A step-by-step guide to preparing and filing Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, for individual taxpayers in the United States.
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| What | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Source | all figures below | https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill |
| Standard deduction, married filing jointly | $32,200 | "For tax year 2026, the standard deduction increases to $32,200 for married couples filing jointly." |
| Standard deduction, single / married filing separately | $16,100 | "For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $16,100 for tax year 2026." |
| Standard deduction, head of household | $24,150 | "for heads of households, the standard deduction will be $24,150" |
| Personal exemption | $0 | "For tax year 2026, personal exemptions remain at 0, as in tax year 2025." |
| Foreign earned income exclusion | $132,900 | "For tax year 2026, the foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900 up from $130,000 for tax year 2025." |
Form 1040 is the annual federal income tax return filed by individuals with the Internal Revenue Service, covering income, deductions and credits for a calendar tax year. It is used by U.S. taxpayers to file an annual income tax return, with Form 1040-SR available as an optional alternative for taxpayers who are age 65 or older. Figures are for tax year 2026. Because the Internal Revenue Service has not yet published the tax-year-2026 version of every process page (the 2026 return is generally filed in 2027), some procedural figures below are still shown as the IRS currently states them for the 2025 return; each such row says so.
This Guide is for individual U.S. taxpayers preparing their own Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR, including those with wage income, self-employment income, or a business or side income requiring a Schedule C. If you have wages, file Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return or Form 1040-SR, U.S. Income Tax Return for Seniors; if you have a business or side income, file Form 1040 with a Schedule C. To file federal taxes, you need a taxpayer identification number (TIN).
Standard deduction and related inflation-adjusted amounts (tax year 2026)
| What | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Source | all figures below | https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill |
| Standard deduction, married filing jointly | $32,200 | "For tax year 2026, the standard deduction increases to $32,200 for married couples filing jointly." |
| Standard deduction, single / married filing separately | $16,100 | "For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction rises to $16,100 for tax year 2026." |
| Standard deduction, head of household | $24,150 | "for heads of households, the standard deduction will be $24,150" |
| Personal exemption | $0 | "For tax year 2026, personal exemptions remain at 0, as in tax year 2025." |
| Foreign earned income exclusion | $132,900 | "For tax year 2026, the foreign earned income exclusion is $132,900 up from $130,000 for tax year 2025." |
Filing deadline (as currently published by the IRS, for the 2025 return; the tax-year-2026 process page had not been published at the time of drafting)
| What | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Source | all figures below | https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc301 |
| General rule for calendar-year filers | April 15 of each year | "the due date for filing your federal individual income tax return is generally April 15 of each year" |
| Deadline stated by the page for the 2025 return | April 15, 2026 | "For the 2025 tax return, the due date is April 15, 2026." |
Extension of time to file (2026 IRS Tax Calendar, applies to the 2025 return filed in 2026)
| What | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Source | all figures below | https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p509.pdf |
| Extended filing deadline after Form 4868 | October 15 | "file Form 4868 to obtain 4 additional months to file and pay what you estimate you owe in tax...Then, file Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR by October 15." |
Self-employment filing threshold
| What | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Source | all figures below | https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/who-needs-to-file-a-tax-return |
| Net earnings from self-employment requiring a return and quarterly estimated tax | $400 or more | "Self-employed individuals are required to file an annual return and pay estimated tax quarterly if they had net earnings from self-employment of $400 or more." |
Dependent filing thresholds (as stated by the IRS for the 2025 return; the page's own year, not yet updated for 2026)
| What | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Source | all figures below | https://www.irs.gov/publications/p501 |
| Gross income above which a person generally cannot be claimed as a dependent (unless a qualifying child) | $5,200 or more | "If your gross income was $5,200 or more, you usually can't be claimed as a dependent unless you are a qualifying child." |
| Dependent unearned income filing trigger | more than $3,350 (more than $5,350 if 65 or older and blind) | "Your unearned income was more than $3,350 ($5,350 if 65 or older and blind)." |
Filing method income limits
| What | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Source | all figures below | https://www.irs.gov/filing/individuals/how-to-file |
| IRS Free File adjusted gross income limit | $89,000 or less | "Free File - If your adjusted gross income is $89,000 or less. If higher, you can use Free File Fillable Forms." |
| IRS-certified volunteer preparation income limit | $69,000 or less | "IRS-certified volunteers – If you earn $69,000 or less, have a disability, are 60 years or older or need language support." |
Other United States computations in the OpenAccountants Tax Library.
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