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I am working on a tax return where the taxpayer falls into a 24% tax bracket. This taxpayer completed their tax return on Turbo Tax and is benefiting from a 17.4% rate???

emilie-bsm
Level 1
Filer is MFJ that lives in Florida and is a W2 filer. AGI is $205,571
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8 Comments 8
BobKamman
Level 15

You're probably looking at the highest bracket, TT is probably figuring the average rate.  What is the difference in tax, between the two programs?

Just-Lisa-Now-
Level 15
Level 15

FWIW I just stuck that 205K number on a  W2 for MFJ and ProSeries shows me top tax bracket is 24% and effective tax rate is 15.34%  so there must be some other stuff entered in TT to get the rate theyre seeing.

effecttivetacrate.png


♪♫•*¨*•.¸¸♥Lisa♥¸¸.•*¨*•♫♪
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qbteachmt
Level 15

"and is benefiting from a 17.4% rate"

You are comparing two things that are not the same. One is a Component of the other. Any specific item that has its own tax Rate will change the Average from the bracket, as well. How much of the income flows into the next tax bracket will increase the Average, too, because Average is based on the Sum of income. If their income is barely into that next tax bracket, their Average goes down by comparison to an income that hits near the top of the same bracket.

That's why it's called Effective Rate. If we had a Flat Tax system, then your comparison would be valid.

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emilie-bsm
Level 1

$3000 more of a refund

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qbteachmt
Level 15

"$3000 more of a refund"

Gee, isn't that Exactly the amount of those capital gain thingies?

https://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc409

 

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emilie-bsm
Level 1

Thanks smarty pants, but there were no capital gains.

 

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PhoebeRoberts
Level 11
Level 11

Sounds like he has two kids. You've told Lacerte that they're over 16; he's told TT that they're under.

qbteachmt
Level 15

"Thanks smarty pants, but there were no capital gains."

Wow; I call this "playing Sherlock Holmes" when I do it for my own clients. They ask, "Why is this different by X than this?" and the X is typically the first thing to examine. Isn't it Occam's Razor, to look for the simple and obvious solution first: If you hear hoofbeats, it's more likely to be a horse than a zebra. Well, in my experience.

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