Chapter 14: AMT, SE Tax, Tax Credits, Tax Payments Flashcards
Purpose of alternative minimum tax
To ensure that all taxpayers would pay at least a minimum amount of income tax
Who does the alternative minimum tax apply to
Individuals, estates, and trusts
Alternative minimum taxable income
AMTI =
Taxable income (regular)
+ AMT preference items
+/- AMT adjustments
Alternative minimum tax base
Alternative minimum taxable income (AMTI)
Minus: AMT exclusion amount
Tentative minimum tax
Alternative minimum tax base
* AMT tax rates
Alternative minimum tax
AMT
Tentative minimum tax
Minus: regular income tax
Taxpayers must pay the greater of the regular income tax or TMT (aka must pay regular income tax + any AMT)
AMT tax brackets
26% on first $199,900 AMTI
28% on AMTI over $199,900
AMT exemption up to threshold
Exception given up to threshold
MFJ: $114,600 (up to $1,047,200 AMTI)
MFS: $56,300 (up to $523,600 AMTI)
Single or HOH $73,600 ((up to $523,600 AMTI)
AMT exception above the threshold
= basic exemption amount - 25%(AMTI - threshold)
Tax preference items
Items that receive regular preferential tax treatment that may be overused
Common tax preference items
- excess of accelerated depreciation expense over straight line for real property placed in service before 1987 (computed item by item)
- tax exempt interest on “private activity bonds” (state and local bonds issued to help a private business)
- excess of depletion expense over adjusted basis of underlying resource asset (NOT INC. independent oil and gas producers and royalty owners)
Categories of AMT adjustments
- regular tax itemized deductions disallowed in computing AMTI
- disallowance of the standard deduction (if used)
- timing differences from deferral of income or acceleration of deductions under tax rules
Itemized deductions not allowable for AMT
- state, local, foreign sales, income, property tax
- home mortgage interest other than qualified housing interest
Qualified housing interest
Interest on debt incurred to acquire/build/improve taxpayers principal residence or second home
Common AMT adjustments for timing
- if taxpayer elected out of bonus depreciation for property placed in service between 1999 and 2015
- real property placed in service between 1987 and 1998, the difference between MACRS claimed and hypothetical straight line depreciation
- incentive stock options, exceed of FMV over price paid on date rights are freely transferrable/not subject to substantial risk of forfeiture
- Difference between R&E regular deduction and deduction allowed had expenditures been capitalized and amortized over 15 years
What credits may reduce AMT
Only foreign tax credit and nonrefundable personal credits
Positive AMT adjustment
When amounts depreciated etc under AMT are smaller than actual amounts used the difference must be added to income to reach AMTI
Minimum tax credit
Credit allowed against regular tax liability for AMT paid in past years (if AMT was from amounts that reversed in later year)
If taxpayer paid AMT in a previous year and did not in the current they may be entitled to this credit
Total tax liability if subject to AMT
= regular tax + AMT
Do employees have to report FICA taxes on their income tax
No
Reported by the employer
Combined FICA rate
15.3%
FICA tax breakdown
12.4% social security tax
2.9% Medicare tax
If self employed must pay full amount
If employee of another: employer pays 1/2 and employee pays 1/2 (withheld from paycheck)
Social security ceiling
For 2021: $142,800
Wages/earnings above this amount do not accrue 12.4% social security tax
Is there a ceiling for medical tax imposed?
No. 2.9% Medicare tax imposed on all wages
Net earnings from SE
92.35% of self employment income
Self employment income which can be made by an individual and not have self employment tax charged
$400
Allowable deduction for self employment tax
50%
Deducted to arrive at AGI
Calculating SE tax
Self employment income x .9235 = net earnings from SE
(Smaller of net earnings from SE or $142,800) * .124 = social security tax
Net earnings * 0.029 = Medicare tax
Medicare tax + social security tax = FICA tax
FICA tax * .5 = SE tax deduction
Self employment tax for individuals who work as an employee and operate a business
Tax base for social security tax = lesser of net earnings from self employment or social security ceiling amount reduced by earnings as an employee
Tax base for Medicare tax is net earnings from self employment
Net earnings from self employment
Total self employment income x .9235
Hospital insurance tax
Aka additional Medicare tax
0.9% of wages and self employment income for individuals whose income exceeds $200,000 (single), $250,000 (MFJ), $125,009 (MFS)
Threshold amount used first against employee compensation and then against SE income
Only pay the additional tax on the income above the threshold
Is additional Medicare tax included in the for AGI self employment tax deduction?
No
SE tax for married filing jointly who both have SE income
Must be calculated separately
Items included in self employment income
- net earnings from a sole proprietorship
- directors fees
- taxable research grants
- distributive share of partnership income plus guaranteed payments from the partnership
Nonrefundable tax credits
Only offset tax liability (so only available to the extent of tax liability)
Refundable credits
Excess over tax liability will be paid to the taxpayer
Partially refundable tax credits
Child tax credit
American opportunity tax credit
Nonrefundable personal tax credits
- Child and dependant care credit
- tax credit for the elderly and disabled
- adoption credit
- child tax credit (partial)
- American opportunity tax credit (partial)
- lifetime learning credit
- residential energy efficient property credit
- qualified retirement savings contribution credit
Child and dependent care credit
35% of qualified expenses incurred for the care of a qualifying individual that enables the taxpayer to be gainfully employed
Must include SSN for qualifying individual AND the dependent care provider
Qualifying individual for child and dependent care credit
- qualifying child under age 13
- incapacitated dependent or spouse who lived with the taxpayer for more than 1/2 the year
Qualifying employment-related expenses for the child and dependent care credit
- care inside the home: care and household maintenance (not if paid to a relative that is a dependent or a child)
- care outside the home: as long as facility is run in compliance with the law (nursery school and kindergarten count, first grade does not)
- care outside home for an incapacitated dependent or spouse only qualify if individual lives in the taxpayer’s home for at least 8 hours a day
Qualifying employment-related expenses for the child and dependent care credit
- care inside the home
Ceiling on qualified child and dependent care expenses
$3000 for one qualifying individual
$6000 for two or more
No carryover in excess of maximum amounts
Maximum qualifying expense cannot exceed the taxpayer’s earned income (for MFJ the earned income of the spouse with a smaller income). Spouse who is a full time student or incapacitated is deemed to have earned income of $250/month)
Change in credit rate for child and dependent tax credit as AGI increases
35% if AGI up to $15,000
Reduced by 1 percentage point for each $2000 (or fraction thereof) of AGI in excess of $15,000
Rate goes no lower than 20%
If taxpayer receives employer supported dependent care assistance
Qualified expenses for the child and dependent care credit are reduced to the extent that the dependent care costs are funded through employer supported plans