Start with your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) from your tax return
Calculate MAGI by adding back the following items to AGI (if applicable):
Non-taxable Social Security benefits
Tax-exempt interest income
Foreign earned income exclusion
Excludable adoption benefits
Excludable employer-provided adoption assistance
Excluded amounts for certain housing/relocation benefits (if applicable)
Student loan interest deduction (if your MAGI definition uses it)
IRA deductions (if your MAGI definition uses it)
Other above-the-line deductions (if the specific rule set requires them)
Use the specific MAGI worksheet or formula required by the benefit/program you’re calculating for (rules vary by program)
If you’re using a specific program’s MAGI definition, follow that program’s required additions, subtractions, and treatment of items like:
Deductions for IRA contributions
Student loan interest
Capital gains and losses
Self-employment income
Alimony (including post-2018 treatment)
For health insurance ACA-related calculations, use the ACA MAGI rules for your situation (household members and household income)
For ACA/Marketplace eligibility, include all required household income components and apply the program’s MAGI definition
For education tax benefits (e.g., scholarships, tuition/education credits), use the applicable MAGI definition for that credit
For retirement plan eligibility (e.g., IRA contribution deductibility), use the MAGI definition that applies to that plan type
For Roth IRA contribution limits, use the MAGI definition specified for Roth eligibility
Round amounts to whole dollars (if required by the worksheet/program)