MAGI Calculator

MAGI stands for Modified Adjusted Gross Income. It is your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) with certain deductions added back in. The IRS uses MAGI — not your gross income or taxable income — to determine eligibility for specific tax benefits, credits, deductions, and government programs like Medicaid and ACA subsidies.

AGI (Adjusted Gross Income) is your total income minus specific 'above-the-line' deductions such as IRA contributions and student loan interest. MAGI takes your AGI and adds some of those deductions back. For many taxpayers, MAGI and AGI are the same or very close — they only differ when you have specific add-back items like foreign income exclusions or IRA deductions.

Start with your AGI (line 11 of Form 1040), then add back any applicable items for the specific tax benefit you are evaluating. Common add-backs include deductible IRA contributions, student loan interest, tuition deductions, half of self-employment taxes, foreign earned income exclusions, and passive rental losses. The exact add-backs depend on which tax benefit or threshold you are calculating MAGI for.

No, MAGI does not appear as a single line on your tax return. You calculate it separately by starting with your AGI from Form 1040 and adding back specific items relevant to the tax benefit you are checking. Different tax benefits use different add-back rules, so your MAGI can vary depending on the purpose of the calculation.

The IRS uses your MAGI to determine whether you can contribute to a Roth IRA and at what level. For 2024, the phase-out begins at $146,000 for single filers and $230,000 for married filing jointly. If your MAGI exceeds the upper limit ($161,000 single / $240,000 joint), you cannot make direct Roth IRA contributions.

Yes — if you have none of the specific add-back deductions (such as IRA contributions, student loan interest, or foreign income exclusions), your MAGI will equal your AGI exactly. This is common for many taxpayers who take the standard deduction and do not have these particular adjustments.

You can reduce your MAGI by lowering your AGI first — contributing to a traditional 401(k), HSA, or other pre-tax accounts reduces gross income before the AGI calculation. Since MAGI adds certain deductions back to AGI, reducing your underlying gross income is the most effective strategy. Maximizing employer retirement plan contributions is one of the most impactful methods.

The 3.8% Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) applies to the lesser of your net investment income or the amount by which your MAGI exceeds the threshold — $200,000 for single filers or $250,000 for married filing jointly. If your MAGI is below these thresholds, NIIT does not apply to you regardless of investment income.