Lance's Corner

IRS Highlights Federal Budget Act Provisions

Jul 15, 2025

Per the notice below, the United States Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is highlighting certain tax provisions in the recently enacted federal budget reconciliation law.

One Big Beautiful Bill Act: Tax deductions for working Americans and seniors

Below are descriptions of new provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law on July 4, 2025, as Public Law 119-21, that go into effect for 2025.

“No Tax on Tips”

  • New deduction: Effective for 2025 through 2028, employees and self-employed individuals may deduct qualified tips received in occupations that are listed by the IRS as customarily and regularly receiving tips on or before December 31, 2024, and that are reported on a Form W-2, Form 1099, or other specified statement furnished to the individual or reported directly by the individual on Form 4137.
  • “Qualified tips” are voluntary cash or charged tips received from customers or through tip sharing.
  • Maximum annual deduction is $25,000; for self-employed, deduction may not exceed individual’s net income (without regard to this deduction) from the trade or business in which the tips were earned.
  • Deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers).
    • Taxpayer eligibility: Deduction is available for both itemizing and non-itemizing taxpayers.
    • Self-employed individuals in a Specified Service Trade or Business (SSTB) under section 199A are not eligible.  Employees whose employer is in an SSTB also are not eligible.
    • Taxpayers must:
      • include their Social Security Number on the return and
      • file jointly if married, to claim the deduction.
          • Reporting: Employers and other payors must file information returns with the IRS (or SSA) and furnish statements to taxpayers showing certain cash tips received and the occupation of the tip recipient.
          • Guidance: By October 2, 2025, the IRS must publish a list of occupations that “customarily and regularly” received tips on or before December 31, 2024.
          • The IRS will provide transition relief for tax year 2025 for taxpayers claiming the deduction and for employers and payors subject to the new reporting requirements.

        “No Tax on Overtime”

        • New deduction: Effective for 2025 through 2028, individuals who receive qualified overtime compensation may deduct the pay that exceeds their regular rate of pay – such as the “half” portion of “time-and-a-half” compensation -- that is required by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and that is reported on a Form W-2, Form 1099, or other specified statement furnished to the individual.
        • Maximum annual deduction is $12,500 ($25,000 for joint filers).
        • Deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $150,000 ($300,000 for joint filers).
        • Taxpayer eligibility: Deduction is available for both itemizing and non-itemizing taxpayers.
        • Taxpayers must:
          • include their Social Security Number on the return and
          • file jointly if married, to claim the deduction.
        • Reporting: Employers and other payors are required to file information returns with the IRS (or SSA) and furnish statements to taxpayers showing the total amount of qualified overtime compensation paid during the year.
        • Guidance: The IRS will provide transition relief for tax year 2025 for taxpayers claiming the deduction and for employers and other payors subject to the new reporting requirements.

        “No Tax on Car Loan Interest”

        • New deduction: Effective for 2025 through 2028, individuals may deduct interest paid on a loan used to purchase a qualified vehicle, provided the vehicle is purchased for personal use and meets other eligibility criteria.  (Lease payments do not qualify.)
        • Maximum annual deduction is $10,000.
        • Deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $100,000 ($200,000 for joint filers).
        • Qualified interest: To qualify for the deduction, the interest must be paid on a loan that is:
        • originated after December 31, 2024,
        • used to purchase a vehicle, the original use of which starts with the taxpayer (used vehicles do not qualify),
        • for a personal use vehicle (not for business or commercial use) and
        • secured by a lien on the vehicle.

        If a qualifying vehicle loan is later refinanced, interest paid on the refinanced amount is generally eligible for the deduction.

        • Qualified vehicle: A qualified vehicle is a car, minivan, van, SUV, pick-up truck or motorcycle, with a gross vehicle weight rating of less than 14,000 pounds, and that has undergone final assembly in the United States.
        • Taxpayer eligibility: Deduction is available for both itemizing and non-itemizing taxpayers.
        • The taxpayer must include the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the qualified vehicle on the tax return for any year in which the deduction is claimed.
        • Reporting: Lenders or other recipients of qualified interest must file information returns with the IRS and furnish statements to taxpayers showing the total amount of interest received during the taxable year.
        • Guidance: The IRS will provide transition relief for tax year 2025 for interest recipients subject to the new reporting requirements.

        Deduction for Seniors

        • New deduction: Effective for 2025 through 2028, individuals who are age 65 and older may claim an additional deduction of $6,000.  This new deduction is in addition to the current additional standard deduction for seniors under existing law.
        • The $6,000 senior deduction is per eligible individual (i.e., $12,000 total for a married couple where both spouses qualify).
        • Deduction phases out for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income over $75,000 ($150,000 for joint filers).
          • Qualifying taxpayers: To qualify for the additional deduction, a taxpayer must attain age 65 on or before the last day of the taxable year.
          • Taxpayer eligibility: Deduction is available for both itemizing and non-itemizing taxpayers.
          • Taxpayers must:
            • include the Social Security Number of the qualifying individual(s) on the return, and
            • file jointly if married, to claim the deduction.

          USDOL Issues Comprehensive Employer Guidance on Long COVID

          The United States Department of Labor (USDOL) has issued a comprehensive set of resources that can be accessed below for employers on dealing with Long COVID.

          Supporting Employees with Long COVID: A Guide for Employers

          The “Supporting Employees with Long COVID” guide from the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) and Job Accommodation Network (JAN) addresses the basics of Long COVID, including its intersection with mental health, and common workplace supports for different symptoms.  It also explores employers’ responsibilities to provide reasonable accommodations and answers frequently asked questions about Long COVID and employment, including inquiries related to telework and leave.

          Download the guide

          Accommodation and Compliance: Long COVID

          The Long COVID Accommodation and Compliance webpage from the USDOL-funded Job Accommodation Network (JAN) helps employers and employees understand strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID.  Topics include Long COVID in the context of disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), specific accommodation ideas based on limitations or work-related functions, common situations and solutions, and questions to consider when identifying effective accommodations for employees with Long COVID.  Find this and other Long COVID resources from JAN, below:

          Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities: Recommendations for Employers

          The research-to-practice brief “Long COVID, Disability and Underserved Communities” synthesizes an extensive review of documents, literature and data sources, conducted by the USDOL-funded Employer Assistance and Resource Network on Disability Inclusion (EARN) on the impact of Long COVID on employment, with a focus on demographic differences.  It also outlines recommended actions organizations can take to create a supportive and inclusive workplace culture for people with Long COVID, especially those with disabilities who belong to other historically underserved groups.

          Read the brief

          Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace

          The policy brief “Long COVID and Disability Accommodations in the Workplace” explores Long COVID’s impact on the workforce and provides examples of policy actions different states are taking to help affected people remain at work or return when ready.  It was developed by the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) as part of its involvement in USDOL’s State Exchange on Employment and Disability (SEED) initiative.

          Download the policy brief

          Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID

          The report “Understanding and Addressing the Workplace Challenges Related to Long COVID” summarizes key themes and takeaways from an ePolicyWorks national online dialogue through which members of the public were invited to share their experiences and insights regarding workplace challenges posed by Long COVID.  The dialogue took place during summer 2022 and was hosted by USDOL and its agencies in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Surgeon General.

          Download the report

          Working with Long COVID

          The USDOL-published “Working with Long COVID” fact sheet shares strategies for supporting workers with Long COVID, including accommodations for common symptoms and resources for further guidance and assistance with specific situations.

          Download the fact sheet

          COVID-19: Long-Term Symptoms

          This USDOL motion graphic informs workers with Long COVID that they may be entitled to temporary or long-term supports to help them stay on the job or return to work when ready, and shares where they can find related assistance.

          Watch the motion graphic

          A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure

          In the podcast “A Personal Story of Long COVID and Disability Disclosure,” Pam Bingham, senior program manager for Intuit’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Tech team, shares her personal experience of navigating Long COVID symptoms at work.  The segment was produced by the USDOL-funded Partnership on Employment and Accessible Technology (PEAT) as part of its ongoing “Future of Work” podcast series.

          Listen to the podcast

          HHS OIG Issues Annual Report on State MFCUs

          Per the notice below, the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has issued its annual report on the performance of state Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs).

          Medicaid Fraud Control Units Fiscal Year 2023 Annual Report (OEI-09-24-00200) 

          Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs) investigate and prosecute Medicaid provider fraud and patient abuse or neglect. OIG is the Federal agency that oversees and annually approves federal funding for MFCUs through a recertification process. This new report analyzed the statistical data on annual case outcomes—such as convictions, civil settlements and judgments, and recoveries—that the 53 MFCUs submitted for Fiscal Year 2023.  New York data is as follows:

          Outcomes

          • Investigations1 - 556
          • Indicted/Charged - 9
          • Convictions - 8
          • Civil Settlements/Judgments - 28
          • Recoveries2 - $73,204,518

          Resources

          • MFCU Expenditures3 - $55,964,293
          • Staff on Board4 - 257

          1Investigations are defined as the total number of open investigations at the end of the fiscal year.

          2Recoveries are defined as the amount of money that defendants are required to pay as a result of a settlement, judgment, or prefiling settlement in criminal and civil cases and may not reflect actual collections.  Recoveries may involve cases that include participation by other Federal and State agencies.

          3MFCU and Medicaid Expenditures include both State and Federal expenditures.

          4Staff on Board is defined as the total number of staff employed by the Unit at the end of the fiscal year.

          Read the Full Report

          View the Statistical Chart

          Engage with the Interactive Map

          GAO Issues Report on Medicaid Managed Care Service Denials and Appeal Outcomes

          The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) has issued a report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes.  GAO found that federal oversight is limited because it doesn't require states to report on Medicaid managed care service denials or appeal outcomes and there has not been much progress on plans to analyze and make the data publicly available.  To read the GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the first link below.  To read GAO highlights of the report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes, use the second link below.
          https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627.pdf  (GAO report on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)
          https://www.gao.gov/assets/d24106627_high.pdf  (GAO highlights on federal use of state data on Medicaid managed care service denials and appeal outcomes)

          CMS Issues Latest Medicare Regulatory Activities Update

          The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued its latest update on its regulatory activities in the Medicare program.  While dentistry is only minimally connected to the Medicare program, Medicare drives the majority of health care policies and insurance reimbursement policies throughout the country.  Therefore, it always pays to keep a close eye on what CMS is doing in Medicare.  To read the latest CMS update on its regulatory activities in Medicare, use the link below.
          https://www.cms.gov/training-education/medicare-learning-network/newsletter/2024-03-14-mlnc