Selected historical and other data - Illustration

Statistics of Income Bulletin, Summer, 2003

Included in the "all returns" total for 1995, but not shown separately, are returns filed on Form 1040-T, a "short form" lending itself to IRS optical scanning, which was used for this 1 year only, on an experimental basis.

[2] Starting with 1993, taxpayers could elect to assign $3 of the income tax reported on their income tax returns ($6 on a joint return, if both spouses contributed) to help pay for the cost of Presidential election campaigns. To do so, a taxpayer had to check a box on the tax return. Before 1993, this tax offset was limited to $1 (or $2) per return. The relationship between (a) the number of returns and boxes checked and (b) the dollar amounts shown is only approximate because the frequencies and the amounts were obtained from different sources, the frequencies from Statistics of Income tax return data and the dollar amounts from IRS monthly tax collections, aggregated by calendar year. It should be noted that the frequencies and amounts are related to the tax year for which statistics are shown, even though the designation by the taxpayer occurred in the following year, when the income tax return was filed and processed.

[3] Less deficit. Starting with 1987, data are not comparable with earlier years because of major changes in the law, many of which are referred to in other footnotes.

[4] Taxable interest includes "dividends" on deposits and withdrawable shares in mutual savings banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions, but excludes interest from Regulated Investment Companies on money market mutual funds, which is included in "dividends" in "adjusted gross income" (AGI).

[5] Not included in AGI. Represents interest on State and local government obligations, including tax-exempt interest dividends from Regulated Investment Companies.

[6] Dividends in AGI exclude capital gain and liquidating dividends, reflected in the statistics for net capital gain or loss in AGI, but include interest from Regulated Investment Companies on money market mutual funds.

[7] Starting with 1987, losses are after "passive loss" limitation.

[8] Includes capital gains from the sale of assets held for personal use or investment, and also net gains from the sale of certain business property treated as net capital gains (see also footnote 15) and from "involuntary conversions" of property, such as by casualty or theft. Also includes capital gains received from partnerships and S corporations.

Starting with 1987, data represent total capital gains; previously, represented total capital gains after statutory exclusion. For all years, total includes capital gain distributions from Regulated Investment Companies. Effective during 1987, capital assets held for personal use could exclude the primary residences of taxpayers, gain from the sale of which became nontaxable, subject to limitations. For other changes affecting capital gains, see Statistics of Income--Individual Income Tax Returns, various years. See also footnote 6.

[9] Includes capital losses (after limitation) from the sale of assets held for personal use or investment, including losses in excess of net gains from the sale of certain business property treated as net capital losses (see also footnote 16) and "involuntary conversions" of property, such as by casualty or theft. Also includes capital losses received from partnerships and S corporations. See also footnote 6.