The IRS says the standard deduction on taxes is going up to help with rising inflation. But that’s not coming until next tax year.
The standard deduction in the 2023 tax year (for the 1040 you’re going to file in 2024) is going up to $27,700 for married couples filing jointly. That’s an $1,800 increase.
For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the deduction rises to $13,850, an increase of $900. Heads of households will see the standard deduction increase to $19,400 — up $600.
The IRS reminds you that it does have a tax withholding estimator tool. It can help you determine how much to withhold from your paycheck so that you take more money home every two weeks while still making sure you don’t have to pay anything at tax time.
RELATED: Inflation still high: Here’s how to get more money in your paycheck now
Also, if you still haven’t filed your taxes for the 2021 tax year, free filing software will stay available through Nov. 17. The IRS recently announced that some 9 million Americans who have yet to file those 2021 taxes could be eligible for the $1,400 stimulus checks from last year or the enhanced Child Tax Credit worth up to $3,600 per child.
Here is more from the IRS on the tax changes for the 2023 tax year:
- Marginal Rates: For tax year 2023, the top tax rate remains 37% for individual single taxpayers with incomes greater than $578,125 ($693,750 for married couples filing jointly).
The other rates are:
35% for incomes over $231,250 ($462,500 for married couples filing jointly);
32% for incomes over $182,100 ($364,200 for married couples filing jointly);
24% for incomes over $95,375 ($190,750 for married couples filing jointly);
22% for incomes over $44,725 ($89,450 for married couples filing jointly);
12% for incomes over $11,000 ($22,000 for married couples filing jointly).
The lowest rate is 10% for incomes of single individuals with incomes of $11,000 or less ($22,000 for married couples filing jointly). - The Alternative Minimum Tax exemption amount for tax year 2023 is $81,300 and begins to phase out at $578,150 ($126,500 for married couples filing jointly for whom the exemption begins to phase out at $1,156,300). The 2022 exemption amount was $75,900 and began to phase out at $539,900 ($118,100 for married couples filing jointly for whom the exemption began to phase out at $1,079,800).
- The tax year 2023 maximum Earned Income Tax Credit amount is $7,430 for qualifying taxpayers who have three or more qualifying children, up from $6,935 for tax year 2022. The revenue procedure contains a table providing maximum EITC amount for other categories, income thresholds and phase-outs.
- For tax year 2023, the monthly limitation for the qualified transportation fringe benefit and the monthly limitation for qualified parking increases to $300, up $20 from the limit for 2022.
- For the taxable years beginning in 2023, the dollar limitation for employee salary reductions for contributions to health flexible spending arrangements increases to $3,050. For cafeteria plans that permit the carryover of unused amounts, the maximum carryover amount is $610, an increase of $40 from taxable years beginning in 2022.
- For tax year 2023, participants who have self-only coverage in a Medical Savings Account, the plan must have an annual deductible that is not less than $2,650, up $200 from tax year 2022; but not more than $3,950, an increase of $250 from tax year 2022. For self-only coverage, the maximum out-of-pocket expense amount is $5,300, up $350 from 2022. For tax year 2023, for family coverage, the annual deductible is not less than $5,300, up from $4,950 for 2022; however, the deductible cannot be more than $7,900, up $500 from the limit for tax year 2022. For family coverage, the out-of-pocket expense limit is $9,650 for tax year 2023, an increase of $600 from tax year 2022.
- For tax year 2023, the foreign earned income exclusion is $120,000 up from $112,000 for tax year 2022.
- Estates of decedents who die during 2023 have a basic exclusion amount of $12,920,000, up from a total of $12,060,000 for estates of decedents who died in 2022.
The annual exclusion for gifts increases to $17,000 for calendar year 2023, up from $16,000 for calendar year 2022.
The maximum credit allowed for adoptions for tax year 2023 is the amount of qualified adoption expenses up to $15,950, up from $14,890 for 2022
