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The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) includes numerous provisions affecting the tax liability of U.S. businesses. For many businesses, the favorable provisions outweigh the unfavorable, but both kinds are likely to impact your tax planning. Here are several provisions included in the new law that may influence your business’s tax liability. Qualified business income (QBI) deduction The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) created the Section 199A deduction for QBI for owners of pass-through entities (such as partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations) and sole proprietorships. The deduction had been slated to expire after 2025, putting many business owners at risk of higher taxes. The OBBBA makes the QBI deduction permanent. It also expands the deduction limit phase-in ranges for specified services, trades or businesses, and other entities subject to the wage and investment limitation. For these businesses, the deduction is reduced when taxable income falls within the phase-in range and is eliminated when taxable income exceeds the range. The new law expands the phase-in thresholds from $50,000 to $75,000 for individual filers and from $100,000 to $150,000 for joint filers. The OBBBA also adds an inflation-adjusted minimum QBI deduction of $400, beginning in 2025. It’s available for taxpayers with at least $1,000 of QBI from one or more active businesses in which they materially participate. Accelerated bonus depreciation The OBBBA makes permanent 100% first-year bonus depreciation for the cost of qualified new and used assets acquired and placed into service after January 19, 2025. Under the TCJA, the deduction was limited to 40% for 2025, 20% in 2026 and 0% in 2027. The new law also introduces a 100% deduction for the cost of “qualified production property” (generally, nonresidential real property used in manufacturing) placed into service after July 4, 2025, and before 2031. In addition, the OBBBA increases the Sec. 179 expensing limit to $2.5 million and the expensing phaseout threshold to $4 million for 2025, with each amount adjusted annually for inflation. Together, the depreciation changes are expected to encourage capital investments, especially by manufacturing, construction, agriculture and real estate businesses. And the permanent 100% bonus depreciation may alleviate the pressure on companies that didn’t want to delay purchases due to a smaller deduction. Research and experimentation expense deduction Beginning in 2022, the TCJA required businesses to amortize Sec. 174 research and experimentation (R&E) costs over five years if incurred in the United States or 15 years if incurred outside the country. With the mandatory mid-year convention, deductions were spread out over six years. The OBBBA permanently allows the deduction of domestic R&E expenses in the year incurred, starting with the 2025 tax year. The OBBBA also allows “small businesses” (those with average annual gross receipts of $31 million or less) to claim the deduction retroactively to 2022. Any business that incurred domestic R&E expenses in 2022 through 2024 can elect to accelerate the remaining deductions for those expenditures over a one- or two-year period. Clean energy tax incentives The OBBBA eliminates many of the Inflation Reduction Act’s clean energy tax incentives for businesses, including the: Qualified commercial clean vehicle credit, Alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit, and Sec. 179D deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings. The law accelerates the phaseouts of some incentives and moves up the project deadlines for others. The expiration dates vary. For example, the commercial clean vehicle credit can’t be claimed for a vehicle acquired after September 30, 2025, instead of December 31, 2032. But the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit doesn’t expire until after June 30, 2026. Qualified Opportunity Zones The TCJA established the Quality Opportunity Zone (QOZ) program to encourage investment in distressed areas. The program generally allows taxpayers to defer, reduce or exclude unrealized capital gains reinvested in qualified opportunity funds (QOFs) that invest in designated distressed communities. The OBBBA creates a permanent QOZ policy that builds off the original program. It retains the existing benefits and also provides for investors to receive incremental reductions in gain starting on their investment’s first anniversary. In the seventh year, taxpayers must realize their initial gains, reduced by any step-up in basis, the amount of which depends on how long the investment is held. The first round of QOFs available under the permanent policy will begin on January 1, 2027. The OBBBA also introduces a new type of QOF for rural areas. Investments in such funds will receive triple the step-up in basis. International taxes The TCJA added several international tax provisions to the tax code, including deductions for foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) and global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI). It also established the base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT) on U.S. corporations that 1) have average annual gross receipts greater than or equal to $500 million for the prior three tax years, and 2) have made deductible payments to related non-U.S. parties at or above 3% of all deductible payments. The OBBBA makes permanent the FDII and GILTI deductions and adjusts the effective tax rates for FDII and GILTI to 14%. It also makes permanent the minimum BEAT, increasing the tax rate to 10.5%. These changes take effect beginning in 2026. Employer tax provisions The new law makes permanent the exclusion from gross income (for employees) and from wages for employment tax purposes (for employers) for employer payments of student loans. It also provides that the maximum annual exclusion of $5,250 be adjusted annually for inflation after 2026. In addition, the OBBBA permanently raises the maximum employer-provided child care credit from 25% to 40% of qualified expenses, up to $500,000 per year. (For eligible small businesses, these amounts are 50% and up to $600,000, respectively.) The maximum dollar amount will be adjusted annually for inflation after 2026. The OBBBA also makes permanent the employer credit for paid family and medical leave (FML) after 2025. Employers will also be allowed to claim the credit for a portion of premiums for paid FML insurance. Employee Retention Tax Credit If you filed an Employee Retention Tax Credit claim after January 31, 2024, you may not see your expected refund. The OBBBA bars the IRS from issuing refunds for certain claims submitted after that date. It also gives the IRS at least six years from the date of filing to challenge these claims. Miscellaneous provisions The OBBBA increases the limit on the business interest deduction by excluding depreciation, amortization and depletion from the computation of adjusted taxable income (ATI), starting in 2025. The deduction is generally limited to 30% of ATI for the year. The new law also makes permanent the excess business loss limit, which was set to expire in 2029. And it permanently extends the New Markets Tax Credit, which was scheduled to expire in 2026. What’s next? Since the OBBBA is simply extending or making relatively modest modifications to existing tax law, it probably won’t result in the years-long onslaught of new regulations and IRS guidance that followed the TCJA’s enactment. But we’ll keep you informed about any new developments. © 2025 

Ever since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was signed into law in 2017, estate planners have had to take into account a looming date: January 1, 2026. While the TCJA effectively doubled the unified federal gift and estate tax exemption to $10 million (adjusted annually for inflation), it also required the amount to revert to its pre-TCJA level after 2025, unless Congress extended it. This caused uncertainty for wealthy individuals whose estates may be exposed to gift and estate taxes if the higher exemption amount were to expire. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act, recently signed into law, provides a great deal of certainty for affluent families. Beginning in 2026, it permanently increases the federal gift and estate tax exemption amount to $15 million ($30 million for married couples). The amount will continue to be adjusted annually for inflation. If your estate exceeds, or is expected to exceed, the exemption amount, consider implementing planning techniques today that can help you reduce or avoid gift and estate taxes down the road. What if you’re not currently ready to give significant amounts of wealth to the next generation? Perhaps you want to hold on to your assets in case your circumstances change in the future. Fortunately, there are techniques you can use to take advantage of the higher exemption amount while retaining some flexibility to access your wealth should a need arise. Here are two ways to build flexibility into your estate plan. 1. SLATs If you’re married, a spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT) can be an effective tool for removing wealth from your estate while retaining access to it. A SLAT is an irrevocable trust, established for the benefit of your children or other heirs, which permits the trustee to make distributions to your spouse if needed, indirectly benefiting you as well. So long as you don’t serve as trustee, the assets will be excluded from your estate and, if the trust is designed properly, from your spouse’s estate as well. For this technique to work, you must fund the trust with your separate property, not marital or community property. Keep in mind that if your spouse dies, you’ll lose the safety net provided by a SLAT. To reduce that risk, many couples create two SLATs and name each other as beneficiaries. If you employ this strategy, be sure to plan the arrangement carefully to avoid running afoul of the “reciprocal trust doctrine.” Under the doctrine, the IRS may argue that the two trusts are interrelated and leave the spouses in essentially the same economic position they would’ve been in had they named themselves as life beneficiaries of their own trusts. If that’s the case, the arrangement may be unwound and the tax benefits erased. 2. SPATs A special power of appointment trust (SPAT) is an irrevocable trust in which you grant a special power of appointment to a spouse or trusted friend. This person has the power to direct the trustee to make distributions to you. Not only are the trust assets removed from your estate (and shielded from gift taxes by the current exemption), but so long as you are neither a trustee nor a beneficiary, the assets will enjoy protection against creditors’ claims. Hold on to your assets These strategies are just two that you can include in your estate plan to take advantage of the newly permanent exemption amount while maintaining control of your assets. Contact us for more details. © 2025 

Running a successful business calls for constantly balancing the revenue you have coming in with the money you must pay out to remain operational and grow. Regarding that second part, careful accounts payable (AP) management is critical to strengthening your company’s financial position. Proper AP management enables you to maintain strong relationships with vendors, suppliers and other key providers. It also helps ensure you avoid costly mistakes, prevent fraud and maintain a steady cash flow. Underperforming at AP management may hamper your ability to obtain the materials or services you need to operate, damage your business’s reputation, and trigger financial penalties or other losses. 3 building blocks No matter the size or type of company, most businesses’ AP management rests upon three fundamental building blocks. The first is documentation. You’ve got to accurately track how much your company owes and to whom. Every invoice must be matched with a purchase order and proof of receipt. Mistakes can be costly in ways that aren’t always obvious. For example, overpaying or double paying invoices drains cash flow unnecessarily, and these amounts can be difficult to recover. Implementing, maintaining and continuously improving a top-notch AP management system helps ensure you know exactly what you owe and when payments are due. The second building block is control of approvals. Before any invoice is paid, an authorized party in your business — whether it’s you or a trusted manager or other employee — should confirm it’s legitimate and matches the items ordered or services provided. This simple step is crucial to preventing payments for goods or services you never received, as well as to stopping fraud. The third building block is the timing of payments. Many new business owners want to pay invoices as soon as they arrive. However, doing so can consume liquidity and leave you in a difficult cash flow situation. Of course, waiting too long to pay can strain relationships with creditors, trigger late fees and force your company into suboptimal payment terms down the line. Striking the right balance is key. Best practices For small to midsize companies, adhering to just a few best practices can stabilize AP management and set you on a path toward refining your approach over time. Begin by centralizing your AP processes with a secure, consistent system for receiving, recording and approving invoices. Digitizing your AP records should make them easier to track and reduce the chances that an important invoice or document gets lost. Moreover, the right technology can help you analyze your payables to spot troubling trends or seize opportunities. AP software enables you to track key metrics over time. One example is days payable outstanding (DPO). It measures how many days it takes your business, on average, to pay creditors. Generally, the formula goes: DPO = (average AP / cost of goods sold) × 365 days  By regularly monitoring and benchmarking these and other relevant metrics, you can pinpoint optimal timing of payments, better manage cash flow and build your cash reserves. It’s also worth reiterating the importance of clear, comprehensive and strictly enforced payment approval policies. Carefully vet who within your business has the power to approve invoices. Some companies require more than one person to approve bills exceeding a certain dollar amount. To help prevent fraud, segregate or rotate duties related to receiving, recording and approving invoices. Regularly reconcile your AP ledger with supporting documentation, such as vendor statements, to catch signs of wrongdoing or errors. Improve, strengthen, optimize Many business owners avoid or underemphasize AP management because, let’s face it, no one likes paying the bills. However, allowing this area of your company to languish can lead to any number of financial misfortunes. We can review your AP processes and identify ways to improve data capture and efficiency, strengthen internal controls, and optimize payment timing to benefit cash flow. © 2025

Retirement planning is essential for all families, but it can be especially critical for couples where one spouse earns little to no income. In such cases, a spousal IRA can be an effective and often overlooked tool to help build retirement savings for both partners — even if only one spouse is employed. It’s worth taking a closer look at how these accounts work and what the contribution limits are. A spousal IRA isn’t a separate type of account created by the IRS, but rather a strategic use of an existing IRA. It allows a working spouse to contribute to an IRA on behalf of their non-working or low-income spouse. The primary requirement is that the couple must file a joint tax return. As long as the working spouse earns enough to cover both their own contribution and that of their spouse, both partners can take advantage of the retirement savings benefits offered by IRAs. Amount you can contribute For 2025, the contribution limit for both traditional and Roth IRAs is $7,000 per person under the age of 50. Those aged 50 or older can put away an additional $1,000 as a catch-up contribution, for a total of $8,000. This means that a married couple can potentially contribute up to $14,000 (or $16,000 if both are eligible for catch-up contributions) into their respective IRAs, even if only one spouse has earned income. The main advantage of a spousal IRA lies in its ability to equalize retirement savings opportunities between spouses. In many households, one spouse may have taken time off from paid work to raise children, care for an elderly family member or pursue other responsibilities. Without earned income, that spouse would traditionally be excluded from contributing to a retirement account. A spousal IRA changes that by allowing the working spouse to fund both accounts, helping both partners accumulate tax-advantaged savings over time. Income limits Spousal IRAs can be opened as either traditional or Roth IRAs, depending on the couple’s income and tax goals. Traditional IRAs offer the possibility of a tax deduction in the year the contribution is made, though this is subject to income limits, especially if the working spouse is covered by a workplace retirement plan. On the other hand, Roth IRAs are funded with after-tax dollars, so they don’t offer an immediate tax break, but qualified withdrawals in retirement are tax-free. Couples with a modified adjusted gross income under $236,000 in 2025 can make full contributions to a Roth IRA, with the eligibility phasing out completely at $246,000. It’s important to note that Roth IRAs aren’t subject to required minimum distributions during the original owner’s lifetime, while traditional IRAs are. Setting up a spousal IRA is straightforward. The account must be opened in the name of the non-working spouse, and the couple must ensure that contributions are made by the annual tax filing deadline, generally April 15 of the following year. Many financial institutions offer the option to open and fund these accounts online or with the help of a financial advisor. Plan for financial security In summary, a spousal IRA is a valuable financial planning tool that can help ensure both partners are saving adequately for retirement, regardless of employment status. With the increased contribution limits in 2025, this strategy is more powerful than ever for couples looking to maximize their long-term financial security. For tailored advice about retirement planning and taxes, contact us to help guide you based on your unique situation. © 2025 

On July 4, President Trump signed into law the far-reaching legislation known as the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). As promised, the tax portion of the 870-page bill extends many of the provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the sweeping tax legislation enacted during the first Trump administration. It also incorporates several of President Trump’s campaign pledges, although many on a temporary basis, and pulls back many clean-energy-related tax breaks. While the OBBBA makes permanent numerous tax breaks, it also eliminates several others, including some that had been scheduled to resume after 2025. Here’s a rundown of some of the key changes affecting individual and business taxpayers. Except where noted, these changes are effective for tax years beginning in 2025. Key changes affecting individuals Makes permanent the TCJA’s individual tax rates of 10%, 12%, 22%, 24%, 32%, 35% and 37% Makes permanent the near doubling of the standard deduction. For 2025, the standard deduction increases to $15,750 for single filers, $23,625 for heads of households and $31,500 for joint filers, with annual inflation adjustments going forward Makes permanent the elimination of personal exemptions Permanently increases the child tax credit to $2,200, with annual inflation adjustments going forward Temporarily increases the limit on the deduction for state and local taxes (the SALT cap) to $40,000, with a 1% increase each year through 2029, after which the $10,000 limit will return Permanently reduces the mortgage debt limit for the home mortgage interest deduction to $750,000 ($375,000 for separate filers) but includes mortgage insurance premiums as deductible interest Permanently eliminates the deduction for interest on home equity debt Permanently limits the personal casualty deduction for losses resulting from federally declared disasters and certain state declared disasters Permanently eliminates miscellaneous itemized deductions except for unreimbursed educator expenses Permanently eliminates the moving expense deduction (with an exception for members of the military and their families in certain circumstances) Expands the allowable expenses that can be paid with tax-free Section 529 plan distributions Makes permanent the TCJA’s increased individual alternative minimum tax (AMT) exemption amounts Permanently increases the federal gift and estate tax exemption amount to $15 million for individuals and $30 million for married couples beginning in 2026, with annual inflation adjustments going forward For 2025–2028, creates an above-the-line deduction (meaning it’s available regardless of whether a taxpayer itemizes deductions) of up to $25,000 for tip income in certain industries, with income-based phaseouts (payroll taxes still apply) For 2025–2028, creates an above-the-line deduction of up to $12,500 for single filers or $25,000 for joint filers for qualified overtime pay, with income-based phaseouts (payroll taxes still apply) For 2025–2028, creates an above-the-line deduction of up to $10,000 for qualified passenger vehicle loan interest on the purchase of certain American-made vehicles, with income-based phaseouts For 2025–2028, creates a bonus deduction of up to $6,000 for taxpayers age 65 or older, with income-based phaseouts Limits itemized deductions for taxpayers in the top 37% income bracket, beginning in 2026 Establishes tax-favored “Trump Accounts,” which will provide eligible newborns with $1,000 in seed money, beginning in 2026 Makes the adoption tax credit partially refundable up to $5,000, with annual inflation adjustments (no carryforwards allowed) Eliminates several clean energy tax credits, generally after 2025, including the clean vehicle, energy-efficient home improvement and residential clean energy credits Permanently eliminates the qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement exclusion Restricts eligibility for the Affordable Care Act’s premium tax credits Creates a permanent charitable contribution deduction for non-itemizers of up to $1,000 for single filers and $2,000 for joint filers, beginning in 2026 Imposes a 0.5% floor on charitable contributions for itemizers, beginning in 2026 Key changes affecting businesses Makes permanent and expands the 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction for owners of pass-through entities (such as partnerships, limited liability companies and S corporations) and sole proprietorships Makes permanent 100% bonus depreciation for the cost of qualified new and used assets, for property acquired after January 19, 2025 Creates a 100% deduction for the cost of “qualified production property” for qualified property placed into service after July 4, 2025, and before 2031 Increases the Sec. 179 expensing limit to $2.5 million and the expensing phaseout threshold to $4 million for 2025, with annual inflation adjustments going forward Increases the cap on the business interest deduction by excluding depreciation, amortization and depletion from the calculation of “adjusted taxable income” Permanently allows the immediate deduction of domestic research and experimentation expenses (retroactive to 2022 for eligible small businesses) Makes permanent the excess business loss limit Prohibits the IRS from issuing refunds for certain Employee Retention Tax Credit claims that were filed after January 31, 2024 Eliminates clean energy tax incentives, including the qualified commercial clean vehicle credit, the alternative fuel vehicle refueling property credit and the Sec. 179D deduction for energy-efficient commercial buildings Permanently renews and enhances the Qualified Opportunity Zone program Permanently extends the New Markets Tax Credit Permanently increases the maximum employer-provided child care credit to $500,000 ($600,000 for small businesses), with annual inflation adjustments Makes permanent and modifies the employer credit for paid family and medical leave Makes permanent the exclusion for employer payments of student loans, with annual inflation adjustments to the maximum exclusion beginning in 2027 Makes permanent the foreign-derived intangible income (FDII) and global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) deductions and the minimum base erosion and anti-abuse tax (BEAT) Expands the qualified small business stock gain exclusion for stock issued after the date of enactment Buckle up We’ve only briefly covered some of the most significant OBBBA provisions here. There are additional rules and limits that apply. Note, too, that the OBBBA will require a multitude of new implementing regulations. Turn to us for help navigating the new law and its far-reaching implications to minimize your tax liability. © 2025 

If your business occupies a large space and you’re planning to relocate, expand or renovate in the future, consider the potential benefits of the rehabilitation tax credit. This could be particularly valuable if you’re interested in historic properties. The credit is equal to 20% of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures (QREs) for a qualified rehabilitated building that’s also a certified historic structure by the National Park Service. A qualified rehabilitated building is a depreciable building that has been placed in service before the beginning of the rehabilitation and is used, after rehabilitation, in business or for the production of income (and not held primarily for sale). Additionally, the building must be “substantially” rehabilitated, which generally requires that the QREs for the rehabilitation exceed the greater of $5,000 or the cost of acquiring the existing building. Eligible expenses A QRE is any amount chargeable to capital and incurred in connection with the rehabilitation (including reconstruction) of a qualified rehabilitated building. Qualified rehabilitation expenditures must be for real property (but not land) and can’t include building enlargement or acquisition costs. The 20% credit is allocated ratably, to each year in the five-year period beginning in the tax year in which the qualified rehabilitated building is placed in service. Thus, the credit allowed in each year of the five years is 4% (20% divided by 5) of the QREs concerning the building. The credit is allowed against both regular federal income tax and alternative minimum tax. Permanent changes to the credit The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed at the end of 2017, made some changes to the credit. Specifically, the law: Now requires taxpayers to claim the 20% credit ratably over five years instead of in the year they placed the building into service, and Eliminated the 10% rehabilitation credit for the pre-1936 buildings. It’s important to note that while many individual tax cuts under the TCJA are set to expire after December 31, 2025, the changes to the rehabilitation tax credit aren’t among them. They’re permanent. Maximize the tax benefits Contact us to discuss the technical aspects of the rehabilitation credit. There may also be other federal tax benefits available for the space you’re contemplating. For example, various tax benefits may be available depending on your preferences regarding how a building’s energy needs will be met and where the building will be located. In addition, there may be state or local tax and non-tax subsidies available. Beyond these preliminary considerations, we can work with you and construction professionals to determine whether a specific available “old” building can be the subject of a rehabilitation that’s both tax-credit-compliant and practical to use. And, if you find a building that you decide to buy (or lease) and rehabilitate, we can help you monitor project costs and substantiate the project’s compliance with the requirements of the credit and any other tax benefits. © 2025 

There are numerous factors to consider when you decide to pull up roots and relocate to another state. Your estate plan likely isn’t top of mind, but it’s wise to review and update it when you move across state lines. Let’s take a closer look at a few areas you should consider as you reexamine your estate plan. Will’s language Before you begin, know that you won’t have to throw out your existing plan and start from scratch. However, you may need to amend or replace certain documents to ensure they comply with your new state’s laws and continue to meet your estate planning objectives. Begin by having your estate planning advisor review the text of your will. So long as it was properly drafted according to your previous state’s requirements, it generally will be accepted as valid in most other states. Nevertheless, it’s important to review your will’s terms to ensure they continue to reflect your wishes. For example, if you’re married and you move from a noncommunity property state to a community property state (or vice versa), your new state’s laws may change the way certain property is owned. Health care powers of attorney and advance directives Many estate plans include advance medical directives or health care powers of attorney. Advance directives (often referred to as living wills) communicate your wishes regarding medical care (including life-prolonging procedures) in the event you become incapacitated. Health care powers of attorney appoint a trusted agent or proxy to act on your behalf. Often, the two are combined into a single document. Given the stakes involved, it’s critical to ensure that these documents will be accepted and followed by health care providers in your new state. Although some states’ laws expressly authorize out-of-state advance directives and powers of attorney, others are silent on the issue, creating uncertainty over whether they’ll be accepted. Regardless of the law in your new state, it’s a good idea to prepare and execute new ones. Most states have their own forms for these documents, with state-specific provisions and terminology. Health care providers in your new state will be familiar with these forms and may be more likely to accept them than out-of-state forms. Financial powers of attorney Like wills, out-of-state financial powers of attorney will be accepted as valid in most states. Still, to avoid questions and delays, it’s advisable to execute powers of attorney using your new state’s forms, since banks and other financial service providers will be familiar with them. Review your plan regardless of your location When moving out-of-state, reviewing your estate plan can help safeguard your intentions and ensure your loved ones are protected. And even if you’re not moving to a new state, you should review your estate plan regularly to ensure it continues to meet your needs. Contact us with questions. © 2025 

The U.S. Senate passed its version of The One, Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB) by a vote of 51 to 50 on July 1. (Vice President J.D. Vance provided the tiebreaking vote.) At its core, the massive bill is similar to the bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last May. It includes extensions of many provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) currently set to expire on December 31. Both the House and Senate bills include some new and enhanced tax breaks. For example, they contain President Trump’s pledge to exempt tips and overtime from income tax for eligible taxpayers. Trump also made a campaign promise to eliminate tax on Social Security benefits. That isn’t included in either version of the bill. However, the Senate bill temporarily provides a $6,000 deduction for those age 65 and older for 2025 through 2028 for those with modified adjusted gross income of under $75,000 ($150,000 for married joint filers). The House bill expands the standard deduction for seniors but caps it at $4,000. In addition, the Senate’s version of the bill introduces other significant changes, including in the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap and the Child Tax Credit (CTC). SALT deduction cap A major sticking point in both branches of Congress is the SALT deduction cap. It’s currently set at $10,000 by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Lawmakers in high-tax states such as California and New York have long sought to increase (or even repeal) the cap. The House’s version of the bill proposes to permanently increase the cap to $40,000 for those making under $500,000. The Senate-passed bill also calls for increasing the cap to $40,000 for 2025, with an annual 1% increase through 2029. In 2030, the cap would revert to $10,000. It also calls for phasing out the deduction for individuals who earn more than $500,000 in 2025 and then annually increasing the income amount by 1% through 2029. Child Tax Credit (CTC) Under current law, the $2,000 per child CTC is set to drop to $1,000 after 2025. The income phaseout thresholds will also be significantly lower. And the requirement to provide the child’s Social Security number (SSN) will be eliminated. The House’s version of the OBBB would make the CTC permanent, raise it to $2,500 per child for tax years 2025 through 2028 and retain the higher income phaseout thresholds. It would also preserve the requirement to provide a child’s SSN and expand it to require an SSN for the taxpayer (generally the parent) claiming the credit. After 2028, the CTC would return to $2,000 and be adjusted annually for inflation. The Senate’s version of the bill would also make the CTC permanent, but would increase it to $2,200, subject to annual inflation increases. It would require SSNs for both the parent claiming the credit and the child. Next steps These are just a few of the provisions in the massive tax and spending bill. The proposed legislation is currently back with the House of Representatives for further debate and a vote. President Trump has set a deadline to sign the bill into law by July 4, but it’s currently uncertain if the House can pass the bill in time. Stay tuned. © 2025 

When many small to midsize businesses are ready to sponsor a qualified retirement plan, they encounter a common obstacle: complex administrative requirements. As a business owner, you no doubt already have a lot on your plate. Do you really want to deal with, say, IRS-mandated testing that could cause considerable hassles and expense? Well, you may not have to. If that’s the only thing holding you back, consider a safe harbor 401(k) plan. These plans are designed to simplify administration and allow highly compensated employees to contribute the maximum allowable amounts. Of course, you still must read the fine print. Simple trade-off Under IRS regulations, traditional 401(k) plans are subject to annual nondiscrimination testing. It includes two specific tests: The actual deferral percentage (ADP) test, and The actual contribution percentage (ACP) test. Essentially, they ensure that a company’s plan doesn’t favor highly compensated employees over the rest of the staff. If a plan fails the testing, its sponsor may have to return some contributions to highly compensated employees or make additional contributions to other participants to correct the imbalance. In either case, the end result is administrative headaches, unhappy highly compensated employees and unexpected costs for the business. Safe harbor 401(k)s offer an elegant solution to the conundrum, albeit with caveats of their own. Under one of these plans, the employer-sponsor agrees to make mandatory contributions to participants’ accounts. In exchange, the IRS agrees to waive the annual requirement to perform the ADP and ACP tests. With nondiscrimination testing off the table, you no longer need to worry about failing either test. And highly compensated employees can max out their contributions. Under IRS rules, these generally include anyone who owns more than 5% of the company during the current or previous plan year or who makes more than $160,000 in 2025 (an amount annually indexed for inflation). Important caveats Regarding the caveats we mentioned, the primary one to keep in mind is that you must make compliant contributions to each participant’s account. Generally, you may choose between: A nonelective contribution of at least 3% of each eligible participant’s compensation, or A qualifying matching contribution, such as 100% of the first 3% of compensation deferred under the plan plus 50% of the next 2% deferred. There’s also the matter of timing. Let’s say you want to set up and launch a safe harbor 401(k) plan this year. If so, you’ll need to complete all the requisite paperwork and deliver notice to employees by October 1, 2025, and contributions must begin no later than November 1, 2025. Providing proper notice is critical. You must follow specific IRS rules to adequately inform employees of their rights and accurately describe your required employer contributions. Potential pitfalls Perhaps you’ve already spotted the major pitfall of safe harbor 401(k)s. That is, you must commit to making qualifying employer contributions. And once you do, you generally can’t reduce or suspend them without triggering additional IRS requirements or risking plan disqualification. There are exceptions, but qualifying for them is complex and requires careful planning. In addition, your contributions are immediately 100% vested, and participants own their accounts. That means once you transfer the funds, they belong to participants — even if they leave their jobs. Bottom line The bottom line is safe harbor 401(k) plans can be risky for businesses that experience notable cash flow fluctuations throughout the year. However, if you’re able to manage the mandatory contributions, one of these plans may serve as a relatively simple vehicle for amassing retirement funds for you and your employees. We can help you evaluate whether a safe harbor 401(k) would suit your company. © 2025