Taxable income is the portion of income that is the subject of taxation accoring to the laws that determine what is income and the taxation rate for that income. Generally, taxable income refers to an individual's (or corporation's) gross income, adjusted for various deductions allowable by statute. The main questions put by most individuals in any jurisdiction are "what makes up my taxable income" and what tax rates should be applied such that I can work out my tax liability to the state. For example, suppose within a year, one person earned $100,000 from work, made $50,000 profit from selling stock, and won the lottery for $1,000,000. This person has, prima facie, an income of $1,150,000. However, some of this income may be taxed at a lower rate, or perhaps not taxable at all. In most western countries, 100% of regular salary (above a certain threshold) is taxable and a portion of Capital Gain (ie profit from selling stock or real estate) is taxable.