When you begin a new tax return, TurboTax defaults to the Standard Deduction. As
a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Standard Deduction amounts have been significantly increased. It is likely that fewer than 10% of all taxpayers will find itemizing deductions to be advantageous.
For 2018, the
increased Standard Deduction amounts for all filers are:
- Single or Married filing
separately—$12,000.
- Married filing jointly or
Qualifying widow(er)—$24,000.
- Head of household—$18,000.
TurboTax will automatically switch to itemized deductions if you have entered sufficient itemized deductions to give you a lower taxable income than using the Standard Deduction.
Also, if your are married and you and your spouse are filing separate returns, if one spouse chooses to itemize, the other must itemize. In such a case, indicate in the EasyStep interview that you must itemize and the Standard Deduction will not be applied to your return.
