Itemized deductions only affect your tax due or refund if you have enough itemized deductions to exceed your standard deduction. Itemized deductions that go on Schedule A include mortgage interest, property and state and local tax paid, medical expense, charity donations, etc. If you are both 65 or older your standard deduction for 2025 is $ 31,500 + $1600 for each spouse 65 or older so $34,700.
If your itemized deductions would exceed that amount then you can enter them and the software will calculate whether standard or itemizing is better for you. Remember that some deductions have thresholds and caps. It is especially difficult to use medical expenses.
Good news for you for 2025 to 2028 is that there is a "senior deduction" that is also added automatically if you are 65 or older.
Your itemized deductions have to be more than your standard deduction before you will see a change in your tax owed or tax refund. The deductions you enter do not necessarily count “dollar for dollar;”—medical expenses, for example, must meet a threshold that is pretty hard to reach. (Only the amount that is MORE than 7.5% of your AGI counts) The software program uses all the IRS rules that apply to the deductions you enter, and it tells you if you have enough to use your itemized deductions or if using the standard deduction is more advantageous for you.
The standard deduction makes some of your income “tax free.” It is not a refund. You will see your standard or itemized deduction amount on line 12e of your Form 1040.
The “senior deduction” is added automatically by the software based on the date of birth and filing status you entered into MY INFO. You do not need to take any extra steps to enter it. (And…the new senior deduction has nothing to do with whether you are getting Social Security)
The deduction is not on the same line as your standard deduction. It is shown separately.
2025 STANDARD DEDUCTION AMOUNTS
SINGLE $15,750 (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)
MARRIED FILING SEPARATELY $15,750 (65 or older/legally blind +1600)
MARRIED FILING JOINTLY $31,500 (65 or older/legally blind + $1600)
HEAD OF HOUSEHOLD $23,625 (65 or older/legally blind + $2000)
For 2025 through 2028 there is an extra deduction amount of up to $6000 per individual 65 or older filing Single, MFJ, or HOH which is phased out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers.
(The deduction phases out completely at $175.000 Single or HOH, or $250,000 joint)
The $6,000 senior deduction will be calculated on 1040 Schedule 1-A page 2 Part V Enhanced Deduction for Seniors which goes to 1040 line 13b. It is separate and in addition to the Standard Deduction or your Itemized Deductions on 1040 line 12e. Turbo Tax automatically includes it.
IRS Schedule 1-A
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f1040s1a--dft.pdf
Need to see it?
https://ttlc.intuit.com/turbotax-support/en-us/help-article/tax-return/preview-turbotax-online-retur...
If you are not getting the senior deduction it is because
Your date of birth in MY INFO shows that you were not 65 by the end of 2025
Your income is too high
You are filing married filing separately
**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.**
