By Steve Dinnen
Congress seems divided (like always?) about how generous it wants to be with a big new tax break for senior citizens. As the debate over the tax-and-spending bill known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act winds its way through the Senate, lawmakers are proposing a $6,000 “bonus deduction” for taxpayers aged 65 and up. This is a 50% higher deduction than the House already approved when it passed the bill last month.
If approved, the deduction would be capped at $75,000 in income for single filers and $150,000 for couples. It’s also just a temporary gift, available only from 2025 through 2028.
Currently, taxpayers 65 and older have an additional standard deduction that stacks on top of the regular standard deduction.
As Kiplinger notes, for the 2025 tax year (with returns filed in 2026), a single filer age 65 or older can claim an extra $2,000, while married couples filing jointly can add $1,600 for each spouse over 65. For example, a married couple with both spouses over 65 would receive total standard deductions of $33,200 ($30,000 base plus $3,200 extra for age), according to IRS guidelines.
The Senate’s new “bonus” deduction would pile on top of those amounts.
