In: Accounting
Single Taxpayers |
Married Taxpayers Filing Joint Returns |
Tax Rate (%) |
0-$9,275 |
0-$18,550 |
10.0 |
$9,276-$37,650 |
$18,551-$75,300 |
15.0 |
$37,651-$91,150 |
$75,301-$151,900 |
25.0 |
$91,151-$190,150 |
$151,901-$231,450 |
28.0 |
$190,151-$413,350 |
$231,451-$413,350 |
33.0 |
$413,351-$415,050 |
$413,351-$466,950 |
35.0 |
$415,051 and above |
$466,951 and above |
39.6 |
Based on this table, answering the following questions:
(Please show your intermediate processes, instead of just a final number for your answers. Only round your final answers to two decimal places.)
(a1) Suppose there is a person called Alpha who has an annual income of $300,000 and Alpha’s spouse has an annual income of $20,000. What dollar amount of tax do Alpha and Alpha’s spouse each need to pay respectively, if they choose to file their taxes separately? What dollar amount of tax do they need to pay if they choose to file their taxes jointly?
(a2) What are the average tax rates for Alpha and Alpha’s spouse respectively, if they choose to file separately? What is the average tax rate if they choose to file jointly?
(b1) Suppose there is another person called Beta who has an annual income of $160,000 and Beta’s spouse also has an annual income of $160,000. What dollar amount of tax do Beta and Beta’s spouse each need to pay respectively, if they choose to file their taxes separately? What dollar amount of tax do they need to pay if they choose to file their taxes jointly?
(b2) What are the average tax rates for Beta and Beta’s spouse respectively, if they choose to file separately? What is the average tax rate if they choose to file jointly?
(c) Based on what you obtained from (a1) to (b2), what are the conclusions you could infer regarding the ways of filing taxes? (What are the advantages and disadvantages of these two ways?)
Filling Separately | Filling Jointly | ||||||||
Income Slab | Tax Rate | Alpha | Spouse | Total | Income Slab | Tax Rate | Alpha | Spouse | Total |
Annual Income (A) | $ 300,000 | $ 20,000 | $ 320,000 | Annual Income (A) | $ 300,000 | $ 20,000 | $ 320,000 | ||
0-$9,275 | 10% | $ 928 | $ 928 | $ 1,855 | 0-$18,550 | 10% | $ 1,855 | ||
$9,276-$37,650 | 15% | $ 4,256 | $ 1,609 | $ 5,865 | $18,551-$75,300 | 15% | $ 8,512 | ||
$37,651-$91,150 | 25% | $ 13,375 | $ - | $ 13,375 | $75,301-$151,900 | 25% | $ 19,150 | ||
$91,151-$190,150 | 28% | $ 27,720 | $ - | $ 27,720 | $151,901-$231,450 | 28% | $ 22,274 | ||
$190,151-$413,350 | 33% | $ 36,250 | $ - | $ 36,250 | $231,451-$413,350 | 33% | $ 29,221 | ||
$413,351-$415,050 | 35% | $ - | $ - | $ - | $413,351-$466,950 | 35% | $ - | ||
$415,051 and above | 40% | $ - | $ - | $ - | $466,951 and above | 40% | $ - | ||
a1 Total Tax (B) | $ 82,528 | $ 2,536 | $ 85,064 | Total Tax (B) | $ 81,012 | ||||
a2 Average Tax Rate (B / A)X100 | 28% | 13% | 27% | Average Tax Rate (B / A)X100 | 25% | ||||
Filling Separately | Filling Jointly | ||||||||
Income Slab | Tax Rate | Beta | Spouse | Total | Income Slab | Tax Rate | Alpha | Spouse | Total |
Annual Income (A) | $ 160,000 | $ 160,000 | $ 320,000 | Annual Income (A) | $ 160,000 | $ 160,000 | $ 320,000 | ||
0-$9,275 | 10% | $ 928 | $ 928 | $ 1,855 | 0-$18,550 | 10% | $ 1,855 | ||
$9,276-$37,650 | 15% | $ 4,256 | $ 4,256 | $ 8,512 | $18,551-$75,300 | 15% | $ 8,512 | ||
$37,651-$91,150 | 25% | $ 13,375 | $ 13,375 | $ 26,750 | $75,301-$151,900 | 25% | $ 19,150 | ||
$91,151-$190,150 | 28% | $ 19,278 | $ 19,278 | $ 38,555 | $151,901-$231,450 | 28% | $ 22,274 | ||
$190,151-$413,350 | 33% | $ - | $ - | $ - | $231,451-$413,350 | 33% | $ 29,221 | ||
$413,351-$415,050 | 35% | $ - | $ - | $ - | $413,351-$466,950 | 35% | $ - | ||
$415,051 and above | 40% | $ - | $ - | $ - | $466,951 and above | 40% | $ - | ||
b1 Total Tax (B) | $ 37,836 | $ 37,836 | $ 75,672 | Total Tax (B) | $ 81,012 | ||||
b2 Average Tax Rate (B / A)X100 | 24% | 24% | 24% | Average Tax Rate (B / A)X100 | 25% |