Demarco and Janine Jackson have been married for 20 years and have four children who qualify as their dependents (Damarcus, Janine, Michael, and Candice). The couple received salary income of $100,000 and qualified business income of $10,000 from an investment in a partnership, and they sold their home this year. They initially purchased the home three years ago for $200,000 and they sold it for $250,000. The gain on the sale qualified for the exclusion from the sale of a principal residence. The Jacksons incurred $16,500 of itemized deductions, and they had $3,550 withheld from their paychecks for federal taxes. They are also allowed to claim a child tax credit for each of their children. However, because Candice is 18 years of age, the Jacksons may only claim the child tax credit for other qualifying dependents for Candice. (Use the tax rate schedules.)
Comprehensive Problem 4-55 Parts-c through f
a. What would their taxable income be if their itemized deductions totaled $28,000 instead of $16,500?
b. What would their taxable income be if they had $0 itemized deductions and $6,000 of for AGI deductions?
c. Assume the original facts but now suppose the Jacksons also incurred a loss of $5,000 on the sale of some of their investment assets. What effect does the $5,000 loss have on their taxable income?

Taxable income refers to the amount of income that is used to determine the amount of tax that will be paid to the government by an individual or firm in given year. The taxable income is arrived at after all the relevant addition and allowable deductions have been made.

The requirements are therefore answered as follows:

a. What would their taxable income be if their itemized deductions totaled $28,000 instead of $16,500?

Note: See part a of the attached excel file see the effect on taxable income.

The itemized deductions total of $28,000 instead of $16,500 makes the taxable income to be $80,000.

In the attached excel file, the following calculations is used:

Qualified business income deduction = Qualified business income * Parentage of deduction allowed = $10,000 * 20% = $2,000

b. What would their taxable income be if they had $0 itemized deductions and $6,000 of for AGI deductions?

Note: See part b of the attached excel file for the calculations of the taxable income.

This makes the taxable income to be equal to $77,600.

c. Assume the original facts but now suppose the Jacksons also incurred a loss of $5,000 on the sale of some of their investment assets. What effect does the $5,000 loss have on their taxable income?

Note: See part c of the attached excel file for the calculations of the taxable income.

The loss of loss of $5,000 on the sale of some of their investment assets incurred by the Jacksons is capital loss.

For tax purposes, capital loss of can be deducted as a loss on tax return by tax payers with a maximum of $3,000 to be deducted per year.

Therefore, the Jacksons will deduct $3,000 as a capital loss from their tax return, and the effect of this is to reduce the taxable income by $3,000.

This makes the taxable income to be equal to $80,600.