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Step 1
Collect all of your forms, receipts and records for the tax year. Some deductions, such as mortgage interest, are reported to both you and the IRS on official tax forms. Other deductions require the taxpayer to have receipts or other documentation to claim them.
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Step 2
Obtain a Form 1040, Schedule A, which is used to itemize tax deductions. Also obtain the instructions for Schedule A. Schedule A has several blanks that must be filled in according to the instructions to claim many itemized deductions. This can be made simpler by using computer software.
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Step 3
Proceed through the instructions for Schedule A. Enter each value by adding up all of the eligible expenses for each line and entering the total in the box provided, or by using the provided worksheets to calculate the appropriate values. If using computer software, follow the screens the program presents and enter the details it asks for. This produces the same result---a completed Schedule A---but ensures that the math is correct.
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Step 4
Finish Schedule A and compare the total value of your itemized deductions to the value of the standard deduction. Make sure the itemized value is higher than the standard value. If not, you will pay less tax by using the standard deduction.
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Step 5
Keep all of your receipts and worksheets for three years. Although most documented proof of tax deductions is not submitted to the IRS when the taxes are filed, taxpayers are required to keep such proof for three years in case the IRS asks to see it.
