Itemize only if your itemized deductions beat the full 2026 standard path: the standard deduction of $16,100 single, $32,200 married filing jointly, $24,150 head of household, $16,100 married filing separately (IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32), plus up to $1,000 ($2,000 married filing jointly) of cash gifts to charity that you can deduct without itemizing. On the itemized side, add your SALT (capped at $40,400), mortgage interest, and charitable donations — but only donations above 0.5% of your AGI count. Example: a single filer with $100,000 AGI, $12,000 in SALT, $6,000 in mortgage interest, and $2,500 in cash donations itemizes $20,000 ($2,500 of donations minus the $500 floor leaves $2,000). The standard path is $17,100 ($16,100 + $1,000), so itemizing wins by $2,900. With only $14,000 of SALT and mortgage interest, the same filer itemizes $16,000, which is less than $17,100 — the standard deduction wins even though the raw $16,500 total beats $16,100.
For tax year 2026 (returns filed in 2027), the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers, $32,200 for married filing jointly, $24,150 for head of household, and $16,100 for married filing separately, per IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32. Taxpayers who are 65 or older or blind get an additional amount on top of these figures. For itemizing to pay off in 2026, your itemized deductions must beat this amount plus any cash gifts you could deduct without itemizing (up to $1,000, or $2,000 married filing jointly).
The SALT (State and Local Tax) deduction cap is $40,400 for 2026 under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act — or $20,200 if you're married filing separately (half-cap). The cap was $10,000 through 2024, jumped to $40,000 for 2025, and increases 1% per year. It phases down for taxpayers with modified AGI above $505,000 ($252,500 MFS) and returns to $10,000 ($5,000 MFS) in 2030 unless Congress extends it.
Start with your adjusted gross income (Form 1040, line 11), then add back the foreign earned income exclusion and foreign housing exclusion or deduction (Form 2555), plus any income excluded as a bona fide resident of Puerto Rico or American Samoa (Form 4563). For most taxpayers with no foreign or territory income, MAGI equals AGI. If your 2026 MAGI exceeds $505,000 ($252,500 married filing separately), the $40,400 SALT cap is reduced by 30% of the excess — but never below $10,000 ($5,000 MFS), per IRS Publication 505. Example: at $550,000 MAGI, the cap falls to $26,900.
The SALT deduction phase out starts at $505,000 of modified adjusted gross income for every filing status except married filing separately — single, married filing jointly, and head of household all share that threshold and the same $40,400 cap. Above it, the cap drops by 30 cents per dollar of MAGI over the threshold until it reaches the $10,000 floor; the deduction never disappears entirely. It is fully exhausted at $606,333 MAGI, since the $30,400 gap between cap and floor divided by 30% is $101,333. Married filing separately halves every figure: a $20,200 cap, a $252,500 threshold, a $5,000 floor, and exhaustion at $303,167 MAGI. Examples (single, MFJ, or head of household): $550,000 MAGI → $26,900 cap; $580,000 MAGI → $17,900 cap; $606,333 or more → $10,000 cap.
For 2025 returns (filed in early 2026), the standard deduction is $15,750 single / $31,500 married filing jointly / $23,625 head of household, and the SALT cap is $40,000 with a $500,000 MAGI phase-out threshold. For 2026, those rise to $16,100 / $32,200 / $24,150, with a $40,400 SALT cap and a $505,000 threshold. The itemized deduction calculator above uses 2026 figures. The core itemize-vs-standard comparison works the same way for 2025 with those lower numbers, but two charitable rules are 2026-only: the $1,000/$2,000 charitable deduction for non-itemizers and the 0.5%-of-AGI floor on itemized charitable gifts. Neither applied in 2025, so a 2025 return with cash donations can land on a different answer than the 2026 calculator gives.
Itemize when your itemized deductions exceed the 2026 standard deduction — $16,100 (single) or $32,200 (married filing jointly) — plus any cash gifts you could deduct without itemizing (up to $1,000 or $2,000). Count only the charitable donations above 0.5% of your AGI. The four big categories: SALT up to the $40,400 cap, mortgage interest, charitable contributions, and medical expenses above 7.5% of AGI. Homeowners in high-tax states are the most likely to clear the threshold now that the SALT cap has quadrupled from $10,000. The calculator above runs this comparison once you enter your numbers, including the cash-gift deduction for non-itemizers, but it does not yet subtract the 0.5% floor.
If you itemize, yes — starting in 2026, the first 0.5% of your AGI in charitable donations is not deductible (IRC §170(b)(1)(I), added by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act). At $100,000 AGI, the first $500 of giving is excluded; at $200,000 AGI, the first $1,000. The floor applies to your combined cash and non-cash donations. Example: with $100,000 AGI and $5,000 donated, you deduct $4,500. Our calculator does not yet subtract this floor from your results.
Yes — up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) of cash charitable contributions, deducted without itemizing, starting in 2026. Only cash counts — stock, non-cash goods, and gifts to donor-advised funds or supporting organizations are excluded. It is often called above-the-line, but it reduces taxable income, not AGI. If you take the standard deduction and give cash, this deduction is new for you. Keep a bank record or receipt for every gift claimed.
Cash donations to public charities are deductible up to 60% of your AGI in 2026. At $100,000 AGI, you can deduct up to $60,000 of cash gifts; amounts above the cap carry forward up to five years. Two other 2026 numbers matter: if you itemize, the first 0.5% of AGI in donations isn't deductible ($500 at $100,000 AGI), and if you don't itemize, you can still deduct up to $1,000 (single) / $2,000 (joint) of cash gifts without itemizing.
Yes. Contributions to IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) charities are tax deductible — cash gifts up to 60% of AGI, and non-cash donations (clothing, furniture, household goods) at fair market value if you itemize. For 2026, non-itemizers can also deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 married filing jointly) of cash gifts on top of the standard deduction. Non-cash donations over $500 require IRS Form 8283 (see our Form 8283 instructions), and the new 0.5% of AGI floor applies to itemized charitable giving in 2026.
Yes. Clothing, furniture, electronics, and household items in good used condition are deductible at fair market value when you itemize. Many households donate $1,000–$5,000+ in non-cash items a year but under-report because they don't track FMV. Non-cash donations over $500 require IRS Form 8283; over $5,000 per item or group requires a qualified appraisal. See our Form 8283 instructions for how to fill out the form, and our Goodwill donation value guide for category ranges.
Deduct the fair market value — typically 10–20% of original retail price for standard brands in good condition. Typical per-item ranges: T-shirts $2–$8, jeans $5–$16, sweaters $5–$15, dresses $6–$18, winter coats $10–$40, suits $20–$75, and shoes $5–$45 per pair. Items must be in good used condition or better (IRS Publication 526) — stained or torn items have zero deductible value. See our Goodwill donation value guide and clothing donation value guide for full tables.
For cash donations under $250, the IRS requires a bank record (canceled check or card statement) or a written receipt from the charity — one or the other. For non-cash donations of any size, get a receipt at drop-off; the only exception is an unattended drop box where a receipt is impractical. At $250 or more per donation, the rule tightens: you need a contemporaneous written acknowledgment from the charity, obtained before you file, stating whether you received any goods or services in return.
File IRS Form 8283 when your total non-cash charitable donations exceed $500 for the year. From $501 to $5,000 per item or group of similar items, complete Section A. Over $5,000 per item or group, you need Section B plus a qualified written appraisal. Cash donations never require Form 8283, regardless of amount. See our Form 8283 instructions for a step-by-step walkthrough.
Yes — property taxes are deductible up to the $40,400 SALT cap ($20,200 married filing separately) when you itemize in 2026. That includes real estate tax on your home and personal property tax on vehicles in states that charge it. Property taxes combine with state income tax (or sales tax) under the single SALT cap. Enter your property taxes in the calculator above to see how they affect your itemization decision.