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
Deduct up to $3,000 in investment losses against regular income each year, and carry the rest forward
Investors who sold stocks, funds, or other assets at a loss during the 2025 tax year can subtract up to $3,000 of those net capital...
Medical bills above 7.5% of your income can be deducted if you itemize
Taxpayers who spent heavily on medical care during 2025 face a narrow but real opening to cut their federal tax bill, provided their unreimbursed costs...
Qualified dividends and long-term gains are taxed below your paycheck rate, sometimes at zero
Millions of Americans who hold dividend-paying stocks or sell investments at a profit face a federal tax rate on that income that can drop as...
Skip a required retirement withdrawal and the penalty is 25%, or 10% if fixed fast
Retirees who fail to pull money out of a traditional IRA or 401(k) on schedule face an excise tax equal to 25% of the shortfall....
The federal estate tax now exempts about $15 million per person, so most families owe nothing
Americans who inherit property from a family member who dies in 2026 will face a federal estate tax only if the estate exceeds $15,000,000, a...
Working parents can claim a tax credit on up to $6,000 of childcare costs
Millions of working parents who pay for daycare, after-school programs, or summer camps can offset part of those costs through the federal Child and Dependent...
You can give $19,000 to any number of people this year with no gift-tax form
Taxpayers can hand $19,000 to every person on their gift list in 2026 without triggering a single gift-tax filing, a per-recipient design that lets families...
The American Opportunity Credit cuts up to $2,500 in taxes for each of a student’s first four years
Families sending a student to college or vocational school can reduce their federal tax bill by up to $2,500 per eligible student each year, for...
The $1,000 federal tax credit for a home EV charger ended June 30
Homeowners who installed a home EV charger after June 30, 2026, can no longer claim the federal tax credit that covered up to $1,000 of...
Pay 100% of last year’s tax, or 110% if you earn more, and skip the IRS underpayment penalty
Self-employed workers, freelancers, and anyone whose income fluctuates year to year face a quiet but costly trap when estimated tax payments fall short. The IRS...
Many states let seniors defer property taxes until the home is sold
Seniors on fixed incomes across the country can legally stop writing annual property tax checks and let the bill accumulate against their home equity instead,...
The 2026 standard deduction rises to $32,200 for couples before a single write-off
Married couples filing jointly will see their standard deduction climb to $32,200 for tax year 2026, a figure shaped not only by annual inflation adjustments...
Washington just restored an estate tax up to 20% on people who die after July 1
Families with large estates in Washington state face a direct hit starting this month. For anyone who dies on or after July 1, 2026, the...
Workers over 50 earning above $150,000 must now make 401(k) catch-up contributions in a Roth
Higher-income workers over 50 face a direct change to how their 401(k) catch-up contributions are taxed. The Treasury Department and IRS finalized regulations requiring that...
Filed a tax extension? Your 2025 return is due October 15 as interest quietly adds up
Millions of taxpayers who requested extra time to complete their 2025 federal returns now face an October 15, 2026 filing deadline, but the IRS has...
A married couple can realize about $96,700 in long-term stock gains at a 0% tax rate
Married couples filing jointly can shield up to $96,700 in net long-term capital gains from federal tax for the 2025 tax year, a threshold set...
$250,000 of home-sale profit stays tax-free, or $500,000 for a married couple
Homeowners who sell a primary residence and pocket a profit can shield up to $250,000 of that gain from federal income tax, or $500,000 when...
Required retirement withdrawals start at 73 now and rise to 75 in 2033
Americans turning 73 in 2026 face a new deadline that did not exist a few years ago: they must begin pulling money out of tax-deferred...
$2,200 per child is the child tax credit for 2026
Families with qualifying children will see a bigger tax break when they file their 2026 returns. Congress raised the maximum Child Tax Credit from $2,000...
About 1 in 5 workers who qualify for the earned income credit never claim it
Millions of low- and moderate-income workers leave money on the table each year by failing to claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, a refundable benefit...