Cordelia Wainfleet computes her regular 2024 income tax liability and separately computes her tentative minimum tax on Form 6251. Her tentative minimum tax comes out higher than her regular tax. How does the alternative minimum tax affect what she owes for the year?
- AShe owes only the regular tax, because the alternative minimum tax is an optional alternative a taxpayer may elect to use.
- BShe owes her regular tax plus the amount by which her tentative minimum tax exceeds her regular tax. Correct
- CShe owes only the tentative minimum tax and disregards the regular tax entirely for the year.
- DShe owes the average of her regular tax and her tentative minimum tax for the year.
Why A is wrong: The alternative minimum tax is not elective; when tentative minimum tax exceeds regular tax, the excess is added on, so a taxpayer cannot simply choose to ignore it.
Why B is correct: The alternative minimum tax equals the excess of tentative minimum tax over regular tax and is added to the regular tax, so the taxpayer effectively pays the higher of the two amounts.
Why C is wrong: The tentative minimum tax is not paid by itself; the alternative minimum tax is the excess over regular tax added to regular tax, so the regular tax is not disregarded.
Why D is wrong: There is no averaging of the two figures; the alternative minimum tax is the excess of tentative minimum tax over regular tax, producing the higher amount rather than a blend.