Here's what the Senate Republicans' tax plan means if you're making $25,000, $75,000, or $175,000 a year

Advertisement
Here's what the Senate Republicans' tax plan means if you're making $25,000, $75,000, or $175,000 a year

Advertisement
Trump Tax Plan Senate Republicans

Andrew Harnik/AP

  • Senate Republicans and House Republicans have introduced separate tax reform plans.
  • The Senate tax plan differs in significant ways from the version passed in the House.
  • In the chart below, we ran the numbers to see how the Senate's tax plan would affect a single taxpayer, compared to current law and the House's tax plan.

 

Senate Republicans are racing ahead with their version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

Currently, there are two different Republican tax reform proposals. The first version was introduced and passed by the House. Senate Republicans have laid out their own proposal, and on Tuesday the Senate Budget Committee voted to bring it to the full Senate for a possible vote.

The two tax plans will have to be reconciled into one before tax reform can be signed into law by President Donald Trump.

We previously calculated how much a single, childless taxpayer who claims the standard deduction might save on taxes in 2018 under the House's plan, as well as how much a family of four might save.

In the chart below, we ran the numbers to see how the Senate's tax plan would affect a single taxpayer. We assumed the taxpayer is childless and will claim the standard deduction in both 2017 and 2018.

Tax savings under Senate Republicans' tax plan

The estimates in the chart show how much single, childless taxpayers at different income levels who claim the standard deduction might save if the Senate's tax plan becomes law:

  • $25,000 salary: estimated annual tax savings of $369.
  • $75,000 salary: estimated annual tax savings of $2,129.
  • $175,000 salary: estimated annual tax savings of $5,240.

Tax savings under House Republicans' tax plan

Our previous calculations using the House's tax plan showed slightly lower savings for single, childless taxpayers who claim the standard deduction:

  • $25,000 salary: estimated annual tax savings of $202.
  • $75,000 salary: estimated annual tax savings of $2,078.
  • $175,000 salary: estimated annual tax savings of $4,289.

Differences exist between the tax brackets and other details in the Senate and House tax plans, which will ultimately have to become one plan before tax reform can be enacted.

The Senate's bill would allow single filers to deduct $12,000 - slightly higher than the current combined $10,400 deduction, which includes the standard deduction and one personal exemption. The House's bill proposes a standard deduction of $12,200. Both plans eliminate personal exemptions.

According to the most recent IRS analysis of individual tax returns, 70.4% of taxpayers claim the standard deduction on their tax return. Single Americans who claim the standard deduction would be able to reduce their taxable income slightly under both versions of the tax plan, in turn reducing their tax bill.

Most Americans will see a slight increase in their take-home pay under the current proposals, but that could change in the future as many of the provisions are set to expire after 2025. Some analysts have said that nearly half of Americans would see a tax increase at that time.

Trump's tax plan, if it passes, will free up a little cash in the typical household's monthly budget. But the biggest winners are likely to be the wealthiest Americans, who are poised to save significantly under both proposals.