You Could Save Thousands of Dollars This Tax Season (2026)…But Don’t Thank Trump

Tax season has arrived! Between now and April 15, you should plan to file your tax year 2025  taxes. Despite what you may have heard, the tax and budget law passed by Trump and congressional Republicans last year did not meaningfully improve tax benefits for most families, and in fact, has made it even harder for families to make ends meet. The real winners from the Big Ugly Law are billionaires and mega-corporations who will be receiving billions in dollars in tax breaks this tax season and in tax seasons to come.

Read below for more context on these recent tax changes, and follow our steps to make sure you don’t miss out on any current tax benefits for you and your family.

Claim Federal Benefits for Families

  • Do you have children? You may be eligible for the  Child Tax Credit (CTC), which provides families up to $2,200 for each child under the age of 17.
  • Did you have earned income in 2025? You may be eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), which provides up to $8,046 for workers raising children at home and up to $649 for workers who do not have children or aren’t currently raising children at home. The size of your credit will depend on your income, your marital status, and the size of your family.
  • Do you pay for child care so you can work or look for work? You may be eligible for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC), which provides up to $2,100 to help cover out-of-pocket child and dependent care expenses from 2025. This includes expenses for child care, babysitters, and summer camps.

Don’t Forget State Benefits

In addition to the federal tax credits, your family may be eligible for tax benefits through your state. State tax credits often mirror the federal tax credits, so if you are eligible for the federal CTC, EITC, or CDCTC, check to see if you are eligible for your state’s version as well.

  • 16 states (including the District of Columbia) have state CTCs.  Find out if your state has a CTC  here.
  • 32 states (including the District of Columbia) have state EITCs. Find out if your state has an EITC  here.
  • 30 states (including the District of Columbia) have state CDCTCs or other child and dependent care tax provisions. Find out if your state provides a state version of the CDCTC here.

Get Help Filing Your Taxes

Unfortunately, the Trump administration ended the tremendously successful Direct File program last year, which allowed taxpayers and families to file tax returns with the IRS quickly, easily, and for free. There is other preparation assistance still available, including through:

Make Sure the Tax Code Works for Families—Not Just the Wealthy Few

While we’re thinking about taxes, a reminder: In July of last year, congressional Republicans and Donald Trump passed massive tax cuts for billionaires and mega-corporations—at the expense of everyone else. To pay for these cuts, the Big Ugly Law makes drastic cuts to Medicaid, food programs, and higher education. And the few purportedly “pro-family” and “pro-worker” provisions in the law also give tax dollars away to businesses and the richest rather than everyday families.

While families with incomes in the lowest 10% will be worse off by $1,200 a year under this law (without even factoring in the effects of the Trump administration’s tariffs), the top 10% will receive on average an additional $13,600 per year. Even more egregiously, the top .01% will receive—on average—an additional $83,095 in a single year.

We don’t need any more tax breaks for billionaires. We need a tax code that works better for women and families, and ensures the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share.

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