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It is February 2026. Tax season is underway, and like most people, you are gathering W-2s, 1099s, and receipts, trying to make sure nothing important is missing before your return is filed.

Every What many people do not realize is that this same stack of tax documents also provides one of the clearest snapshots of their financial life they will see all year. From an estate planning perspective, that snapshot is invaluable.has its own rhythm, milestones and turning points.
Continue Reading More than a Refund: The Strategic Link Between Tax Season and Estate Planning

On February 2, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) published a final rule, effective April 3, 2026, that targets a perceived “loophole” in the current regulatory statistical test applied to State proposals for health care-related tax waivers. The test is intended to make certain that non-uniform or non-broad-based health care-related taxes, authorized under a waiver granted by CMS, are “generally redistributive.” CMS claims the loophole impermissibly allowed some health care-related taxes to be imposed at…
Continue Reading CMS Issues Health Care-Related Tax Final Rule

The Internal Revenue Service issued the 2026 optional standard mileage rates today for computing the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical, or moving purposes.  The most notable change is the per mile increase for business use mileage.

Effective January 1, 2026, the optional standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

  • 72.5 cents per mile driven for business use.  This is an increase from the rate

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    Continue Reading IRS Releases New Mileage Rates for 2026

    President Trump signed H.R. 1 (commonly known as, the One Big Beautiful Bill) into law on July 4, 2025, which includes a no tax on overtime provision effective January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028.

    Under H.R. 1, employees can take an above the line deduction for “Qualified Overtime.”  The deduction is subject to annual caps and phaseouts based on adjusted gross income.

    What do employers need to know?

    1. “Qualified Overtime.”  Only overtime pay required by Section 7…
    Continue Reading No Tax on Overtime

    On November 14, 2025, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (“CMS”) issued a letter, which it describes as “preliminary guidance,” concerning two significant restrictions on Medicaid provider taxes set forth in H.R. 1, including: (i) a change in the indirect hold harmless threshold for provider taxes—which, in effect, prohibits states from increasing the rates of their current provider taxes beyond the rates in effect as of July 4, 2025, and prevents states from adopting any new provider taxes…
    Continue Reading CMS Provides Guidance Regarding Provider Taxes Under Sections 71115 and 71117 of H.R. 1

    W-2s and 1099s will not have new fields this year, but the IRS has now provided guidance on how employees can still claim tax deductions for tips and overtime pay.

    This is our fourth update on the evolving tips and overtime tax deductions under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). We’ve previously covered the overall impact on your compensation strategy, the proposed rules on qualified tips, and the initial transition relief on reporting requirements.

    As

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    Continue Reading IRS Announces 2025 Documentation Workarounds for Tips and OvertimeDeductions (Notice 2025-69)

    Closeup of Vote by Mail envelope
    Closeup of a Vote by Mail envelope, official balloting material - business reply mail, USPS first class mail.

    In August of this year, the US Post Office announced a new rule that included without much fanfare a MAJOR change in when letters are postmarked. Under this new rule, most letters will no longer be postmarked on the day the letter is received by a post office but instead postmarked a day later when the letter is processed at a regional mail processing facility.
    It is important that mailers understand the distinction between the date when the Postal…
    Continue Reading Postmark changes at the Post Office and late mail

    The clock is ticking on 2025 payroll reporting, but the IRS just threw employers a lifeline.

    If your organization has been struggling to understand how to implement the new tips and overtime reporting requirements from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB), you can breathe a temporary sigh of relief. The IRS has issued Notice 2025-62, providing penalty relief for the 2025 tax year while employers adapt to the tax reporting changes.
    What Changed With the OBBB
    When

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    Continue Reading IRS Provides Critical Transition Relief for New Tips and Overtime Reporting Requirements: What HR Needs to Know Now

    The Illinois Department of Revenue (“IDOR”) has announced the 2025 Illinois Tax Amnesty Program (the “Program”), authorized by the Illinois Tax Delinquency Amnesty Act. This limited-time program offers taxpayers a valuable opportunity to pay Eligible Tax Liabilities and have penalties and interest forgiven on taxes paid in full during the amnesty period, which runs from October 1, 2025, through November 17, 2025 (the “Amnesty Period”).
    Eligible Tax Liabilities
    The Program applies to most IDOR‐administered taxes, including individual and corporate…
    Continue Reading 2025 Illinois Tax Amnesty Program Provides Chance to Eliminate Penalties and Interest on Outstanding Tax Liabilities

    As we previously reported, on August 29, 2025, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit ruled that the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) does not authorize the president to impose the recent flurry of IEEPA-related tariffs. Following that ruling, the Trump administration sought review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

    On November 5, 2025, the Supreme Court shall hear the administration’s appeal. As many court observers expect the Supreme Court to issue a decision shortly after the

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    Continue Reading Requesting Trump Tariff Refunds Through Protest Filings

    Recent weeks and months have witnessed several Medicaid developments that may significantly impact Medicaid funding across the country. Not all of these developments are related to the Medicaid-related provisions of H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21 (July 4, 2025), otherwise known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill”). This article summarizes three developments that are unrelated to H.R. 1:

  • U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals (“Fourth Circuit”) remands intergovernmental transfer (“IGT”) funding case back to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid

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    Continue Reading Medicaid Developments Unrelated to Recent Congressional Actions

    On Friday, September 19, 2025, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued proposed regulations clarifying the “no tax on tips” provisions under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).

    Starting January 1, 2026, eligible tipped workers can deduct up to $25,000 each year in “qualified tips” from their federal taxable income through December 31, 2028. This will allow eligible tipped workers to take home more income each year. The deduction is retroactive to the beginning of the 2025 tax

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    Continue Reading IRS Issues Proposed Rules Clarifying the ‘No Tax On Tips’ Provisions Under President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill

    Over the past several months since the flurries of tariffs implemented by the Trump administration went into effect, we have noticed an uptick in questions regarding products used in agriculture. Specifically, on compliance strategies to mitigate the impact of these tariffs on business. Through the special provisions of the Harmonized Tariff Code of United States (HTSUS), 9817.00.50 and 9817.00.60, U.S. law provides a duty-free mechanism that allows eligible machinery, tools, and equipment that are genuinely used for farming

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    Continue Reading Duty-Free Entry for Products Used in Agriculture and Horticulture

    On September 19, 2025, the President signed an executive order directing the creation of a “Gold Card” program in which a one-million-dollar gift to the United States on behalf of an individual or two-million-dollar gift to the United States by an entity on behalf of an individual shall be treated as evidence of eligibility for an employment based first or second preference immigrant visa. The Department of Commerce, Department of State, and Department of Homeland Security have 90 days…
    Continue Reading White House Announces Gold Card Visa Program and Teases Upcoming Platinum Card Visa Program with Unique Tax Benefits

    Among the cacophony of campaign promises floated by then-candidate Trump prior to the 2024 presidential election, one drum beat steadily: A vow to implement a no-tax-on-tips and no-tax-on-overtime law.

    Martin Kuhn headshot

    Martin C. Kuhn, Marquette 2004, Marquette 2004, is the founder of Kuhn Law, in Milwaukee, where he has focused on labor and employment for 19 years.

    On July 4, 2025, oversized sharpie in hand, President Trump signed into law the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (OBBB),[1] endeavoring…
    Continue Reading One Big Beautiful Bill’s Impact on Tips and Overtime

    July 30, 2025

    On July 10, 2025, Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe signed into law House Bill 594 (the “Bill”), which effectively eliminates the capital gains income tax for individuals and an income tax deduction for corporations. Capital gains are the profit realized from the sale of capital assets such as stocks and bonds, other personal property, and many kinds of real estate.

    The law applies to short- and long-term capital gains, meaning individuals may deduct 100% of federally reported

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    Continue Reading Missouri Eliminates Income Tax on Capital Gains for Individuals