Friday, May 1, 2009

Income tax brackets for 2009

OK, so the 2008 tax season is officially over. Let's take a look at tax brackets of 2009.

The tables below show the tax rates in taxable income for 2009 by each income tax bracket (I found this information on WalletPop.com):

Table A: Single tax return:

If taxable
income is:

Amount of tax
that you owe is:

More than:

However, not over:

This amount
(or %)
plus % of:

Amount over:

$0

$8,350

10%

--

$8,350

$33,950

$835 + 15%

$8,350

$33,950

$82,250

$4,675 + 25%

$33,950

$82,250

$171,550

$16,750 + 28%

$82,250

$171,550

$372,950

$41,754 + 33%

$171,550

$372,950

--

$108,216 + 35%

$372,950


Table B: Married Filing Jointly (MFJ) or Qualifying Widow(er):

If taxable
income is:

Amount of tax
that you owe is:

More than:

However, not over:

This amount
(or %)
plus % of:

Amount over:

$0

$16,700

10%

--

$16,700

$67,900

$1,670 + 15%

$16,700

$67,900

$137,050

$9,350 + 25%

$67,900

$137,050

$208,850

$26,638 + 28%

$137,050

$208,850

$372,950

$46,742 + 33%

$208,850

$372,950

--

$100,895 + 35%

$372,950


Table C: Head of Household tax return:

If taxable
income is:

Amount of tax
that you owe is:

More than:

However, not over:

This amount
(or %)
plus % of:

Amount over:

$0

$11,950

10%

--

$11,950

$45,500

$1,195 + 15%

$11,950

$45,500

$117,450

$6,228 + 25%

$45,500

$117,450

$190,200

$24,215 + 28%

$117,450

$190,200

$372,950

$44,585 + 33%

$190,200

$372,950

--

$104,893 + 35%

$372,950


Table D: Married Filing Separate (MFS) return:

If taxable
income is:

Amount of tax
that you owe is:

More than:

However, not over:

This amount
(or %)
plus % of:

Amount over:

$0

$8,350

10%

--

$8,350

$33,950

$835 + 15%

$8,350

$33,950

$68,525

$4,675 + 25%

$33,950

$68,525

$104,425

$13,319 + 28%

$68,525

$104,425

$186,475

$23,371 + 33%

$104,425

$186,475

--

$50,447 + 35%

$186,475


For example, say you file a single return and have taxable income of $40,000 in 2009. Using Table A, above, your tax liability would be $4,675 plus 25% of income above $33,950, or $6,050 in your case. That works out to be $1,513 for a total federal income tax liability of $6,188.

To prevent you from being bumped into the next-higher bracket as a result of a cost-of-living wage increase, the IRS adjusts upward the amount of income that can be earned for each tax bracket every year. This phenomenon of being bumped into the next-higher tax bracket is sometimes called "bracket creep."