Preparing 2025 returns with 2026 in mind

Tax season has always been about accuracy. Make sure you get the numbers right and apply the right rules to ensure the return is filed on time.

But as you prepare 2025 tax returns, your role is expanding. Getting the return right is still essential, but it is no longer the full story. The bigger question is this: How will today’s return affect what your client owes next year under new federal tax rules?

The reason is simple. The new 2026 tax law changes take effect Jan. 1, 2026, and are already influencing planning conversations. That is why NATP’s Feb. 5 and on-demand webinar, 2026 Tax Changes Clients Need to Know, focuses on how tax professionals can identify planning opportunities while preparing 2025 returns.

With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) modifying key calculations and thresholds, the planning focus has shifted from expiring provisions to newly effective rules. This is the window where you can help clients adjust to avoid surprises.

Why preparing 2025 tax returns is now a tax planning tool

Filing season is one of the best times to identify tax planning opportunities for 2026 because you have something you rarely get at any other point in the year: complete and accurate financial information.

As you prepare returns, review:

• Income trends and fluctuations
• Business performance and expenses
• Dependents, childcare costs and household changes
• Deduction patterns and credit eligibility

That makes it easier to start the conversation about 2026 tax planning while the numbers are on the screen. Clients are also more engaged during tax season as they review their outcomes and ask why their refund changed or why they owe more.

How OBBBA changes the tax planning conversation

For years, planning often centered on what might expire or sunset. Many tax preparers built strategies around protecting a benefit before it disappeared.

OBBBA changes that approach. Instead of focusing primarily on expiring provisions, tax preparers should understand the new rules taking effect in 2026 and adjust client strategies accordingly.

Timing income, managing deductions, adjusting payroll or revisiting dependent care benefits in 2025 can all make a difference. NATP’s webinar highlights several federal tax changes taking effect in 2026. Some will affect nearly every taxpayer, while others will have the biggest impact on business owners and families. Here are three areas tax pros should be ready to address.

QBID changes and updates for 2026

Qualified business income deduction remains a major issue for pass-through businesses and self-employed clients. Under OBBBA, the 20% QBI deduction was made permanent. Changes to QBID calculations and related thresholds may affect who qualifies and the amount of benefit clients receive. Many tax pros are already searching for the QBID 2026 update because these changes may affect planning decisions.

During 2025 return preparation, consider reviewing:

• 2026 income projections for business clients
• Wage and qualified property limitations
• Entity structure and whether it still fits the client’s tax goals
• Timing and categorization of deductions
• Strategies to manage taxable income and keep clients in favorable ranges

Even clients who qualify for QBID in 2025 may see changes in 2026. Identifying those situations early gives you time to help them adjust instead of reacting after the fact. This is where small-business tax planning shifts from reactive to proactive.

Child and dependent care tax credit changes taking effect in 2026

Families with dependent care expenses should also be on your radar. Changes to the child and dependent care tax credit and updates to the dependent care benefit, taking effect in 2026, could affect the amount of benefit clients receive and whether current strategies remain effective.

During return preparation, this is a chance to help families:

• Review childcare and dependent care expenses
• Confirm how benefits will shift under federal tax changes in 2026
• Evaluate dependent care FSAs or employer plans
• Improve documentation and recordkeeping
• Adjust withholding to avoid cash flow surprises

For clients with children or dependents, these changes can affect refund expectations as the credit amount increases in 2026. They also create a clear opportunity for tax pros to offer guidance that clients will remember.

Other calculation changes that could shift 2026 tax results

OBBBA includes additional threshold and calculation updates that may create ripple effects across 2026 returns. These updates may influence phaseouts, credit eligibility or the amount of tax due, even for clients who are not in traditional planning categories.

Tax pros should watch for changes that impact:

• Adjusted gross income thresholds
• Credit phaseouts
• Withholding and estimated tax needs
• Deduction limitations
• Overall taxable income calculations

How to turn 2025 returns into tax planning opportunities for 2026

The best tax pros are already doing this. You do not need to create a separate planning season. You can build planning into your 2025 workflow by adding small, repeatable steps.

Consider these steps:

• Flag clients most likely to be impacted such as business owners and families.
• Run simple projections based on expected federal tax law changes 2026.
• Use return review meetings to ask planning questions.
• Offer follow-up planning sessions for clients who need deeper guidance.
• Document opportunities now while the client’s financial information is current.

These steps help you move from return preparer to trusted advisor while keeping the process efficient during filing season.

Want to learn more?

With the OBBBA reshaping key calculations and thresholds, tax professionals who understand 2026 tax law changes will be able to provide more value, strengthen client relationships and reduce surprises next year.

Join NATP’s Feb. 5 and on-demand webinar, 2026 Tax Changes Clients Need to Know, to get clear guidance on the most impactful 2026 federal tax law changes and learn how to identify planning opportunities while preparing 2025 returns.