[20080215]RS22200_替代最低税的潜在分配效应.pdf

Order Code RS22200Updated February 15, 2008The Potential Distributional Effects of theAlternative Minimum TaxSteven MaguireSpecialist in Public FinanceGovernment and Finance DivisionSummaryThe alternative minimum tax for individuals (AMT) was originally enacted toensure that high-income taxpayers paid a fair share of the federal income tax. However,the lack of indexation of the AMT coupled with the recent reductions in regular incometaxes has greatly expanded the potential impact of the AMT.Temporary increases in the AMT exemption and provisions which allow taxpayersto apply nonrefundable tax credits against their AMT liabilities expired at the end of2007. Certain taxpayers will be more adversely affected than others. In general,married taxpayers filing joint returns will be more adversely affected than singletaxpayers. In addition, taxpayers with large families will be more adversely affectedthan taxpayers with small families.In terms of income, the largest increase in taxpayers subject to the AMT will occurover adjusted gross income (AGI) ranges of $100,000 to $500,000. Taxpayers withAGIs between $50,000 and $100,000 will eventually be affected, with the negativeeffects of the AM