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
Families can qualify for an earned-income tax credit worth up to $8,231 in 2026
Working families can claim an earned income tax credit worth as much as $8,231 for the 2026 tax year, a refundable credit large enough to...
The IRS raised 2026 tax brackets for inflation, so a modest raise may not push you into a higher rate
The IRS has raised its income tax brackets for 2026 to account for inflation, nudging the income thresholds for every rate upward so that a...
Filing a tax extension buys until October 15, and disaster-area filers in several states get even longer
Anyone who asked the IRS for more time to file this spring is now running down the clock on the extra months it bought. A...
Married couples 65 and older can now deduct up to $12,000 under the new senior tax break
Married couples in which both spouses are 65 or older can now deduct as much as $12,000 from their taxable income under a temporary tax...
The new $6,000 senior tax deduction disappears after 2028, giving retirees a short window to use it
A temporary tax break worth up to $6,000 per person is now on the books for Americans who are 65 or older, and the window...
The new $6,000 senior deduction means many retirees will owe no federal tax on their Social Security
Buried in the 2025 tax overhaul is an extra deduction of $6,000 for Americans age 65 and older, or $12,000 for a married couple who...
No tax on tips and overtime is now law, with deductions worth up to $25,000
A sweeping 2025 budget law created two federal tax breaks that let millions of tipped and hourly workers subtract part of their earnings from taxable...
The new $6,000 senior tax deduction phases out entirely above $175,000 in income and disappears after the 2028 tax year
A new federal tax break hands Americans 65 and older an extra $6,000 deduction, but two conditions quietly decide who actually benefits and for how...
Bunching two years of charitable gifts into one can push a retiree past the standard deduction
The near-doubling of the standard deduction in recent years left many retirees unable to benefit from writing off their charitable gifts, because their total itemized...
Donating appreciated stock instead of cash skips the capital-gains tax and earns a deduction
For an investor sitting on stock that has climbed for years, how the shares are given to charity can matter as much as how much...
Who qualifies for the $6,000 senior tax deduction? People 65 and older with income under $75,000
A new federal tax break aimed squarely at older Americans took effect for the 2025 tax year, and its eligibility rules are narrower than the...
$24,150 is the 2026 standard deduction for heads of household
Head-of-household filers receive a $24,150 standard deduction for tax year 2026, an amount between the deductions for single and joint filers. The larger deduction is...
Medical deductions begin only after eligible expenses exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income
The federal medical-expense deduction does not begin with the first eligible dollar. An itemizer can deduct only the portion of unreimbursed qualifying costs above 7.5%...
Social Security taxes can begin above $25,000 single or $32,000 jointly
Federal income tax can reach Social Security benefits at combined income above $25,000 for many single filers or $32,000 for married couples filing jointly. Those...
$15 million is the federal estate-tax threshold for 2026 deaths
Federal estate-tax exposure begins at a much higher level for deaths in 2026: the IRS lists a $15 million basic exclusion amount. The threshold means...
$19,000 is the 2026 gift-tax exclusion for each recipient
The federal annual gift-tax exclusion remains $19,000 for each recipient in 2026, giving a donor room to transfer cash or property without using lifetime exemption....
Career courses can unlock a lifetime learning credit up to $2,000 per return
The Lifetime Learning Credit reaches beyond traditional degree programs to eligible courses that acquire or improve job skills, including some graduate and part-time study. It...
College costs can trigger a $2,500 tax credit, with up to $1,000 refundable
The American Opportunity Tax Credit can turn eligible college spending into as much as $2,500 per student, including a refundable portion of up to $1,000....
The earned-income tax credit reaches $8,231 for some families in 2026
The earned-income tax credit tops out at $8,231 in 2026 for qualifying workers with three or more children, but the maximum occupies only a narrow...
Families can claim an adoption credit up to $17,670, including $5,120 refundable
The federal adoption credit reaches $17,670 per eligible child for 2026, and as much as $5,120 of the allowed credit can be refundable. The new...