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Level 3
February 16, 2020
Question

Kiddie Tax Computation

  • February 16, 2020
  • 2 replies
  • 0 views

With the TAX CUTS AND JOBS ACT, dependent children's unearned income filed in their names has no connection to  the parents returns.

 

What I'm trying to understand is the difference between, say, a child with only $5000 of interest vs a child with only $5000 of qualified dividends.

 

The $5000 of interest only calculation I understand, though it's slightly complicated.  The tax is $418.

1) Remove $1100 of standard deduction from the $5000 to get $3900 of taxable income.

2) Remove $2200 of net unearned income threshold from $5000 to get $2800 of net unearned income

3) The tax on the $2800 of the $3900  is $308 ( 10% of the first 2600 = 260 + 24% of the next 200 = $48)

4) The tax on the other $1100 of taxable income is a straight 10% or $110

5) $308 + $110 = $418.  Exactly what turbotax computes.


Now the case of $5000 of qualified dividends mystifies me.

1) There is still $3900 of taxable income.

2) Turbotax computes $30 of tax. 

3) The part I do understand.  There is $2800 of unearned income.  It gets taxed by the 2018 Trust and Estate Rates of $0 for the first $2600 and 15% of the rest, which is $200 = $30.  There's my $30. OK.

4) The part I do not understand: why is the remaining $1100 not taxed anymore at 10% or $110?  Giving a total tax of $140.  TurboTax says, just the $30.  How can that be?  Is there a rule I'm ignorant of?

2 replies

Level 5
February 21, 2020

The law was reversed last year, according to the Wall Street Journal today 

https://www.wsj.com/articles/time-to-go-back-to-school-on-the-kiddie-tax-[phone number removed]

 

It's not a phone number! And removing it disables the link. So you must add -[phone number removed]

 

What a great system. TTax doesn't provide an answer, and when I try to, the link is disabled. Good job, Intuit!

 

 

Level 5
February 21, 2020

Okay, try this shortened url: https://tinyurl.com/kiddietax

Level 2
March 9, 2020

The first $1100 is not taxed (standard deduction).

The next $1100 is taxed at the child's single rate which is 0% for a LTCG or Qual Div.

The Estate & Trust rates are applied next.  The first $2600 is taxed at 0% for a LTCG or Qual Div. 

From $2601 to $12,950, it jumps to 15%, and at $12,951, the rate increases to $20% and an additional 3.8% NII tax kicks in.

Level 3
March 10, 2020

$2650 in 2019 -- just to get the right numbers.