2022 Tax Brackets, Standard Deduction, and Other Changes

The IRS recently published the annual inflation updates for 2022. If you have questions about a particular amount that I do not mention here, you can likely find it in the official IRS announcements:

• Rev. Proc. 2021-45 contains most inflation adjustment figures,
• Notice 2021-61 contains figures relating to retirement accounts, and
• Rev. Proc. 2021-25 contains figures relating to health savings accounts (HSAs).

Single 2022 Tax Brackets

Married Filing Jointly 2022 Tax Brackets

Head of Household 2022 Tax Brackets

Married Filing Separately 2022 Tax Brackets

Standard Deduction Amounts

The 2022 standard deduction amounts are as follows:

• Single or married filing separately: $12,950
• Married filing jointly: $25,900
• Head of household: $19,400

The additional standard deduction for people who have reached age 65 (or who are blind) is $1,400 for each married taxpayer or $1,750 for unmarried taxpayers.

IRA Contribution Limits

The contribution limit for Roth IRA and traditional IRA accounts is unchanged at $6,000.

The catch-up contribution limit for people age 50 or over does not get inflation adjustments and therefore is still $1,000.

401(k), 403(b), 457(b) Contribution Limits

The salary deferral limit for 401(k) and other similar plans is increased from $19,500 to $20,500.

The catch-up contribution limit for 401(k) and other similar plans for people age 50 and over is unchanged at $6,500.

The maximum possible contribution for defined contribution plans (e.g., for a self-employed person with a sufficiently high income contributing to a solo 401(k)) is increased from $58,000 to $61,000.

Health Savings Account Contribution Limits

For 2022, the maximum HSA contribution for somebody with self-only coverage under a high deductible health plan is $3,650. The limit for somebody with family coverage under such a plan is $7,300.

The HSA catch-up contribution limit for people age 55 and over is not inflation adjusted, so it remains at $1,000.

Capital Gains and Qualified Dividends

For 2022, long-term capital gains and qualified dividends face the following tax rates:

• 0% tax rate if they fall below $83,350 of taxable income if married filing jointly, $55,800 if head of household, or $41,675 if filing as single or married filing separately.
• 15% tax rate if they fall above the 0% threshold but below $517,200 if married filing jointly, $488,500 if head of household, $459,750 if single, or $258,600 if married filing separately.
• 20% tax rate if they fall above the 15% threshold.

Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT)

The AMT exemption amount is increased to:

• $75,900 for single people and people filing as head of household,
• $118,100 for married people filing jointly, and
• $59,050 for married people filing separately.

Annual Gift Tax Exclusion

For 2022 the annual exclusion for gifts has increased from $15,000 to $16,000.

Estate Tax

The estate tax exclusion is increased to $12,060,000 per decedent.

Pass-Through Business Income

With respect to the 20% deduction for qualified pass-through income, for 2022, the threshold amount at which the “specified service trade or business” phaseout and the wage (or wage+property) limitations begin to kick in will be $340,100 for married taxpayers filing jointly and $170,050 for single taxpayers, people filing as head of household, and for married people filing separately.