Tax Return Changes for Retirees and Seniors | HelloBooks The $6,000 senior deduction, higher standard deduction, charitable deduction for non-itemizers and the end of paper refunds. What older clients need.
Older clients get the most direct benefit from the new senior deduction, and many of them are also the clients most attached to paper checks.
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Senior deduction per person 65+
$6,000
Applies: 2025 to 2028 for the senior deductionFrom IRS.gov · checked October 10, 2026
Each person 65 or older can deduct an extra $6,000 for 2025 through 2028, on top of the existing additional standard deduction for age. It phases out over $75,000 of modified AGI, or $150,000 joint, and needs an SSN and a joint return if married.
From 2026, retirees who take the standard deduction can deduct cash gifts to charity up to $1,000, or $2,000 joint. Refunds now go by direct deposit unless an exception applies.
Most retirees do not keep books, but those with rentals or a consulting business should. For them, a separate account and simple monthly categorisation keep modified AGI predictable, which matters near the senior deduction phase-out.
The plain-English summary for business owners
Schedule 1-A · seniors 65 and over
Deductions · charitable giving
Filing season · refunds
General information for tax professionals, not advice on a specific return. Figures are from IRS.gov on the date shown; check the current IRS instructions before filing.
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