Beginning in 2026, taxpayers in the top federal income tax bracket will see their itemized deductions reduced. If you’re at risk, there are steps you can take before the end of 2025 to help mitigate the negative impact.

The new limitation up close

Before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), certain itemized deductions of high-income taxpayers were reduced, generally by 3% of the amount by which their adjusted gross income exceeded a specific threshold. For 2018 through 2025, the TCJA eliminated that limitation. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) makes that elimination permanent, but it puts in place a new limitation for taxpayers in the 37% federal income tax bracket.

Specifically, for 2026 and beyond, allowable itemized deductions for individuals in the 37% bracket will be reduced by the lesser of: 1) 2/37 times the amount of otherwise allowable itemized deductions or 2) 2/37 times the amount of taxable income (before considering those deductions) in excess of the applicable threshold for the 37% tax bracket.

For 2026, the 37% bracket starts when taxable income exceeds $640,600 for singles and heads of households, $768,700 for married couples filing jointly, and $384,350 for married taxpayers filing separately.

Generally, the limitation will mean that the tax benefit from itemized deductions for taxpayers in the 37% bracket will be as if they were in the 35% bracket.

Some examples

The reduction calculation is not so easy to understand. Here are some examples to illustrate how it works:

Example 1: You have $37,000 of otherwise allowable itemized deductions in 2026. Before considering those deductions, your taxable income exceeds the threshold for the 37% federal income tax bracket by $37,000.
Your otherwise allowable itemized deductions will be reduced by $2,000 (2/37 × $37,000). So, your allowable itemized deductions will be $35,000 ($37,000 − $2,000). That amount will deliver a tax benefit of $12,950 (37% × $35,000), which is 35% of $37,000.

Example 2: You have $100,000 of otherwise allowable itemized deductions in 2026. Before considering those deductions, your taxable income exceeds the threshold for the 37% bracket by $1 million.
Your otherwise allowable itemized deductions will be reduced by $5,405 (2/37 × $100,000). So, your allowable itemized deductions will be $94,595 ($100,000 − $5,405). That amount will deliver a tax benefit of $35,000 (37% × $94,595), which is 35% of $100,000.

Tax planning tips

Do you expect to be in the 37% bracket in 2026? Because the new limitation doesn’t apply in 2025, you have a unique opportunity to preserve itemized deductions by accelerating deductible expenses into 2025.

For example, make large charitable contributions this year instead of next. If you aren’t already maxing out your state and local tax (SALT) deduction, you may be able to pay state and local property tax bills in 2025 instead of 2026. And if your medical expenses are already close to or above the 7.5% of adjusted gross income threshold for that deduction, consider bunching additional medical expenses into 2025.

In addition, there are steps you can take next year to avoid or minimize the impact of the itemized deduction reduction. These will involve minimizing the 2026 taxable income that falls into the 37% bracket (or even keeping your income below the 37% tax bracket threshold). There are several potential ways to do this. For instance:

• Recognize capital losses from securities held in taxable brokerage accounts.
• Make bigger deductible retirement plan contributions.
• Put off Roth conversions that would add to your taxable income.

If you own an interest in a pass-through business entity (such as a partnership, S corporation or, generally, a limited liability company) or run a sole-proprietorship business, you may be able to take steps to reduce your 2026 taxable income from the business.

Will you be affected?

If you expect your 2026 income will be high enough that you’ll be affected by the new itemized deduction limitation, contact us. We’ll work with you to determine strategies to minimize its impact to the extent possible.

Saving taxes probably isn’t your primary reason for supporting your favorite charities. But tax deductions can be a valuable added benefit. If you donate long-term appreciated stock, you potentially can save even more.

Not just a deduction

Appreciated publicly traded stock you’ve held more than one year is long-term capital gains property. If you donate it to a qualified charity, you may be able to enjoy two tax benefits.

First, if you itemize deductions, you can claim a charitable deduction equal to the stock’s fair market value. Second, you won’t be subject to the capital gains tax you’d owe if you sold the stock.

Donating appreciated stock can be especially beneficial to taxpayers facing the 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) or the top 20% long-term capital gains rate this year.

The strategy in action

Let’s say you donate $15,000 of stock that you paid $5,000 for, your ordinary-income tax rate is 37% and your long-term capital gains rate is 20%. Let’s also say you itemize deductions.

If you sold the stock, you’d pay $2,000 in tax on the $10,000 gain. If you were also subject to the 3.8% NIIT, you’d pay another $380 in NIIT.

By instead donating the stock to charity, you save $7,930 in federal tax ($2,380 in capital gains tax and NIIT plus $5,550 from the $15,000 income tax deduction). If you donated $15,000 in cash, your federal tax savings would be only $5,550.

3 important considerations

There are a few things to keep in mind when considering a stock donation:

1. The charitable deduction will provide a tax benefit only if your total itemized deductions exceed your standard deduction. For 2025, the standard deduction is $15,750 for singles and married couples filing separately, $23,625 for heads of households, and $31,500 for married couples filing jointly.
2. Donations of long-term capital gains property are subject to tighter deduction limits. The limits are 30% of your adjusted gross income for gifts to public charities and 20% for gifts to nonoperating private foundations (compared to 60% and 30%, respectively, for cash donations).
3. Don’t donate stock that’s worth less than your basis. Instead, sell the stock so you can deduct the loss and then donate the cash proceeds to charity.

A tried-and-true year-end tax strategy

If you expect to itemize deductions on your 2025 tax return, making charitable gifts by December 31 is a great way to reduce your tax liability. And donating highly appreciated stock you’ve hesitated to sell because of the tax cost can be an especially smart year-end strategy. To learn more about minimizing capital gains tax or maximizing charitable deductions, contact us today.

 

Are you age 50 or older? You’ve earned the right to supercharge your retirement savings with extra “catch-up” contributions to your tax-favored retirement account(s). And these contributions are more valuable than you may think.

IRA contribution amounts

For 2025, eligible taxpayers can make contributions to a traditional or Roth IRA of up to the lesser of $7,000 or 100% of earned income. They can also make extra catch-up contributions of up to $1,000 annually to a traditional or Roth IRA. If you’ll be 50 or older as of December 31, 2025, you can make a catch-up contribution for the 2025 tax year by April 15, 2026.

Extra deductible contributions to a traditional IRA create tax savings, but your deduction may be limited if you (or your spouse) are covered by a retirement plan at work and your income exceeds a certain amount.

Extra contributions to Roth IRAs don’t generate any upfront tax savings, but you can take federal-income-tax-free qualified withdrawals after age 59½. There are also income limits on Roth contributions.

Higher-income individuals can make extra nondeductible traditional IRA contributions and benefit from the tax-deferred earnings advantage.

Employer plan contribution amounts

For 2025, you can contribute up to $23,500 to an employer 401(k), 403(b) or 457 retirement plan. If you’re 50 or older and your plan allows it, you can contribute up to an additional $7,500 in 2025. Check with your human resources department to see how to sign up for extra contributions.

Contributions are subtracted from your taxable wages, so you effectively get a federal income tax deduction. You can use the tax savings to help pay for part of your extra catch-up contribution, or you can set the tax savings aside in a taxable retirement savings account to further increase your retirement wealth.

Examples of how catch-up contributions grow

How much can you accumulate? To see how powerful catch-up contributions can be, let’s run a few scenarios.

Example 1: Let’s say you’re age 50 and you contribute an extra $1,000 catch-up contribution to your IRA this year and then do the same for the following 15 years. Here’s how much extra you could have in your IRA by age 65 (rounded to the nearest $1,000):

• 4% annual return: $22,000
• 8% annual return: $30,000

Keep in mind that making larger deductible contributions to a traditional IRA can also lower your tax bill. Making additional contributions to a Roth IRA won’t, but they’ll allow you to take more tax-free withdrawals later in life.

Example 2: Assume you’ll turn age 50 next year. You contribute an extra $7,500 to your company plan in 2026. Then, you do the same for the next 15 years. Here’s how much more you could have in your 401(k), 403(b), or 457 plan account (rounded to the nearest $1,000):

• 4% annual return: $164,000
• 8% annual return: $227,000

Again, making larger contributions can also lower your tax bill.

Example 3: Finally, let’s say you’ll turn age 50 next year and you’re eligible to contribute an extra $1,000 to your IRA for 2026, plus you make an extra $7,500 contribution to your company plan. Then, you do the same for the next 15 years. Here’s how much extra you could have in the two accounts combined (rounded to the nearest $1,000):

• 4% annual return: $186,000
• 8% annual return: $258,000

The amounts add up quickly

As you can see, catch-up contributions are one of the simplest ways to boost your retirement wealth. If your spouse is eligible too, the impact can be even greater. Contact us if you have questions or want to see how this strategy fits into your retirement savings plan.

Before the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), tip income and overtime income were fully taxable for federal income tax purposes. The new law changes that.

Tip income deduction

For 2025–2028, the OBBBA creates a new temporary federal income tax deduction that can offset up to $25,000 of annual qualified tip income. It begins to phase out when modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is more than $150,000 ($300,000 for married joint filers).

The deduction is available if a worker receives qualified tips in an occupation that’s designated by the IRS as one where tips are customary. However, the U.S. Treasury Department recently released a draft list of occupations it proposes to receive the tax break and there are some surprising jobs on the list, including plumbers, electricians, home heating / air conditioning mechanics and installers, digital content creators, and home movers.

Employees and self-employed individuals who work in certain trades or businesses are ineligible for the tip deduction. These include health, law, accounting, financial services, investment management and more.

Qualified tips can be paid by customers in cash or with credit cards or given to workers through tip-sharing arrangements. The deduction can be claimed whether the worker itemizes or not.

Overtime income deduction

For 2025–2028, the OBBBA creates another new federal income tax deduction that can offset up to $12,500 of qualified overtime income each year or up to $25,000 for a married joint-filer. It begins to phase out when MAGI is more than $150,000 ($300,000 for married joint filers). The limited overtime deduction can be claimed whether or not workers itemize deductions on their tax returns.

Qualified overtime income means overtime compensation paid to a worker as mandated under Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). It requires time-and-a-half overtime pay except for certain exempt workers. If a worker earns time-and-a-half for overtime, only the extra half constitutes qualified overtime income.

Qualified overtime income doesn’t include overtime premiums that aren’t required by Section 7 of the FLSA, such as overtime premiums required under state laws or overtime premiums pursuant to contracts such as union-negotiated collective bargaining agreements. Qualified overtime income also doesn’t include any tip income.

Payroll tax implications

While you may have heard the new tax breaks described as “no tax on tips” and “no tax on overtime,” they’re actually limited, temporary federal income tax deductions as opposed to income exclusions. Therefore, income tax may apply to some of your wages and federal payroll taxes still apply to qualified tip income and qualified overtime income. In addition, applicable federal income tax withholding rules still apply. And tip income and overtime income may still be fully taxable for state and local income tax purposes.

The real issue for employers and payroll management firms is reporting qualified tip income and qualified overtime income amounts so eligible workers can claim their rightful federal income tax deductions.

Reporting details

The tip deduction is allowed to both employees and self-employed individuals. Qualified tip income amounts must be reported on Form W-2, Form 1099-NEC, or another specified information return or statement that’s furnished to both the worker and the IRS.

Qualified overtime income amounts must be reported to workers on Form W-2 or another specified information return or statement that’s furnished to both the worker and the IRS.

IRS announcement about information returns and withholding tables

The IRS recently announced that for tax year 2025, there will be no OBBBA-related changes to federal information returns for individuals, federal payroll tax returns or federal income tax withholding tables. So, Form W-2, Forms 1099, Form 941, and other payroll-related forms and returns won’t be changed. The IRS stated that “these decisions are intended to avoid disruptions during the tax filing season and to give the IRS, business and tax professionals enough time to implement the changes effectively.”

Employers and payroll management firms are advised to begin tracking qualified tip income and qualified overtime income immediately and to implement procedures to retroactively track qualified tip and qualified overtime income amounts that were paid before July 4, 2025, when the OBBBA became law. The IRS is expected to provide transition relief for tax year 2025 and update forms for tax year 2026. Contact us with any questions.

The qualified business income (QBI) deduction, which became effective in 2018, is a significant tax benefit for many business owners. It allows eligible taxpayers to deduct up to 20% of QBI, not to exceed 20% of taxable income. It can also be claimed for up to 20% of income from qualified real estate investment trust dividends.

With recent changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), this powerful deduction is becoming more accessible and beneficial. Most important, the OBBBA makes the QBI deduction permanent. It had been scheduled to end on December 31, 2025.

A closer look

QBI is generally defined as the net amount of qualified income, gain, deduction and loss from a qualified U.S. trade or business. Taxpayers eligible for the deduction include sole proprietors and owners of pass-through entities, such as partnerships, S corporations and limited liability companies that are treated as sole proprietorships, partnerships or S corporations for tax purposes. C corporations aren’t eligible.

Additional limits on the deduction gradually phase in if 2025 taxable income exceeds the applicable threshold — $197,300 or $394,600 for married couples filing joint tax returns. The limits fully apply when 2025 taxable income exceeds $247,300 and $494,600, respectively.

For example, if a taxpayer’s income exceeds the applicable threshold, the deduction starts to become limited to:

• 50% of the amount of W-2 wages paid to employees by the qualified business during the tax year, or
• The sum of 25% of W-2 wages plus 2.5% of the cost (not reduced by depreciation taken) of qualified property, which is the depreciable tangible property (including real estate) owned by a qualified business as of year end and used by the business at any point during the tax year to produce QBI.

Also, if a taxpayer’s income exceeds the applicable threshold and the QBI is from a “specified service business,” the deduction will be reduced and eventually eliminated. Examples of specified service businesses are those involving investment-type services and most professional practices, including law, health, consulting, performing arts and athletics (but not engineering and architecture).

Even better next year

Under the OBBBA, beginning in 2026, the income ranges over which the wage/property and specified service business limits phase in will widen, potentially allowing larger deductions for some taxpayers. Instead of the distance from the bottom of the range (the threshold) to the top (the amount at which the limit fully applies) being $50,000, or, for joint filers, $100,000, it will be $75,000, or, for joint filers, $150,000. The threshold amounts will continue to be annually adjusted for inflation.

The OBBBA also provides a new minimum deduction of $400 for taxpayers who materially participate in an active trade or business if they have at least $1,000 of QBI from it. The minimum deduction will be annually adjusted for inflation after 2026.

Action steps

With the QBI changes, it may be time to revisit your tax strategies. Certain tax planning moves may increase or decrease your allowable QBI deduction. Contact us to develop strategies that maximize your benefits under the new law.