What Is Tax-Free Income?

"Little by little does the trick." -Aesop

Whether you work for a paycheck or collect Social Security benefits, there are many sources of income available to you that are completely tax-free. Little by little, they can add up to a lot more money in your pocket.

What is taxable income?

This page contains updated information about many forms of tax-free income available to the average taxpayer. It's all legal; tax law does not allow the IRS to tax the income and benefits discussed in the following sections below:

Types of Tax-Free or Nontaxable Income
Other Nontaxable or Tax-Free Income.

Not sure if the income you generated during 2022 is taxable? Let us work for you! Prepare your return on eFile.com and the eFile Tax App will report your various types of income and assess tax on any taxable income. Start tax planning now with eFile.com.

Types of Tax-Free or Nontaxable Income

Certain income is exempt from federal income taxes; this includes most public assistance of welfare grants, child support and alimony, and others. Here are many types of income which cannot be taxed:

Alimony received via court orders or decrees made after December 31, 2018 (received alimony before December 31, 2018 is taxed)
Profit from sale of main home within certain limits
Employer-provided health insurance
Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC)
Adoption expense reimbursements for qualifying expenses
Death payments
Dividends of life insurance
Welfare benefits (including TANF) and food stamps
Accident and/or health insurance benefits
Social Security Benefits (if they are your only source of income)
Disability Benefits or Pension payments (including benefits from the Depart. of Veteran Affairs)
Child Support
Dealer/manufacturer cash rebates
Long-term Care Insurance payments
Qualified scholarships and grants
Credit card rewards and points (noncash prizes less than $600 or tied to spending habits)
Frequent flyer miles
Qualified canceled mortgage debt
Various types of military income or Military Allowances
Medical Savings Account withdrawals
Life insurance benefits
Accelerated death benefits
Reimbursements for theft or casualty loss
Disaster relief grants
Up to $112,000 of foreign earned income for 2022, up from $108,700 in 2021
Federal income tax refunds
Interest on tax-free securities
Interest on EE/I bonds redeemed for qualified higher education expenses
Payments to the beneficiary of a deceased employee
Relocation payments or payments in lieu of worker’s compensation
Rental allowance of clergyman
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).

Learn about the difference between taxable and nontaxable income. If you make enough taxable income in a year, you may be required to file a tax return. If you use our free tool to determine that you need to file taxes, create and set up your free eFile account and get your taxes done quickly and easily. File your return online to the IRS and as many states as you may need for one low price.

Other Nontaxable or Tax Free Income

The above list is not definitive or all-inclusive. There are other forms of tax-free income listed below that look at nontaxable income in-depth. Easily report these kinds of income when you e-file your taxes on eFile.com and be assured that your various types of income will be properly input. Find specific details and information in IRS Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income.

Certain Gifts, Bequests, and Inheritances

In general, property you receive as a gift, bequest, or inheritance is not included in your gross income. However, if property you received in this manner later produces income, such as interest, dividends, or rents, then that income is taxable. If property is given to a trust and income from it is paid, credited, or distributed to you, that income is also taxable.

An inheritance is not reported on your income tax return, but a distribution from an inherited pension or annuity is. In this case, it is subject to the same tax as the original owner would have had to pay.

Sickness and Injury Payments

In general, you must report income in any amount you receive for sickness and injury payments through a health or accident plan that is paid for by your employer. If you and your employer pay for the plan, only the amount you receive that is due to your employer's payments is reported as income. However, certain payments may not be taxable to you.

Any amount paid to reimburse you for medical expenses you incurred after the plan was established is generally non-taxable income. If you pay the entire cost of a health or accident plan, don't include any amounts you receive from the plan for sickness or personal injury as income. If your plan reimbursed you for medical expenses you deducted in an earlier year, you may have to include some, or all, of the reimbursement.

In most cases, if you are covered by a health or accident insurance plan through a cafeteria plan and the amount of the insurance premiums was not included in your income, you're not considered to have paid the premiums and you must include any benefits you receive in your income. However, if the amount of the premiums was included in your income, you are considered to have paid the premiums and any benefits you receive are non-taxable.

Tax-Free Income from Work

Here are several options for tax-free income which may be provided by your employer:

Meals and Lodging

You don't include the value of meals and lodging provided to you and your family by your employer if the following conditions are met:

The meals are furnished on the business premises of your employer and furnished for the convenience of your employer.
The lodging is furnished on the business premises of your employer, furnished for the convenience of your employer, and a condition of your employment.

As a result of the 2018 Tax Reform, most employee job expenses are no longer deductible. However, see job-related deductions that you may be able to claim under certain circumstances.

In addition, the amount that qualifies as a de minimis fringe benefit is nontaxable. A de minimis fringe benefit is one that is small enough that it is unnecessary to be accounted for.

Education Payments

Your employer can provide up to $5,250 per year in educational aid when you take undergraduate or graduate courses. Best of all, the school courses don't have to be job-related (your employer might not like it, but the IRS does not care). This is essentially a tax-free pay raise. If they pay over this amount, it will be included with your gross income on your W-2.

Learn about more tax information and benefits for education.

Public Transportation Payments

With gas prices so high, have you considered using public transportation to get to work... and saving while doing it? Your employer can purchase public transportation fare tickets, passes, or tokens for you to get to and from work. For Tax Year 2022, up to $280 per month may be provided to you tax-free, up from $270 per month in 2021.

This limit also applies to parking; if you drive to work and pay a fee for parking, your employer can reimburse the same amount.

Tax-Free Carpool Income

Carpools are a great way to save on money as gas gets more expensive. As the operator of your own car, any money your passengers pay you for gas or expenses is tax-free income. Generally, if you travel alone, you cannot deduct commuting expenses like gas. However, reimbursements from your carpoolers which are used to cover gas, repairs, and other car operating costs are not taxable income. Note that this particular form of tax-free income is paid to you by your passengers and not your employer.

Health Insurance Premium Payments

If you are not insured through your employer and your HMO insurance premium is $3,360, or $280 a month, your actual cost is much more than that. For this premium, the real cost would be $4,480 (Premium: $3,360 plus $1,120 income tax) per year (25% tax bracket). If you are insured through your employer, both of you will achieve the same benefit. Your income increases and the employer pays less in salary, since the insurance payments are fully deductible. In addition, the payroll taxes on insurance premiums do not apply.

Term Life Insurance Payments

Your employer can pay your premiums for term life insurance coverage of up to $50,000. You, the employee, can select a beneficiary of your choice. The employer can deduct the expense and you will have additional tax-free income.

Dependent Care Benefits

If an employer contributes or provides dependent care under a qualified plan, this income may be excluded from your taxable income. These may be in the form of direct payments to you, the fair market value cost of daycare sponsored or provided by your employer, and/or pre-tax contributions made under a dependent care FSA, or flexible spending account.

Worker's Compensation

Payments you receive as worker's compensation for an occupational sickness or injury are fully tax-exempt if they are paid under a workers' compensation act or statute. The exemption also applies to payments made to your survivors. However, the exemption doesn't apply to retirement plan benefits you receive based on your age, length of service, or prior contributions to the plan, even if you retired because of an occupational sickness or injury.

If part of your workers' compensation reduces your Social Security or equivalent railroad retirement benefits received, that part is considered Social Security (or equivalent railroad retirement) benefits and may be taxable.

Still not sure if you need to file a tax return? Use our free FILEucator tax tool to find out if you are required to (or want to) file a return!

Veterans' Benefits

Any veterans' benefits paid under any law, regulation, or administrative practice administered by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are generally non-taxable. These benefits include, but are not limited to:

Education, training, and subsistence allowances.
Disability compensation and pension payments for disabilities paid either to veterans or their families.
Grants for homes designed for wheelchair living.
Grants for motor vehicles for veterans who lost their sight or the use of their limbs.
Veterans' insurance proceeds and dividends paid either to veterans or their beneficiaries, including the proceeds of a veteran's endowment policy paid before death.
Interest on insurance dividends left on deposit with the VA.
Benefits under a dependent-care assistance program.
The death gratuity paid to a survivor of a member of the Armed Forces who died after September 10, 2001.
Payments made under the compensated work therapy program.
Any bonus payment by a state or political subdivision because of service in a combat zone.

Review more details on military income and taxes; see how to save on taxes through various tax saving methods, tax credits, and tax deductions.

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