The formula
Take your modified adjusted gross income, subtract $75,000 ($150,000 if married filing jointly), and multiply by 6%. Subtract that from $6,000. A married couple who are both 65 or older each get that reduced amount, so the couple's deduction is twice it.
Single, 67, MAGI $110,000.
$110,000 − $75,000 = $35,000. 6% of $35,000 = $2,100.
Deduction: $6,000 − $2,100 = $3,900.
Phase-out table
| MAGI | Single or head of household | Married joint, one 65+ | Married joint, both 65+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| $75,000 | $6,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| $100,000 | $4,500 | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| $125,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| $150,000 | $1,500 | $6,000 | $12,000 |
| $175,000 | $0 | $4,500 | $9,000 |
| $200,000 | $0 | $3,000 | $6,000 |
| $225,000 | $0 | $1,500 | $3,000 |
| $250,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
What counts as income here
MAGI is your adjusted gross income from Form 1040, plus any foreign or territory income you excluded. For retirees that means wages, pensions, traditional IRA and 401(k) withdrawals, interest, dividends, capital gains and the taxable part of Social Security.
Watch large withdrawals and conversions
A big IRA withdrawal, a Roth conversion or a property sale in one year raises MAGI and can shrink the deduction. Spreading them across years, while the deduction lasts through 2028, can keep more of it. A tax professional can run the numbers for your situation.
Who counts as 65
You must be 65 by the last day of the tax year. For 2025 that means born before January 2, 1961; for 2026, born before January 2, 1962.
Example: only one spouse is 65
Married filing jointly, MAGI $180,000. One spouse is 66, the other 63.
One $6,000 amount. $180,000 − $150,000 = $30,000; 6% of $30,000 = $1,800.
Deduction: $4,200. The younger spouse adds nothing until they turn 65.
Common questions
Is the phase-out per person? Yes. On a joint return where both spouses are 65 or older, each $6,000 is reduced by the same 6% amount, so the couple's deduction shrinks twice as fast and ends at $250,000.
Does it affect the extra standard deduction for 65+? No. The extra standard deduction ($2,050 single, $1,650 per married person in 2026) has no income limit and stays in full.
Do Social Security benefits count toward MAGI? Only the taxable part. See how the senior deduction relates to Social Security.
Updated November 3, 2026. Sources: Internal Revenue Code §151(d)(5)(C), IRS Fact Sheet 2025-03, 2025 Schedule 1-A (Form 1040), IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32.