Here are the new tax classes for 2023 — and how to determine them

Here are the new tax classes for 2023 — and how to determine them

Americans can save in taxes this year because of the historically large inflation adjustments set by the IRS.

The agency amended several 2023 tax rules to help taxpayers avoid "bracket creep." That's when workers are pushed into higher tax brackets due to the effect of cost-of-living adjustments to offset inflation, even though their standard of living has not changed. On average, the IRS has paid each item at about 7% for 2023.

It's tax season

The changes could mean tax savings for some taxpayers, providing relief when Americans are still grappling with rising inflation eroding their purchasing power. For example, some taxpayers could fall into lower tax brackets due to the changes, while those using the standard deduction — which 86% of taxpayers rely on — could deduct more of their income from taxes.

For example, a couple who earn $200,000 in 2022 and 2023 will save $900 in taxes this year because more of their income will be taxed at a lower rate, according to Tim Stephen, director of tax planning at Baird.

This could be a welcome change given that this year's tax returns (for the 2022 tax year) are expected to trigger a "tax refund shock" for many Americans due to the expiration of pandemic tax breaks. As a result, refunds could be much lower in 2023 than in the previous year.

However, changes to the tax bracket may only save money for some, especially those whose incomes rise by 7% or more, noted the Tax Policy Center, a tax-focused think tank.

"It only prevents them from facing higher taxes if their inflation-adjusted incomes (aka real income) rise by 7%," Robert McClelland, a fellow senior, wrote in a blog.

standard discount

The standard deduction is used by people who don't itemize their taxes, reducing the income you have to pay taxes on.

The standard deduction for married couples filing jointly is $27,700 for 2023, up from $25,900 in the 2022 tax year. That's an increase of $1,800, or a bump of 7%. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, the standard deduction is set at $13,850 in 2023, compared to $12,950 last year. This represents an increase of about 6.9%, as the standard deduction for heads of household jumps in 2023 to $20,800 from $19,400 in 2022. This is an increase of 7.2%.

"The flip side of this is that it will be difficult to itemize your deductions in 2023," Stephen said. "Tax payments, mortgage interest, and charitable contributions are unlikely to provide you with tax benefits next year."

Most taxpayers take the standard deduction, especially since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 enacted a more generous deduction. According to the Tax Foundation, only about 14% of taxpayers itemized their taxes after the tax reform passed, or a 17 percentage point drop compared to before the law.

Tax brackets

The IRS has boosted tax brackets by about 7% for each type of 2023 tax return, such as those filing separately or as married couples. The highest marginal rate, or the highest tax rate based on income, remains 37% for single taxpayers earning more than $578,125 or married couples earning more than $693,750.

The bottom rate remains 10%, affecting individuals with incomes of $11,000 or less and couples earning $22,000 or less. Below are the graphs with the new tax brackets.

Tax brackets show what percentage of your income you will pay in taxes. It is a common misconception that the highest rate is what you will pay on all your income, but this is not true.

Take one taxpayer who earns $110,000. In 2023, she will take a standard deduction of $13,850, reducing her taxable income to $96,150. This year, you will pay the following:

10% tax on the first $11,000 of her income, or $1,100 in taxes, 12% tax on income from $11,000 to $44,735, or $404,822 tax on a portion of the revenue from $44,735 to $95,375, or 11.14024 $US tax on the part of her income of $95,374 up to the maximum taxable income of $96,150 or $775

Together, she'll pay the IRS $17,063 in taxes, which equates to an effective tax rate of 17.7% on her taxable income.