Tax credits and deductions

A loss on a sale between certain family members or related entities is not deductible. Learn who counts as related and what the rule covers.

A recovery is money you get back for an amount you deducted or credited in an earlier year. Learn the tax benefit rule and the state tax example.

Investment expenses, investment interest, and bond premium rules for individuals, per IRS Publication 550 (2025).

How Form 8881 works for the small employer pension startup, auto-enrollment, and military spouse credits, per IRS instructions (Rev. Dec. 2025).

Who must file Form 6765 for the research credit, how the section 280C and payroll tax elections work, per IRS instructions (Rev. Dec. 2025).

When a corporation must attach Form 1118, how excess foreign taxes carry back one year and forward ten, and when the election can be made or changed (IRS).

The extra standard deduction for age 65 or older or blind, with 2025 amounts and filing thresholds, per IRS Publication 554 (2025).

Self-employed people can deduct health insurance premiums on Schedule 1, within limits. Learn the net profit rule, the employer-plan rule, and Form 7206.

The credit for the elderly or the disabled covers people 65 or older and some people under 65 on disability. Learn the age and income rules.

Charitable gifts are limited to a share of your AGI. Learn how Publication 526 sets the 60%, 50%, 30%, and 20% limits and the 5-year carryover.

People age 65 and older may claim an extra $6,000 deduction for 2025 through 2028. Learn who qualifies, how income limits work, and where to report it.

Schedule 8812 figures the child tax credit, the credit for other dependents, and the additional child tax credit. Learn the lines and the limits.

Schedule 3 lists credits that do not fit on the main form, plus some payments. Learn its two parts, the main lines, and where each total goes.

Self-employed or own a pass-through business? Learn how the qualified business income deduction works, its 20% limit, and when to use Form 8995.

Form 8995-A computes the QBI deduction when 2025 taxable income is above the threshold. Learn the wage limits and the service business rule.

Form 8962 reconciles the premium tax credit for 2025. Learn who must file, how it uses Form 1095-A, and where net credit and repayment go.

Form 8941 helps eligible small employers claim a credit for health insurance premiums. Learn the 2025 size and wage tests and where it goes.

Form 8936 claims the clean vehicle credits. Learn the September 30, 2025 cutoff, what counts as acquired, and where business use goes.

Form 8911 claims the credit for EV chargers and other refueling property. Learn the rates, the June 30, 2026 cutoff, and the census tract rule.

If the IRS reduced or disallowed the EITC or a child credit, Form 8862 may be required. Learn when to file it and the waiting periods.

Form 8859 claims a carryforward of the DC first-time homebuyer credit from 2024. Learn the lines, the 2024 limits, and where the amount goes.

Form 8846 gives certain employers a credit for social security and Medicare tax paid on employee tips. Learn who files it for 2025.

Form 8835 claims the renewable electricity credit for owners of qualified facilities. Learn who files, the Form 3800 link, and records to keep.

Form 8801 gives a credit for alternative minimum tax you paid in earlier years. Learn who files it, which lines matter, and where the credit goes.

Form 8396 figures the mortgage interest credit for homeowners with a Mortgage Credit Certificate. Learn the $2,000 limit and the Schedule A reduction.

Form 6198 limits a loss to the amount you have at risk. Learn who must file, what counts as not at risk, and how Part II differs from Part III.

The 2025 energy efficient home improvement credit covered insulation, windows, doors, heat pumps, and audits. Learn the limits and how Form 5695 works.

The 15-year repayment for a 2008 first-time homebuyer credit ended with the 2024 return. Learn when Form 5405 still applies in 2025, such as a home sale.

Form 4136 claims a credit for federal tax paid on fuel used in certain nontaxable business uses. Learn the eligibility check and the form's parts.

Form 3800 combines general business credits from other forms. Learn who must file it, how unused credits carry back or forward, and where it goes.

Form 1099-H reports health coverage tax credit advance payments made for you. Learn what each box shows and what to check.

Form 1099-DIV Box 7 shows foreign tax paid on your dividends. Learn Box 8 and the rule that can skip Form 1116 for small amounts.

Income tax you paid to another country may reduce your U.S. tax. Learn when Form 1116 is needed and when a simpler $300 or $600 rule may apply.

Eligible K-12 teachers and aides can deduct up to $300 of classroom costs paid out of pocket. Learn who qualifies and what counts.

A traditional IRA contribution may lower your taxable income. Learn how contributing differs from deducting, and which rules limit the deduction.

Deduct up to $2,500 of student loan interest, even without itemizing. See the 2026 income phase-out limits from Revenue Procedure 2025-32.

The Saver's Credit can lower your tax when you put money into an IRA or workplace plan. Learn who qualifies and the 50%, 20%, and 10% rates.

How the SALT deduction cap works for tax years 2025 and 2026, the income phase-down, which state and local taxes count, and when itemizing helps.

The 30% residential clean energy credit covered solar, wind, geothermal, fuel cell, and battery systems installed through 2025. Learn the rules.

How the 2025 no tax on tips and overtime deductions work: eligibility, caps, income phase-outs, W-2 and 1099 reporting, and Schedule 1-A.

How the mortgage interest deduction works: the $750,000 limit, points, home equity loan rules, Form 1098, Schedule A, and when itemizing helps.

Form 8606 tracks after-tax money in your traditional IRA, called basis. File it for nondeductible contributions, some withdrawals, or Roth conversions.

Form 1095-A reports your 2025 Marketplace coverage and feeds Form 8962. Learn what each part shows and what to do if the form is late or wrong.

How the earned income tax credit works on a 2025 return: who may qualify, 2025 maximum amounts, the investment income limit, and refund timing.

How the child tax credit works on a 2025 return: the $2,200 amount, the refundable part, the income rule, and the other dependent credit.

How the child and dependent care credit works for tax year 2026: Form 2441, qualifying persons, expense limits, employer FSAs, and provider TINs.

Compare the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit: who qualifies, the limits, the refundable part, and Form 8863.

How the adoption credit limit works, the 2026 income phase-out, the refundable part, carryforwards, and special needs adoptions on Form 8839.

A credit cuts your tax bill; a deduction cuts taxable income. See a worked example and learn how to compare the two for your own return.

Form 1098-T, education credits, and student loan interest for 2026 returns, with a worked example and a checklist to keep your paperwork tidy.

Standard deduction or itemizing? Learn the 2026 amounts, see a worked example, and use a simple four-step check to pick the larger deduction.

Who qualifies for the home office deduction? Learn the exclusive and regular use test, the $5-per-square-foot simplified method, and a worked example.

The Earned Income Tax Credit can be worth up to $8,231 for 2026. Learn the income limits, the no-child rules, and why eligible workers skip it.

The Child Tax Credit can be worth up to $2,200 per child for tax year 2026. Learn the age, residency, and Social Security number rules, with an example.