Interactive Guide to Business Loss Limits
Based on Form 461, this tool explains the "Excess Business Loss" limitation for noncorporate taxpayers and shows how it impacts your current and future tax years.
Understanding the Rule
What is the Limitation?
There's a limit on how much net loss from your trades and businesses you can deduct against your other income in a single year. Any loss above the threshold is an "excess business loss" and is disallowed for the current year.
What's the Tax Benefit?
A disallowed loss isn't permanently lost. It is carried forward to future years as a Net Operating Loss (NOL), where it can be used to reduce your taxable income in those years.
Excess Business Loss Calculator
Enter your total business income and deductions to see how the limitation is calculated. The chart and summary will update as you type.
Breakdown of Total Net Loss
Key Details
The excess business loss threshold is indexed for inflation. For tax year 2024, the limits are:
- $305,000 for single filers and all other non-joint filers.
- $610,000 for married couples filing a joint return.
The disallowed portion of your business loss isn't lost forever. It is treated as a Net Operating Loss (NOL) carryforward. You can carry this NOL to the next tax year to deduct against future income. This is the primary tax benefit associated with the limitation—it defers the loss deduction rather than eliminating it entirely.