First adopted in 1975, the Federal Rules of Evidence codify the evidence law that applies in United States federal courts.
There are some cases where adjustments should be made to the standard deduction. For example, if you are 65 or older, or if you are blind, the standard deduction increases. To lower your tax burden this year by up to $5,000, consider opening up an IRA (Individual Retirement Account). Mint.com has an IRA wizard that can show you what kind of IRA to open and where to open it. The personal exemption is another deduction to your income that you can take for yourself and for any dependents.
The standard deduction is a fixed amount that you can deduct without reporting any specific expenses; it is different for each of the filing statuses. For example, if you use the head of household status on your 2011 tax return, you can claim a deduction of $8,500. Therefore, when evaluating whether to itemize and claim a uniform deduction, you need to calculate your total itemized deductions and compare that amount to the standard deduction.