As you are in the heat of another tax season, probably without enough help, you don’t have time to study legislation especially proposed legislation prospectively effective in 2025 that is extremely unlikely to pass. But you may have clients or friends or relatives who expect you to know about this sort of thing. Fortunately, you have me who retired from active practice right at the end of 2018 and has time for this sort of nonsense. So here is more than you need to know about the proposed Fair Tax Act of 2023.

2026 Changes to Form 2441 and Dependent Care Benefits
The credit for dependent-care expenses (such as daycare costs) has long been stuck at 20% for “average” taxpayers. It finally gets a permanent boost in 2026 (for returns filed in 2027). Also, the amount of money a taxpayer can put into a dependent care assistance program is increasing by $2,500 for 2026. This change presents a chance for taxpayers and tax pros to reevaluate which is better – claiming the credit or using a flex plan.


