Tax Instructions for Form 6251

Line 28 of Form 6251

Line 28 of Form 6251 is the alternative minimum taxable income. If your tax filing status is married filing separately and:

If line 28 is more than $200,100, you must include an additional amount on line 28.

If line 28 is $325,200 or more, include an additional $31,275.

Otherwise, include 25% of the excess of the amount over $200,100 on line 28.

Exemption amount for line 29 of Form 6251

The exemption amount for line 29 is based on your tax filing status. This is a deduction from your AMT. The worksheet for line 29 is in the Form 6251 instructions.

After the exemption amount has been subtracted (line 29), multiply line 30 by 26% if line 30 is $175,000 or less ($87,500 or less if married filing separately). Enter the amount on line 31. Otherwise multiply line 30 by 28% and subtract $3,500 ($1,750 if married filing separately) from the result.

Capital gain distributions and Form 6251

If you reported capital gain distributions directly on Form 1040, you reported qualified dividends on Form 1040, or you completed Schedule D and have a gain on both lines 15 and line 16, you will need to go to Part III of Form 6251 to figure line 31.

The alternative minimum tax

Finally, your regular tax from line 44 of Form 1040 (minus any tax from Form 4972 and any foreign tax credit from line 47 of Form 1040) is subtracted from the tentative minimum tax (Form 6251, line 33) to give you the alternative minimum tax (line 35).