Add up your deductions and settle the itemize-or-standard question in one minute
| Deduction | You entered | Counts |
|---|
Since the 2018 standard-deduction doubling, itemizing went from majority sport to niche strategy — roughly 90% of filers now take the standard deduction, many without checking. But "most people shouldn't" isn't "you shouldn't": homeowners in high-tax states, big givers, and high-medical-cost years still beat the standard number, and the close cases hide a legitimate strategy (bunching) worth four figures. This tool runs your actual comparison with the caps and floors applied.
| Deduction | Rule |
|---|---|
| State & local taxes (SALT) | Income/sales + property taxes, capped at $40,000 (2025; phased down for AGI > $500k) |
| Mortgage interest | On up to $750k of acquisition debt (Form 1098 has the number) |
| Charitable gifts | Cash to qualified orgs up to 60% of AGI; appreciated stock up to 30% (with a capital-gains bonus) |
| Medical expenses | Only the amount ABOVE 7.5% of AGI counts — a high floor that usually zeroes this line |
Against the 2025 standard deduction: $15,000 single / $30,000 married / $22,500 head of household (65+ filers add $2,000/$1,600 per qualifying spouse).
If your recurring deductions land just under the standard line, alternate years: concentrate two years of charitable giving (a donor-advised fund lets you take the deduction now and grant to charities over time), plus any prepayable property taxes, into year one — itemize big. Take the standard deduction in year two. A couple giving $8,000/yr who bunches to $16,000 every other year converts giving that saved $0 into giving that saves ~$1,800 per cycle at 22–24%. The calculator's note flags automatically when you're in bunching territory.
State/local income taxes withheld (or sales taxes instead, if higher — relevant in no-income-tax states) plus property taxes on your home and vehicles. Capped at $40,000 for 2025 under current law, with a phase-down for very high incomes.
Under current law, no meaningful above-the-line charity deduction exists for standard-deduction filers (small provisions come and go). The workarounds: bunching via donor-advised funds, or QCDs directly from IRAs if you're 70½+ — which bypass this whole question.
On acquisition debt up to $750,000, yes (older $1M-grandfathered loans keep their cap). Home-equity interest counts only when the loan bought/improved the home. Your lender's Form 1098 reports the deductible figure.
You deduct the full market value AND never pay capital gains on the appreciation — a double benefit worth 15–20% extra on long-held winners. Any brokerage can transfer shares to a charity or donor-advised fund.
Not necessarily — some states force your federal choice, others allow itemizing separately with different (often uncapped) rules. High-SALT-state filers sometimes take federal standard + state itemized where allowed.
Form 1098 (mortgage), property-tax statements, charity acknowledgments (letters required for $250+ single gifts), and medical receipts. No receipts needed for the standard deduction — its quiet quality-of-life advantage.
Yes — every figure computes locally in your browser.
Run the comparison once a year — takes a minute with numbers you already have — and remember the December window: bunching decisions expire at midnight on the 31st, and they're the cheapest four-figure tax savings in the code.