What’s the Difference Between a Tax Credit and a Deduction?

There are also certain tax credits that result in a refund even if you had no tax liability. A tax credit reduces the specific amount of the tax that an individual owes. For example, say that you have a $500 tax credit and a $3,500 tax bill. One example is the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) for postsecondary education students. Tax credits directly reduce the amount of taxes you owe, providing you with a dollar-for-dollar reduction.

The tax credit can be 20% of up to $10,000 in qualifying expenses related to education, or $2,000, for an eligible taxpayer, their spouse, or their dependent. For 2022, the full credit can be claimed if annual income is $80,000 or less for single filers or $160,000 or less for married couples filing jointly. If you earn income from an employer, money is taken out of your paycheck for federal taxes (among other things) each pay period.

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This credit helps individuals and couples reduce the costs of care for children younger than 13. It’s available to those who have to arrange for this care so that they can work or look for employment. Federal and state governments may grant tax credits to promote specific behaviors that benefit the economy, the environment, or anything else that the government deems important. When determining the benefit of a tax deduction vs tax credit, it’s essential to understand the difference between the two. When you do your taxes, there’s usually a tax planning section at the end of the software. If you use a professional service, your tax preparer might suggest an annual tax planning meeting.

• Here are some examples of deductible expenses for tax year 2023.
• Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us.
• Tax credits might be refundable, partially refundable, or nonrefundable.
• It’s important to determine your eligibility for tax deductions and tax credits before you file.
• Adjustments to income include contributions to individual retirement accounts, educator expenses, and interest on student loans.
• Tax deductions differ from tax credits in that they reduce taxable income, not the amount of an individual’s tax liability.

Tax credits and tax deductions are two ways to reduce your tax bill. Understanding how credits and deductions work and how they differ can help you save more money. As a reminder, tax deductions are “top-line,” meaning they’re deducted from your income before your taxes are calculated. Tax credits, on the other hand, are “bottom-line”—after your taxes are calculated, a tax credit is deducted, dollar for dollar, from the amount you owe. Tax credits, therefore, give you a lot more bang for the buck. A refundable tax credit, on the other hand, can help boost your tax refund.

Refundable vs Non-refundable Tax Credits

For example, if you qualify for a $3,000 tax credit, you’ll save $3,000 on your tax bill. Keep in mind that your ability to claim certain deductions may be limited depending on your filing status and household income. Another thing to remember is that you can’t claim a credit and a deduction for the same qualified expense. If you paid out-of-pocket to go back to school for a graduate degree, for example, you couldn’t claim the tuition and fees deduction and the Lifetime Learning Credit.

For example, dependent care expenses like daycare or babysitters. The child and dependent care tax credit allows working parents to claim a tax credit for a portion of the expenses incurred on daycare for their kids while they work. The amount is capped at $3,000 per child and also depends upon the annual income of the parent(s). For high income earners, an alternative to using this tax credit is setting up an FSA account with up to $5,000 that can be spent on daycare tax-free.

Tips for Lowering Your Tax Bill

The majority of taxpayers will take the standard deduction, which is a specific amount determined by the IRS each year. It depends on your filing status (single, married, or so-called “head of household”). If you don’t want to take the standard deduction, you can itemize your deductions instead. Itemizing involves listing out individual expenses that you want to write off on your return.

Find out about your state taxes—property taxes, tax rates and brackets, common forms, and much more. Because of their interplay with taxable income, deductions https://kelleysbookkeeping.com/the-best-way-to-make-business-tax-payments/ are more valuable to higher earners relative to low and middle earners. For example, let’s say you get a $1,000 tax credit and have a $5,000 tax liability.

As a 30+ year member of the AICPA, Nancy has experienced all facets of finance, including tax, auditing, payroll, plan benefits, and small business accounting. Her résumé includes years at KPMG International and McDonald’s Corporation. She now runs her own accounting business, serving several small clients in industries ranging from law and education to the arts. We believe everyone should be able to make financial decisions with confidence. Tax credits are a direct reduction of the amount of tax due. Except where noted, the American Rescue Plan measures above (including Child and Child/Dependent Care credits) were temporary and applied only to 2021.

• In March 2021, Congress passed the American Rescue Plan, which was signed into law by President Biden.
• The age limit was increased to age 17 by the last day of the year.
• If you qualify for a tax deduction of $1,000, your taxable income will be reduced by $1,000.
• As a 30+ year member of the AICPA, Nancy has experienced all facets of finance, including tax, auditing, payroll, plan benefits, and small business accounting.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. Here is a list of our partners and here’s how we make money. Our partners cannot pay us to guarantee favorable reviews of their products or services. The EITC is refundable, but you can only qualify for it if your income is less than a certain limit.

Tax credits directly reduce the amount of tax you owe, while tax deductions reduce your taxable income. For example, a tax credit of $1,000 lowers your tax bill by that same $1,000. On the other hand, a Tax Credits Vs Tax Deductions $1,000 tax deduction lowers your taxable income (the amount of income on which you owe taxes) by $1,000. So, for example, if you fall into the 22% tax bracket, a $1,000 deduction would save you $220.