When I look at section 1, I find five levels of tax imposed, via five different tax tables, depending upon whether one is married filing joint, married filing single, and three other categories.
| Internal Revenue Code Sec. 1. Tax imposed (a) Married individuals filing joint returns and surviving spouses There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of - (b) Heads of households There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of every head of a household (c) Unmarried individuals (other than surviving spouses and heads of households) There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of... (d) Married individuals filing separate returns There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of every married individual (e) Estates and trusts There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of - |
When one looks at 26 USC Section 1 for the first time, one sees themselves listed in subsection (a), (b), (c), or (d). It's just a distraction. Focus on the taxable income. In narrowing the focus, I have provided the first line of the first table that shows the tax rate to be applied.
In all five categories as shown above, the tax is imposed upon the taxable income.
| Internal Revenue Code Sec. 1. Tax imposed (a) Married individuals filing joint returns and surviving spouses There is hereby imposed on the taxable income of - -------------------------------------------------------------------- If taxable income is: The tax is: -------------------------------------------------------------------- Not over $36,900 15% of taxable income. |
15% (or any other %) of
ZERO, IS ZERO.
No taxable income, NO TAX.
The regulations amplify and explain what the statute says. No taxable income, NO TAX.
| Code of Federal Regulations 1.1-1(a) The tax imposed is upon taxable income (determined by subtracting the allowable deductions from gross income). The tax is determined in accordance with the table contained in section 1. |
The question becomes, Do I have taxable income? In order to find out if I have taxable income, I need to know what taxable income is. In order to find out what taxable income is, I have to look at the definition of taxable income, which is found in IRC section 63.
The reader should note that IRC section 1 only generically describes bunch of married or unmarried entities. Whether married or unmarried, IRC section 1 does not differentiate between three internationally renown burger flippers who are helping us study this law.
| Canadian (a) Married individuals; Canadian (b) Heads of households; Canadian (c) Unmarried individuals; Canadian (d) Married individuals; Canadian (e) Estates and trusts; Chinese (a) Married individuals; Chinese (b) Heads of households; Chinese (c) Unmarried individuals; Chinese (d) Married individuals; Chinese (e) Estates and trusts; U.S. (a) Married individuals; U.S. (b) Heads of households; U.S. (c) Unmarried individuals; U.S. (d) Married individuals; U.S. (e) Estates and trusts; |
