Category: Taxes Made Simple
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The standard deduction jumps to $16,100 for singles and $32,200 for couples on 2026 taxes
The standard deduction is the most-used number on the entire tax return, and it is going up again for 2026. For the coming tax year the IRS has set it at $16,100 for single filers and $32,200 for married couples filing jointly, with heads of household at $24,150. Nearly nine in ten filers take the…
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A stalled Senate bill would give a family of four $2,400 in tariff rebates
A proposal in the Senate would put tariff money back into household pockets in the form of rebate checks, and for a family of four the headline number is $2,400. It is an appealing idea to a lot of budgets, but it is important to be clear about where it actually stands: this is a…
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Pennsylvania seniors and renters can still claim up to $1,000 back, now under a higher income limit
Pennsylvania has one of the more generous state programs for older homeowners and renters, and it just got easier to qualify for. The Property Tax/Rent Rebate program pays back up to $1,000 to eligible seniors, widows and widowers, and people with disabilities, and the state has permanently raised the income limit to $48,110 while extending…
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The third estimated-tax payment is due September 15, or the IRS adds a penalty
Not everyone has taxes taken out of their income automatically, and for those who do not, the IRS expects payment in installments through the year. The third of those quarterly estimated payments for 2026 is due September 15. Miss it or come up short, and the government can charge a penalty even if you end…
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Americans 65 and older can deduct up to $6,000 more on their taxes through 2028 under the new law
If you are 65 or older, the tax law passed in 2025 handed you a new deduction that can trim your taxable income by as much as $6,000, and a married couple where both spouses qualify can subtract up to $12,000. It runs for four tax years, from 2025 through 2028, and it sits on…
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Michigan storm victims in 30-plus counties get until November 2 to file
Michigan families still cleaning up from this spring’s storms just got a little breathing room from the tax collector. The IRS has postponed a batch of federal filing and payment deadlines to November 2, 2026 for individuals and businesses across more than 30 counties. Best of all, the extra time is automatic, so most people…
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The new tax law lifted the state and local tax write-off from $10,000 to $40,000 for many homeowners
For years, many homeowners in high-tax states did the math at tax time and gave up on itemizing. The write-off for their state and local taxes was capped so low that the standard deduction won every time. A 2025 law just changed that math, and for a lot of households it is now worth pulling…
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The child tax credit is now permanently $2,200 per child, with up to $1,700 paid back as a refund
For families raising kids, the child tax credit is one of the biggest numbers on a tax return, and it was set to shrink. Instead, a 2025 law locked it in place and even nudged it up. For most families with children, that means a larger credit that will not quietly fall back down next…
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New U.S.-built car buyers can deduct up to $10,000 in loan interest
Car loan interest is one of those costs buyers barely notice because it is baked into a monthly payment, yet over a five- or six-year loan it can add up to thousands of dollars. A new federal tax break gives some buyers a way to claw part of that back. If you finance a new,…
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West Virginia storm victims in two counties now have until February 2027 to file, and some can tap retirement savings penalty-free
When a disaster hits, the last thing a family is thinking about is a tax deadline, and the IRS knows it. For residents and businesses in two West Virginia counties hammered by summer storms, the government has pushed federal filing and payment deadlines all the way into next winter, and it has opened a door…