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Senior Deduction Calculator

The extra $6,000 deduction for people 65 and older, for 2025 to 2028: how much you keep after the income phase-out, and the federal tax it saves.

Your senior deduction is $6,000, which saves about $1,070 of federal income tax at 2026 rates.

Your deduction
$6,000
Federal income tax saved
$1,070
Most you could deduct
$6,000
Lost to the income phase-out
$0

The senior deduction by income

Modified AGISingle, 65+Joint, both 65+
$50,000$6,000$12,000
$75,000$6,000$12,000
$100,000$4,500$12,000
$125,000$3,000$12,000
$150,000$1,500$12,000
$200,000$0$6,000
$250,000$0$0

How this calculator works

Each person 65 or older by the end of the year gets an extra $6,000 deduction (26 U.S.C. 151(d)(5)(C)), on top of the standard deduction, including its existing extra amount for age. Each $6,000 falls by 6% of modified AGI over $75,000 ($150,000 joint), so it is gone at $175,000 ($250,000 joint).

Deductions lower federal taxable income whether you itemize or take the standard deduction. They don't lower Social Security or Medicare tax, and states decide for themselves whether to follow them.

The tax saved is estimated at 2026 federal rates with the standard deduction, treating your modified AGI as your income.

What it assumes

  • You need a valid Social Security number, and married couples must file jointly to claim it.
  • It is a deduction, not a change to how Social Security benefits are taxed.

Questions people ask

What is the $6,000 senior deduction?

A new deduction for 2025 through 2028: $6,000 for each taxpayer or spouse aged 65 or older, available whether you itemize or not.

Does it make Social Security tax-free?

Not directly. It lowers taxable income, which can offset tax on benefits, but the rules for taxing Social Security benefits haven't changed.

Is there an income limit?

It shrinks by 6% of modified AGI over $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers): gone at $175,000 single or $250,000 joint.

How much does it save?

At your marginal rate: a single 70-year-old with $60,000 of income saves about $720; a couple with $120,000 saves about $1,440.

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Sources

Updated by the RateHerald team. The maths is tested against worked examples; report a problem.

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