If your income doesn't rise in 2023, some tax relief is on the way.
As part of its annual adjustments based on inflation, the IRS increased the income thresholds for its tax brackets by thousands of dollars. These changes are effective for the 2023 tax year.
The U.S. has a progressive, or graduated, tax system, so income isn't taxed a flat rate. Instead, it's taxed at differing rates — 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% — as it rises past certain thresholds, or tax brackets.
For the 2022 tax year, you'll only be taxed 10% of your income up to a maximum of $10,275, after which it would be taxed at 12% for a maximum of $41,775, and so on.
However, since the income floors for tax brackets have increased for 2023, you will pay less in taxes if your total income doesn't change between 2022 and 2023.
Here's a simplified example: If your taxable income is $75,000 in 2022, you'll owe $12,117 in taxes. But if it stays at $75,000 in 2023, you'll only owe $11,807.50 — a difference of over $300.
Here's a look at the updated tax bracket floors, compared to the 2022 tax year, for a single tax filer:
Here's a look at the tax bracket floors, compared to the 2022 tax year, for those married filing jointly:
Tax brackets for income earned in 2022
- 37% for incomes over $539,900 ($647,850 for married couples filing jointly)
- 35% for incomes over $215,950 ($431,900 for married couples filing jointly)
- 32% for incomes over $170,050 ($340,100 for married couples filing jointly)
- 24% for incomes over $89,075 ($178,150 for married couples filing jointly)
- 22% for incomes over $41,775 ($83,550 for married couples filing jointly)
- 12% for incomes over $10,275 ($20,550 for married couples filing jointly)
- 10% for incomes of $10,275 or less ($20,550 for married couples filing jointly
Married filing separately pay at same rate as unmarried. Source: Internal Revenue Service
Tax brackets for income earned in 2023
- 37% for incomes over $578,125 ($693,750 for married couples filing jointly)
- 35% for incomes over $231,250 ($462,500 for married couples filing jointly)
- 32% for incomes over $182,100 ($364,200 for married couples filing jointly)
- 24% for incomes over $95,375 ($190,750 for married couples filing jointly)
- 22% for incomes over $44,725 ($89,450 for married couples filing jointly)
- 12% for incomes over $11,000 ($22,000 for married couples filing jointly)
- 10% for incomes of $11,000 or less ($22,000 for married couples filing jointly)
Married filing separately pay at same rate as unmarried. Source: Internal Revenue Service
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In addition, the standard deduction will rise to $13,850 for single filers for the 202 3 tax year , from $12,950 the previous year. The standard deduction for couples filing jointly will rise to $27,700 in 2023, from $25,900 in the 2022 tax yea r. Single filers age 65 and older who are not a surviving spouse can increase the standard deduction by $1, 850. Each joint filer 65 and over can increase the standard deduction by $1, 500 apiece, for a total of $3, 000 if both joint filers are 65-plus. You can also itemize individual tax deductions, for things like charity donations, but they need to add up to more than the standard deduction to make itemizing worthwhile.
The IRS uses the chained consumer price index (CPI) to measure inflation, as mandated by the 2017 tax reform. Like the more well-known consumer price index, the chained CPI measures price changes in about 80,000 items. The chained CPI takes into account the fact that when prices of some items rise, consumers often substitute other items. If the price of beef rises, for example, people switch to chicken.
If you’re not an economist, the main difference between the two measures is that, over time, the chained CPI rises at a slower pace than the traditional CPI — which, to be precise, is called the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers , or CPI-U. From September 20 1 2 through September 20 22, the CPI-U rose by 28.3 percent and the chained CPI by only 24.8 percent, a difference of 3.5 percentage points.
If you paid a big tax bill in 202 2, you should talk with a tax adviser about how to reduce your bill in 202 3. It’s probably easier to have more money withheld from each paycheck than to face a big tax bill next year. A good first step is to look at how much tax you get taken from your paycheck. The IRS has a free withholding estimator that can tell you how much you should have taken out.