1. Business & Finance

Should you Itemize or Use the Standard Tax Deduction?

From Jeremy Vohwinkle, About.com GuideMarch 14, 2009

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The tax filing deadline may still be a month away, but it will be here before you know it. One of the common questions many people have is whether or not it's worth it to itemize deductions or just take the standard deduction. Sure, itemizing takes a little more work since you have to keep track of individual expenses, but if those expenses total more than the standard deduction, you could save quite a bit of money.

For 2008, the standard deduction for the most common types of filers are as follows:

  • Single: $5,450
  • Head of Household: $8,000
  • Married Filing Joint: $10,900
  • Married Filing Separately: $5,450
  • Qualifying Widow/Widower: $10,900

So, if you think that you could itemize and go beyond the standard deduction limit for your filing status, it would certainly be worth the time and effort to itemize your deductions.

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