.50}$$=\mathrm{\$6,412.50}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$1,539.00}$

4. Itemizing beats the standard deduction by: $1,300.00

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$11,000.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$3,000.00}-\mathrm{\$110,000.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$2,450.00}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$13,000.00}+\mathrm{\$11,000.00}+\mathrm{\$2,450.00}$$=\mathrm{\$26,450.00}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for head of household filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$24,150.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$25,150.00}$

5. Itemizing is larger, so it saves you more. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$26,450.00}-\mathrm{\$25,150.00}$$=\mathrm{\$1,300.00}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$286.00}$

5. The standard deduction beats itemizing by: $7,450.00

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$7,500.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$2,250.00}-\mathrm{\$110,000.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$1,700.00}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$8,500.00}+\mathrm{\$7,500.00}+\mathrm{\$1,700.00}$$=\mathrm{\$17,700.00}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for head of household filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$24,150.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$25,150.00}$

5. The standard deduction is at least as large, so take it. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$25,150.00}-\mathrm{\$17,700.00}$$=\mathrm{\$7,450.00}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$1,639.00}$

6. The standard deduction beats itemizing by: $8,600.00

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$6,600.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$2,600.00}-\mathrm{\$80,000.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$2,200.00}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$7,750.00}+\mathrm{\$6,600.00}+\mathrm{\$2,200.00}$$=\mathrm{\$16,550.00}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for head of household filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$24,150.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$25,150.00}$

5. The standard deduction is at least as large, so take it. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$25,150.00}-\mathrm{\$16,550.00}$$=\mathrm{\$8,600.00}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$1,032.00}$

7. Itemizing beats the standard deduction by: $7,250.00

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $20,200.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$8,500.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$2,600.00}-\mathrm{\$110,000.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$2,050.00}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$13,800.00}+\mathrm{\$8,500.00}+\mathrm{\$2,050.00}$$=\mathrm{\$24,350.00}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for married filing separately filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$16,100.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$17,100.00}$

5. Itemizing is larger, so it saves you more. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$24,350.00}-\mathrm{\$17,100.00}$$=\mathrm{\$7,250.00}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$1,595.00}$

8. The standard deduction beats itemizing by: $3,412.50

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$12,000.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$2,600.00}-\mathrm{\$122,500.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$1,987.50}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$7,750.00}+\mathrm{\$12,000.00}+\mathrm{\$1,987.50}$$=\mathrm{\$21,737.50}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for head of household filers, plus cash gifts up to $1,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$24,150.00}+\mathrm{\$1,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$25,150.00}$

5. The standard deduction is at least as large, so take it. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$25,150.00}-\mathrm{\$21,737.50}$$=\mathrm{\$3,412.50}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$750.75}$

9. The standard deduction beats itemizing by: $16,300.00

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$9,250.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$3,000.00}-\mathrm{\$110,000.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$2,450.00}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$6,200.00}+\mathrm{\$9,250.00}+\mathrm{\$2,450.00}$$=\mathrm{\$17,900.00}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for married filing jointly filers, plus cash gifts up to $2,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$32,200.00}+\mathrm{\$2,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$34,200.00}$

5. The standard deduction is at least as large, so take it. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$34,200.00}-\mathrm{\$17,900.00}$$=\mathrm{\$16,300.00}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$1,956.00}$

10. The standard deduction beats itemizing by: $13,200.00

1. Your state and local taxes are under the $40,400.00 cap, so they all count

   $\text{taxes counted}$$=\mathrm{\$9,000.00}$

2. New for 2026: when you itemize, charity gifts only count above 0.5% of your AGI

   $\mathrm{\$3,000.00}-\mathrm{\$100,000.00}\times \mathrm{0.5\%}$$=\mathrm{\$2,500.00}$

3. Add up everything that counts to get your itemized total

   $\mathrm{\$9,500.00}+\mathrm{\$9,000.00}+\mathrm{\$2,500.00}$$=\mathrm{\$21,000.00}$

4. Now the other side: the 2026 standard deduction for married filing jointly filers, plus cash gifts up to $2,000.00, which you can now deduct without itemizing

   $\mathrm{\$32,200.00}+\mathrm{\$2,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$34,200.00}$

5. The standard deduction is at least as large, so take it. Find the gap between the two

   $\mathrm{\$34,200.00}-\mathrm{\$21,000.00}$$=\mathrm{\$13,200.00}$

6. Run both through the 2026 brackets to see what the bigger deduction saves in federal income tax

   $\text{tax saved}$$=\mathrm{\$1,584.00}$