Illustration of a Trump Accounts guide — a growing sapling in a piggy bank with a family silhouette
|

Trump Accounts Guide 2026: $1,000 Deposit and Section 530A Rules

What is a Trump Account and how do I open one for my child? A Trump Account is a new federally authorized investment account for children, created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as IRC Section 530A. The Trump Accounts guide below walks families through the $1,000 federal seed deposit, $5,000 annual contribution cap,…

Illustration of the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit — book, graduation cap, coins and scholarship certificate over a US flag ribbon
|

Federal Scholarship Tax Credit 2027: IRC §25F Guide

Who can claim the new Federal Scholarship Tax Credit? Starting January 1, 2027, individual taxpayers can claim the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit — a federal credit of up to $1,700 for cash donations to Scholarship Granting Organizations (SGOs) in a participating state. Twenty-eight states have already opted in. Beginning next year, a new line item…

Illustration of the 2026 tip deduction — a server holding a tip tray with cash and receipts
|

Tip Deduction 2026: Who Qualifies for the $25K Break?

Who qualifies for the new $25,000 federal tip deduction? The tip deduction 2026 is an above-the-line deduction for workers in customarily tipped jobs — waiters, bartenders, stylists, rideshare drivers and roughly 70 other IRS-listed occupations — worth up to $25,000 of qualified tips for tax years 2025 through 2028, subject to income phaseouts. For decades,…

Illustration of Qualified Opportunity Zones under IRS Notice 2026-40 — a city skyline on a map pin with a 2026 calendar marking the deferred-gain inclusion deadline
|

QOZ Update: IRS Notice 2026-40 and the Dec 31, 2026 Deadline

Are the Opportunity Zone rules changing? Yes. In IRS Notice 2026-40, the Treasury Department and the IRS announced that they intend to issue proposed regulations on Qualified Opportunity Zones under Internal Revenue Code §§ 1400Z-1 and 1400Z-2, as amended by the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The notice provides transitional guidance for investments made…

Illustration of an early June 2026 federal tax roundup — proposed Section 892 sovereign investor relief, a $76 estate tax closing letter fee, excepted fertility benefits, and budget reconciliation
|

Federal Tax Roundup Early June 2026: §892, Estate Fee, Regs

What federal tax developments landed in early June 2026? Three Treasury/IRS regulatory proposals and a busy week on Capitol Hill. On the regulatory side: (1) proposed regulations under §892 (CC-00349656-26, IR-2026-69) giving sovereign investors transition relief and new applicability dates tied to the December 2025 proposed rules; (2) proposed regulations (REG-103193-26) raising the estate tax…

Illustration of the expanded IRC section 4960 21% excise tax on nonprofit executive compensation over $1 million under OBBBA and IRS Notice 2026-36
|

Nonprofit §4960 Excise Tax Expands Under OBBBA (Notice 2026-36)

How did OBBBA expand the §4960 excise tax on nonprofit executive compensation? Internal Revenue Code §4960 imposes a 21% excise tax on a tax-exempt organization’s “excess remuneration” — compensation over $1 million paid to a covered employee — plus certain excess parachute (separation) payments. Under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, beginning with tax years…

Illustration of late May 2026 federal tax roundup — JCT OBBBA report, Treasury IRS guidance T.D. 10048 and Notice 2026-33, House tax bills, and Tax Court section 6038(b) rulings
|

Federal Tax Roundup Late May 2026: OBBBA, IRS Guidance, Courts

What are the most important federal tax developments from late May 2026? Four stand out. (1) The Joint Committee on Taxation released a 341-page provision-by-provision report on the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21) and flagged 10 provisions that may need technical correction. (2) Treasury and the IRS issued new guidance — final…

Illustration of OBBBA federal student loan limits and the Department of Education professional degree rule — $200K professional vs $100K other graduate caps, accounting excluded
|

OBBBA Student Loan Limits: New Caps & Professional Degree Rule

How did OBBBA change federal student loans for graduate and professional students? The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, Pub. L. No. 119-21) placed new caps on federal student loans and directed the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) to define which “professional degree” programs qualify for higher borrowing limits. Under the DOE’s final rule, only…