American military thought has coined the expression 'Overall Strategic Objective.' When [British] officers first heard this they laughed; but later on its wisdom became apparent and accepted. Evidently this should be the rule, and other great business be set up in subordinate relationship to it.
The AMT was created in 1969 over outrage that 155 high-income households making over $200,000 at that time didn't end up owing any federal income tax. That $200,000 would be worth $1.3 million today.
This exemption is substantially higher than the exemption from regular income tax. Regular taxable income is adjusted for certain items computed differently for AMT, such as depreciation and medical expenses. No deduction is allowed for state taxes or miscellaneous itemized deductions in computing AMT income. Taxpayers with incomes above the exemption whose regular Federal income tax is below the amount of AMT must pay the higher AMT amount. A predecessor minimum tax, enacted in 1969, imposed an additional tax on certain tax benefits for certain taxpayers.