The IRS has released the annual inflation adjustments for 2024 for the income tax rate tables, plus more than 60 other tax provisions. The IRS makes these cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) each year to reflect inflation.
2024 Income Tax Brackets
For 2024, the highest income tax bracket of 37 percent applies when taxable income hits:
- $731,200 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $609,350 for single individuals and heads of households,
- $365,600 for married individuals filing separately, and
- $15,200 for estates and trusts.
2024 Standard Deduction
The standard deduction for 2024 is:
- $29,200 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $21,900 for heads of households, and
- $14,600 for single individuals and married individuals filing separately.
The standard deduction for a dependent is limited to the greater of:
- $1,300 or
- the sum of $450, plus the dependent’s earned income.
Individuals who are blind or at least 65 years old get an additional standard deduction of:
- $1,550 for married taxpayers and surviving spouses, or
- $1,950 for other taxpayers.
Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Exemption for 2024
The AMT exemption for 2024 is:
- $133,300 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $85,700 for single individuals and heads of households,
- $66,650 for married individuals filing separately, and
- $29,900 for estates and trusts.
The exemption amounts phase out in 2024 when AMTI exceeds:
- $1,218,700 for married individuals filing jointly and surviving spouses,
- $609,350 for single individuals, heads of households, and married individuals filing separately, and
- $99,700 for estates and trusts.
Expensing Code Sec. 179 Property in 2024
For tax years beginning in 2024, taxpayers can expense up to $1,220,000 in section 179 property. However, this dollar limit is reduced when the cost of section 179 property placed in service during the year exceeds $3,050,000.
Estate and Gift Tax Adjustments for 2024
The following inflation adjustments apply to federal estate and gift taxes in 2024:
- the gift tax exclusion is $18,000 per donee, or $185,000 for gifts to spouses who are not U.S. citizens;
- the federal estate tax exclusion is $13,610,000; and
- the maximum reduction for real property under the special valuation method is $1,390,000.
2024 Inflation Adjustments for Other Tax Items
The maximum foreign earned income exclusion amount in 2024 is $126,500.
The IRS also provided inflation-adjusted amounts for the:
- adoption credit,
- earned income credit,
- excludable interest on U.S. savings bonds used for education,
- various penalties, and
- many other provisions.
Effective Date of 2024 Adjustments
These inflation adjustments generally apply to tax years beginning in 2024, so they affect most returns that will be filed in 2025. However, some specified figures apply to transactions or events in calendar year 2024.
