Evan Cole 
Bottom Line Up Front: If you claimed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) or Additional Child Tax Credit (ACTC) and filed early, your refund is currently in a federally mandated “freeze.” This is not an error, and you are not being audited. Under the PATH Act, the IRS cannot release these specific refunds before mid-February. … Read more
The IRS has quietly escalated its enforcement on green energy credits for the 2026 filing season. Under new guidance released this week (Notice 2026-15), the agency is strictly enforcing “Foreign Entity of Concern” (FEOC) regulations that could invalidate thousands of tax credits claimed in 2025. For taxpayers who received an upfront $7,500 discount at the … Read more
The most ambitious component of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” is finally going live. On July 5, 2026, the U.S. Treasury will begin funding “Trump Accounts,” a new tax-advantaged savings vehicle designed to make every American child a shareholder in the national economy. For babies born in 2025 and later, this account comes with … Read more
Bottom Line Up Front: For the first time in decades, you may be able to deduct interest on a personal vehicle loan this tax season. Part of the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBBA), this new deduction allows you to write off up to $10,000 in interest if you purchased a new car in 2025. … Read more
The 2026 tax season marks a definitive shift in federal enforcement. For the first time, the IRS has fully operationalized its AI-enhanced “Discriminant Function” (DIF) system. This is not a pilot program. It is a live dragnet. The agency is using machine learning to target high-income earners (specifically those over $400,000), complex partnerships, and “lifestyle … Read more
While you are likely scrambling to finish your 2025 tax return due April 15, early inflation projections for the 2026 tax year show the Standard Deduction rising even higher. Current data models suggest it could hit $32,200 for married couples when you file in early 2027. Bottom Line Up Front: This adjustment is not just … Read more
As the 2026 tax season heats up, millions of service industry workers—from bartenders in Nevada to servers in Georgia—are finally seeing the promise of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” (OBBB) in action. Yes, the “No Tax on Tips” provision is law for your 2025 return filed right now. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): You CAN … Read more
he “VIN Trick”: How to Claim the New $10,000 Auto Loan Deduction in 2026 By: Sarah Jenkins | Consumer Tax Analyst Most people think the new “Auto Loan Interest Deduction” in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) is only for electric vehicles. They are wrong. For the 2026 filing season, this deduction applies to ANY … Read more
The 2026 tax season is officially underway, and for millions of families, the Child Tax Credit (CTC) remains the single most important line item on their return. While social media rumors of “$3,600 payments” are false, the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) did officially raise the cap this year. Bottom Line Up Front (BLUF): For … Read more
If you have tried calling 1-800-829-1040 this week, you already know the sound of defeat. It starts with the polite automated voice. Then come the menu options. Then the dreaded silence. And finally, the “Courtesy Disconnect”—a polite way of saying the IRS is too busy to deal with you, hanging up the phone before you … Read more