Updated October 1, 2026. Quick answer: For tax year 2026 the alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption is $140,200 for joint returns and surviving spouses, $90,100 for unmarried individuals and $70,100 for married filing separately. The 28% rate applies above $244,500 of excess taxable income, and the exemption phases out above $500,000 single or $1,000,000 joint.
More IRS forms and schedules, read line by line: Form 8801 instructions.
Foreign tax credit (Form 1116) and alternative minimum tax (Form 6251) for 2025, read line by line: Form 6251 line 1, Form 6251 line 2a and Form 6251 lines 5 to 7.
Schedule 2 (Form 1040) for 2025, read line by line: Schedule 2 lines 2 and 3.
More IRS forms and schedules, read line by line: Schedule 2 instructions.
The IRS form or worksheet behind this, read line by line: Form 6251 instructions.
2026 AMT exemption amounts
| Filing status | Exemption amount |
|---|---|
| Joint returns or surviving spouses | $140,200 |
| Unmarried individuals (other than surviving spouses) | $90,100 |
| Married individuals filing separate returns | $70,100 |
| Estates and trusts | $31,400 |
Revenue Procedure 2025-32, section 4.10, says “For taxable years beginning in 2026, the exemption amounts under § 55(d)(1) are:” the amounts above.
The IRS announcement
The IRS news release of October 9, 2025 says “For tax year 2026, the exemption amount for unmarried individuals is $90,100 and begins to phase out at $500,000 ($140,200 for married couples filing jointly for whom the exemption begins to phase out at $1,000,000).” It matches the Revenue Procedure.
Where the 28% rate starts
| Filing status | Excess taxable income above which 28% applies |
|---|---|
| Married individuals filing separate returns | $122,250 |
| All other taxpayers | $244,500 |
The Revenue Procedure says “the excess taxable income above which the 28 percent tax rate applies is:” the figures above.
Where the exemption phases out
| Filing status | Phaseout threshold | Complete phaseout amount |
|---|---|---|
| Joint returns or surviving spouses | $1,000,000 | $1,280,400 |
| Unmarried individuals | $500,000 | $680,200 |
| Married individuals filing separate returns | $500,000 | $640,200 |
| Estates and trusts | $104,800 | $167,600 |
The exemption shrinks once alternative minimum taxable income passes the threshold and is gone at the complete phaseout amount. The Revenue Procedure’s phrase is “the amounts used under § 55(d)(2) to determine the phaseout of the exemption amounts”.
The 2027 status
The IRS has not published tax year 2027 amounts. The status is on the 2027 AMT exemption page.
Common mistakes
- Using the joint exemption for a separate return. The separate-return amount is $70,100.
- Forgetting the exemption disappears at the complete phaseout amount.
- Treating the 28% threshold as the exemption phase-out. They are different numbers.
Related: the 2027 AMT exemption page, the ISO AMT crossover calculator, the 2026 retirement numbers hub, and the 2026 tax brackets.
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Answer againSources
- IRS Revenue Procedure 2025-32, 2026 inflation adjustments: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/rp-25-32.pdf
- IRS news release IR-2025-103 (Oct. 9, 2025), tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-releases-tax-inflation-adjustments-for-tax-year-2026-including-amendments-from-the-one-big-beautiful-bill
Sources: the primary documents linked above, read on October 1, 2026. General information, not tax advice. Your own facts decide the outcome, and a preparer, the plan administrator or the agency itself is the right place to confirm anything consequential.