2

I am only looking for a rough ballpark estimate.

For a single Californian with 190k/yr income:

Scenario 1 - all else being equal, I go with standard deductible.

Scenario 2 - all else being equal, I itemize 8k property tax and 20k mortgage interest.

As a rough estimate, Scenario 2 would yield me (20k+8k-12k)*0.30=4.8k additional tax return. Such a calculation is meaningful for someone considering the budget impact of purchasing a home rather than renting.

Is this about right? Here I assumed standard deductible to be 12k and the relevant tax rate to be 30%. Or do I have a completely wrong idea etc?

Improve this question
1
  • 1
    Just some term clarification. Deductions are things that deduct (subtract) from a sum, so we have itemized/standard deductions, and deductibles are related to insurance. Also, while it can sound pedantic, the form you file is a tax return, and it would show whether or not you're getting a tax refund.
    – Hart CO
    Commented May 6, 2022 at 21:56

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
1

According to the irs:

the standard deduction rises to $12,950 for 2022

You have to see if your itemized deductions exceed the $12,950.

Most people when they itemize use the following things:

  • State Income tax
  • Property tax
  • Mortgage Interest
  • Charitable contributions.

The big issue is that congress limited the SALT (State and Local Tax) to $10,000. That means the combination of those first two lines is limited to $10,000 total.

based on your question:

For a single Californian with 190k/yr income:

itemize 8k property tax and 20k mortgage interest.

The amount you will itemize is $30,000 plus how much you make in charitable contributions. That will mean that you will be able to deduct at least $17,050 more than the standard deduction.

The other thing to consider is your marginal tax rate. I am assuming that the $190K/year is your gross pay. It is also likely that your taxable income is below this due to paying for health insurance, and contributions to a 401(k).

here is the key numbers for a single taxpayer in your income level:

24% $89,075 to $170,050
32% $170,050 to $215,950

So the marginal tax rate is either 24% or 32% or could be split between them.

That means your savings could be $4,092 to $5,456.

Keep in mind that if you buy during the middle of the tax year, the numbers the first year will be partial, and it is possible that you won't itemize the first year.

Improve this answer
1
  • Is there any returns from the state side of things or do you only get back the federal tax that was paid on the income?
    – Gappy Hilmore
    Commented May 7, 2022 at 16:51

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .