For tax year 2026, the Minnesota tax brackets for married filing jointly are 5.35%, 6.80%, 7.85%, and 9.85%, with the top rate starting at $337,931 of taxable income.1Minnesota Department of Revenue. Income Tax Rates and Brackets Minnesota requires you to use the same filing status on your state return as on your federal return, so couples who file jointly with the IRS file jointly with the state.2Minnesota Department of Revenue. Filing Status for Individuals The joint brackets are wider than the single brackets but not exactly double, which is why Minnesota also offers a marriage penalty credit.
2026 Joint-Filer Brackets
Minnesota uses a graduated system. Each slice of your taxable income is taxed at its own rate, and only the dollars within a given range face that range’s percentage.1Minnesota Department of Revenue. Income Tax Rates and Brackets
- 5.35% on taxable income from $0 to $48,700
- 6.80% on taxable income from $48,701 to $193,480
- 7.85% on taxable income from $193,481 to $337,930
- 9.85% on taxable income above $337,930
Consider a couple with $200,000 in Minnesota taxable income. They do not owe 7.85% on the full amount. They pay 5.35% on the first $48,700, 6.80% on the next $144,780, and 7.85% only on the last $6,520. Their effective rate lands well under 7.85%.
The bracket dollar amounts adjust for inflation each year, rounded to the nearest $10, so ordinary cost-of-living raises don’t quietly push you into a higher bracket.3Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 290.06 – Rates of Tax; Credits
Getting From Federal AGI to Minnesota Taxable Income
The bracket rates apply to your Minnesota taxable income, which is not the same number as your federal AGI. Minnesota starts with the AGI from your federal Form 1040 and then makes additions, subtractions, and a deduction.
Additions
The most common addition for joint filers is interest earned on bonds issued by other states. Federal law exempts that interest from federal tax, but Minnesota taxes it. Certain bonus depreciation claimed federally also gets added back.4Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 290.0131 – Individuals, Estates, and Trusts; Additions to Federal Taxable Income or Federal Adjusted Gross Income
Subtractions
Minnesota offers more than two dozen subtractions under Section 290.0132.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 290.0132 – Income Subtractions Two matter most to joint filers, and both are covered below.
Standard Deduction or Itemized
For 2026, the Minnesota standard deduction for married filing jointly is $30,600.6Minnesota Department of Revenue. Minnesota Income Tax Brackets, Standard Deduction and Dependent Exemption Amounts for Tax Year 2026 You must use the same method on your state return as on your federal return.2Minnesota Department of Revenue. Filing Status for Individuals
If you itemize, Minnesota phases out itemized deductions at higher incomes. For 2026, the phase-out begins when AGI exceeds $244,400, with allowable deductions reduced by 3% of the excess. The reduction gets steeper once AGI passes $337,800, and once AGI passes roughly $1.1 million the state caps the reduction at 80% of your itemized deductions.7Minnesota Department of Revenue. Tax Year 2026 Inflation-Adjusted Amounts This limit is separate from any federal cap.
Subtractions That Matter Most to Joint Filers
Social Security
Minnesota lets you subtract some or all of your taxable Social Security benefits, using whichever of two methods produces a larger subtraction.5Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 290.0132 – Income Subtractions
The simplified method lets you subtract your full taxable Social Security benefits, then phases out once joint AGI exceeds $110,780 for 2026. The subtraction drops 10% for every $4,000 of AGI above that threshold and disappears about $40,000 above it.7Minnesota Department of Revenue. Tax Year 2026 Inflation-Adjusted Amounts
The alternate method caps the subtraction at $5,840 for joint filers and phases out based on provisional income above $88,630. It tends to help couples whose Social Security is small relative to their other income. You don’t pick between the methods yourself; Minnesota applies whichever gives the larger break.
K-12 Education
Parents with school-age children can subtract qualifying education expenses, with per-child caps that depend on grade level:8Minnesota Department of Revenue. K-12 Education Subtraction and Credit
- Kindergarten through 6th grade: up to $1,625 per child
- 7th through 12th grade: up to $2,500 per child
Qualifying costs include tutoring, textbooks, and certain educational materials. A separate K-12 credit exists for lower-income families, but the subtraction is available at any income level.
The Marriage Penalty Credit
Because the joint brackets aren’t twice as wide as the single brackets, two similar earners can owe more filing jointly than they would as two single filers. Minnesota’s marriage penalty credit closes that gap.9Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 290.0675 – Marriage Penalty Credit
The state compares the couple’s joint tax to what each spouse would owe as a single taxpayer. Unearned income (investments, interest, rental income) is assigned to the higher-earning spouse for the calculation. If the joint bill is higher than the sum of the two hypothetical single bills, the difference is your credit.
The credit is nonrefundable, so it can reduce your tax to zero but can’t produce a refund on its own. Couples with roughly equal incomes benefit most. When one spouse earns substantially more than the other, the penalty is smaller and so is the credit.
The 1% Surtax on Investment Income Over $1 Million
Starting with tax year 2024, Minnesota adds a 1% surtax on net investment income above $1,000,000, on top of the regular bracket rates.10Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes. Minnesota Code 290.033 – Net Investment Income Tax Net investment income generally means capital gains, dividends, interest, rental income, and royalties, using the federal definition.
The $1,000,000 threshold applies per return, so a married couple filing jointly shares one threshold rather than each getting their own. If your investment income is well below seven figures, this surtax doesn’t reach you.
Deadlines, Penalties, and Interest
Minnesota returns are due April 15. Missing that date without an extension triggers a 4% penalty on any unpaid tax. If the tax stays unpaid 180 days after filing (or 180 days after April 15, whichever is later), another 5% penalty applies. Filing the return itself late adds a further 5% penalty on any tax not paid by October 15.11Minnesota Department of Revenue. Penalties and Interest for Individuals
Interest runs on unpaid balances from April 15 until paid in full. The 2026 rate is 7%, and it compounds on both the unpaid tax and the penalties.11Minnesota Department of Revenue. Penalties and Interest for Individuals If you can’t pay in full by April 15, file anyway. The late-filing penalty is separate from and larger than the late-payment penalty, so filing on time is the cheaper move even when payment has to wait.