The IRS has announced key tax changes for 2025 due to inflation, including adjustments to income tax brackets, deductions, and capital gains.
Income tax rates and brackets were poised to change at the end of 2025, with the scheduled sunsetting of revisions adopted in 2017, during Donald Trump's first term as president.
With Trump's re-election, wholesale changes seem less likely, with many current provisions almost certain to be extended with Republican control of the White House, Senate and House of Representatives.
Those and other possible changes won't affect tax returns for individual filers that will apply for 2024. Here are a few key numbers and updates for the upcoming filing season that will start around the end of January:
What tax brackets, income ranges apply for 2024?
Most Americans pay taxes in one of the four lowest federal marginal brackets. These are the numbers that apply for 2024:
10%: Single income of $11,600 or less and married couples filing jointly with income less than $23,200.
12%: Single income over $11,600 and married couples filing jointly with income over $23,200.
22%: Single income over $47,150 and married couples filing jointly with income over $94,300.
24%: Single income over $100,525 and married couples filing jointly with income over $201,050.
32%: Single income over $191,950 and married couples filing jointly with income over $383,900.
35%: Single income over $243,725 and married couples filing jointly with income over $487,450.
37%: Single income over $609,350 and married couples filing jointly with income over $731,200.
What about Arizona's numbers?
Like most states, Arizona imposes an income tax, with Arizona's rate at a flat 2.5%. Aside from the seven states that don't impose a tax, Arizona's rate ranks among the lowest, according to the Tax Foundation. California, by contrast, has the highest marginal rate, topping out at 13.3%.
Arizona requires quarterly estimated payments for people earning above $75,000 (single) or $150,000 (married filing jointly). The azdor.gov website provides more information on this.
What about the standard deduction?
The tax act of 2017 reduced the percentage of taxpayers who itemize deductions. Rather, most people now take the standard deduction, and the relevant numbers get an inflation adjustment.
For 2024, the federal standard deduction for married couples filing jointly rises to $29,200, an increase of $1,500 from 2023, according to the Internal Revenue Service. For single taxpayers and married individuals filing separately, it rises to $14,600 for 2024, up $750 from 2023. Heads of households will take a standard deduction of $21,900 for 2024, up $1,100.
Blind individuals and those ages 65 and up get a slightly higher standard deduction of $1,550 per person (or $1,950 if also unmarried).
What rates, ranges apply for capital gains?
Taxpayers face one of three federal rates for long-term capital gains (assets held more than one year) as well as on qualified dividends.
For 2024, a 0% rate applies on gains/dividends if a person's taxable income is below $47,025 (single) or $94,050 (married filing jointly). A 15% rate applies on income above those levels up to $518,900 (single) or $583,750 (married filing jointly). Above those thresholds, a 20% rate applies.
Should I adjust my withholding now?
Most people don't want to owe a large tax bill when they file their returns. It's also not to wise to receive a sizable refund, as that represents money that you essentially have given the federal government to use, interest free, in the meantime. Hence the wisdom of withholding taxes as you go in an amount that's roughly equal to your annual tax obligation.
The IRS features a "tax withholding estimator" on irs.gov that can help determine an appropriate amount of tax taken from each paycheck. "This tool is especially useful for individuals who owed taxes or received large refunds last year," as well as those with significant changes such as marriage during the year, the agency said.
This late in the year, adjusting your withholding won't make much of an impact on your 2024 situation, but it can be a good thing to tweak for 2025.