Michelle Piscopo and Mary Vidas
Donald Trump was sworn in as our country’s 45th President on January 20 and, prior to his inauguration, he vowed to immediately set into motion many of the promises he made during his campaign. One of the promises made by President Trump during his campaign was to reduce taxes across the board—especially for working class and middle class Americans.
Currently, there are seven different individual tax brackets ranging from 10% to a maximum of 39.6%. Under the plan proposed by President Trump, there would only be three tax brackets:
- 12% for individuals earning less than $75,000;
- 25% for individuals earning more than $75,000 but less than $225,000; and
- 33% for individuals earning more than $225,000
President Trump’s plan also proposes raising the standard deduction from $6,350 to $12,000 for single tax filers and from $12,700 to $30,000 for joint tax filers, and eliminating the head of household tax filing status. Under President Trump’s plan, the corporate tax rate would be reduced from 35% to 15%. While Trump alone cannot change the tax code, the proposal put forth by House Republicans is quite similar to the Trump proposal. The House Republican plan agrees with Trump’s three tax brackets—so changes in tax rates are inevitable.
How will this impact you?
Lower taxes means higher net income. And, that higher net income could impact you if you are paying or receiving child support, spousal support, maintenance, or alimony. For example, under the current tax code, an individual who earns $500,000 per year would be in the 39.6% tax bracket, which results in net income of $302,000. Under President Trump’s proposal, an individual who earns $500,000 would be in the 33% tax bracket, which results in net income of $335,000. That additional $33,000 of net income will impact your support calculation. Depending on whether you are the party receiving support or the party paying support, this could be good news or bad news. We expect quick changes from the new administration and are keeping a close eye on any changes to the tax code. As this issue develops, if you have any questions about how new tax laws could affect your support order, the attorneys in all states of our matrimonial group are prepared to answer them.