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Updated October 27, 2026. General information, not tax advice.
Most household purchases aren't deductible. The exceptions are charitable gifts, qualifying medical expenses, some education costs and classroom supplies for teachers. The big change for 2026: you can deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 married filing jointly) of cash gifts to charity even if you take the standard deduction.
Medical expenses still only help if you itemize and they exceed 7.5 percent of your income, but many of the same items can be bought tax-free through an HSA or FSA.
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| Item | Tax year 2026 |
|---|---|
| Standard deduction, single | $16,100 |
| Standard deduction, head of household | $24,150 |
| Standard deduction, married filing jointly | $32,200 |
| Charitable deduction without itemizing (cash gifts) | Up to $1,000 single, $2,000 joint |
| Charitable floor for itemizers | Only gifts above 0.5% of AGI count |
| Medical expense threshold (itemizers) | Costs above 7.5% of AGI |
| Educator expense deduction | Up to $350 per educator |
Standard deduction amounts are higher if you or your spouse are 65 or older or blind.
Many household deductions only help if you itemize on Schedule A. If your itemized deductions (mortgage interest, state and local taxes, charitable gifts, qualifying medical costs and so on) add up to more than your standard deduction, itemizing usually makes sense. Otherwise you take the standard deduction and most of these categories don't change your tax.
Either way, knowing what you spent in each category is the first step, and a lot of that spending shows up in your online order history.
Starting in tax year 2026, you can deduct cash donations to qualifying charities even if you don't itemize: up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. The change comes from the 2025 tax law often called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, and it is permanent.
You can't take both. The non-itemizer deduction is only for people who take the standard deduction.
If you itemize, you can deduct qualifying medical and dental expenses that exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. That's a high bar, but households with a surgery, a new baby or ongoing care in a given year often clear it. Purchases that can count, wherever you buy them:
Over-the-counter medicines are the common trap. They aren't deductible as an itemized medical expense (insulin is the exception), even though you can pay for them with HSA or FSA money.
Most of the items above, plus over-the-counter medicines and menstrual care products, can be paid for or reimbursed tax-free from a health savings account or flexible spending account. With an HSA you can reimburse yourself for any qualifying expense incurred after the account was opened, as long as you keep the receipts. A clear list of what you bought and when makes that easy.
Education costs help through credits and tax-free account withdrawals rather than deductions:
Teachers: eligible K-12 educators can deduct up to $350 of unreimbursed classroom supplies for 2026 without itemizing ($700 if both spouses are educators). Starting in 2026, educators who itemize can deduct qualifying classroom costs above that amount too. Plenty of those supplies are ordered online.
If you earn money from a side business such as reselling, crafting, freelancing or content creation, items bought for that business may be deductible as business expenses on Schedule C. Those are separate from household deductions and don't depend on itemizing. Our guide on finding tax-deductible business purchases in your Amazon order history covers this in detail.
The hardest part of claiming household deductions is remembering what you bought. A year of online shopping can mean hundreds of orders across Amazon, Walmart, Target and Temu.
Not every household will itemize, but with the new non-itemizer charitable deduction, more people benefit from tracking what they give and spend. A clean record of your purchases makes it easy to claim what you're entitled to and to back it up later.
Yes. Starting with tax year 2026, people who take the standard deduction can deduct up to $1,000 (single) or $2,000 (married filing jointly) of cash gifts to qualifying public charities. Gifts to donor-advised funds, most private foundations and donations of goods do not count toward this deduction.
For tax year 2026 the standard deduction is $16,100 for single filers and married filing separately, $24,150 for heads of household, and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly.
Qualifying medical supplies such as prescription glasses, contact lenses and solution, hearing aid batteries, blood sugar test kits and bandages count as medical expenses whether you buy them online or in a store. They only reduce your tax if you itemize and your total medical costs exceed 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. Many of the same items can be paid for tax-free with an HSA or FSA.
Over-the-counter medicines are not deductible as an itemized medical expense, with insulin as the exception. They are, however, eligible for HSA and FSA reimbursement, along with menstrual care products.
Eligible K-12 educators can deduct up to $350 of unreimbursed classroom expenses for 2026 without itemizing, or $700 for two educators filing jointly. Starting in 2026, educators who itemize can also deduct qualifying expenses above that amount as an itemized deduction.
Export your Amazon, Walmart, Target and Temu purchases into one spreadsheet and see your deductible spending at a glance.
Export my order historyThis article is for general information only and is not tax, legal or financial advice. Tax rules change and the right treatment depends on your situation. Before you file or act on anything here, talk to a licensed tax professional, such as a CPA or IRS enrolled agent.