Itemized Deductions are entered on Schedule A. You may need to upgrade to a Deluxe, since TurboTax Free Edition doesn't support Schedule A.
The federal standard deduction is a fixed dollar amount, based on your filing status and age, that the IRS lets you take off (deduct) from your taxable income.
On the other hand, the itemized deduction allows you to list (itemize) your deductions on Schedule A. Roughly a third of all taxpayers itemize.
The IRS lets you choose either the standard deduction or the itemized deduction. Most taxpayers will choose the one that gives them the biggest tax break. After you enter your information in TurboTax, we'll let you know which option gives you the biggest tax break.
