How To Get a Head Start on Your 2026 Tax Return in January — Tax Experts Share 8 Moves
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Jordan Rosenfeld
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Getting ahead on your taxes isn’t just about filing early. Tax experts say the most effective moves happen right at the start of the year, long before paperwork piles up or forms go missing. By taking a few intentional steps in January, you can smooth out your tax burden, reduce errors and make the 2026 filing season far less stressful. Here are eight smart ways to build momentum now.
1. Get Organized Early
The biggest January advantage to your tax planning is organization. Start the year by reviewing what you needed for last year’s return to create a checklist for this year, said Laurie Smith, tax partner at Wiss Private Client Advisors. Better yet, create a dedicated digital folder. This prevents scrambling in March or April and ensures every form and receipt is ready when you or your CPA needs it. Then, take time to review what’s next.
Brian Fine, CPA and partner at Alpine Mar, also stressed the value of early organization. He recommended creating “an accurate inventory of all the tax documents you expect to receive in early calendar year 2027, so you know exactly what to expect when the filing season for 2026 starts.”
2. Gather Every Document Early To Avoid Delays and Errors
Once you have your central folder, gather all the documents you’ll need, paper and digital, according to Mark Luscombe, principal analyst for Wolters Kluwer, tax and accounting division. This includes W-2s, 1099s, 1098s, K-1s and charitable receipts, which typically begin arriving between January and early February. Keeping all tax forms together dramatically reduces the chance of missing income, misreporting deductions or making filing mistakes that trigger IRS notices.
During the year, Smith also advised setting up an email folder to store auto generated acknowledgments from charitable organizations.
Keeping documents digitally whenever possible is best, Fine added. “This makes working with CPAs and completing your filings much easier and more streamlined.”
3. Understand New 2026 Tax Rules
Major provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), including deductions for seniors, changes to charitable rules and expanded state and local tax limits, will create the need for new planning strategies, Smith noted. January is the right time to learn what’s changing so you don’t miss deductions you could claim next year.
For example, some of the changes, such as the new above-the-line charitable deduction for non-itemizers, “might encourage non-itemizers to postpone charitable contributions to 2026” Luscombe said. While itemizers may want to make contributions before the end of 2025.
Fine pointed to several additional 2026 rule changes that may shift planning. For one, the IRS has increased the amount of money that taxpayers can pay into their 401(k) plans ($24,500, up from $23,500 for 2025) as well as the catch-up contribution for those 50 and older. He also noted that a new charitable giving rule is coming: “A new 0.5% floor for charitable contributions is scheduled to take effect for the 2026 tax year … Individuals will want to consider this as they plan their charitable giving for the year.”
4. Adjust Your Withholding or Estimated Payments
Reviewing W-4 withholdings or your estimated tax payment schedule in January helps even out your tax obligation over the year. “Increasing estimated tax payments on Jan. 15 can reduce possible underpayment of estimated tax penalties,” Luscombe said.
However, owing money on your last return isn’t the only sign that something needs adjusting. Smith pointed out, “If you had a large refund or owed a lot last year, you should ask: Why?”
Doing this early in the year can help taxpayers smooth out any tax burden over 12 months rather than scrambling at year-end.
5. Track Overlooked Deductions and Credits
Many deductions — such as the home office deduction, charitable gifts, education costs, child care credits and new OBBBA deductions — require documentation you don’t want to recreate months later. Start tracking in January to ensure accuracy and make these deductions easier to claim, both experts recommend.
Fine highlighted two commonly overlooked breaks. “Child and dependent care is certainly one,” he said, and “Health savings account (HSA) contributions are another important consideration at the beginning of the year.”
6. Maximize Retirement and HSA Contributions
January is an ideal moment to front-load contributions to IRA, 401(k) and HSA accounts, or create a monthly schedule, Luscombe suggested. These moves reduce taxable income, manage your gross income and give investments more time to grow.
“Contributing early in the year gives the investments more time to grow,” Smith added.
Additionally, Luscombe reminded, “Contributors to IRAs and 401(k) plans sometimes fail to think about additional catch-up contributions.”
7. Clean Up Business Records Early If You’re Self-Employed
Freelancers and small-business owners benefit significantly from early bookkeeping hygiene. Luscombe urged taxpayers to be sure they have a good record keeping system “and a segregated bank account for the business … that keeps personal income and expenditures separate from business.”
If you haven’t already, January is the time to open a dedicated business account, reset recordkeeping systems and create a filing structure that will last all year.
Accuracy matters for self-employed people especially, Fine noted. “Run your business clean … work with a reputable tax professional to ensure your tax return presentation is accurate and does not present information in a fashion that could trigger unintended questioning.”
8. Avoid Filing Mistakes
The biggest audit triggers are basic errors, Luscombe explained: missing forms, mismatched income, incorrect Social Security numbers or filing before everything arrives. “Take time to carefully review the accuracy of the tax return before filing,” he said.
Additionally, remember that it’s a lot easier if you keep records from the beginning of the year “versus trying to recreate and remember expenses,” Smith said.
January shouldn’t be the only month you think about taxes. “Tax return preparation is best treated as a year-round activity,” Luscombe said.
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