

With a total of $12,000 in above-the-line deductions, your adjusted gross income is $79,000, meaning you're likely eligible for the full American Opportunity Tax Credit.Īnother reason adjustments to income are so valuable is that you don't need to itemize deductions to claim them.

However, you contributed $3,000 to your health savings account, $8,000 to a SEP IRA, and paid student loan interest adding up to $1,000. You can't claim the credit if your modified adjusted gross income is over $90,000 ($180,000 for joint filers). First, these deductions directly reduce your adjusted gross income, opening up the possibility of taking other deductions and receiving tax credits that have adjusted gross income limits.įor example, to claim the full American Opportunity Tax Credit, your 2021 modified adjusted income must be $80,000 or less ($160,000 or less if you're married and file a joint return with your spouse). These are valuable deductions for many taxpayers for two reasons. Up to $2,500 of deductible student loan interest.Alimony payments (for divorce agreements dated before December 31, 2018).Penalties on early withdrawals of savings.Health insurance premiums for self-employed people.Contributions to a SEP, SIMPLE, or qualified retirement plan.The deductible part of self-employment taxes.Moving expenses for members of the Armed Forces.Contributions to health savings accounts (HSAs).Unreimbursed business expenses of military reservists, performing artists, and fee-based government officials (the only qualifying professions for certain business deductions).Up to $250 of unreimbursed expenses for educators who work in schools.Part II – Adjustments to IncomeĪdjustments to income go in Part II of Schedule 1. Once you have entered all of your various types of income on Schedule 1, the total is transferred to line 8 of Form 1040. If you need to report rent or royalties as income, you'll also have to attach Schedule E. For example, if you have income or loss from a business, you'll also need to attach Schedule C to your return. Looking down the lines of Schedule 1, you may notice that some of these items also require an additional form or schedule. Line 8 of the 2021 Schedule 1 is now the catchall for other types of income that don't fit into the predefined lines, such as prizes and awards or gambling winnings. Income from a partnership, S corporation, or trust.Gains or losses from sales of business property.

