01
Claim Schedule 1-A even if you take the standard deduction
All four new deductions are additional, not alternative. This is the most commonly missed point of the whole filing season.
Tax playbook · 12 tactics
12 Tax Moves for the 2026 Filing Season
Four brand-new deductions, and the timing tricks that make old ones work.
02
Separate the overtime premium from the overtime pay
Only the amount above your regular rate qualifies. Your W-2 should now report qualified overtime separately — check the box exists before filing.
03
Decode the VIN before claiming car loan interest
The deduction requires final assembly in the United States. The VIN decoder settles it in thirty seconds and the brand name does not.
04
Watch the four different phase-outs
Tips and overtime start at 150k, car interest at 100k and reduces twice as fast, the senior bonus at 75k. One raise can end one and leave the others intact.
05
Bunch charitable giving into alternate years
Only donations above the standard deduction produce a benefit. Concentrating two or three years into one converts wasted giving into deductible giving.
06
Donate appreciated securities rather than cash
You deduct the market value and avoid the capital gains tax you would have paid on the sale. It is two benefits from one gift.
07
Hold investments past one year where possible
Crossing the twelve-month mark moves a gain from ordinary rates to long-term rates. On a large gain that is worth more than the timing of the sale.
08
Harvest losses to offset realised gains
Realised losses reduce taxable gains directly, and unused amounts carry forward. Check the wash sale rules before repurchasing.
09
Adjust withholding rather than celebrating a refund
A large refund is an interest-free loan you made. A revised W-4 puts that money in your monthly budget instead.
10
Automate quarterly estimates if self-employed
Underpayment penalties apply even when the annual return is filed correctly and on time. Divide the projected total by four and schedule it.
11
Add half your self-employment tax as a deduction
It is easy to compute the SE tax and forget the deduction for half of it, which reduces income tax on the same earnings.
12
Reconcile the SALT cap before deciding to itemise
The cap rose to forty thousand, which flips the itemise-or-not answer for many homeowners who stopped checking years ago.
Put it to work
Calculators for these tactics
2026 Tax Changes
Schedule 1-A Total Deduction Estimator
All four new deductions in one place — tips, overtime, car loan interest and the senior bonus.
2026 Tax ChangesNo Tax on Tips Deduction Calculator
Work out your qualified tip deduction after the income phase-out, and what it saves in federal tax.
2026 Tax ChangesNo Tax on Overtime Deduction Calculator
Only the premium half of overtime qualifies. Work out the deductible portion and the tax it saves.
2026 Tax ChangesCar Loan Interest Deduction Calculator
Up to $10,000 of interest on a US-assembled new vehicle is deductible. See how much of yours qualifies.
Tax & RefundsTax Refund Estimator
Estimate a federal refund or balance due from income, withholding and credits.
Tax & RefundsCharitable Donation Tax Calculator
What a donation actually costs you after the deduction — if you itemise at all.
Estimates, not advice. Every figure here is produced from the inputs you enter and the formula printed on the page. Rules differ by state, carrier, lender and contract, so use these numbers to prepare for a conversation with a qualified professional rather than to replace one. See our full disclaimer.