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it is tax seasonAnd families face a lot of tax jargon when preparing their returns.
There are two types of tax breaks in all bids: credits and deductions.
Each reduces your tax liability, which is the total annual tax on your income. (this can be found on line 24 of the figure form 1040IRS Form for Individual Income Tax Return.)
Although, credits and deductions Reduce tax liability in various ways. This way.
offer a dollar-for-dollar reduction in tax credit liability
A tax credit provides a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your taxes. It has the same dollar value for any taxpayer who can claim it.
For example, let’s say you get a $1,000 tax credit and have a $5,000 tax liability. That credit would reduce your liability to $4,000.
Tax credits are generally more valuable to taxpayers than deductions (more on that below), and are more targeted to low- and middle-income households, said ted jenkinis a Certified Financial Planner based in Atlanta and the co-founder of oXYGen Financial.
Low-income filers may not get ‘full benefit’ of the credit
Not all credits are created equal. So-called nonrefundable credits — such as the child and dependent care credits — cannot reduce a filer’s tax liability to zero. This means that a person will not get any additional value back in the form of a cash refund; The remaining portion is forfeited.
According to the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, most credits are nonrefundable. Others are partially or fully refundable, meaning that some or all of the credit can be applied as a tax refund.
Low-income filers often can’t get the full benefit of [nonrefundable] credits for which they qualify,” Tax Policy Center said, This is due to the progressive nature of the US federal tax system, whereby low earners generally have a lower tax liability than higher earners.
By comparison, the Child Tax Credit is an example of a partially refundable credit. The credit is up to $2,000 per child under age 17. However, parents with no tax liability can only get back part of its value (up to $1,500 for 2022) as a refund.
Others, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, are fully refundable – allowing eligible taxpayers to receive the full value regardless of tax liability.
Tax deductions reduce your taxable income
Tax deductions reduce the amount of income subject to tax (i.e., taxable income). So it’s a more indirect way of cutting your taxes relative to the tax credit, which directly reduces your actual tax liability.
For example, retirement savers can get a tax deduction for contributing to a pretax account in a 401(k) plan. Let’s say someone in the 22% tax bracket contributes $1,000 to a 401(k). The deduction would essentially exempt the $1,000 from being taxed for that year — in other words, reducing their taxable income by $1,000.
This saves the individual $220 in federal taxes (ie, 22% of $1,000). On the other hand, the $1,000 tax credit would reduce their total actual tax bill by $1,000.
Because of their interaction with taxable income, deductions are more valuable to high earners than to low and middle earners.
“Tax cuts are worth a lot [for people] That’s because you save 37 cents on the dollar versus 10 cents on the dollar, compared to someone in the 10% tax bracket versus someone in the 37% tax bracket, said Jenkin, a member of CNBC. financial advisory council,
tax deductions are worth a lot [for people] someone in the 37% tax bracket compared to someone in the 10% tax bracket.
ted jenkin
Certified Financial Planner and Co-Founder of oXYGen Financial
Deductions Can Help You Qualify for Other Tax Breaks
There are different types of tax deductions. For example, taxpayers can either claim the standard deduction or elect to itemize their deductions.
Taxpayers generally choose to itemize their deductions – such as for them charitable donations, mortgage interest, state and local taxes, and certain medical and dental expenses—if their total value exceeds the standard deduction amount.
standard deduction In 2022 it was $12,950 for joint filers and $25,900 for married couples filing jointly.
Itemized deductions are known as “below the line” deductions. Taxpayers can only claim them if they opt for deductions on their tax returns.
However, there are also “above the line” deductions. Eligible taxpayers can claim these regardless of whether they itemize the standard deduction or take the standard deduction. example Include cut for paying interest on student loans and contributions to traditional individual retirement accounts.
One major benefit of above-the-line deductions: They reduce your “adjusted gross income.”
Adjusted gross income — also known as AGI — is somewhat different from taxable income. (agi is found on line 11 form 1040While the taxable income line is 15.)
Importantly, adjusted gross income interacts with other areas of your tax return—which means that, by reducing AGI, the above deduction can help save money elsewhere.
“Every dollar that lowers your AGI lowers your taxable income, but it can also help you qualify for other deductions,” according to TaxAct, “Various credits are also limited by your AGI. In some cases, an adjustment may help you qualify for a tax credit or other tax benefit that you would not otherwise receive.”
Low AGI Can Help Seniors Too Lower Medicare Part B and Part D premiumsFor example, which are based on “Modified Adjusted Gross Income.” (MAGI is adjusted gross income plus tax-free interest.)