In the U.S., non-taxable income—often referred to as tax-exempt, tax-free, or non-reportable income—includes inheritances, gifts, child support, municipal bond interest, life insurance proceeds, and certain welfare benefits. Other exclusions include damage awards for physical injuries, qualifying scholarships for tuition, and specific employer-provided health benefits.
Inheritances, gifts, cash rebates, alimony payments (for divorce decrees finalized after 2018), child support payments, most healthcare benefits, welfare payments, and money that is reimbursed from qualifying adoptions are deemed nontaxable by the IRS.
Tax free can refer to tax free goods, services, or earnings. The most common tax free securities are municipal bonds, followed by some mutual funds that invest in tax-exempt securities. Items exempt from tax includes gifts, cash rebates on purchased goods, and child support payments.
Here are eight types of income that are free from federal taxes.
Items not taxed generally include most staple groceries (unprepared food), ** prescription medications**, certain essential clothing/school supplies (often during holidays), prosthetic devices, and purchases made by non-profits or governments, but this varies by location, with prepared foods, electronics, and luxuries usually taxed; look for state-specific sales tax holidays for temporary exemptions on items like clothing or emergency supplies.
No Tax on Overtime is a provision that was included in a larger tax reform bill that passed in July 2025. It allows certain workers to deduct up to $12,500 in qualified overtime compensation from their taxable income on their federal income tax return. Joint filers can deduct up to $25,000.
Goods and services exempted from VAT are:
Key takeaways
Five states have no statewide sales tax: New Hampshire, Oregon, Montana, Alaska, and Delaware. These are sometimes called the NOMAD states. Businesses based in NOMAD states can establish nexus and an obligation to collect sales tax in other states.
You do not pay tax on things like: the first £1,000 of income from self-employment - this is your 'trading allowance' the first £1,000 of income from property you rent (unless you're using the Rent a Room Scheme) income from tax-exempt accounts, like Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs) and National Savings Certificates.
Giving the good news to tax payers, the Finance Minister stated, “There will be no income tax payable upto income of Rs. 12 lakh (i.e. average income of Rs. 1 lakh per month other than special rate income such as capital gains) under the new regime.
Tax-exempt income is income from any source which the Federal, state, or local government does not include when implementing its income tax. Individuals and organizations may have to report this income on a tax return, but the income will not be considered when determining their tax liability.
There's no single income limit for "no tax," as it depends on your filing status, age, deductions, and credits, but for the 2025 tax year, if you're a single filer under 65, you generally don't need to file if your gross income is below $15,750, which is the standard deduction. Higher incomes might still owe zero federal income tax if they fall within 0% capital gains brackets or qualify for significant credits, but most people with income above the standard deduction threshold will file and potentially owe some tax, though some income (like certain Social Security or new overtime pay) can be tax-free.
Child support payments. Inheritances. Workers' compensation. Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
14 types of tax-free income
Does Zelle® report any payments I receive over $600 to the IRS? Zelle® does not report any transactions made on the Zelle Network® to the IRS, even if the total is more than $600. The law requiring certain payment networks to provide forms 1099K for information reporting does not apply to the Zelle Network®.
The "20k rule" refers to the traditional IRS threshold for reporting income from payment apps and online marketplaces on Form 1099-K: over $20,000 in gross payments AND more than 200 transactions in a calendar year. While a law (the American Rescue Plan) temporarily lowered the threshold to $600, recent legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) (OBBBA), has reinstated the $20,000/200-transaction rule for tax years starting in 2025, providing relief for casual sellers and gig workers.
The IRS does not actively monitor every Venmo account 1-(855)(518)(9622). However, Venmo may report certain transactions to the IRS if they meet federal reporting requirements 1-(855)(518)(9622). This typically applies to income-related payments, not casual personal transfers 1-(855)(518)(9622).