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
Average tax refund hits $3,400 this season — up 11% — but the real increase is $350, not the $1,000+ the White House projected
Millions of Americans were told to expect a tax refund roughly $1,000 fatter than last year’s. The checks have landed, and the actual increase is...
No, updating your W-4 isn’t free money — here’s how a withholding mistake today becomes a tax bill in April 2027
Imagine opening your paycheck in June 2026 and finding an extra $200. You didn’t get a raise. You just filed a new W-4 with your...
No, your tax refund wasn’t supposed to be $1,000 bigger — here’s what actually happened with the OBBB tax breaks
Millions of tipped and hourly workers filed their 2025 tax returns this spring expecting a windfall. Social media had promised refund bumps of $1,000 or...
53 million Americans used Trump’s new tax breaks this season — here’s how much the average refund jumped
Maria Gonzalez, a hotel housekeeper in Las Vegas, had never itemized anything beyond the standard deduction. This April, her tax preparer told her she qualified...
The post-Tax Day W-4 checklist: 5 things to update before your next paycheck
You just filed your 2025 tax return. If the result was a four-figure bill you didn’t see coming, or a refund so large it felt...
Average tax refund hits $3,462, up 11% — the biggest jump in years
Tens of millions of Americans are finding noticeably fatter deposits in their bank accounts this spring. Through the week ending March 20, 2026, the average...
Did you miss the overtime or senior deduction? How to file an amended return and claim what you’re owed
Millions of taxpayers filed their 2025 returns early, and many of them left money on the table. Congress created two new above-the-line deductions for the...
53 million Americans claimed new OBBB deductions this tax season: here’s how much extra they’re getting back
A warehouse worker in Ohio who logged 10 hours of overtime every week. A bartender in Miami who reported $18,000 in tips. A retired couple...
Average tax refund hits $3,462 in 2026, up 11% from last year
The average federal tax refund this spring is $3,462, roughly $346 more than this time last year, and the gap has held steady for weeks....
Filed an extension? Here’s exactly what you still owe and when — the penalties most filers don’t know about
A tax extension feels like breathing room, and it is, but only for the paperwork. If you filed Form 4868 this April and still owe...
New USPS postmark rules could make your mailed tax return “late” even if you sent it on the 15th
New USPS postmark rules could make your mailed tax return “late” even if you sent it on the 15th You walk into the post office...
22 million filers are claiming the “no tax on overtime” deduction — 5–8 million more than the IRS expected
The federal government built a new tax break for overtime pay and expected millions of workers to use it. What officials did not expect was...
IRS issues final “no tax on tips” rules and eligible job list
Starting June 12, 2026, a restaurant server in Dallas who earns $28,000 a year in tips will be able to shield up to $25,000 of...
April 15 tax deadline nears as IRS prepares for 164 million returns
The IRS expects to receive roughly 164 million individual income tax returns by Wednesday, April 15, a volume that would make this one of the...
The states with zero income tax that retirees are flocking to in 2026
For retirees looking to stretch Social Security checks, pension income, and retirement withdrawals, state taxes can make a real difference. Nine states currently levy no...