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Updated for tax year 2024.
You’ve probably heard the phrase, “You can deduct that,” a lot around tax season. But what exactly does that mean?
In this article, we’ll be discussing how to reduce your tax bill with tax credits, as well as how to reduce your taxable income with tax deductions. To do this, we put together a comprehensive list of tax breaks available for 2024, including some tax-deductible items many people often overlook or aren’t sure how to use to their advantage.
How do tax deductions work?
The purpose of income tax deductions is to decrease your taxable income, which reduces the amount of taxes you need to pay to the federal government. In the end, this can result in a lower tax bill.
For example: Let’s say your adjusted gross income (AGI) for 2024 was $50,000. If you claimed a deduction amount of $5,000, your taxable income would decrease to $45,000.
What is a tax credit?
On the other hand, tax credits act as a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the taxes you owe.
Using the same example income as above, if your AGI was $50,000 in 2024 and you claimed a $5,000 tax credit, your taxable income would not change. Instead, the tax credit would reduce your tax bill. If, for example, your tax bill was $12,000, the $5,000 tax credit would reduce the amount of taxes you owe to $7,000.
What tax breaks do I qualify for?
To claim tax benefits and deductions for the current tax year, the expense generally must occur on or before Dec. 31 of that year.
A lot of federal tax deductions and credits depend on situations that occur during the year, such as:
We’ll explore the specifics of these tax benefits below.
How do I claim a tax deduction?
As you prepare to file your tax return, you can choose to take the standard deduction (most common) or itemize your deductions.
Standard deduction vs. itemized deductions
In short, a standard deduction is a fixed reduction of your AGI that everyone gets. It ensures all taxpayers have at least some income that is not subject to the federal income tax.
Here are the 2024 and 2025 standard deduction rates you could qualify for based on your filing status:
|
Tax filing status |
Standard deduction 2024 |
Standard deduction 2025 |
|
Single |
$14,600 |
$15,000 |
|
Head of Household |
$21,900 |
$22,500 |
|
Married filing jointly and surviving spouse |
$29,200 |
$30,000 |
|
Married filing separately |
$14,600 |
$15,000 |
An itemized deduction comes from a list of expenses the IRS approved as eligible income tax deductions to help decrease your taxable income. The sum of these itemized deductions is used to lower your AGI. Depending on the amount of itemized deductions you qualify to claim, itemizing can result in a larger reduction than the standard deduction for some people.
Note: You cannot claim the standard deduction and itemized deductions in the same year.
2024 personal tax credits and deductions
Ready to dive into the world of tax breaks? Below is a list of personal tax deductions and tax credits available for tax year 2023.
Tax credits for those with dependents
Tax breaks for students with education expenses
Tax benefits for homeowners
Retirement plan tax breaks
Other deductions and credits
2024 deductions for business expenses
Use Schedule C to report all of your small business deductions even if you are self-employed.
Below is a list of business deductions:
Tax calculator
Curious how certain tax deductions and credits will affect your taxes? Check out our helpful income tax calculator.
The bottom line
Understanding tax deductions and credits is crucial for reducing your overall tax liability. Whether you’re looking to decrease your taxable income through tax deductions or directly lower your tax bill with credits, there are many opportunities available for the 2024 tax year. From homeownership and education expenses to business deductions and credits for dependents, it’s important to explore all the tax breaks for which you may qualify (TaxAct can help you with this!).