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I am confused on how → 0 to $9875 at 10% = 987.50

and,

→ $9876 to $29600 at 12% = 2,367.00 was figured out? I never done my own taxes before! I got the first step down, but can someone please explain this to me

User Tiwenty
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1 Answer

7 votes
7 votes

Answer:

$2367

Explanation:

You want to know how to figure the 12% tax due on the amount that falls in the bracket $9876 to 29600.

Application

Tax tables are often written in a somewhat misleading way. This one seems to tell you

0 to 9875 . . . . 10% tax rate

9876 to 29600 (and up to 40,125) . . . . 12% tax rate

What this means is that every dollar between (and including) the 9876th dollar and the 29600th dollar will have a $0.12 tax applied. It is figured by subtracting 9875 from the amount that falls in this bracket, and multiplying that difference by 12%.

(29600 - 9875) × 12%

= 19725 × 0.12

= 2367 . . . . . . . . tax due on the amount in the 9876 to 29600 bracket

Tax due

If your taxable amount is $29,600, the total tax due is ...

(amount in first bracket) × 10% + (amount in second bracket) × 12%

= 9875 × 0.10 + (29600 -9875) × 0.12

= 987.50 +2367.00

= $3,354.50 . . . . . . . . . . . total due on $29,600

__

Additional comment

It can be easier to write a new tax table that simplifies the computation. For taxable amounts up to $40,125, this table can be simplified to ...

  • 10% . . . . for taxable income at or below $9,875.
  • (12% of income) - $197.50 . . . . for taxable income at or below $40,125

Using this last entry for $29,600, we find the total tax due to be ...

$29,600 × 0.12 - 197.50

= $3,552.00 -197.50

= $3,354.50 . . . . . . . same as above.

The amount $197.50 is (12% -10%)×9875.

Along the same lines, the rest of the tax table can be simplified to ...

  • (22% of income) - $4,210.00
  • (24% of income) - $5,920.50
  • (32% of income) - $18,984.50
  • (35% of income) - $25,205.00
  • (37% of income) - $35,573.00

It turns out that the tax due is the maximum of the values computed using these equations. (You don't actually have to know what bracket applies to your income. Knowing the bracket does simplify the process by choosing the applicable formula.)

Note that this is a tax table for 2020. The rates for 2021 are different.

I am confused on how → 0 to $9875 at 10% = 987.50 and, → $9876 to $29600 at 12% = 2,367.00 was-example-1
User Evan Pon
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