IRS updates tax tables and inflation adjustments for new tax law

The Internal Revenue Service issued newly updated tax tables and inflation adjustments for the new tax law.

In Rev. Proc. 2018-18, the IRS used the chained consumer product index to update some of the inflation adjustments and make some other tweaks to some previously announced tax items. The revenue procedure modifies and supersedes certain sections of Rev. Proc. 2017–58, 2017–45 I.R.B. 489, and supersedes Rev. Proc. 2017–37, 2017–21 I.R.B. 1252, to reflect the new tax law. It changes the beginning and ending dollar amounts for the brackets, and replaces the existing tax rates with seven new rates of 10, 12, 22, 24, 32, 35 and 37 percent.

Married couples who earn less than $19,050 pay a 10 percent rate, while a 12 percent rate applies to income between $19,050 and $77,400, 22 percent for income between $77,400 and $165,000, 24 percent for income between $165,000 and $315,000, 35 percent for income between $400,000 and $600,000, and 37 percent for income over $600,000. The IRS also provided updated tax tables for other singles, heads of households, and other statuses.

The revenue procedure also adjusts some of the other previously announced income limits. For the Earned Income Tax Credit, it’s $10,180 for taxpayers with one child, and $14,290 for two or more children, and $6,780 for none. For the adoption credit, the credit for adopting a child with special needs is $13,810, a change from the previous amount of $13,840, according to the Journal of Accountancy. The new revenue procedure also alters the foreign earned income exclusion amount to $103,900 (originally $104,100).

The document also provides the inflation-adjusted amounts for health savings accounts. For calendar year 2018, the annual limitation on deductions for an individual with self-only coverage under a high deductible health plan is $3,450, and the annual limitation on deductions for an individual with family coverage under a high deductible health plan is $6,850. For 2018, a “high deductible health plan” is defined as a health plan with an annual deductible no less than $1,350 for self-only coverage or $2,700 for family coverage, and the annual out-of-pocket expenses don’t exceed $6,650 for self-only coverage or $13,300 for family coverage.

In January, the IRS also released new withholding tables for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (see IRS updates withholding tables for new tax law).

The word "Taxes" on the facade of the IRS headquarters in Washington, D.C.
The word "Taxes" is seen on the facade of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S. Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

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