Historical Federal Corporate Income TaxA corporate income tax (CIT) is levied by federal and state governments on business profits. Many companies are not subject to the CIT because they are taxed as pass-through businesses, with income reportable under the individual income tax. Rates and Brackets, 1909 to 2020
Year | Taxable Income Brackets | Rates (%) | Notes: |
---|---|---|---|
2018-2020 | All taxable income | 21 | For tax years beginning after 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (P.L. 115-97) replaced the graduated corporate tax structure with a flat 21% corporate tax rate. |
1993-2017 | First $50,000 | 15 | The Revenue Reconciliation Act of 1993 increased the maximum corporate tax rate to 35% for corporations with taxable income over $10 million. Corporations with taxable income over $15 million are subject to an additional tax of 3% of the excess over $15 million, or $100,000, whichever is smaller |
$50,000-$75,000 | 25 | ||
$75,000-$100,000 | 34 | ||
$100,000-$335,000 | 39 | ||
$335,000-$10,000,000 | 34 | ||
$10,000,000-$15,000,000 | 35 | ||
$15,000,000-$18,333,333 | 38 | ||
Over $18,333,333 | 35 | ||
1988-1992 | First $50,000 | 15 | |
$50,000-$75,000 | 25 | ||
$75,000-$100,000 | 34 | ||
$100,000-$335,000 | 39 | ||
Over $335,000 | 34 | ||
1987 | First $25,000 | 15 | The Tax Reform Act of 1986 (TRA86) established a new rate structure effective for Tax Year 1988 and made the rates for Transition Year 1987 an average of the pre-TRA rates for 1986 and the post-TRA rates for 1988. |
$25,000-$50,000 | 16.5 | A new “alternative minimum tax” (AMT) replaced the add-on minimum tax, effective in 1987. It required a calculation of an alternative measure of taxable income that reduced or eliminated many tax preference items. The tax was 20 percent of the excess of this “alternative minimum taxable income” (AMTI) over $40,000. The $40,000 exemption was reduced by 25 percent of the excess of AMTI over $150,000. AMT in excess of regular tax could be carried over as a credit against regular tax in future years. In 1998, “small” corporations (generally, those with average gross receipts of less than $5 million) were exempted from the AMT. | |
$50,000-$75,000 | 27.5 | ||
$75,000-$100,000 | 37 | The maximum tax rate on capital gains was capped at 34 percent for 1987, which was to be the rate on the highest corporate tax bracket in 1988 and after, according to TRA86. The maximum capital gain rate was raised to 35 percent when the highest corporate rate bracket was increased in 1993. | |
$100,000-$335,000 | 42.5 | ||
$335,000-$1,000,000 | 40 | ||
$1,000,000-$1,405,000 | 42.5 | ||
Over $1,405,000 | 40 | ||
1984-1986 | First $25,000 | 15 | |
$25,000-$50,000 | 18 | ||
$50,000-$75,000 | 30 | The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains was 28 percent. | |
$75,000-$100,000 | 40 | ||
$100,000-$1,000,000 | 46 | ||
$1,000,000-$1,405,000 | 51 | ||
Over $1,405,000 | 46 | ||
1983 | First $25,000 | 15 | Beginning in 1983, incorporated professional practices (“personal service corporations”) have been taxed on all taxable income at the corporate tax rate applicable to the highest income bracket. |
$25,000-$50,000 | 18 | ||
$50,000-$75,000 | 30 | The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains was 28 percent. | |
$75,000-$100,000 | 40 | ||
Over $100,000 | 46 | ||
1982 | First $25,000 | 16 | |
$25,000-$50,000 | 19 | ||
$50,000-$75,000 | 30 | The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains was 28 percent. | |
$75,000-$100,000 | 40 | ||
Over $100,000 | 46 | ||
1979-1981 | First $25,000 | 17 | |
$25,000-$50,000 | 20 | ||
$50,000-$75,000 | 30 | The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains was 28 percent. | |
$75,000-$100,000 | 40 | ||
Over $100,000 | 46 | ||
1975-1978 | First $25,000 | 20 | |
$25,000-$50,000 | 22 | ||
Over $50,000 | 48 | The holding period for long-term capital gain treatment of assets was increased from 6 months to 9 months in 1977 and 12 months in 1978. The rate remained at 30 percent. | |
1971-1974 | First $25,000 | 22 | |
Over $25,000 | 48 | The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains was increased to 30 percent. | |
1970 | First $25,000 | 22.55 | Includes a 2.5 percent Vietnam War surcharge. |
Over $25,000 | 49.2 | The maximum tax rate on long-term capital gains was increased to 28 percent. | |
1968-1969 | First $25,000 | 24.2 | From 1969 through 1986, corporations were also subject to an “add-on minimum tax” on certain “tax preference” items (such as percentage depletion, accelerated depreciation) above a certain amount. For Tax Years 1969 through 1976, the tax was 10 percent of tax preferences in excess of $30,000; after 1976, the tax was 15 percent of preferences in excess of the greater of $10,000 or regular income tax. |
Over $25,000 | 52.8 | Rates include the Vietnam War surcharge of 10 percent. | |
1965-1967 | First $25,000 | 22 | |
Over $25,000 | 48 | ||
1964 | First $25,000 | 22 | |
Over $25,000 | 50 | ||
1952-1963 | First $25,000 | 30 | From April 1, 1954, through Calendar Year 1969, the maximum tax rate on capital gains was 25 percent. |
Over $25,000 | 52 | ||
1951 | First $25,000 | 28.75 | These rates reflect a tax increase (for the Korean War), effective March 31, 1951. The maximum capital gain tax rate was also increased to 26 percent. |
Over $25,000 | 50.75 | ||
1950 | First $25,000 | 23 | An excess profits tax was also in effect from July 1950 through Calendar Year 1953. The tax was 30 percent of an adjusted profits figure reduced by credits for the level of prewar profits. It was not offset against income tax, but the sum of income and excess profits taxes was capped at a given percentage of income (from 62 percent to 70 percent). |
Over $25,000 | 42 | Beginning with Tax Year 1942, gains on the sale of assets held for more than 6 months (long-term capital gains) could be treated separately from other taxable income and taxed at a maximum rate of 25 percent. | |
1946-1949 | Taxable income $50,000 or less: | These rates are the sum of the “normal tax” rates and the “surtax” rates, which actually applied to slightly different definitions of taxable income. | |
First $5,000 | 21 | ||
Next $15,000 | 23 | ||
Next $5,000 | 25 | ||
Next $25,000 | 53 | Beginning with Tax Year 1942, gains on the sale of assets held for more than 6 months (long-term capital gains) could be treated separately from other taxable income and taxed at a maximum rate of 25 percent. | |
Taxable income over $50,000 | 38 | ||
1942-1945 | Taxable income $50,000 or less: | These rates are the sum of the “normal tax” rates and the “surtax” rates, which actually applied to slightly different definitions of taxable income. | |
First $5,000 | 25 | ||
Next $15,000 | 27 | Beginning with Tax Year 1942, gains on the sale of assets held for more than 6 months (long-term capital gains) could be treated separately from other taxable income and taxed at a maximum rate of 25 percent. | |
Next $5,000 | 29 | ||
Next $25,000 | 53 | ||
Taxable income over $50,000 | 40 | ||
1941 | Taxable income $38,461.54 or less: | These rates are the sum of the “normal tax” rates and the “surtax” rates, which actually applied to slightly different definitions of taxable income. | |
First $5,000 | 21 | ||
Next $15,000 | 23 | ||
Next $5,000 | 25 | ||
Next $13,461.54 | 44 | ||
Taxable income over $38,461.54 | 31 | ||
1940 | Taxable income $31,964.30 or less: | From June 1940 to the end of 1945, a tax on profits in excess of average prewar earnings was also imposed. It was taken into account, as either a deduction or a credit, for the income tax and the other excess profits tax. | |
First $5,000 | 14.85 | The rates for 1940 include extra “defense tax” rates that are integrated with the regular rates in later years. | |
Next $15,000 | 16.5 | ||
Next $5,000 | 18.7 | ||
Next $6,964.30 | 38.3 | ||
Taxable income over $31,964.30, not over $38,565.84: | |||
First $5,000 | 15.4 | ||
Next $15,000 | 16.9 | ||
Next $5,000 | 18.9 | ||
Next $13,565.84 | 36.9 | ||
Taxable income over $38,565.84 | 24 | ||
1938-1939 | Taxable income $25,000 or less: | ||
First $5,000 | 12.5 | ||
Next $15,000 | 14 | ||
Next $5,000 | 16 | ||
Taxable income over $25,000 | 19 | ||
1936-1937 | First $2,000 | 8 | An additional surtax ranging from 7 percent to 27 percent was imposed on undistributed profits. |
Over $2,000, not over $15,000 | 11 | ||
Over $15,000, not over $40,000 | 13 | ||
Over $40,000 | 15 | ||
1932-1935 | All taxable income | 13.75 | An additional “declared value” excess profits tax, based on profits in excess of a percentage of the value of corporate stock, was in effect from 1933 through 1945. It was a deduction for income tax purposes. |
1930-1931 | First $3,000 | 0 | |
Over $3,000 | 12 | ||
1929 | First $3,000 | 0 | |
Over $3,000 | 11 | ||
1928 | First $3,000 | 0 | |
Over $3,000 | 12 | ||
1926-1927 | First $2,000 | 0 | |
Over $2,000 | 13.5 | ||
1925 | First $2,000 | 0 | |
Over $2,000 | 13 | ||
1922-1924 | First $2,000 | 0 | |
Over $2,000 | 12.5 | ||
1919-1921 | First $2,000 | 0 | |
Over $2,000 | 10 | ||
1918 | First $2,000 | 0 | |
Over $2,000 | 12 | ||
1917 | All taxable income | 6 | An additional tax on “excess profits” and/or “war profits” was in effect from 1917 to 1922. It was allowed as a deduction for computing income tax. |
1916 | All taxable income | 2 | |
1913 (March 1)-1915 | All taxable income | 1 | |
1909-1913 (February 28) | First $5,000 | 0 | |
Over $5,000 | 1 | ||
Source: SOI Tax Stats – Historical Table 24 (1909-2010) https://www.irs.gov/statistics/soi-tax-stats-historical-table-24 2011-2020: Internal Revenue Service, Instructions for Form 1120. |
U.S. Corporation Income Collections, 1934 to 2020
Year | Collections [nominal] (millions) | Collections as a % of GDP (Percentge) |
---|---|---|
2020 | 211,845 | 1.0 |
2019 | 230,245 | 1.1 |
2018 | 204,733 | 1.0 |
2017 | 297,048 | 1.5 |
2016 | 299,571 | 1.6 |
2015 | 343,797 | 1.9 |
2014 | 320,731 | 1.9 |
2013 | 273,506 | 1.6 |
2012 | 242,289 | 1.5 |
2011 | 181,085 | 1.2 |
2010 | 191,437 | 1.3 |
2009 | 138,229 | 1.0 |
2008 | 304,346 | 2.1 |
2007 | 370,243 | 2.6 |
2006 | 353,915 | 2.6 |
2005 | 278,282 | 2.2 |
2004 | 189,371 | 1.6 |
2003 | 131,778 | 1.2 |
2002 | 148,044 | 1.4 |
2001 | 151,075 | 1.4 |
2000 | 207,289 | 2.0 |
1999 | 184,680 | 1.9 |
1998 | 188,677 | 2.1 |
1997 | 182,293 | 2.2 |
1996 | 171,824 | 2.2 |
1995 | 157,004 | 2.1 |
1994 | 140,385 | 2.0 |
1993 | 117,520 | 1.7 |
1992 | 100,270 | 1.6 |
1991 | 98,086 | 1.6 |
1990 | 93,507 | 1.6 |
1989 | 103,291 | 1.9 |
1988 | 94,508 | 1.8 |
1987 | 83,926 | 1.8 |
1986 | 63,143 | 1.4 |
1985 | 61,331 | 1.4 |
1984 | 56,893 | 1.4 |
1983 | 37,022 | 1.0 |
1982 | 49,207 | 1.5 |
1981 | 61,137 | 2.0 |
1980 | 64,600 | 2.3 |
1979 | 65,677 | 2.6 |
1978 | 59,952 | 2.6 |
1977 | 54,892 | 2.7 |
1976 | 41,409 | 2.3 |
1975 | 40,621 | 2.5 |
1974 | 38,620 | 2.6 |
1973 | 36,153 | 2.7 |
1972 | 32,166 | 2.6 |
1971 | 26,785 | 2.4 |
1970 | 32,829 | 3.1 |
1969 | 36,678 | 3.7 |
1968 | 28,665 | 3.2 |
1967 | 33,971 | 4.1 |
1966 | 30,073 | 3.9 |
1965 | 25,461 | 3.6 |
1964 | 23,493 | 3.6 |
1963 | 21,579 | 3.5 |
1962 | 20,523 | 3.5 |
1961 | 20,954 | 3.8 |
1960 | 21,494 | 4.0 |
1959 | 17,309 | 3.4 |
1958 | 20,074 | 4.2 |
1957 | 21,167 | 4.6 |
1956 | 20,880 | 4.8 |
1955 | 17,861 | 4.4 |
1954 | 21,101 | 5.5 |
1953 | 21,238 | 5.6 |
1952 | 21,226 | 5.9 |
1951 | 14,101 | 4.3 |
1950 | 10,449 | 3.7 |
1949 | 11,192 | 4.0 |
1948 | 9,678 | 3.7 |
1947 | 8,615 | 3.6 |
1946 | 11,883 | 5.2 |
1945 | 15,988 | 7.1 |
1944 | 14,838 | 6.9 |
1943 | 9,557 | 5.2 |
1942 | 4,719 | 3.2 |
1941 | 2,124 | 1.8 |
1940 | 1,197 | 1.2 |
1939 | 1,127 | 1.2 |
1938 | 1,287 | 1.4 |
1937 | 1038 | 1.2 |
1936 | 719 | 0.9 |
1935 | 529 | 0.8 |
1934 | 364 | 0.6 |
Source: White House: Office of Management and Budget: Historical Tables 2.1, 2.3 https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/historical-tables/ |
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