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
Seniors 65 and older can stack deductions up to $24,150 for 2026 with the new $6,000 bonus
Older Americans filing their 2026 tax returns stand to cut their taxable income by as much as $24,150 if they are single and 65 or...
Filing federal taxes is free through IRS Free File for incomes under about $84,000
Taxpayers earning under roughly $84,000 in adjusted gross income can file their federal returns at no cost through the IRS Free File program, a public-private...
You can fund a 2026 IRA until the April 2027 tax deadline, not December 31
Millions of workers assume they must finish funding an Individual Retirement Account by December 31 to claim a deduction or lock in Roth contributions for...
Workers can now deduct part of their tip and overtime pay under the new tax law, which raised many spring refunds
Millions of tipped and overtime workers filing 2025 tax returns this spring are discovering larger refunds than expected, even though their paychecks looked the same...
Heirs can now inherit up to about $15 million tax-free after the estate-tax exemption was made permanent
Families with estates worth up to $15 million can now pass that wealth to heirs without owing a dollar in federal estate tax, after Congress...
Buyers of new U.S.-built cars can deduct up to $10,000 of auto-loan interest a year, even without itemizing
Millions of Americans who finance a new vehicle assembled in the United States can now subtract up to $10,000 in auto-loan interest from their taxable...
$250,000 of home-sale profit stays tax-free, $500,000 for couples, a limit Congress hasn’t raised since 1997
Homeowners who sell their primary residence can shield up to $250,000 of profit from federal capital-gains tax, or $500,000 for qualifying married couples filing jointly....
Workers 50 and up earning over $150,000 must now make 401(k) catch-up contributions as after-tax Roth money
Starting in 2026, Americans age 50 and older who earned more than $150,000 in prior-year FICA wages from their plan sponsor will no longer have...
Seniors get an extra $2,050 standard deduction in 2026, on top of the new $6,000 bonus
Americans age 65 and older filing their 2026 tax returns can stack two separate deductions that together cut thousands of dollars from taxable income. The...
The age to start required retirement withdrawals rises to 75 in 2033
Millions of Americans with traditional IRAs and workplace retirement plans will be able to leave their savings untouched two years longer than the current rule...
This year’s average IRS refund rose to $3,275, up from $3,230
Tens of millions of American taxpayers received slightly larger refund checks this filing season, with the average refund climbing to $3,275 through April 17, 2026,...
Miss a required retirement withdrawal and the penalty is now 25%, or 10% if you fix it fast
Retirees who miss a required minimum distribution from a traditional IRA or workplace retirement plan now owe the IRS 25% of the amount they failed...
A Roth conversion can quietly erase your new $6,000 senior tax deduction
Seniors who convert traditional IRA funds to a Roth account during the 2025 tax year risk losing part or all of a brand-new $6,000 tax...
Six states now freeze seniors’ property taxes, and New Jersey’s Stay NJ pays up to $6,500
Seniors in six states can now lock in their property-tax bills or receive direct payments that offset rising assessments, with New Jersey running the most...
Oregon is returning a record kicker tax-surplus rebate to taxpayers this year
Oregon taxpayers are set to receive the largest kicker tax credit in the state’s history during the current filing season. The Oregon Department of Revenue...
Millions of taxpayers have until July 10 to claim COVID-era refunds the IRS charged as late
Tens of millions of taxpayers who paid penalties and interest on balances the IRS treated as overdue during the COVID-19 federal disaster period may be...
Taxpayers 65 and older can claim an extra $6,000 deduction through 2028, phasing out above $75,000
Millions of Americans age 65 and older gained access to a new federal tax break worth up to $6,000 per person after the One, Big,...
Homeowners 65 and older can knock hundreds off property-tax bills through a state circuit-breaker rebate
Seniors on fixed incomes across at least six states can reclaim a portion of their property-tax payments through circuit-breaker rebate programs, yet many eligible homeowners...
Workers 50 and up earning over $150,000 must now make 401(k) catch-up contributions in a Roth
Americans aged 50 and older who earned more than $150,000 in the prior year will soon lose the option to make pre-tax catch-up contributions to...
Buyers of new American-made cars can deduct up to $10,000 a year in loan interest, even without itemizing
Households financing a new vehicle assembled in the United States can now subtract up to $10,000 in annual loan interest from their federal taxable income,...