Tax Changes & Deadlines
New tax laws, bracket changes, deduction updates, filing deadlines, refund timelines, and what taxpayers need to know each season.
Latest in Tax Changes & Deadlines
$2,050 is the extra standard deduction taxpayers 65 and older get this year
Unmarried taxpayers who turn 65 before the end of 2026 can claim an extra $2,050 on top of the regular standard deduction, a figure the...
Filers 60 and older can get their taxes done free through AARP Tax-Aide
Americans who are 60 or older can have their federal tax returns prepared at no cost through AARP Foundation’s Tax-Aide program, a service backed by...
Interest from Treasury bills, notes and savings bonds is exempt from state and local income tax, unlike a bank CD
Savers who park cash in Treasury bills, notes, or savings bonds keep every dollar of that interest free from state and local income taxes. The...
“Bunching” two years of charitable gifts into one can push you over the standard deduction so the donations actually cut your taxes
Millions of households that once wrote off charitable gifts on their tax returns lost that benefit after the standard deduction nearly doubled. The shift forced...
If your home’s assessed value looks too high, you can appeal your property-tax bill, and many who do win a reduction
Homeowners in some of the largest U.S. tax jurisdictions are winning reductions on their property assessments after filing formal appeals, and public records from Cook...
Self-employed people can deduct their health-insurance premiums from income even without itemizing
Self-employed workers filing federal tax returns for 2025 can subtract health-insurance premiums directly from their income without itemizing deductions, a benefit that now runs through...
You can give any one person up to $19,000 in 2026 without filing a gift-tax return or touching your lifetime exemption
Families who regularly write large checks to children, grandchildren, or anyone else just got more room to give without triggering federal paperwork. Starting in tax...
The $1,000 home EV-charger tax credit disappears after June 30
Homeowners who plan to install an electric vehicle charger at home have fewer than 30 days left to qualify for a federal tax credit worth...
The standard deduction now tops $15,000 for single filers and $30,000 for married couples, so most people skip itemizing
Most Americans filing their 2025 tax returns will claim a standard deduction of $15,750 if single or $31,500 if married filing jointly, amounts large enough...
Interest on a home-equity loan is tax-deductible only if you use the money to buy, build, or improve that home
Homeowners who tapped a home-equity loan or line of credit to pay off credit cards, fund a vacation, or cover tuition bills lost the right...
Workers with no children can still claim an earned income credit up to $649
Low-wage workers without dependents stand to receive a federal tax credit worth up to $649 for tax year 2025, a benefit that millions of eligible...
The IRS opens walk-in Taxpayer Assistance Centers this Saturday, June 27
Taxpayers who cannot visit an IRS office during the workweek have one last shot at Saturday walk-in service this year. Select Taxpayer Assistance Centers across...
$5,000 of childcare costs can go through a dependent-care FSA tax-free each year
Working families who pay for daycare, preschool, or after-school programs can shelter up to $5,000 a year from federal income tax through a dependent-care flexible...
Pay 100% of last year’s tax in quarterly installments and the IRS won’t hit you with an underpayment penalty
Freelancers, gig workers, and self-employed filers who owed the IRS money last April face the same question again this summer: how much do quarterly estimated...
Sell a stock at a loss and rebuy it within 30 days, and the IRS throws out your tax write-off
Investors who sell a losing stock and buy it back within 30 days lose the right to deduct that loss on their federal tax return....
A losing investment can trim up to $3,000 off your taxable income each year
Investors sitting on losing positions in stocks, bonds, or other capital assets can shave up to $3,000 off their taxable income each year by realizing...
Many middle-income investors pay 0% federal tax on long-term capital gains
Investors with moderate incomes who sell stocks, mutual funds, or other assets held longer than a year can owe zero federal tax on the resulting...
Higher earners 50 and up must now put their 401(k) catch-up contributions into a Roth
Workers over 50 who earned above a statutory wage threshold in the prior year can no longer treat their 401(k) catch-up contributions as pre-tax deferrals....
The child and dependent care credit covers up to $3,000 in care costs for one child, $6,000 for two
Families paying for child care so they can work face a hard ceiling on the federal tax break meant to help them. The Child and...
Selling your home can be completely tax-free on up to $250,000 of profit, or $500,000 for a married couple
Homeowners who sell their primary residence and pocket a profit of $250,000 or less owe zero federal tax on that gain, and married couples filing...