Do I take standard deductions once or twice for joint?

Question

Hi everybody,
I'm filing married joint w/ my wife (first time doing this) on a 1040A. Anyway, for standard deductions of 10,300 do I subtract that from my salary, then subtract it from her salary, or do I add both our salaries and subtract 10,300 only once? Same question with exemptions (6,600 once or twice?)
Thanks,
Scott

Answer 1

There is a specific deduction for "married, filing jointly" - you take it once, off the combined incomes of both spouses.

Answer 2

If you are filing a joint return with your spouse, you deduct a standard deduction of $10,300 once. Then, for each of you, you deduct a personal exemption of $3,300.

The numbers for 2007 are slightly higher but the same principal applies.

Answer 3

You subtract it only once. The $10,300 is already doubled from the individual standard deduction, to give you the equivalent of one for each of you.

Same for exemptions. You get one, ONCE, TOTAL, for each person.

Answer 4

Just take it line by line on the form. What you'll end up doing is adding your salaries together, then subtracting the standard deduction (only one standard deduction per return), then subtracting your personal exemptions. Based on what you asked, you'll take two exemptions - one for you, one for your wife.

Answer 5

you're a little late for filing a tax return aren't you? you get 2 exemptions, one standard deduction - once for each of the amounts you listed - you subtract these numbers from your combined salaries - not each - that's why it's called a joint return

Answer 6

Just once.

Answer 7

once