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Inflation Adjustments in 2009 to be Largest Since 1991

1 min readBy: Gerald Prante

The September report of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) from BLS means that we can now calculate what the values of the various taxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. parameters for next year will be using the complicated formulae that the IRS employs. The relevant CPI for the 2009 adjustment is the average CPI value for Sept. 2007 through Aug. 2008. This turned out to be 213.605 this year. Last year's was 204.8725, meaning that inflationInflation is when the general price of goods and services increases across the economy, reducing the purchasing power of a currency and the value of certain assets. The same paycheck covers less goods, services, and bills. It is sometimes referred to as a “hidden tax,” as it leaves taxpayers less well-off due to higher costs and “bracket creep,” while increasing the government’s spending power. in that time period was 4.26 percent, the highest on record since 1991. The 1991 figure (Sept. 1990 – Aug. 1991) was 5.28 percent. And with the way the Fed is printing money right now, we may beat that record next year.

But what does this mean for you, the taxpayer? It means that even if your wage stays the same in January, your take-home pay will jump a little bit. And that jump will be relatively high this year compared to any other in the past 16 years.

For example, the standard deductionThe standard deduction reduces a taxpayer’s taxable income by a set amount determined by the government. It was nearly doubled for all classes of filers by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) as an incentive for taxpayers not to itemize deductions when filing their federal income taxes. for singles in 2008 was $5,450. In 2009, it will be $5,700, which is a huge increase. In 2007, the standard deduction was merely $5,350. That means the married standard deduction will be $11,400 in 2009, up from $10,900 this year.

The personal exemption is set to jump from $3,500 to $3,650.

More to come on this…

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