State and local tax deduction

The state and local tax deduction (SALT deduction) is a United States federal itemized deduction that allows taxpayers to deduct certain taxes paid to state and local governments from their adjusted gross income.

The SALT deduction is intended to avoid double taxation by allowing taxpayers to deduct state and local taxes from their federal income tax. Eligible taxes include state and local income taxes and property taxes.[1]

The deduction disproportionately benefits wealthy and upper-middle class taxpayers living in areas with comparatively high state and property taxes.[2][3][4]

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 signed into law by President Donald Trump put a $10,000 cap on the SALT deduction for the years 2018–2025.[5]

The Tax Policy Center estimated in 2016 that fully eliminating the SALT deduction would increase federal revenue by nearly $1.3 trillion over 10 years.[6]

  1. ^ "What is the State and Local Tax (SALT) Deduction?". Tax Foundation. 2023-04-21. Retrieved 2023-09-14.
  2. ^ Rappeport, Alan; McGeehan, Patrick (18 November 2021). "Tax Deduction That Benefits the Rich Divides Democrats Before Vote". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 3, 2022.
  3. ^ Pulliam, Christopher; Reeves, Richard V. (September 4, 2020). "The SALT tax deduction is a handout to the rich. It should be eliminated not expanded". Brookings Institution. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  4. ^ Bellafiore, Robert (October 5, 2018). "Who Benefits from the State and Local Tax Deduction?". Tax Foundation. Archived from the original on October 8, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.
  5. ^ "How did the TCJA change the standard deduction and itemized deductions?". Tax Policy Center. May 2020. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved March 27, 2022.
  6. ^ Sammartino, Frank; Rueben, Kim (March 31, 2016). "Revisiting the State and Local Tax Deduction" (PDF). Tax Policy Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 6, 2021. Retrieved November 11, 2021.