January 2026 Tax Tips

Happy New 2026, a year that brings us more than one, and in some cases not so beautiful, retroactive changes to our 2025 taxes.

The good news is that Congress did act on the expiring Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 provisions that mostly affected individual taxpayers. So, instead of being erased from the Internal Revenue Code on Dec. 31, 2025, they are permanent.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act that enshrined these tax laws (until a future Congress decides to use its flexible definition of permanent and fiddle with them again) also added some new tax breaks. And a handful of them were made retroactive to the 2025 tax year. That means eligible filers can take advantage of them on the returns they will file this year.

But some of  the tax changes weren’t quite as advertised on the campaign trail. As long-time readers of the ol’ blog know, the tax devil is in the details. That’s the case with —

• the Senior Bonus for older taxpayers (instead of no tax on Social Security),
• no tax on (just some and certain times of) overtime pay,
• tax-free tips (but a limit on the eligible gratuities and only for certain workers who get this type of income), and
• no tax on (some) interest on a loan to buy a new (and other requirements) vehicle.

That’s why it’s even more important to pay attention to tax information, and get good advice from a professional if you need to, this filing season.

You’ll find some tax starting points in the monthly tax tips, collected here. My aforementioned regular readers have already noticed that this feature has been on hiatus since the end of September. That’s when my previous blogging platform closed its doors, forcing me to move to this new site.

All readers, new and long-time, also have noticed that these January tax tips are going up on Feb. 1. I’m still working out some bugs in the new blog’s home, but with this January 2026 Tax Tips page finally posted, we’re coming back 🤞🤞🤞, at least with this feature, albeit slowly.

Year-round tip time: As has been the case for the last few years, the tax tips are a mixture of advice for filing your return for the prior tax year, as well as actions to help reduce this year’s already accruing taxes.

For January through mid-April 15, filing-now posts will get the most attention since most Americans meet the April 15 Form 1040 due date.

But tips on filing will still pop up beyond Tax Day for the millions of procrastinators (no judging; there are lots of good reasons to take your full, legally allowed filing time) who get an Internal Revenue Service extension to push their filing deadline to Oct. 15. (Here’s an early, unofficial January tax tip for you folks. The extension is to file the forms, not an extension to pay any tax you owe.)

Finally, really long-time readers know that the tax tips used to be daily. But I got older. And the hubby reminded me that I have a personal life (that includes him!), so now the tips are more-or-less regular, but not regimented.

Another excuse reason to give myself more blogging relief is that with this new format, tax tips are featured in the upper right of the header. There’s  also a specific Tax Tips page. You can reach it by going to the drop-down menu “More Tax Posts” and clicking on the tips link.

So, without further ado (especially since it’s February; how did that happen?!), here are the collected tax tips of the first month of 2026. Now,  I’m off to work on my February Tax Moves post, which will get this month’s tax tips page started!

1. Business mileage tax deduction rate goes up in 2026, but two others are cut — Yes, this is a December 2025 post. But it has information you’ll need if you used a vehicle for tax deductible purposes last year. You might be able to claim that mileage for business trips, as well as health-related travel. Some filers get tax travel relief for driving in connection with moving and charitable work. Plus, for this year’s tax planning purposes, you’ll find 2026’s standard optional deductible mileage rates for 2026. (Dec. 29, 2025)
2. New Year 2026 brings tax changes in 43 states — A new year also brings tax law changes in 43 states. Individual taxpayers in nine of them will see lower tax rates. Many states also have tweaked their business, sales, excise, and property tax laws for 2026. (Jan. 1, 2026) 
3. Get ready to file and other January 2026 tax moves — Happy New Year! With the end-of-year festivities behind us, welcome to the first full work week of the brand spanking new year! In addition to returning to your routine, the flipping of the calendar means it’s also time to consider some tax moves that 2026 is a Happy New Tax Year, too. Here are four tax actions to make this January. (Jan. 5, 2026)
4. Same 8 tax software companies return for Free File 2026 — If you used the Internal Revenue Service’s Free File last year to complete your federal taxes, then it’s tax déjà vu time. The same eight tax software companies are back for the 2026 tax season. You can use one of them if your 2025 was $89,000 or less. (Jan. 10, 2026)
5. 8 recent tax law changes that could affect your 2025 tax return — Congress made a handful of tax law changes in the One Big Beautiful Bill retroactive. Take a closer look at these eight that could provide you with some tax savings when you file your 2025 tax return. (Jan. 13, 2026)
6. 7 reasons to file your tax return early — You don’t have to be a fortune teller to know that sometimes the best tax move is to file your return early. Here are 7 reasons why it’s good to get your Form 1040 to the IRS as soon as possible. (Jan. 14, 2026)
7. Tax statements you need to file your tax return — You’re ready to file your Form 1040, but don’t do it until you’ve received all your official tax statements. Here’s a look at the myriad tax documents, most of which you should receive by the end of January, that will help you file a complete and accurate return. (Jan. 15, 2026)
8. Tax filing PSA from Mr. Milchick — Tramell Tillman shows off his award-winning acting (and dancing skills) as Seth Milchick in “Severance.” In real life, Tillman also provides some solid social media tax advice. (Jan. 18, 2026)
9. 6 reasons to wait to file your tax return — Tax-filing procrastination is not unusual. Millions delay sending their returns to the Internal Revenue Service until the last minute. You’ll get no judging here. In fact, sometimes it is a good idea to take your time to finish your Form 1040. Here are six such reasons. (Jan. 20, 2026)
10. Do you have to file a 2025 tax year return? Probably — Do you have to file a tax return? Probably. Not much is out of the Internal Revenue Service’s reach, which is why most of us must file a Form 1040. But in some cases, Uncle Sam lets folks off the tax-filing hook. Here’s a look at the factors that go into determining whether you must file a tax return. (Jan. 26, 2026)
11. 6 reasons to file a federal tax return even if you don’t have to — Nobody likes filing a tax return, so why should someone who isn’t legally required to file go ahead and send the IRS a Form 1040? The #1 reason is because filing might get you a tax refund. If that’s not enough, check out five more situations where filing, even if you don’t have to, can pay off. (Jan. 29, 2026)
12. Don’t overlook the EITC, a valuable tax credit that could get you a refund — The Earned Income Tax Credit can help moderate- and lower-income workers reduce their tax bills. But too many people who qualify for the EITC don’t claim. Don’t be one of them. Check out this tax credit to see if it can help you. (Jan. 30, 2026)

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As I mentioned earlier on this belated first-of-2026 tax tips page, taxes and their associated tasks happen year-round. So, with January behind us, I’m moving on to the separate February through December pages.

Links to those coming collections of tax advice are below. Technically, all are live, meaning you can click now on February through December and a page will appear. But it won’t have tax tips. Thanks for your patience as I work on getting some info on the February page.

For now, though, instead of finding tax tips, you’ll be greeted by an animated fellow making good use of one of my favorite Texas sayings, “Whoa up there, cowboy.”

OK, he doesn’t look like a cowboy. And I’m not sure exactly what he’s saying. But you get the idea.

That idiomatic admonishment will be replaced by usable tax information as the year’s months arrive, and as soon as I can get to them. I appreciate your wanting more tax tips, and I especially appreciate your patience on waiting for them to be posted.

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