Yeah… My wife and I together make six figures a year (if only just barely), own a home with a mortgage, and have a kid, and I’ve never had the itemized deduction exceed the standardized deduction. I think you’ve either got to specifically structure your financial life around taking deductions, or make “'It’s one banana, what could it cost” money to have itemized deductions make any sense, at which point, why are you complaining about the cost of tax prep anyway? A tax accountant doesn’t cost that much.
Yeah… My wife and I together make six figures a year (if only just barely), own a home with a mortgage, and have a kid, and I’ve never had the itemized deduction exceed the standardized deduction. I think you’ve either got to specifically structure your financial life around taking deductions, or make “'It’s one banana, what could it cost” money to have itemized deductions make any sense, at which point, why are you complaining about the cost of tax prep anyway? A tax accountant doesn’t cost that much.
itemized was more than standardized before the bush tax cuts for me.
Yup, my income is solidly upper middle class, and my experience matches yours.
Interesting. The interest from my mortgage payments and property taxes take me above the standard deduction alone, then I have work expenses as well.