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The Global Insight

Can you have a negative adjusted gross income?

Author

Mia Phillips

Updated on March 14, 2026

When Adjusted Gross Income Is Negative A negative AGI is uncommon for individuals, but not impossible. After subtracting this from your $10,000 total income, you have a negative AGI of $2,500.

Does my AGI include my spouse’s income?

AGI includes more than wages earned. For example, it can include alimony, Social Security, and business income. If you filed a tax return (or if married, you and your spouse filed a joint tax return), the AGI can be found on IRS Form 1040–Line 7.

Does pension affect adjusted gross income?

After-Tax Contributions You report pension income on Line 16a of IRS Form 1040; the taxable portion of the pension goes on Line 16b and is included in your adjusted gross income for the year.

Does Social Security affect adjusted gross income?

How are Social Security benefits counted in Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI)? Social Security benefits received by a tax filer and his or her spouse filing jointly are counted when determining a household’s MAGI. For people who have other income, some Social Security benefits may be included in their AGI.

Why do I have a negative AGI?

Negative AGI Is Possible It would generally only happen if a person was on an extremely low income; for example, only receiving unemployment benefits but still paying sums that lower AGI, such as tuition fees or health insurance as a self-employed person. It can also happen if a business owner has made a loss.

What do I do if my AGI is negative?

If you had a negative Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) amount on your prior year tax return, you should enter the AGI amount as a negative number in the e-file section of the account.

Is AGI the same for spouses?

Yes, when filing as Married Filing Jointly the AGI is the same for each spouse.

Is the widow’s penalty part of the tax code?

The widow’s penalty is one of the illogical aspects of the federal income tax code. It is often an unexpected and unwelcome surprise to a surviving spouse who has not had to deal with the disadvantages of being a single tax filer in decades. The reality is they are often hit with a higher tax liability even though they may have less income.

What’s the increase in the widow’s tax rate?

And bear in mind that this is not a simple 11% increase, rather it represents a 45% increase for any income being taxed in 35% bracket (that would have otherwise been taxed in the 24% bracket when they filed married jointly). And the surviving spouse’s standard deduction, which many retirees use rather than itemizing, will be cut in half.

Is it possible to have a negative adjusted gross income?

When Adjusted Gross Income Is Negative. A negative AGI is uncommon for individuals, but not impossible. For example, suppose your total income is $10,000 and you have a total of $12,500 in deductions for items such as alimony, rental property losses, moving expenses and tuition and fees.

What is the adjusted gross income for 2019?

If your 2019 tax return has not yet been processed, enter $0 (zero dollars) for your prior year adjusted gross income (AGI). If you used the Non-Filers: Enter Payment Info Here tool in 2020 to register for an Economic Impact Payment in 2020, enter $1 as your prior year AGI.