Example: A wealthy retiree who normally pays at the 35% rate might have so many deductions one year that he's caught in the AMT.

FORBES: Estate planning

This could happen if the tax payments to Switzerland lower your regular U.S. tax bill so much that the AMT kicks in.

FORBES: The Global Test

Before closing up shop for 2007, the House of Representatives Wednesday abandoned its strict budgetary rules, voting 352-64 to keep the AMT from rippling across America's upper-middle class.

FORBES: Magazine Article