What Is Tax-Free Income?
There are some types of income which are protected from being taxed by the IRS as well as some states. This page details how you can increase your tax-free income so you get more money each month that you get to keep.
"Little by little does the trick." -Aesop
Whether you work for a paycheck or collect Social Security benefits, there are many sources of income available to you that are completely tax-free. Little by little, they can add up to a lot more money in your pocket.
What is taxable income?
Tax law does not allow the IRS to tax the income and benefits discussed on this page.
Not sure if the income you generated or earned is taxable? Let us work for you! Prepare your return on eFile.com and the eFile Tax App will report your various types of income and assess tax on any taxable income. Start tax planning now with eFile.com.
Is There Tax-Free Income?
Certain income is exempt from federal income taxes; this includes most public assistance of welfare grants, child support and alimony, and others. Here are many types of income which cannot be taxed:
- Alimony received via court orders or decrees made after December 31, 2018 (received alimony before December 31, 2018 is taxed)
- Profit from the sale of main home within certain limits - see 1099-S details
- Employer-provided health insurance
- Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
- Adoption expense reimbursements for qualifying expenses
- Death payments
- Dividends of life insurance
- Welfare benefits (including TANF) and food stamps
- Accident and/or health insurance benefits
- Social Security Benefits (if they are your only source of income or under certain limits)
- Disability Benefits or Pension payments (including benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs)
- Child Support
- Dealer/manufacturer cash rebates
- Long-term Care Insurance payments
- Qualified scholarships and grants
- Credit card rewards and points (noncash prizes less than $600 or tied to spending habits)
- Frequent flyer miles
- Qualified canceled mortgage debt
- Various types of military income or military allowances
- medical savings account withdrawals
- Life insurance benefits
- Accelerated death benefits
- Reimbursements for theft or casualty loss
- Disaster relief grants
- Up to a limited amount of foreign earned income - use the link for details
- Federal income tax refunds
- Interest on tax-free securities
- Interest on EE/I bonds redeemed for qualified higher education expenses
- Payments to the beneficiary of a deceased employee
- Relocation payments or payments in lieu of worker’s compensation
- Rental allowance of clergyman
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
Learn about the difference between taxable and nontaxable income. If you make enough taxable income in a year, you may be required to file a tax return. If you use our free tool to determine that you need to file taxes, create and set up your free eFile account and get your taxes done quickly and easily. File your return online to the IRS and as many states as you may need for one low price.
What Are Examples of Nontaxable Income?
The above list is not definitive or all-inclusive. There are other forms of tax-free income listed below that look at nontaxable income in-depth. Easily report these kinds of income when you e-file your taxes on eFile.com and be assured that your various types of income will be properly input. Find specific details and information in IRS Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income.
Are Gifts, Bequests, and Inheritances Taxed?
In general, property you receive as a gift, bequest, or inheritance is not included in your gross income. However, if property you received in this manner later produces income, such as interest, dividends, or rents, then that income is taxable. If property is given to a trust and income from it is paid, credited, or distributed to you, that income is also taxable.
An inheritance is not reported on your income tax return, but a distribution from an inherited pension or annuity is. In this case, it is subject to the same tax as the original owner would have had to pay.
Do I Pay Taxes on Sickness and Injury Payments?
You must generally report income in any amount you receive for sickness and injury payments through a health or accident plan that is paid for by your employer. If you and your employer pay for the plan, only the amount you receive that is due to your employer's payments is reported as income. However, certain payments may not be taxable to you.
Any amount paid to reimburse you for medical expenses you incurred after the plan was established is generally non-taxable income. If you pay the entire cost of a health or accident plan, don't include any amounts you receive from the plan for sickness or personal injury as income. If your plan reimbursed you for medical expenses you deducted in an earlier year, you may have to include some, or all, of the reimbursement.
In most cases, if you are covered by a health or accident insurance plan through a cafeteria plan and the amount of the insurance premiums was not included in your income, you're not considered to have paid the premiums and you must include any benefits you receive in your income. However, if the amount of the premiums was included in your income, you are considered to have paid the premiums and any benefits you receive are non-taxable.
Can I Get Tax-Free Income from Work?
Here are several options for tax-free income which may be provided by your employer:
Meals and Lodging
You don't include the value of meals and lodging provided to you and your family by your employer if the following conditions are met:
- The meals are furnished on the business premises of your employer and furnished for the convenience of your employer.
- The lodging is furnished on the business premises of your employer, furnished for the convenience of your employer, and a condition of your employment.
As a result of the 2018 Tax Reform, most employee job expenses are no longer deductible. However, see job-related deductions that you may be able to claim under certain circumstances.
In addition, the amount that qualifies as a de minimis fringe benefit is nontaxable. A de minimis fringe benefit is one that is small enough that it is unnecessary to be accounted for.
Education Payments
Your employer can provide up to $5,250 per year in educational aid when you take undergraduate or graduate courses. Best of all, the school courses don't have to be job-related (your employer might not like it, but the IRS does not care). This is essentially a tax-free pay raise. If they pay over this amount, it will be included with your gross income on your W-2.
Learn about more tax information and benefits for education.
Public Transportation Payments
With gas prices so high, consider using public transportation to get to work and save while doing it. Your employer can purchase public transportation fare tickets, passes, or tokens for you to get to and from work and up to $300 per month may be provided to you tax-free.
This limit also applies to parking; if you drive to work and pay a fee for parking, your employer can reimburse the same amount.
Tax-Free Carpool Income
Carpools are a great way to save on money as gas gets more expensive. As the operator of your own car, any money your passengers pay you for gas or expenses is tax-free income. Generally, if you travel alone, you cannot deduct commuting expenses like gas. However, reimbursements from your carpoolers which are used to cover gas, repairs, and other car operating costs are not taxable income. Note that this particular form of tax-free income is paid to you by your passengers and not your employer.
Health Insurance Premium Payments
If you are not insured through your employer and your HMO insurance premium is $3,360, or $280 a month, your actual cost is much more than that. For this premium, the real cost would be $4,480 (Premium: $3,360 plus $1,120 income tax) per year (25% tax bracket). If you are insured through your employer, both of you will achieve the same benefit. Your income increases and the employer pays less in salary, since the insurance payments are fully deductible. In addition, the payroll taxes on insurance premiums do not apply.
Term Life Insurance Payments
Your employer can pay your premiums for term life insurance coverage of up to $50,000. You, the employee, can select a beneficiary of your choice. The employer can deduct the expense and you will have additional tax-free income.
Dependent Care Benefits
If an employer contributes or provides dependent care under a qualified plan, this income may be excluded from your taxable income. These may be in the form of direct payments to you, the fair market value cost of daycare sponsored or provided by your employer, and/or pre-tax contributions made under a dependent care FSA, or flexible spending account.
You may also be able to claim the Dependent Care Tax Credit if you pay for childcare with your own money.
Is Worker's Compensation Taxable?
Payments you receive as worker's compensation for an occupational sickness or injury are fully tax-exempt if they are paid under a workers' compensation act or statute. The exemption also applies to payments made to your survivors. However, the exemption doesn't apply to retirement plan benefits you receive based on your age, length of service, or prior contributions to the plan, even if you retired because of an occupational sickness or injury.
If part of your workers' compensation reduces your Social Security or equivalent railroad retirement benefits received, that part is considered Social Security (or equivalent railroad retirement) benefits and may be taxable.
Still not sure if you need to file a tax return? Use our free FILEucator tax tool to find out if you are required to (or want to) file a return!
Are Veterans' Benefits Taxable?
Any veterans' benefits paid under any law, regulation, or administrative practice administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are generally non-taxable. These benefits include, but are not limited to:
- Education, training, and subsistence allowances.
- Disability compensation and pension payments for disabilities paid either to veterans or their families.
- Grants for homes designed for wheelchair living.
- Grants for motor vehicles for veterans who lost their sight or the use of their limbs.
- Veterans' insurance proceeds and dividends paid either to veterans or their beneficiaries, including the proceeds of a veteran's endowment policy paid before death.
- Interest on insurance dividends left on deposit with the VA.
- Benefits under a dependent-care assistance program.
- The death gratuity paid to a survivor of a member of the Armed Forces who died after September 10, 2001.
- Payments made under the compensated work therapy program.
- Any bonus payment by a state or political subdivision because of service in a combat zone.
Review more details on military income and taxes; see how to save on taxes through various tax saving methods, tax credits, and tax deductions.
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