Every year, taxpayers experience the same chaotic scramble: trying to track down a missing 1099, sorting through a box of receipts to find the single one that justifies a large expense, and going back and forth with an old employer to get the documents you need to complete a return.

The IRS raised the 401(k) employee contribution limit to $24,500 and the IRA limit to $7,500. There's also a new Roth catch-up rule for high earners, and some states handle contributions differently than the IRS does.

This year carries even more urgency than usual, as new limits from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OBBB) reset several key numbers for 2026, like SALT caps, the standard deduction, and retirement contribution limits— some of which are only changed for a limited time. Any strategy built on last year's thinking won't lower your tax bill like it did before.