What is adjusted gross income (AGI) and why does it matter?
Your adjusted gross income, or AGI, is your gross income minus a handful of items. Here’s how it works and why it matters.
4 min read
Jan 15, 2026
Anna-Louise Jackson
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16Years of experience
EXPERTISE
- Financial markets
- Taxes
- Investing
- Personal finance
- Economic policy
Anna-Louise Jackson is a contributor to Bankrate, covering taxes and personal finance. Jackson's career began about 15 years ago at Bloomberg, where she covered financial markets and the economy. She's since written about personal finance topics for CNBC, The Associated Press, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Money, NerdWallet. Her reporting has also been published by Bloomberg Businessweek, Fast Company and Success. Jackson enjoys making complex topics more understandable for readers.
Anna-Louise's latest articles
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Section 179 deduction vs. bonus depreciation: How they work, how they differ
The Section 179 deduction and bonus depreciation both let businesses write off expenses quickly. Here’s what you need to know.
6 min read Sep 10, 2025 -
Alternative minimum tax: What it is, who has to pay and the changes coming in 2026
The AMT, or alternative minimum tax, has its own set of tax rates and rules. Here’s how it works, how to calculate your bill, and the changes coming in 2026.
4 min read Aug 28, 2025 -
Filing status: How to decide if head of household, married filing separately or another status is best for you
Picking the best filing status for your situation — whether that’s single, head of household, married filing jointly or separately, or surviving spouse — can save you money at tax time.
8 min read Aug 27, 2025 -
Standard deduction vs. itemized deduction: Pros, cons and how to decide
You may have to do some math to choose between claiming the standard deduction and itemizing, but it’s worth the effort because you’ll save money on your taxes.
5 min read Aug 22, 2025 -
If you’re a fan of sports betting or casino gambling, you won’t be a fan of the new tax law
The huge new tax law limits the ability to deduct losses from sports betting and other types of gambling. Here’s what you need to know.
5 min read Jul 30, 2025 -
How the IRS catches tax cheats: 3 ways your tax return may get flagged
It might be tempting to underreport your income or tilt the value of tax deductions in your favor. But the IRS has its methods for catching people who cheat.
6 min read Jul 29, 2025 -
Solar tax credit and other clean energy credits: Get them before they’re gone
The solar tax credit, plus other residential clean energy and energy efficient home improvement credits, are about to expire.
6 min read Jul 18, 2025