The federal government regularly adjusts everything from Social Security benefits to retirement account limits to account for inflation.
The same goes for some key aspects of federal income taxes, including the standard deduction. And 2026 will be no exception: Every standard deduction is increasing, the IRS just announced.
Additionally, the standard deduction for 2025 will be higher than previously announced due to a recent federal law known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Following is a look at how the standard deduction will change for the 2025 and 2026 tax years — meaning your tax returns that will be due by April 2026 and April 2027, respectively.
What is the standard deduction?
No one is taxed on every dollar they earn. One reason for this is tax deductions, which reduce your taxable income.
Each year, virtually every taxpayer gets to choose between claiming the standard deduction and itemizing their tax deductions.
The standard deduction is a predetermined flat amount. Claiming it is as simple as entering the amount on your tax return.
If you itemize, you add up your applicable deductions — such as mortgage interest and property taxes — and then claim that total on your return.
Most taxpayers — roughly 90% — opt for the standard deduction instead of itemizing.
The exact amount of your standard deduction depends on your tax-filing status, age and sometimes other factors. Read on to learn exactly what yours will be for 2025 and 2026.
Taxpayers under age 65
For 2025, the standard deduction as revised by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is worth:
- $31,500 if your tax-filing status is married filing jointly or surviving spouse (instead of $30,000, which is what it would have been had the recent law not passed)
- $23,625 if your tax-filing status is head of household (instead of $22,500)
- $15,750 if your tax-filing status is single or married filing separately (instead of $15,000)
For 2026, the standard deduction will be worth:
- $32,200 if your tax-filing status is married filing jointly or surviving spouse
- $24,150 if your tax-filing status is head of household
- $16,100 if your tax-filing status is single or married filing separately
This means that a married couple filing a joint tax return, for example, would not owe any taxes on the first $31,500 of their 2025 income if they choose to take the standard deduction — assuming both individuals are younger than 65.
The same couple would not owe taxes on the first $32,200 of their 2026 income.
Older and blind taxpayers
Taxpayers who are 65 or older, as well as those who are blind, generally qualify for an extra boost to their standard deductions.
The amount of that boost was not affected by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but it does get adjusted regularly to account for inflation. For that reason, it will be worth more for 2026 than it is for 2025.
For 2026, older and blind taxpayers generally will get an additional:
- $1,650 per married person (up from $1,600 for 2025)
- $2,050 per single person (up from $2,000 for 2025)
So, if two married seniors file a joint return, for example, their standard deduction for 2026 would be $35,500 ($32,200 + $1,650 + $1,650).
Just note that the IRS has its own definitions of “65” and “blindness.”
For 2026, to be eligible for a higher standard deduction based on age, you must have been born before Jan. 2, 1962.
To be eligible based on blindness, you must either:
- Be totally blind
- Have a certified statement from an ophthalmologist or optometrist that says either:
- You can’t see better than 20/200 in your better eye, even with glasses or contact lenses.
- Your field of vision is 20 degrees or less.
The new tax deduction for seniors
The standard deduction is different from the brand-new $6,000 tax deduction for seniors that was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. In other words, they are separate tax breaks.
So, if you are eligible for both breaks, you will get both.
To learn more about the new senior deduction, including whether you are eligible for it, see “The New Senior Deduction Could Slash Your Taxes by Over $1,000 — How to Tell Exactly How Much It Saves You.”
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