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In late September, the Treasury Department presented a list of preliminarily-approved occupations that will qualify for the new federal tax-free tip income provision on 2025 tax returns. Here is what you need to know.

Background

As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), qualifying tip income will not be subject to federal income tax from 2025 through 2028. The benefit is limited to $25,000. There is an income limit of $150,000 for single filers and $300,000 for joint filers. (This income limit is modified adjusted gross income, including the tips.) The deduction amount is reduced (but not lower than zero) by $100 for each $1,000 in excess of these amounts.

Fair market value (FMV) is the price that property would sell for on the open market. It is the price that would be agreed on between a willing buyer and a willing seller, with neither being required to act, and both having reasonable knowledge of the relevant facts.

Source: IRS Publication 561

This definition is the standard the IRS uses to determine if an item sold or donated by you is valued properly for income tax purposes. It's also a definition that's open to interpretation. If the IRS decides your FMV opinion is incorrect, you're not only subject to more taxes, but also penalties to boot.

Here are some tips to help defend your FMV in case of an audit.

Most of us go through life without being concerned with, or ever checking on, our Social Security records. We assume the money deducted each payday and an equal amount paid in by our employer is applied properly to this valuable retirement benefit.

With the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB Act) many who took a standard deduction may now need to consider a potential change to itemizing. If this could be you, it is better to know this now, when you can still take tax advantage of your situation.

The Change:

In 2024 you could only take a maximum of $10,000 as an itemized deduction on Schedule A for taxes of any kind. To make matters worse, this limit was the same for single filers and married filing joint taxpayers, making it one of the most severe marriage penalties in the tax code. So many taxpayers who typically itemized deductions, often found themselves taking the standard deduction.

But effective for tax years 2025 thru 2029, this limit of tax deductions is increasing to $40,000. This will result in many individuals once again itemizing their deductions.

As you or your family members approach retirement years, it's important to have a basic understanding of the IRS gift giving rules. With this understanding, there are opportunities to leverage this tax law without creating a tax problem.

There's still time to act!

At the end of each year there are a number of things to consider that may have a positive impact on your tax obligation. Here is a list of ideas that may be worth a quick review while there is still time. And especially this year with recent tax law changes.