[Rick Lee]

I don't think a big mortgage interest deduction alone will make you eligible. I had that AND wrote off $12k of my track wreck repair costs two years ago. I don't even make that much, so those deductions took my taxable income down a LOT.

I think people who write off a LOT of non-reimbursed business expenses and make serious commission checks or annuity or investment income are those who get hit the most. The tax was implemented because somewhere around 120 very wealthy people got off with no fed. income tax liability in the late 1960's. Obviously, this made the gov't. mad, so they created the AMT, thinking it would only snag those super rich who live off tax-free munic. bonds and such. They never bothered to index it, so now it's stinging people badly.