美国个人所得税制之欧阳化创编文档格式.docx

美国个人所得税制之欧阳化创编文档格式.docx

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Seealso:

TopicalAnalyses

∙PrivateInvestmentIncomesection1.1.

1.1. 

Taxablepersons

UScitizensandresidentsaresubjecttotaxationontheirworldwideincomeeveniftheyresideoutsidetheUnitedStates.ForeignnationalsaresubjecttoUSincometaxiftheybecomeUSresidentsoriftheyderivecertaintypesofincomefromUSsources.

ForeignnationalsaretreatedasUSresidentsiftheyarelawfulpermanentresidentsoftheUnitedStates（i.e.holdaUSgreencard）oriftheymeetasubstantialpresencetest.ThesubstantialpresencetestismetifthepersonispresentintheUnitedStatesfor

（1）atleast31daysduringthecurrentcalendaryear,and

（2）foratleast183daysduringthecurrentcalendaryearandprior2yearsdeterminedbycountingeachdayofpresenceinthecurrentyearas1day,eachdayofpresenceinthefirstprioryearasonethirdofaday,andeachdayofpresenceinthesecondprioryearasonesixthofaday.Exceptionsapplytoindividualsinexemptcategories（i.e.foreigngovernment-relatedindividuals,students,teachers,andtrainees）andtoindividualswhohaveacloserconnectiontoahomeinaforeigncountry.

Marriedpersonsmayelecttofileeitheraseparateincometaxreturnreportingtheirownincomeanddeductionsortheymayelecttofileajointtaxreturnreportingthecombinedincomeanddeductionsofthemselvesandtheirspouse.

Unincorporatedentitiessuchaspartnershipsandlimitedliabilitycompanies（LLCs）maymakeavoluntaryelectionundertheTreasuryDepartment’s“check-the-box”regulationstobetaxedascorporationsoraspass-through（transparent）entities.

1.2. 

Taxableincome

∙PrivateInvestmentIncomesection1.2.1.

1.2.1. 

General

UScitizensandresidentsaretaxableonallincomefromwhateversourcereceived.Thisincludeswages,salary,businessincome,andinvestmentincome.Alltypesofincome（withtheexceptionofcapitalgains）arecombinedandtaxedatthesamerates.Capitalgainsaresubjecttospecialtaxrates.

Taxableincomeiscomputedby:

（1）determininggrossincome,

（2）subtractingcertainstatutorydeductionstoarriveatadjustedgrossincome（AGI）,and（3）subtracting（i）thestandarddeductionamountortheamountofitemizeddeductionsand（ii）personalexemptionamounts.Thetaxratesareappliedtothetaxpayer’staxableincomeassocomputed,andtheamountoftaxowedmaybeoffsetbyallowablecredits.

Thetaxratesuseddependonthereturnfilingstatusofthetaxpayer.Therearefourcategoriesforindividuals:

（1）

marriedpersonsfilingjointtaxreturnsthatcombinealltheirincomeanddeductions;

（2）

headsofhousehold,i.e.personswhomaintainahouseholdthatistheprincipalplaceofabodeofadependentchildorotherdependentforatleastone-halfofthetaxableyear;

（3）

unmarriedindividuals,i.e.singletaxpayers;

and

（4）

marriedpersonsfilingseparatereturns,witheachspousereportingtheirownincomeanddeductionsonaseparatereturn.

Survivingspousesmayfileinthemarriedjointreturncategoryforthetaxableyearinwhichtheirspousediesandforthe2succeedingtaxableyearsiftheymaintainahouseholdthatistheprincipalplaceofabodeofadependentchild.

Childrenarerequiredtofileanincometaxreturnandpaytaxontheirownincome.Forthetaxratesapplicabletochildrenwhoareundertheageof18andwhohaveunearnedincomeaboveanannualthresholdamount,andforanelectionbyaparenttoincludetheincomeofachildontheparent’sincometaxreturn,seesection1.9.1.1.

1.2.2. 

Exemptincome

Categoriesofincomeexemptfromtaxationincludethefollowing:

-

amountsreceivedunderlifeinsurancecontracts;

giftsandinheritances;

interestonbondsissuedbyUSstatesandmunicipalitiesforqualifiedpublicpurposes;

foreignearnedincome（seesection6.1.1.）;

and

certainamountsreceivedascompensationforinjuriesorsickness.

AnexclusionofUSD250,000applies（USD500,000inthecaseofmarriedpersonsfilingajointreturn）togainsfromthesaleofahomeifithasbeenownedandoccupiedasthetaxpayer’sprincipalresidenceforatleast2yearsduringthe5-yearperiodprecedingthedateofsale.

1.3. 

Employmentincome

1.3.1. 

Salary

Incomereceivedassalaryandwagesissubjecttopersonalincometax.Expensesdirectlyrelatedtoemploymentincomeandnotreimbursedbytheemployermaybededucted.Commutingcostsarenotdeductible.

Movingexpensesaredeductibleifpaidinconnectionwiththecommencementofworkasanemployeeorasaself-employedindividualatanewprincipalplaceofwork.Thenewprincipalplaceofworkmustbeatleast50milesfartherfromtheformerresidencethanwastheformerprincipalplaceofworkor,iftherewasnoformerplaceofwork,atleast50milesfromtheindividual’sformerresidence.Inaddition,time-in-employmentrequirementsmustbemetatthenewprincipalplaceofwork.

1.3.2. 

Benefitsinkind

1.3.2.1. 

Employerprovidedbenefits

Benefitsreceivedinkindfromanemployerconstitutetaxableincomeunlessexpresslyexcludedbystatutoryprovision.ThesebenefitsarereferredtointheUnitedStatesasfringebenefits.Exclusionsareprovidedinthefollowingcases:

servicesprovidedtotheemployeethatarethesameasthatofferedbytheemployertocustomersintheordinarycourseoftheemployer’sbusiness,ifnosubstantialadditionalcostisincurredbytheemployerinprovidingsuchservicetotheemployee;

qualifiedemployeediscountsinthepurchaseofgoodsorservicessoldbytheemployer;

benefitsprovidedthatarepartoftheworkingconditions,forexample,theuseofacompanycarforbusinesspurposes;

fringebenefitsthataredeminimisinvalue;

（5）

qualifiedtransportationfringebenefits,forexampletransitpassesorparkingspacesthatdonotexceedinvaluespecifiedmonthlyamounts;

（6）

reimbursedamountsforqualifiedmovingexpenses;

（7）

qualifiededucationaltuitionreductions;

（8）

mealsandlodgingfurnishedfortheconvenienceoftheemployer;

（9）

benefitsprovidedunderdependentcareassistanceprograms.

1.3.2.2. 

Stockoptions

TherearethreetypesofstockoptionsavailabletoemployeesintheUnitedStates:

Qualifiedstockoptions（alsoreferredtoasIncentiveStockOptions,orISOs）,whicharenon-taxableatthetimeofgrantorexerciseprovidedthatthestatutoryrequirementsconcerningtheoptionplanandtheoptionsgrantedaresatisfied.Theemployeewillreceivecapitalgaintreatmentifthestockissoldafterbeingheldforatleast2yearsfromthedatetheoptionisgrantedandatleast1yearfromthedatethestockisacquired.

Non-qualifiedoptions（alsoreferredtoasnon-statutoryoptions）,whicharenon-taxableatthetimeofgrantprovidedtheoptiondoesnothaveareadilyascertainablefairmarketvalueonthedateofgrant.Theemployeewillbetaxedatordinaryincometaxratesatthetimetheoptionisexercisedifthefairmarketvalueofthestockexceedstheexercisepriceoftheoption.Ifthestockisheldformorethan1yearaftertheoptionisexercised,theemployeewillreceivecapitalgaintreatment.

Optionsgrantedunderemployeestockpurchaseplanswhichmeetcertainstatutoryrequirementsarenon-taxableatthetimeofgrantorexerciseprovidedthatthestatutoryrequirementsconcerningtheoptionplanandtheoptionsgrantedaresatisfied.Ifthestockisheldbytheemployeeforatleast2yearsfromthedatetheoptionisgrantedandatleast1yearfromthedatethestockisacquired,theemployeewillreceivecapitalgaintreatmentwhenthestockissold.

Forallthreetypesofstockoptions,theoptionscanbeexercisedforthestockofthecompanyissuingtheoptionorforthestockofitsparentorsubsidiarycorporation.

Incentiveplansthatfunctioninamannersimilartostockoptions,suchasstockappreciationrights（SARs）andphantomstockplansarealsousedintheUnitedStates.

1.3.3. 

Pensionincome

Pensionincomefromqualifiedemployer-sponsoredpensionplans,stockbonusplansandprofitsharingplansistaxableincome.Distributionsaretaxableinamannersimilartoannuities,i.e.theprorataamountofeachpaymentthatrepresentstheemployee’scontributiontotheplan,ifany,canbeexcludedfromtaxation.

Individualsmayestablishanindividualretirementaccount（IRA）.ThemaximumamountthatmaybecontributedtoanIRAforthe2012taxyearisUSD5,000.Taxpayerswhoareaged50andoverattheendofataxableyeararepermittedtomakeanadditional“catch-up”contributionofUSD1,000.Iftheindividualisanactiveparticipantinaqualifiedemployerplan,theIRAcontributionlimitisreducedtotheextentthatthetaxpayer’sadjustedgrossincomeexceedscertainthresholdamounts.

ThetaxationofdistributionsfromanIRAdependsonthetypeofIRA.Ina“RegularIRA”,contributionsbytheindividualaredeductibleforthetaxableyeartheyaremade,andalldistributionsfromtheIRAarefullytaxable.Ina“RothIRA”,thecontributionsarenon-deductible,anddistributionsarenottaxedprovidedtheyaremadeafterthetaxpayerhasreachedtheageof591/2yearsoraremadeforcertainqualifiedpurposes.A5-yearholdingperiodmustalsobemet.The5-yearholdingperiodrequiresthatdistributionsshouldnotbemadeuntilaftertheendofthe5-yearperiodthatbeginswiththefirsttaxableyearforwhichacontributionwasmadetotheRothIRA.

1.3.4. 

Directors’remuneration

Remunerationreceivedbymembersofacorporateboardofdirectorsissubjecttopersonal