The numbers at a glance
The 2026 figures are final: they belong on the return filed in early 2027. The 2027 figures are shown where the IRS has published them (Rev. Proc. 2026-35, November 5, 2026) and marked “to come” where it has not; the retirement-plan limits usually follow in November. State figures are updated as each state’s revenue department publishes them.
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard deduction, single | $16,100 | $16,600 |
| Standard deduction, head of household | $24,150 | $24,925 |
| Standard deduction, married filing jointly | $32,200 | $33,200 |
| Age-65 or blind add-on, single / each spouse | $2,050 / $1,650 | to come |
| Senior deduction, each person 65+ (shrinks above $75,000 / $150,000) | $6,000 | $6,000 |
| SALT cap (shrinks above $505,000 of income) | $40,400 | $40,804 (up 1%) |
| Charitable gifts without itemizing, single / joint | $1,000 / $2,000 | $1,000 / $2,000 |
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly | Head of household |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,400 | $0 – $24,800 | $0 – $17,700 |
| 12% | to $50,400 | to $100,800 | to $67,450 |
| 22% | to $105,700 | to $211,400 | to $105,700 |
| 24% | to $201,775 | to $403,550 | to $201,750 |
| 32% | to $256,225 | to $512,450 | to $256,200 |
| 35% | to $640,600 | to $768,700 | to $640,600 |
| 37% | over $640,600 | over $768,700 | over $640,600 |
| 0% long-term capital gains, taxable income up to | $49,450 | $98,900 | to come |
| Rate | Single | Married filing jointly |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | $0 – $12,800 | $0 – $25,600 |
| 12% | to $52,025 | to $104,050 |
| 22% | to $109,125 | to $218,250 |
| 24% | to $208,325 | to $416,650 |
| 32% | to $264,550 | to $529,100 |
| 35% | to $661,375 | to $793,650 |
| 37% | over $661,375 | over $793,650 |
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| 401(k), 403(b), 457 | $24,500 | to come |
| Catch-up at 50+ (ages 60–63) | $8,000 ($11,250) | to come |
| IRA (catch-up at 50+) | $7,500 ($1,100) | to come |
| HSA, self-only / family (catch-up at 55+, $1,000) | $4,400 / $8,750 | $4,500 / $9,000 |
| Charitable gift from an IRA (QCD), age 70½+ | $111,000 | to come |
| Social Security wage base | $184,500 | $192,300 |
| Child tax credit, per child (refundable part) | $2,200 ($1,700) | $2,300 ($1,800) |
| Dependent care FSA, per household | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual gift exclusion, per person | $19,000 | $20,000 |
| Estate and lifetime gift exemption | $15 million | $15.48 million |
| Form 1099-K (payment apps) | Over $20,000 and 200 payments | Same |
| Form 1099-NEC / 1099-MISC | $2,000 | to come (indexed from 2027) |
| 2026 | 2027 | |
|---|---|---|
| Social Security provisional income, single (50% / 85% tiers) | $25,000 / $34,000 | same (never indexed) |
| Social Security provisional income, joint | $32,000 / $44,000 | same (never indexed) |
| Medicare IRMAA begins above MAGI, single / joint (two-year lookback) | $109,000 / $218,000 | to come |
| Part B premium, standard / top tier, per month | $202.90 / $689.90 | to come |
| Massachusetts income tax rate (wages, interest, long-term gains) | 5% | 5% |
| Short-term capital gains rate | 8.5% | 8.5% |
| 4% surtax applies to taxable income over | $1,107,750 | to come |
| Personal exemption, single / joint | $4,400 / $8,800 | $4,400 / $8,800 |
| Dependent exemption, each | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Age 65 exemption, per person | $700 (draft form shows $1,700; verify) | $700 (verify) |
| Rental deduction cap (50% of rent) | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| Child and Family Tax Credit, per dependent | $440 | $440 |
| Earned Income Credit, share of federal | 40% | 40% |
| Senior Circuit Breaker Credit, maximum | $2,820 (2025 figure; 2026 to come) | to come |
| Estate tax: no tax on estates up to | $2,000,000 | $2,000,000 |
Already scheduled
These changes are already law, written to start or stop on a set date. Nobody has to vote on them.
- 2026–2027. Catch-up contributions go Roth for higher earners. If you are 50 or older and earned more than $150,000 in Social Security wages the year before, your 401(k) catch-up must go into the Roth side: no deduction now, tax-free later.
- 2027. The Saver’s Match replaces the Saver’s Credit: up to $1,000 deposited directly into your retirement account, phasing out by $35,500 of income single and $71,000 joint.
- 2027. A new federal scholarship tax credit, up to $1,700 for gifts to approved scholarship organizations. Whether your state opts in is up to each state. The $2,000 threshold for Forms 1099-NEC and 1099-MISC starts rising with inflation.
- End of 2028. The deductions for tips, overtime, car loan interest and the $6,000 senior deduction expire unless Congress extends them. Last birth year for the $1,000 Trump account deposit.
- 2027–2029. The SALT cap rises 1% a year, to about $41,600 in 2029. In 2030 it drops back to $10,000.
- Permanent, with no expiration date: the rates and brackets, the larger standard deduction, the $2,200 child tax credit, the $15 million estate exemption, the 20% deduction for business owners, and the charitable deduction for non-itemizers. “Permanent” means until Congress changes it.
Behind the scenes
A preparer works from two years of tables at once. The 2026 tables settle the return on the desk. The 2027 tables settle everything else raised in the same appointment: pension withholding, estimated payments, how far a Roth conversion can go before the next Medicare tier. When a 2027 figure hasn’t been published, the plan is built on the 2026 figure and flagged for a re-check in the spring.
Sources: IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-32 (2026 inflation adjustments) and Rev. Proc. 2026-35 (2027, released November 5, 2026); Rev. Proc. 2026-24 (2027 HSA limits); SSA (2027 wage base, October 14, 2026); IRS Notice 2025-67 (retirement limits); CMS 2026 Medicare premiums; Massachusetts revenue department publications for the state figures. 2027 figures will be added, and this page’s date updated, as each is published.