AMT Exemption Table
| Filing status | Exemption | Phase-out begins | Complete phase-out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joint / surviving spouse | $140,200 | $1,000,000 | $1,280,400 |
| Single / head of household | $90,100 | $500,000 | $680,200 |
| Married filing separately | $70,100 | $500,000 | $640,200 |
The alternative minimum tax runs a parallel calculation with its own exemption - and since 2018 the exemption is so large that the AMT is again a six-figure-income tax. This table carries the 2026 exemption amounts, the income where the phase-out begins, and the point where the exemption vanishes entirely, all verbatim from Rev. Proc. 2025-32.
The phase-out slope is exactly 50 cents of lost exemption per dollar of AMTI above the threshold - the official columns imply it ($90,100 exemption over a $180,200 window for singles), and the calculator applies it so you can see the exemption surviving at your income.
How to use
- Pick a filing status and enter alternative minimum taxable income to see the exemption that survives the phase-out.
- Check the 26%/28% band note: AMTI above $244,500 ($122,250 MFS) pays 28% on the excess, 26% below.
- Compare the surviving exemption against your AMT computation - the calculator shows the exemption, not your final AMT bill, which also depends on your regular tax.
Frequently asked questions
Do I actually owe AMT now?
Far fewer people than before 2018: the exemption of $90,100 single / $140,200 joint in 2026 sits so high that the AMT concentrates on six-figure incomes with large preference items - typically exercising incentive stock options or claiming big itemized deductions disallowed under AMT rules.
Why does my exemption shrink by 50 cents per dollar?
The phase-out is arithmetic from the official columns: the exemption is reduced as AMTI rises until it hits zero at the complete phase-out point - $680,200 single, $1,280,400 joint in 2026. Dividing the exemption by that window gives exactly one-half, which is the slope the calculator applies.
What are the AMT tax rates?
Two: 26% on the first slice of AMTI above the exemption and 28% above $244,500 ($122,250 for married filing separately). You owe the AMT only when this parallel calculation exceeds your regular tax - the difference, not both.
Do capital gains trigger AMT?
Long-term capital gains keep their preferential rates inside the AMT, but a large gain inflates AMTI, which can phase out your exemption and expose more of the gain to the effective 26/28% side calculation - and the 3.8% NIIT applies in both worlds. Option exercises are the classic surprise source.