Contribution limits have increased in 2025.⁶ Some accounts still allow contributions until the April filing deadline.

Have you considered:

• IRA contributions for 2025?
• HSA contributions if you're eligible?
• 529 contributions (remember, beneficiaries can be changed)?
• Whether you maximized your 401(k) or employer plan—and if not, how to optimize for 2026?

Questions to ask yourself:

• Did I use every tax-deferred or tax-advantaged account appropriate for me?
• Do I still have time to make IRA or HSA contributions for 2025?
• Is a Roth contribution a good fit for my situation under today's brackets?
• Do I have a financial professional to guide me through contribution strategies—for this year and next?

Do you have embedded capital gains in your investments?

The top capital gains tax rate remains at 20% for 2025.³ While the urgency to realize gains before a rate hike has eased, portfolio tax planning is still an important consideration.

Questions to ask yourself:

• How did my realized gains in 2025 affect my tax picture—and what could I do differently in 2026?
• Does rebalancing my portfolio make sense now that capital gains tax rates are stable?
• Do I want to take some capital losses to offset capital gains?
• Do I have a financial professional to review my exposure?

The "mega-backdoor" Roth strategy remained available in 2025 for individuals whose employer plans permit after-tax contributions.⁷ This approach involves contributing after-tax dollars to your 401(k) and then converting those funds to a Roth IRA.

Contribution limits for 401(k) plans increased again in 2025⁶, allowing more room for after-tax contributions that could be converted.

Things to keep in mind:

• With TCJA tax brackets now permanent under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Roth conversions can be spread across multiple years to help you manage income and maximize tax efficiency.⁸
• Roth IRAs are not subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs), helping reduce taxable income later in retirement.⁷

Questions to ask yourself:

• Does my employer plan allow after-tax contributions?
• Should I convert gradually to avoid moving into a higher tax bracket?
• Do I have a financial professional to help me balance conversions with other income?

The standard deduction for 2025 is $15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for married couples filing jointly (SEC. 70102).¹ This higher threshold makes it more challenging for some households to benefit from itemizing.

However, the SALT deduction cap (available to itemizers) has been raised from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025 creating more opportunities for high earners in states with higher income and property taxes.²

If you bundled deductions in 2025, make sure you're capturing them:

• Did you make larger charitable donations last year that could be itemized?
• Did your medical expenses exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI)?⁹
• Did you prepay property taxes before year-end?

If you didn't bundle in 2025, this is a strategy you could be discussing for 2026.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Have I overlooked "above-the-line" deductions such as auto loan interest (for qualifying U.S.-assembled vehicles), tips, or overtime?⁵
• Am I better off itemizing under the new rules?
• Am I considering updated deductions available under the new bill?
• Do I have professional guidance to help me optimize deductions—both for filing and for the year ahead?

The concern that tax brackets would rise automatically in 2026 is no longer in play. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made the lower brackets introduced under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.¹

This shifts the strategy from rushing before a deadline to carefully planning how much income you recognize in each tax year.

Opportunities include:

• Reviewing any Roth conversions you made in 2025—and whether more make sense in 2026.⁷
• Evaluating how capital gains affected your 2025 bracket—and planning accordingly for this year.³
• Understanding how income timing affects your tax bracket over multiple years.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Do I understand how my 2025 income landed within the brackets?
• Should I spread Roth conversions over multiple years going forward?
• Am I considering new deductions and credits when evaluating my taxable income?
• Do I have a trusted advisor to guide me through bracket planning—for filing and beyond?