Schedule A

Schedule A (Itemized Deductions) is an IRS tax form used to report itemized deductions that can reduce your taxable income as an alternative to claiming the standard deduction. Taxpayers choose between itemizing deductions on Schedule A or taking the standard deduction, selecting whichever method provides the greater tax benefit.

You should consider filing Schedule A if your total qualifying expenses exceed the standard deduction for your filing status. For 2024, standard deductions are $14,600 for single filers, $29,200 for married couples filing jointly, and $21,900 for heads of household. Itemizing makes sense when you have significant deductible expenses such as high medical costs, substantial mortgage interest, considerable state and local taxes, or large charitable contributions.

Schedule A includes several categories of deductible expenses. Medical and dental expenses exceeding 7.5% of your adjusted gross income are deductible, including payments for doctors, hospitals, prescription medications, insurance premiums, and qualified long-term care services. State and local taxes (SALT) are deductible up to $10,000 combined ($5,000 if married filing separately), including real estate taxes, personal property taxes, and either state income taxes or general sales taxes. Home mortgage interest on acquisition debt up to $750,000 is deductible for loans taken after December 15, 2017.

Charitable contributions to qualified organizations are deductible up to specified percentage limits based on your adjusted gross income, typically 60% for cash contributions to public charities. Casualty and theft losses are generally only deductible if they occur in federally declared disaster areas. Miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% floor were eliminated by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for tax years 2018 through 2025.

The total of all itemized deductions from Schedule A is transferred to Form 1040, reducing your adjusted gross income to arrive at taxable income. Because the standard deduction was significantly increased in 2018, fewer taxpayers benefit from itemizing. However, homeowners, those with high medical expenses, and generous charitable donors often still find itemizing advantageous for maximizing tax savings.