The amount of income that is used to calculate an individual’s or a company’s income tax due. Taxable income is generally described as gross income or adjusted gross income minus any deductions, exemptions or other adjustments that are allowable in that tax year.

Taxable income is also generated from appreciated assets that have been sold or capitalized during the year and from dividends and interest income. Income from these sources is generally taxed at a different rate and calculated separately by the tax entity.

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Individuals may choose to use a standard deduction amount for a given tax year. This amount is subtracted from gross income to arrive at the final taxable income figure. If individual deductions are claimed, the person or company will hope to have a total amount deducted from gross income lower than what would be achieved using the standard deduction. Some typical deductions that lower many tax bills include IRA contributions and certain business expenses.

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