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Late filers: Don't shred those receipts just yet. You might be able to nab a break on your state tax return. We are closing in on the final days of the 2018 filing season. It's the first time taxpayers are submitting returns under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. This overhaul of the federal tax code roughly doubled the standard deduction to $12,000 for single filers ($24,000 for married-filing-jointly), did away with personal exemptions and limited itemized deductions. As a result of these changes, about 30 million fewer households will itemize in 2018, compared to 2017, according to the Joint Committee on Taxation.

Be aware that just because you take the standard deduction on your federal return, doesn't mean you can't itemize on your state return. In fact, "most states allow itemized deductions," said Nathan Rigney, lead tax research analyst at the Tax Institute at H&R Block. However, "there are 12 states and Washington, D.C., that will allow you to itemize on your state tax return only if you itemize on your federal," said Rigney. Those 12 are Colorado, Georgia, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia, he said.

Differences in state law

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State tax deductions

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