How is the modified adjusted gross income (MAGI or Modified AGI) calculated?
Many credits and deductions are dependent upon a defined MAGI limit. The MAGI is the Adjusted Gross Income plus certain add-backs. The concept of MAGI is widely used, but the definition varies, depending on the purpose for its use.
For example, Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education (page 21), defines MAGI for purposes of the American Opportunity Credit and provides a worksheet that can be used to calculate it:
For most taxpayers, MAGI is the same as the adjusted gross income (AGI) as figured on their federal income tax return.