Senior Citizens Get Filing Breaks
The following special tax provisions can help seniors save on their taxes.
Higher filing thresholds. If you were single and over age 65 before Jan 2019, you don’t have to file a return for 2018 unless your gross income was over $13,600. This is $1,600 more than younger taxpayers. If you are married and your spouse is also over age 65 a joint return does not need to filed unless your gross income is over $26,000 or $25,300 if only one is over age 65.
If you were over age 65 before Jan 1, 2019 you receive an additional standard deduction amount if you don’t itemize. If you are single you get an additional $1600 or $1300 each if you are married or a qualifying widow/widower.
Social Security benefits may be exempt from tax if your “provisional” income is not more than $32000. The base is $25,000 if you are single, head of household or qualifying widow/widower. People filing married filing separately are not allowed any base amount.
There is a minimal tax credit for taxpayers age 65 or over who receive little or no Social Security or Railroad Retirement benefits and for individuals under age 65 who are totally disabled with extremely low incomes.
Folks over age 72 can ask for their Required Minimum Distributions from IRA’s and other retirement plans be sent directly to the Charity/ Charities of their choice making the distribution nontaxable. However, if these same people itemize their deductions, they cannot then deduct those contributions. That would be considered double dipping and is illegal.