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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.

🚨 California Expands Retirement Plan Mandate — Action needed by December 31, 2025

California has expanded its retirement mandate to the smallest employers. If you have even one W-2 employee (other than the owner or owner’s spouse) and do not sponsor a qualified plan, you must either (a) adopt a private plan (e.g., 401(k), SIMPLE IRA) or (b) register for CalSavers by December 31, 2025.

Penalties for non-compliance: $250 per eligible employee if you remain non-compliant 90+ days after notice, plus an additional $500 per eligible employee at 180+ days. Those add up quickly.

The Social Security Administration announced a 2.8% boost to monthly Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for 2026, another rate drop versus last year's increase of 3.2%. The increase is based on the rise in the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months ending in September 2025.