Tax analysts provides news, analysis, and commentary on individual income taxation, including what constitutes income, including wages, taxable and tax-exempt interest, dividends, capital gains or losses, distributions from individual retirement accounts, pensions and annuities, Social Security benefits under section 86, alimony received, unemployment compensation under section 85, and other miscellaneous income. Individual income tax is reported on Form 1040.

Analysis of individual income taxation also includes business income or losses reported on Schedule C, as well as related self-employment taxes under sections 1401 and 1402 and business expenses. Adjustments to income are another important issue addressed, including deductions for contributions to health savings accounts, alimony paid under section 71, student loan interest under section 221, domestic production activities, and the deductible part of self-employment taxes.

Individual income taxation also covers calculation of adjusted gross income under section 62, personal exemptions, taxable income under section 63, total tax, and the alternative minimum tax under section 55. The standard deduction and itemized deductions are also an important part of individual income tax. Analysis of itemized deductions includes medical and dental expenses under section 213, state and local taxes under section 164, real estate taxes, personal property taxes, home mortgage interest under section 163, gifts to charity under section 170, casualty and theft losses, and other miscellaneous deductions.

Another important issue covered by individual income taxation is credits, which include the foreign tax credit, child and dependent care credit, education credits under section 25A, retirement savings contributions credit, child tax credit under section 24, and the earned income tax credit under section 32.

The Affordable Care Act added another important consideration for individual income taxation because it requires individuals to maintain minimum essential healthcare or make an individual responsibility payment for failing to do so when required under section 5000A. Some individuals are eligible for healthcare premium tax credits under section 36B to offset the cost of purchasing health insurance. Individuals may also have to repay an excess advance premium tax credit.

Other important individual income tax topics covered include tax refunds, tax preparation, regulation of tax return preparers, enrolled agents, stolen identity refund fraud, electronic tax return filing, and efforts the IRS is taking to prevent tax fraud.