U.S. Taxes, One, Big, Beautiful Bill, State and Federal Taxes

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which was passed on 4th July 2025, made sweeping updates to the U.S. tax code and will extend a number of provisions from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, that were due to expire. This legislation creates new reporting requirements and amends certain eligibility thresholds.  Up to $25,000 in tip income is now deductible.  Many of the provisions will bring change in 2026 and include:

• Taxpayers claiming the standard deduction will now be able to deduct up to $1,000 in charitable contributions in their annual tax return. This figure will rise to $2,000 for couples filing a joint tax return.  Therefore, the new charitable contribution deduction for non-itemizers for cash contributions is up to $1,000 for individuals and $2,000 for married couples who file their tax returns jointly.

• For taxpayers who itemize deductions rather than claiming the standard deduction, their 2026 charitable deduction will be limited to the amount that exceeds 0.5% of their 2026 adjusted gross income (AGI).

• The annual limit of certain K-12 expenses increases to $20,000. The definition has been expanded to include other expenses, for example, books, fees, tutoring, etc. Please be aware, however, that K-12 expenses do not qualify for state income tax purposes in certain U.S. states.

• There will be a new limit on itemized deductions for taxpayers in the 37% tax bracket. Effectively, this means that for every dollar of itemized deduction, the maximum tax benefit available will only be 35 cents. For 2026, the 37% bracket kicks in where the taxable income exceeds $640,600 for single filers and heads of households, $768,700 for married couples filing jointly and at $384,350 for married couples filing separately.

• For 2026, the state and local taxes (SALT) deduction is capped at $40,400. There is a slight increase in the phase-out range, which begins when the modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) is $505,000. Once MAGI surpasses $606,333, the deduction cap will be $10,000. Therefore, regardless of the MAGI, the SALT deduction will not fall under $10,000.

• Commencing 4th July 2026, it will be possible for employers to contribute up to $2,500 to the new Trump Accounts for Children. This amount will be excluded from the employee’s gross income.

• With regard to the Federal Estate & Gift Tax Exemption, the lifetime federal estate and gift tax exclusion amount has risen to $15 million per individual in 2026. For married couples, a combined amount of $30 million applies.

• Catch-up contributions allow those participants aged from 50 years to contribute additional money to their retirement accounts while those individuals, making additional contributions who are aged between 60 and 63 years come within the “super catch-up” definition. Higher-income participants in 401(k), 403(b) and 457(b) retirement plans are required to make any catch-up contributions as after-tax Roth contributions. This requirement applies to participants with 2025 FICA wages exceeding $150,000. In summary, from 1^st January 2026, catch-up and super catch-up contributions for certain high-paid participants must be made on an after-tax Roth basis instead of pre-tax basis.  This rule does not apply to SIMPLE IRAs or SEP IRAs.

Please be aware that 15^th April 2026 is the tax filing deadline for your individual federal income tax return.  It is also the deadline date for most of the state tax returns, however, there are some exceptions so please make sure you check this out.

For further information, please click: https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/one-big-beautiful-bill-provisions

If you are seeking comprehensive U.S. tax advice or looking to regularise your U.S. tax affairs, and wish to deal with a U.S. Tax Advisor, please contact us at queries@accountsadvicecentre.ie

Please be aware that the information contained in this article is of a general nature.  It is not intended to address specific circumstances in relation to any individual or entity. All reasonable efforts have been made by Accounts Advice Centre to provide accurate and up-to-date information, however, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate on the date it is received or that it will continue to remain so. This information should not be acted upon without full and comprehensive, specialist professional tax advice.