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
Taxpayers 65 and older can earn more before they must file a federal return
Retirees living on fixed incomes often file federal tax returns they are not legally required to submit. The reason: federal law grants taxpayers 65 and...
Form W-4P pulls federal tax from a pension check to avoid an April surprise
Retirees collecting pension or annuity checks without adjusting their federal tax withholding face a familiar problem each spring: an unexpected balance due on their tax...
A forced early home sale still shields part of the gain from tax
Homeowners who lose a residence to a wildfire, hurricane, or government condemnation before meeting the standard two-year ownership and use tests still qualify for significant...
The standard deduction climbs to $32,200 for couples and $16,100 for singles on the returns you’ll file in 2027
Tens of millions of tax filers will subtract a bigger chunk from their income before calculating what they owe the federal government for 2026. The...
Pay 110% of last year’s tax in quarterly installments and the IRS can’t hit you with an underpayment penalty, even if you end up owing more
Taxpayers who saw their income jump this year face a real risk of IRS underpayment penalties, but a straightforward safe harbor written into federal law...
Bunching several years of donations into a donor-advised fund can push you over the standard deduction in one year
Millions of taxpayers who give a few thousand dollars to charity each year lost their ability to claim a federal deduction after the standard deduction...
A 3.8% surtax quietly hits investment income once your total tops $200,000, or $250,000 for a married couple
Households earning above $200,000 as single filers or $250,000 as married couples face a 3.8% surtax on their net investment income, a levy that has...
Front-load five years of gifts into a 529 at once, up to $95,000 per child, without owing gift tax
Parents and grandparents looking to accelerate college savings can deposit up to $95,000 per child into a 529 plan in a single year without triggering...
Municipal bond interest escapes federal tax, and often state tax too
Investors in every income bracket who hold state or local government bonds benefit from a tax break written directly into federal law, one that can...
$19,000 is the most you can gift one person in 2026, tax-free
Anyone planning to write a large check to a child, grandchild, or friend in 2026 now has a firm number to work with: $19,000. That...
Heirs who inherit an IRA now generally must empty it within 10 years, many with a taxable withdrawal each year
Millions of Americans who stand to inherit a traditional IRA face a hard deadline that did not exist a few years ago: the entire account...
Households that lowball their income for an ACA plan could owe thousands back at tax time in 2027, now that repayment caps are gone
Families who underestimated their income when enrolling in an Affordable Care Act Marketplace plan will face a sharper financial reckoning starting with tax year 2026...
Congress rolled the 1099-K tax threshold back to $20,000 and 200 sales, undoing the $600 online-seller rule
Congress has scrapped the $600 reporting rule for online sellers and gig workers, restoring the old Form 1099-K threshold of $20,000 and 200 transactions. Public...
A state circuit-breaker rebate can shave hundreds off a senior’s property-tax bill, and many who qualify never apply
Thousands of Idaho seniors leave money on the table each year by never filing for a state rebate that can cut as much as $1,500...
A recent widow or widower can keep filing taxes at married rates for up to two years if a dependent child lives at home
A surviving spouse raising a dependent child can continue using married-filing-jointly tax rates for up to two taxable years after the year of death, a...
Taxpayers 65 and older get an extra standard deduction on their federal return
Federal tax filers who turned 65 before the end of the tax year can reduce their taxable income by claiming an additional standard deduction on...
October 15 is the final deadline to file a 2025 tax return on extension
Millions of taxpayers who requested extra time to complete their 2025 federal income tax returns face a hard stop on October 15, 2026. That date...
$250,000 of home-sale profit is tax-free, and $500,000 for married couples who lived there two of the last five years
Homeowners who sell their primary residence can shield up to $250,000 of profit from federal income tax, or $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, provided...
April, not December 31, is the real deadline to fund an IRA for the 2026 tax year
Taxpayers who stop thinking about IRA contributions after December 31 are leaving months of extra time on the table. Federal law ties the contribution deadline...
Workers can now deduct up to $25,000 in tips and $12,500 in overtime on their federal taxes
Millions of tipped and hourly workers filing their 2025 federal returns can now subtract up to $25,000 in qualified tips and $12,500 in overtime pay...