When filling out their tax returns, taxpayers can chose between claiming a standard deduction (which in 2013 was $6,100 for a single filer and $12,200 for married couples) or itemizing their deductions—whichever is larger. The value of deductions depend on the top rate a taxpayer pays at. For example, a $1,000 deduction is worth $150 for someone in the 15 percent bracket, but worth $396 for someone in the top 39.6 percent bracket.
The percentage of tax filers who itemize increases as we move up the income scale. Only about half of taxpayers earning between $50,000 and $75,000 claim itemized deductions, but nearly 100 percent of taxpayers earning above $200,000 itemize.
For more charts like the one below, see the second edition of our chart book, Putting a Face on America's Tax Returns.
We will never sell or share your information with third parties.
Join the Tax Foundation's fight for sound tax policy Go
The Tax Policy Blog is the official blog of the Tax Foundation, a non-partisan, non-profit research organization that has monitored tax policy at the federal, state and local levels since 1937. Our economists welcome your feedback. If you would like to send an e-mail to the author of a blog post, please click on that person's name to locate his or her e-mail address or visit our staff page here.