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Charitable Givers Get a New Tax Break
Beginning in 2026, taxpayers who take the standard deduction may deduct up to $1,000 of qualifying charitable contributions, or up to $2,000 for married couples filing jointly. Only cash contributions qualify, such as gifts made by check, debit or credit card, payment app or payroll deduction. Contributions of property, such as clothing, household items or securities, don’t qualify.
If you expect to claim the standard deduction, you may want to make qualifying charitable gifts before December 31. Doing so could reduce your taxable income while supporting causes that are important to you. Keep records supporting any deduction claimed. Contact the office with any questions.
New Law Expands Disaster Tax Relief
The Doug LaMalfa Federal Disaster Tax Relief Certainty Act was signed into law in September. It extends expanded personal deductions for disaster-related losses temporarily available under the Federal Disaster Tax Relief Act. Without the relief, victims of a federally declared disaster can deduct personal casualty losses only if they itemize deductions and only to the extent those losses exceeded 10% of their adjusted gross income (AGI).
The now-extended relief allows eligible disaster victims — generally for disasters starting December 28, 2019, through December 31, 2026 — to deduct qualified losses above $500 without itemizing and removes the 10% of AGI threshold for those losses. The law also extends the exclusion of qualified wildfire relief payments from taxable gross income. Contact the office for details.
Maximize Tax-Free Gifts of Ownership Interests in Your Business
Business owners may be able to transfer wealth more tax efficiently by gifting ownership interests to family members. For 2026, the gift tax annual exclusion is $19,000 per recipient.
Certain interests may qualify for valuation discounts. For example, a minority interest may qualify for a lack-of-control discount because the holder can’t dictate business decisions. A lack-of-marketability discount may apply when there’s no ready market for selling the interest. Assuming a combined discount of 25%, this year you could gift an interest worth up to $25,333 (on a controlling basis) tax-free because the discounted value wouldn’t exceed the $19,000 annual exclusion. Contact the office to learn more.
