04.01 2021

New Exclusion of Unemployment Compensation

On March 11, 2021, the American Rescue Plan announced that up to $10,200 of unemployment compensation paid in 2020 can be excluded from your 2020 tax return if your modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is less than $150,000. That means you won’t have to pay tax on unemployment compensation of up to that threshold.

Additionally, if you are married, the $10,200 exclusion can be applied separately for each spouse.  Amounts over $10,200 for each individual are still taxable. If your modified AGI is $150,000 or more, you can’t exclude any unemployment compensation.

The exclusion should be reported separately from your unemployment compensation. Visit the IRS website for more information.