What is Adjusted gross income?

Adjusted gross income is the total gross income reported on a tax return minus specific above-the-line deductions such as IRA contributions, student loan interest, and self-employment tax. This figure appears on Line 11 of Form 1040 and serves as the baseline for calculating eligibility for numerous tax benefits, credits, and phase-outs. Many income-tested benefits, including Medicare premium surcharges, net investment income tax, and various tax credits, use adjusted gross income thresholds. Traditional 401k contributions reduce adjusted gross income, while Roth contributions do not. Qualified charitable distributions offer unique advantages by reducing adjusted gross income without requiring itemized deductions, thereby benefiting taxpayers who claim the standard deduction.

Related Terms

What is the Standard Deduction?

What is Modified adjusted gross income?

What is Taxable Income?

Easily save clients thousands in taxes.

Scan client returns.

Uncover savings.

Export a professional tax plan.

Start Free Trial

Tax strategies to save every dollar you deserve

Instead helps you find every eligible tax strategy, from basic credits and deductions to complex scenarios, ensuring you maximize your savings.

Start today

Tax loss harvesting

Transform investment losses into strategic tax advantages and optimize your portfolio's performance with AI-driven precision.

Teen summer camp counselor contributing W-2 income to Child IRA account for greater annual tax savings

Child traditional IRA

Open a Traditional IRA for children with earned income. Contribute up to $7,000 annually with full deduction, giving them decades to grow tax-free.

Employee achievement awards

Award your team for service milestones and safety achievements while maximizing allowable deductions up to $1,600 per employee.

Health reimbursement

Set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses to maximize tax savings opportunities.

Child & dependent tax credits

Claim up to $2,000 per child & $500 per other dependent. Automatically maximize your child and dependent-related tax credits.

Health savings account

Set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses to maximize tax savings opportunities.

Sell your home

Transform your home sale into a tax-saving opportunity.

Employee achievement

Skill up your team, scale down your business expenses.

Work opportunity tax credit

Unlock tax savings for empowering your community through hiring.

Oil & gas deduction

Drill into tax savings. Maximize deductions for both tangible and intangible drilling costs.

Hiring kids

Reduce taxable income & self-employment tax by hiring your kids.

Home office

Deduct qualified expenses for using your home for business purposes.

Meal expenses

Business can typically deduct 50% of meals associated with doing business with some cases allowing up to 100% deduction.

Travel expenses

Businesses can deduct necessary travel expenses, like airfare and lodging, directly related to operations for tax savings.

Vehicle expenses

Vehicle tax deduction allows deduction of business vehicle expenses, using a per-mile rate or actual costs, from taxable income.

Late S election

A Late S Election lets a corporation request IRS S corp status post-deadline.

Late C election

A Late C Election is a request to the IRS for C corporation status after the deadline.

Depreciation

Put your fixed assets to work for you by utilizing depreciation to find and compare tax savings in minutes.

R&D tax credit

Fuel your venture's growth and innovation with the R&D tax credit. Not just for tech firms or big corporations.

Clean vehicle

Businesses and Individuals can receive a tax credit for purchasing new eco-friendly vehicles. Individuals may also qualify on used eco-friendly vehicles.

Residential clean energy

Taxpayers who invest in renewable energy improvements for their home or second home may qualify for a credit to lower their income tax.

Augusta rule

The Augusta Rule lets homeowners rent their property tax-free for up to 14 days a year without reporting the income.

Roth 401k

Roth 401(k) lets employees and individuals make after-tax retirement contributions, offering tax-free growth and withdrawals.

Traditional 401k

Traditional 401(k) plans offer pre-tax retirement savings for employees, with companies reducing taxable income via contributions.