As we close out the year and get ready for tax season, here’s what you can do to maximize your tax savings by year-end.
Personal Exemptions
Personal exemptions are eliminated for tax years 2018 through 2025.
Standard Deductions
The standard deduction for married couples filing a joint return in 2022 is $25,900. For singles and married individuals filing separately, it is $12,950, and for heads of household, the deduction is $19,400.
The additional standard deduction for blind people and senior citizens in 2022 is $1,400 for married individuals and $1,750 for singles and heads of households.
Income Tax Rates
In 2022 the top tax rate of 37 percent affects individuals whose income exceeds $539,900 ($647,850 for married taxpayers filing a joint return). Marginal tax rates for 2022 are as follows: 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35%, and 37%. As a reminder, while the tax rate structure remained similar to prior years under tax reform (i.e., with seven tax brackets), the tax-bracket thresholds increased significantly for each filing status.
Estate and Gift Taxes
In 2022 there is an exemption of $12.06 million per individual for estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes, with a top tax rate of 40 percent. The annual exclusion for gifts is $16,000.
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)
For 2022, exemption amounts increased to $75,900 for single and head of household filers, $118,100 for married people filing jointly and for qualifying widows or widowers, and $59,050 for married taxpayers filing separately.
Pease and PEP (Personal Exemption Phaseout)
Both Pease (limitations on itemized deductions) and PEP (personal exemption phase-out) have been eliminated under TCJA.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is limited to $2,850 per year in 2022 and applies only to salary reduction contributions under a health FSA. The term “taxable year” as it applies to FSAs refers to the plan year of the cafeteria plan, which is typically the period during which salary reduction elections are made.
Long-Term Capital Gains
In 2022 tax rates on capital gains and dividends remain the same as 2021 rates (0%, 15%, and a top rate of 20%); however, taxpayers should be reminded that threshold amounts don’t correspond to the tax bracket rate structure as they have in the past. For example, taxpayers whose income is below $41,675 for single filers and $83,350 for married filing jointly pay 0% capital gains tax. For individuals whose income is at or above $459,750 ($517,200 married filing jointly), the rate for both capital gains and dividends is capped at 20 percent.
Miscellaneous Deductions
Miscellaneous deductions that exceed 2 percent of AGI (adjusted gross income) are eliminated for tax years 2018 through 2025. As such, you can no longer deduct on Schedule A expenses related to tax preparation, moving (except for members of the Armed Forces on active duty who move because of a military order), job hunting, or unreimbursed employee expenses such as tools, supplies, required uniforms, travel, and mileage.
Business owners are not affected and can still deduct business-related expenses on Schedule C.
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