Since the standard deduction nearly doubled in 2018, itemizing only makes sense for a minority of filers — but that minority is larger than people assume, especially after a big life event.
Add up mortgage interest, state and local taxes (capped at $10,000), charitable contributions, and any deductible medical expenses above 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. If that total exceeds the standard deduction for your filing status, itemizing wins.
The years it usually flips in your favor: the year you bought a home, a year with a large charitable gift, or a year with significant unreimbursed medical costs. We run both calculations on every return automatically, so you never leave the larger deduction on the table.
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