7/2025

By Stetson Ponder

By this point if you have turned on any news channel, you are aware that there is a new tax bill that was recently ratified and signed by Congress and President Trump. As your financial planning partners, we wanted to take some time to clarify what this means for you and your taxes this calendar year and beyond.

What’s This About?

The new bill primarily aims to make the majority of the 2017 tax cuts permanent, preventing them from expiring as originally scheduled. Most provisions in the legislation focus on extending individual and business tax breaks established in 2017, ensuring lower rates and expanded deductions for both individuals and businesses.

What’s New?

A couple changes that will affect all filers are the solidification of the tax brackets and the standard deduction increase. The tax brackets will now be made permanent at 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% for each respective filing status and income level. Single filers can now deduct $15,750, Head of Household filers can deduct $23,625 and Married, Filing Jointly filers can deduct $31,500. On top of that, the new bill allows all taxpayers, including those who take the standard deduction, to deduct up to $1,000 ($2,000 for joint filers) in charitable contributions starting in 2026. For those who itemize, only charitable contributions exceeding 0.5% of AGI are deductible. High-income donors will see a new deduction rate cap at 35%, lowered from the previous 37%.

The largest change is the cap raise on the itemized deduction of state and local taxes (SALT) to $40,000 for years 2025-2029, adjusted 1% annually for inflation starting in 2026. This cap is income tested, however, those who have incomes above $500,000 will be phased out. The rate is 30% for income above the threshold, meaning that for every $1 of Adjusted Gross Income above the cap, the allowable SALT deduction is reduced by $0.30. As a result, anybody with AGI over $600,000 will be reduced to the $10,000 minimum deduction ($100,000 over the cap x 30% penalty = $30,000 penalty from $40,000 cap). The deduction cannot be reduced below the $10,000 floor.

Another one of the most notable updates pertains to the additional tax deductions for individuals 65 or older. The adjusted bonus deduction begins at $6,000 per qualified individual, should your Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) fall within the eligibility. For those Married filing Jointly, that MAGI bracket is a full $6,000 for any couple under $150,000 and begins to phase out until the $250,000 line is crossed. This is in addition to the previous $1,550 (now $1,600) per qualified individual that MFJ couples got last year for those above 65 years old. Here is a chart to help illustrate:

	Base Standard Deduction	Additional Deduction for >65 Years Old	NEW Bonus Deduction (MAGI phase-out)	Total Deduction (Age 65+)
Single	$15,750	$2,000	$6,000	$23,750
Head of Household	$23,625	$2,000	$6,000	$31,625
Married, Filing Jointly	$31,500	$3,200 (both 65+) $1,600 (one 65+)	$12,000 (both 65+) $6,000 (one 65+)	$46,700 (both 65+) $39,100 (one 65+)

Additionally, the estate tax exemption that was set to expire at the end of this year was made permanent and raised to $15 million per individual ($30 million per couple) in 2026. This exemption is indexed for inflation every year afterwards ensuring that the threshold will automatically increase each year, unless voted on by Congress to reduce it.

Below are some other pertinent provisions on individual taxes:

• Child tax credit made permanent at $2,200 in 2026, will be inflation adjusted moving forward
• Auto loan interest made deductible for new autos assembled in the US for years 2025-2028 (limited to $10,000, MAGI phase out after certain brackets)
• Up to $25,000 of tip income is deductible for individuals in traditionally tipped industries (10% phase out after reaching AGI limit)

What Should I Do Next?

We encourage you to review your current tax situation considering these changes, especially if you or a loved one is above the age of 65. The increased standard deduction allows for many new opportunities and strategies to be explored. As always, our team is available to discuss how these updates may impact your individual circumstances and fits into your unique financial plan. If you have any questions or would like to schedule a review, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Stetson Ponder is a Financial Planning Analyst in the Atlanta office of Cahaba Wealth Management, www.cahabawealth.com.

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