Tax inflation adjustments expected to shrink

Inflation's impact on the Tax Code will continue to shrink, according to Bloomberg Tax & Accounting's 2025 Projected U.S. Tax Rates. 

It projects that inflation-adjusted amounts in the Tax Code will increase by just 2.8% in 2025 — roughly half the increase in 2024 and down from 7.1% in 2023. Bloomberg Tax's annual report estimates potential tax savings as a result of changes in deduction limitations, tax brackets and other thresholds. 

The report accounts for changes made under the SECURE 2.0 Act that affect tax planning for corporate taxpayers in certain industries, such as the increase in the threshold amount for qualified salary reduction arrangements under Section 408(p) from $5,000 to $5,100, and the increase in the qualified long-term care distribution amount under Section 401(a) from $2,500 to $2,600.  

This year's report projects that several deductions for taxpayers will see notable year-over-year increases. The foreign earned income exclusion increasing from $126,500 to $130,000, and the annual exclusion for gifts increasing from $18,000 to $19,000, will allow taxpayers to increase their gifts without tax implications.

Federal Reserve building in Washington, D.C.
Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg

Other key adjustments, with comparisons of the 2024 amounts and 2025 projections, include:

Individual income tax rate brackets (for married filing jointly and surviving spouses)

2024 tax rate bracket income ranges Projected 2025 income ranges
10%: $0 to $23,200 10%: $0 to $23,850
12%: Over $23,200 to $94,300 12%: Over $23,850 to $96,950
22%: Over $94,300 to $201,050 22%: Over $96,950 to $206,700
24%: Over $201,050 to $383,900 24%: Over $206,700 to $394,600
32%: Over $383,900 to $487,450 32%: Over $394,600 to $501,050
35%: Over $487,450 to $731,200 35%: Over $501,050 to $751,600
37%: Over $731,200 37%: Over $751,600

Unmarried individuals (other than surviving spouses and heads of households)

2024 Tax Rate Bracket Income Ranges Projected 2025 Tax Rate Bracket Income Ranges
10%: $0 to $11,600 10% - $0 to $11,925
12%: Over $11,600 to $47,150 12%: Over $11,925 to $48,475
22%: Over $47,150 to $100,525 22%: Over $48,475 to $103,350
24%: Over $100,525 to $191,950 24%: Over $103,350 to $197,300
32%: Over $191,950 to $243,725 32%: Over $197,300 to $250,525
35%: Over $243,725 to $609,350 35%: Over $250,525 to $626,350
37%: Over $609,350 37%: Over $626,350

Standard deduction

Filing status 2024 standard deduction Projected 2025 standard deduction
Married filing jointly/surviving spouses $29,200 $30,000
Heads of household $21,900 $22,500
All other taxpayers $14,600 $15,000

Alternative minimum tax

Filing status 2024 AMT exemption amount Projected 2025 AMT exemption amount
MFJ/Surviving Spouses $133,300 $137,000
Unmarried individuals (other than surviving spouses) $85,700 $88,100
Married filing separately $66,650 $68,500
Estates and trusts $29,900 $30,700
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