Standard Deduction, married Joint, Both over 65

Forum|Forum|2 years ago
January 11, 2024
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Filing tax return with TurboTax I find that the computed Standard Deduction for me and my wife, both over 65 years age, resulted in a Standard deduction of $30,700; however, according to the chart in the 2023, 1040 instructions on page 34, we should get a Standard Deduction of $33,700. Why did TurboTax leave on dependent out?

TurboTax Free Edition Online

xmasbaby0

Employee

Are both of you legally blind? Unless you are both legally blind, your standard deduction for a married couple 65 or older filing a joint return is $30,700. For each spouse that is also legally blind, add $1500 to the standard deduction.

2023 STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNTS

SINGLE $13,850 (65 or older/legally blind + $1850)

MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY $12,850 (65 or older/legally blind + $1500)

MARRIED FILING JOINTLY $27,700 (65+/legally blind) ) + $1500 per spouse

HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD $20,800 (65 or older/blind) + $1850)

**Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to offer the most correct information possible. The poster disclaims any legal responsibility for the accuracy of the information that is contained in this post.**

xmasbaby0

Employee

Higher Standard Deduction for Blindness

If you are blind on the last day of the year and you don't itemize deductions, you are entitled to a higher standard deduction.

Not totally blind. If you aren't totally blind, you must get a certified statement from an eye doctor (ophthalmologist or optometrist) that:

1You can't see better than 20/200 in the better eye with glasses or contact lenses, or

2Your field of vision is 20 degrees or less.

If your eye condition isn't likely to improve beyond these limits, the statement should include this fact. Keep the statement in your records.

If your vision can be corrected beyond these limits only by contact lenses that you can wear only briefly because of pain, infection, or ulcers, you can take the higher standard deduction for blindness if you otherwise qualify.

DoninGA

Employee

Also answered in your prior post for the same subject here - https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/retirement/discussion/re-2023-instructions-states-line-12-of-the-1040-form-if-i-checked-4-boxes-in-the-standard-deductions/01/3127873#M206317

rjs

Employee

@jeffbeish wrote:

Why did TurboTax leave on dependent out?

You do not get an additional standard deduction for a dependent. The four check boxes in the standard deduction chart are for you and your spouse being 65 or older and for you and your spouse being blind. As you have already been told, if you are both 65 or older and neither of you is blind, your standard deduction is $30,700.

You have already posted two separate questions about your standard deduction. If you have further questions, add a reply to this thread. Do not post another new question about your standard deduction.

jeffbeishAuthor

Download this and read pages 31 - 34: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040gi.pdf

DoninGA

Employee

@jeffbeish The instructions have been in place for decades.

You can get an extra deduction if you are blind and Not age 65 or older.

You can get an extra deduction if you are age 65 or older and Not blind.

IRS Tax Topic 551 - https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc551

Additional Standard Deduction – You're allowed an additional deduction if you're age 65 or older at the end of the tax year. You're considered to be 65 on the day before your 65th birthday (for tax year 2023, you're considered to be 65 if you were born before January 2, 1959). You're allowed an additional deduction for blindness if you're blind on the last day of the tax year. For example, a single taxpayer who is age 65 and blind would be entitled to a basic standard deduction and an additional standard deduction equal to the sum of the additional amounts for both age and blindness. For the definition of blindness, refer to Publication 501, Dependents, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information. If you or your spouse were age 65 or older or blind at the end of the year, be sure to claim an additional standard deduction by checking the appropriate boxes for age or blindness on Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return or Form 1040-SR, U.S. Tax Return for Seniors.