2025 Form 1040, Line 13
QBI Deduction: The 20% Pass-Through Break
The qualified business income deduction — 2025 Form 1040, Line 13 — lets eligible owners deduct up to 20% of QBI under §199A. It comes after AGI and shrinks Line 15 taxable income directly, no itemizing required.
How the 20% works
Eligible owners of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S corporations compute 20% of qualified business income and claim it on Line 13. It is a from-AGI deduction: available on top of the standard deduction or itemized deductions.
SSTB and wage limits
Specified service trades or businesses — law, medicine, consulting, and similar fields — face income-based limits, and W-2 wage and capital tests phase in for larger businesses at higher incomes. Under the limits, the full 20% generally survives.
Where it lands on the return
Line 13 sits with the standard or itemized deduction, between AGI on Line 11 and taxable income on Line 15. For the full deductions walkthrough, see Chapter 3: AGI and Deductions.
Questions, answered
- Who gets the QBI deduction?
- Eligible owners of sole proprietorships, partnerships, and S corporations can deduct up to 20 percent of qualified business income under §199A.
- What are the SSTB limits?
- Specified service trades or businesses — law, medicine, consulting, and similar fields — lose the deduction at higher incomes, with W-2 wage and capital limits phasing in for other large businesses.
- Does the QBI deduction lower my AGI?
- No — the Line 13 deduction comes after AGI and shrinks Line 15 taxable income directly. It never touches AGI or self-employment tax.
Keep reading: Taxable Income · Standard Deduction · AGI