Weekly Map: Who Itemizes?

May 15, 2013

Nick Kasprak

Nick Kasprak

This week's map shows the percentage of federal tax returns in each state claiming Schedule A itemized deductions, the biggest of which are for charitable contributions, state and local taxes, and mortgage interest. Because every taxpayer is able to claim a minimum standard deduction (currently $5,950 for single filers and $12,200 for joint filers) these deductions only provide a benefit if they add up to be more; they therefore benefit mainly higher-income taxpayers, and wealthier states have a higher percentage of itemizers.

Click on the map to enlarge it.

View previous maps here.

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A tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities.

The standard deduction reduces a taxpayer’s taxable income by a set amount determined by the government. It was nearly doubled for all classes of filers by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act as an incentive for taxpayers not to itemize deductions when filing their federal income taxes.