The Millionaires Surtax Act introduces a new 10% tax on the portion of an individual's income that exceeds $2 million. This surcharge applies to high-income taxpayers starting with taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026, but the threshold is lowered to $1 million for those filing separately. The law includes specific adjustments for nonresident aliens, citizens living abroad, and charitable trusts, while explicitly excluding this new tax from calculations for other federal credits.
The Ending the Carried Interest Loophole Act changes how the IRS treats partnership interests given to employees for their work, specifically targeting financial managers and investment professionals. Under the new rules, these individuals must pay ordinary income tax on the value of their partnership shares at the time they receive them, rather than waiting until they sell the shares to pay lower capital gains taxes. The law also establishes a 10-year window during which any future profits earned from these shares are taxed as ordinary income instead of capital gains. Additionally, the bill repeals an existing tax provision that previously allowed certain carried interest payments to be classified as capital gains.
The Enhanced Small Business Growth Act of 2026 increases tax benefits for domestic manufacturers by raising the qualified business income deduction rate from 20 percent to 30 percent. To qualify, a business must derive at least 85 percent of its income from manufacturing tangible property, with at least 20 percent of production costs incurred within the United States. These changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, and modify how the deduction is calculated to ensure it is applied correctly.
The Skill Savings Account Act of 2026 creates a new type of tax-advantaged account designed to help eligible U.S. employees save money specifically for qualified education expenses. Under this bill, both employers and employees can contribute cash to these accounts without immediately paying income tax, provided the total contributions do not exceed $5,250 for employer contributions and $10,000 for employee contributions in a single year. Funds withdrawn from the account must be used exclusively for education costs to remain tax-free; otherwise, the distribution is taxed as income and subject to an additional 20% penalty for beneficiaries under age 65. The legislation also establishes specific rules for trust management and requires the Treasury Department to issue regulations within one year of enactment.
The Tax the Grift Act imposes a 100 percent tax on any money received from a specific fund created by a civil lawsuit filed by the President against the Internal Revenue Service. This tax applies to all recipients of these payments and is treated as a standard income tax rather than a special exclusion. However, the bill also prevents these payments from being counted as taxable income, effectively nullifying the tax by allowing recipients to exclude the funds from their gross income. The law takes effect for any amounts received after the bill is enacted.
Clinical Trial Modernization Act This bill authorizes a grant program and provides certain exemptions to support the participation of individuals in clinical trials. Specifically, the bill authorizes a grant program to support outreach, education, and recruitment efforts for clinical trials that may benefit certain underrepresented populations or communities in need, such as rural or tribal areas. The bill also exempts from anti-kickback laws for federal health care programs (1) remuneration that is offered to cover participants' expenses to participate in clinical trials, (2) the provision of free digital health technologies to support participation of underrepresented populations in clinical trials, and (3) payment for participants' cost-sharing obligations in relation to clinical trials. Finally, the bill exempts up to $2,000 in remuneration that is received for participating in a clinical trial from income tax.
This bill, titled the "Millionaires Surtax Act," establishes a new 10% surcharge on high-income individuals. This additional tax applies to the portion of a taxpayer's "modified adjusted gross income" that exceeds $2,000,000 for married couples filing jointly, or $1,000,000 for single filers. The bill defines "modified adjusted gross income" with specific deductions and includes special rules for certain taxpayers, such as non-resident aliens and charitable trusts. If enacted, these changes would take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.
The Poll Worker Tax Cut Act (H.R. 8342) proposes to reduce the federal income tax burden for individuals who serve as temporary poll workers during elections. It amends the Internal Revenue Code to exclude compensation received by poll workers from their gross income for federal income tax purposes. However, this exclusion would not apply to employment taxes, meaning poll worker compensation would still be subject to taxes like Social Security and Medicare. These changes would take effect for compensation received after December 31, 2025.
The Working Parents Tax Relief Act of 2026 proposes to increase the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for eligible parents of young children. It raises the EITC credit percentage for families with one child under age four and provides similar increases for families with two or more children under age four, specifically for the youngest three children. The bill also increases the rate at which the credit phases out for these families, applying to the youngest three children under age four. Additionally, it creates a mechanism for taxpayers to elect to receive their EITC refunds in equal monthly payments. These provisions would take effect for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025.
This bill, known as the GRATS Act, modifies federal tax law regarding certain types of trusts and wealth transfer strategies, primarily affecting individuals who use these tools for estate planning. It introduces new requirements for Grantor Retained Annuity Trusts (GRATs), mandating a minimum 15-year term, fixed payments that do not decrease, and a minimum value for the portion gifted to beneficiaries. The bill also changes how transactions between a grantor trust and its deemed owner are treated, making them taxable sales rather than being disregarded for income tax purposes. Additionally, it specifies that if an individual pays the income taxes for a non-revocable grantor trust they control and is not reimbursed by the trust, that payment will be considered a taxable gift to the trust's beneficiaries. These changes apply to trusts created or contributions made on or after the bill's enactment.
