Our disabled son, who has never been employed was on our tax return, however, we were only given credit on the tax return for standard deduction of "2", it should be "3"?

[brenalex5185-]

We filed married, jointly plus included our son as a dependent (he is shown on the form w/all pertinent information) and we only given standard deduction of $27,000 vs $28,300.  Our son is an adult but disabled from birth.

[VolvoGirl]

The Standard Deduction is a set amount for your filing status.  You don't get it for the number of people or for dependents.  Only for for primary taxpayer and spouse.

For 2020 the standard deduction amounts are:

Single 12,400 + 1,650 for 65 and over or blind (14,050)

HOH 18,650 + 1,650 for 65 and over or blind

Joint 24,800 + 1,300 for each spouse 65 and over or blind

Married filing Separate 12,400 + 1,300 for 65 and over or blind

[Opus 17]

A disabled dependent does not increase your standard deduction.  Your dependent son should qualify for a $500 credit for "other dependent."

Checking the "disabled" box for a dependent does not result directly in extra deductions or credits.  It may make you eligible to claim a person who could not otherwise qualify to be claimed as a dependent, and it may make you eligible for certain other benefits such as the dependent care credit, if you have to pay for daycare for the dependent while you and your spouse work. 

[brenalex5185-]

I will need to check to see if the extra $500 credit is on the return..if not, I will need to file an amended copy.  Thank you..

[brenalex5185-]

Just so I understand, the standard deduction is $24,800 + $1,300 for each of us since we are over 65?  That would total $27,400.  Does the additional $1,300 pick up on another form like the "extra dependent" we have (our son)?  Thanks so much for  your response..

[VolvoGirl]

Don't understand your question but no, the 1300 doesn't show up anywhere else.  You get the 27,400 Standard Deduction on 1040 line 12.  That's all.

[Opus 17]

The standard deduction is listed on form 1040 line 12.  It will just be the amount $27,400 (for married filing jointly when both spouses are 65 or older), it isn't calculated anywhere else on the form. 

Your disabled dependent will be a $500 credit on form 1040 line 19.

In your original question when you asked about "$28,300" for "3", you might be thinking of table 7 in publication 501.  But that only applies to you and your spouse.  If you and your spouse check 3 of the boxes, the standard deduction would be $28,300.  But the boxes are,

• spouse 1 is over 65;
• spouse 2 is over 65,
• spouse 1 is blind,
• spouse 2 is blind.

These bumps to the standard deduction never apply to other family members, even if you take care of them and claim them as dependents.  If you claim your son as a tax dependent, there will be a credit on line 19, not a bump in the standard deduction.

[Opus 17]

$28,300 is the standard deduction amount for checking 3 boxes in Table 7 of the 2019 version of publication 501.  Right now the IRS is serving the 2019 version as the default current version, the 2020 version is still technically a draft. This is possibly the origin of the misunderstanding. 

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/p501--dft.pdf

In any case, the taxpayers here don't check 3 boxes for disabled in Table 7 because Table 7 only applies to the taxpayer and their spouse when filing jointly.  A disabled child does not increase the parents' standard deduction.  A disabled child gives the parents a tax credit in a different place on the form if the parents claim the child as a dependent.