2021 Tax Brackets

On a yearly basis the IRS adjusts more than 40 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. provisions for 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. . This is done to prevent what is called “bracket creep,” when people are pushed into higher income tax brackets or have reduced value from credits and deductions due to inflation, instead of any increase in real income.

The IRS used to use the Consumer Price Index (CPI) as a measure of inflation prior to 2018.[1] However, with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the IRS now uses the Chained Consumer Price Index (C-CPI) to adjust income thresholds, deduction amounts, and credit values accordingly.[2]

These inflation adjustments are for tax year 2021, for which taxpayers will file tax returns in early 2022. Note that the Tax Foundation is a 501(c)(3) educational nonprofit and cannot answer specific questions about your tax situation or assist in the tax filing process.

2021 Federal Income Tax BracketsA tax bracket is the range of incomes taxed at given rates, which typically differ depending on filing status. In a progressive individual or corporate income tax system, rates rise as income increases. There are seven federal individual income tax brackets; the federal corporate income tax system is flat. and Rates

In 2021, the income limits for all tax brackets and all filers will be adjusted for inflation and will be as follows (Tables 1). The top marginal income tax rate of 37 percent will hit taxpayers with taxable income of $523,600 and higher for single filers and $628,300 and higher for married couples filing jointly.

2021 Federal Income Tax Brackets and Rates for Single Filers, Married Couples Filing Jointly, and Heads of Households

Tax Rate	For Single Filers, Taxable Income	For Married Individuals Filing Joint Returns, Taxable Income	For Heads of Households, Taxable Income
10%	Up to $9,950	Up to $19,900	Up to $14,200
12%	$9,951 to $40,525	$19,901 to $81,050	$14,201 to $54,200
22%	$40,526 to $86,375	$81,051 to $172,750	$54,201 to $86,350
24%	$86,376 to $164,925	$172,751 to $329,850	$86,351 to $164,900
32%	$164,926 to $209,425	$329,851 to $418,850	$164,901 to $209,400
35%	$209,426 to $523,600	$418,851 to $628,300	$209,401 to $523,600
37%	Over $523,600	Over $628,300	Over $523,600
Source: Internal Revenue Service

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. and Personal Exemption

The standard deduction for single filers will increase by $150 and by $300 for married couples filing jointly (Table 2).

The personal exemption for 2021 remains eliminated.

2021 Standard Deduction

Filing Status	Deduction Amount
Single	$12,550
Married Filing Jointly	$25,100
Head of Household	$18,800
Source: Internal Revenue Source

Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)

The Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) was created in the 1960s to prevent high-income taxpayers from avoiding the individual income tax. This parallel tax income system requires high-income taxpayers to calculate their tax bill twice: once under the ordinary income tax system and again under the AMT. The taxpayer then needs to pay the higher of the two.

The AMT uses an alternative definition of taxable incomeTaxable income is the amount of income subject to tax, after deductions and exemptions. For both individuals and corporations, taxable income differs from—and is less than—gross income. called Alternative Minimum Taxable Income (AMTI). To prevent low- and middle-income taxpayers from being subject to the AMT, taxpayers are allowed to exempt a significant amount of their income from AMTI. However, this exemption phases out for high-income taxpayers. The AMT is levied at two rates: 26 percent and 28 percent.

The AMT exemption amount for 2021 is $73,600 for singles and $114,600 for married couples filing jointly (Table 3).

2021 Alternative Minimum Tax Exemptions

Filing Status	Exemption Amount
Unmarried Individuals	$73,600
Married Filing Jointly	$114,600
Source: Internal Revenue Service

In 2021, the 28 percent AMT rate applies to excess AMTI of $199,900 for all taxpayers ($99,950 for married couples filing separate returns).

AMT exemptions phase out at 25 cents per dollar earned once taxpayer AMTI hits a certain threshold. In 2021, the exemption will start phasing out at $523,600 in AMTI for single filers and $1,047,200 for married taxpayers filing jointly (Table 4).

2021 Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) Exemption Phaseout Thresholds

Filing Status	Threshold
Unmarried Individuals	$523,600
Married Filing Jointly	$1,047,200
Source: Internal Revenue Source

Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

The maximum Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) in 2021 for single and joint filers is $1502, if the filer has no qualifying children (Table 5). The maximum credit is $3,618 for one child, $5,980 for two children, and $6,728 for three or more children. The credit for filers without qualifying children was significantly expanded for tax year 2021 in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) enacted in March 2021.

2021 Earned Income Tax Credit Parameters

Filing Status		No Children	One Child	Two Children	Three or More Children
Single or Head of Household	Income at Max Credit	$9,820	$10,640	$14,950	$14,950
	Maximum Credit	$1502	$3,618	$5,980	$6,728
	Phaseout Begins	$11,610	$19,520	$19,520	$19,520
	Phaseout Ends (Credit Equals Zero)	$21,430	$42,158	$47,915	$51,464
Married Filing Jointly	Income at Max Credit	$9,820	$10,640	$14,950	$14,950
	Maximum Credit	$1502	$3,618	$5,980	$6,728
	Phaseout Begins	$17,550	$25,470	$25,470	$25,470
	Phaseout Ends (Credit Equals Zero)	$27,380	$48,108	$53,865	$57,414
Source: Internal Revenue Source

Child Tax CreditA tax credit is a provision that reduces a taxpayer’s final tax bill, dollar-for-dollar. A tax credit differs from deductions and exemptions, which reduce taxable income, rather than the taxpayer’s tax bill directly.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) enacted in March 2021 significantly expanded the Child Tax Credit in several ways. The expansion expires after 2021. The Child Tax Credit (CTC) is $3,000 for children 6 and older and $3,600 for children under 6. Half the credit will be advanced to families monthly, at $250/month for older children and $300/month for younger children, while the other half will be received on tax returns. It is fully available and refundable to households with no income, unlike the Child Tax Credit’s former design. The changes only apply to tax year 2021.

Capital Gains Tax Rates (Long-Term Capital Gains)

Long-term capital gains are taxed using different brackets and rates than ordinary income.

2021 Capital Gains Tax Rates & Brackets (Long-Term Capital Gains)

	For Unmarried Individuals, Taxable Income Over	For Married Individuals Filing Joint Returns, Taxable Income Over	For Heads of Households, Taxable Income Over
0%	$0	$0	$0
15%	$40,400	$80,800	$54,100
20%	$445,850	$501,600	$473,750
Source: Internal Revenue Source

Qualified Business Income Deduction (Sec. 199A)

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes a 20 percent deduction for pass-through businesses against up to $164,900 of qualified business income for unmarried taxpayers and $329,800 for married taxpayers (Table 7).

2021 Qualified Business Income Deduction Thresholds

Filing Status	Threshold
Unmarried Individuals	$164,900
Married Filing Jointly	$329,800
Source: Internal Revenue Source

Annual Exclusion for Gifts

In 2021, the first $15,000 of gifts to any person are excluded from tax. The exclusion is increased to $159,000 for gifts to spouses who are not citizens of the United States.

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[1] Internal Revenue Service, “Revenue Procedure 2020-45,” https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-20-45.pdf.

[2] Robert Cage, John Greenlees, and Patrick Jackman, “Introducing the Chained Consumer Price Index,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2003, https://www.bls.gov/cpi/additional-resources/chained-cpi-introduction.pdf.

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