The 3.8% surtax applies to net investment income when MAGI exceeds these threshold amounts. For this purpose, MAGI is a taxpayer’s regular AGI, plus any foreign income excluded from AGI. The 3.8% Medicare tax is imposed on the lesser of (1) net investment income or (2) the amount of MAGI over the threshold amount.
What is the Medicare surtax on investment income?
The Affordable Care Act of 2010 included a provision for a 3.8% "net investment income tax," also known as the Medicare surtax, to fund Medicare expansion. It applies to taxpayers above a certain modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) threshold who have unearned income including investment income, such as: Taxable interest. Dividends.
What is the Medicare surtax and how does it work?
The Net Investment Income Tax (“NIIT”) or Medicare Tax is a 3.8% Surtax imposed by Section 1411 of the Internal Revenue Code on investment income. The NIIT went into effect on January 1, 2013 and can apply to some high-income taxpayers (individuals and trusts) who have a modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) that exceeds a certain statutory threshold.
What is the additional Medicare tax on income?
· Net Investment Income Tax (3.8% Medicare Surtax) 2022-01-07 Since January 1, 2013, a 3.8% Medicare tax, known formally as the Net Investment Income Tax ( NIIT) (aka Medicare surtax) applies to certain investment income of individuals, estates, and trusts that exceed statutory threshold amounts.
What is the medicare surcharge tax?
· These individuals are also exempt from the 3.8% Medicare or “net investment income tax,” (NIIT) which currently applies only to certain passive income and gains. The Biden Administration believes that the NIIT reflects an intention to impose the 3.8% tax on both earned and unearned income of high-income taxpayers. However, due to certain complexities in the …
What is the 3.8% surtax on net investment income?
The net investment income tax is a 3.8% tax on investment income that typically applies only to high-income taxpayers. 1 It applies to individuals, families, estates, and trusts, but certain income thresholds must be met before the tax takes effect. Net investment income can be capital gains, interest, or dividends.
What is Medicare surtax on net investment income?
The 0.9 percent Additional Medicare Tax applies to individuals' wages, compensation, and self-employment income over certain thresholds, but it does not apply to income items included in Net Investment Income. For additional information on Net Investment Income Tax, see our questions and answers posted on IRS.gov.
How do you calculate Medicare surtax?
It is paid in addition to the standard Medicare tax. An employee will pay 1.45% standard Medicare tax, plus the 0.9% additional Medicare tax, for a total of 2.35% of their income....What is the additional Medicare tax?StatusTax thresholdmarried tax filers, filing separately$125,0003 more rows•Sep 24, 2020
What income is subject to 3.8 net investment tax?
Your net investment income is less than your MAGI overage. Let's say you have $30,000 in net investment income and your MAGI goes over the threshold by $50,000. You'll owe the 3.8% tax. But you'll only owe it on the $30,000 of investment income you have—since it's less than your MAGI overage.
What is the Medicare surtax for 2021?
The extra tax was announced as part of the Affordable Care Act and is known as the Additional Medicare Tax. The tax rate for the Additional Medicare Tax is 0.9 percent. That means you'll pay 2.35 percent if you receive employment wages. Self-employed taxpayers will pay 3.8 percent.
At what income level does the 3.8 surtax kick in?
There is a flat Medicare surtax of 3.8% on net investment income for married couples who earn more than $250,000 of adjusted gross income (AGI). For single filers, the threshold is just $200,000 of AGI.
How is Medicare surtax 2022 calculated?
For 2022, the FICA tax rate for employers is 7.65% — 6.2% for Social Security and 1.45% for Medicare (the same as in 2021).
Do you have to pay Medicare tax on investment income?
You may be subject to both taxes, but not on the same type of income. The 0.9% Additional Medicare Tax applies to individuals' wages, compensation and self-employment income over certain thresholds, but it does not apply to income items included in Net Investment Income.
How do I avoid Medicare surtax?
Despite the complexity of this 3.8% surtax, there are two basic ways to “burp” income to reduce or avoid this tax: 1) reduce income (MAGI) below the threshold, or 2) reduce the amount of NII that is subject to the tax.
How is NIIT calculated?
Net investment income is calculated by adding up all of the income you earned from investments in the past tax year and subtracting any related expenses.
What is excluded from net investment income tax?
Wages, self-employment income, unemployment compensation, business income from nonpassive sources, Social Security benefits, tax-exempt interest, and qualified pension, annuity, and individual retirement account distributions are excluded when calculating the net investment income tax.