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An unexpected tax bill can ruin anybody's day. To help avoid that unpleasant surprise, here are 12 easy moves many people can make to cut their tax bills throughout 2024.
In some cases, you must itemize rather than take the standard deduction to use these strategies, but the extra effort may be worth it.
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1. Tweak your W-4
The W-4 is a form you fill out to tell your employer how much tax to withhold from each paycheck.
If you’ve gotten a huge tax bill in the past and don’t want another surprise next year, raise your tax withholding amount so you owe less when it's time to file your tax return.
If you’ve previously gotten a big refund, do the opposite and reduce your withholding — otherwise, you could be needlessly living on less of your paycheck all year. You can change your W-4 any time.
2. Learn more about your 401(k)
Less taxable income means less tax, and 401(k)s are a popular way to reduce tax bills. The IRS doesn’t tax what you divert directly from your paycheck into a 401(k).
In 2024, you can funnel up to $23,000 per year into an account.
If you're 50 or older, you can contribute an extra $7,500 in 2024.
These retirement accounts are usually sponsored by employers, although self-employed people can open their own 401(k)s. And if your employer matches some or all of your contribution, you’ll get free money to boot.
» MORE: Try our retirement calculator
3. Look into an IRA
There are two major types of individual retirement accounts: Roth IRAs and traditional IRAs.
You may be able to deduct contributions to a traditional IRA, though how much you can deduct depends on whether you or your spouse is covered by a retirement plan at work and how much you make.
For example, in 2023 (taxes filed in 2024), you may not be able to deduct your contributions if you’re covered by a retirement plan at work, you’re married and filing jointly, and your modified adjusted gross income was $136,000 or more. For 2024 (taxes filed in 2025), the AGI limit rises to $143,000.
There are limits to how much you can put in an IRA, too:
For 2023, the limit is $6,500 per year ($7,500 for people 50 or older). For 2024, the limit is $7,000 per year ($8,000 for people 50 or older). You have until the tax filing deadline to fund your IRA for the previous tax year, which gives you extra time to take advantage of this strategy.
Note that the contribution limit is a combined limit. So, for example, you would hit the 2024 contribution limit if you put $3,000 into a traditional IRA and $4,000 into a Roth.
» MORE: How IRA contributions work
4. Save for college
Setting aside money for a child's tuition can shave a few bucks off of your tax bill, too. A popular option is to make contributions to a 529 plan, a savings account operated by a state or educational institution. You can’t deduct your contributions on your federal income taxes, but you might be able to on your state return if you’re putting money in your state’s 529 plan. Be aware, too, that there may be gift tax consequences if your contributions, plus any other gifts to a particular beneficiary exceed $17,000 in 2023. For 2024, the limit is $18,000.
5. Fund your FSA
The IRS lets you funnel tax-free dollars directly from your paycheck into a flexible spending account every year, so if your employer offers an FSA, you might want to take advantage of it to lower your tax bill.
In 2024, the limit is $3,200.
You’ll have to use the money during the calendar year for medical and dental expenses, but you might also be able to use it for related everyday items such as bandages, prescriptions, and glasses or contacts for yourself and your qualified dependents. Some employers might let you carry money over to the next year.
» MORE: How FSA and HSA contributions work
6. Subsidize your dependent care FSA
This FSA with a twist is another handy way to reduce your tax bill — if your employer offers it.
For 2024, the IRS will allow for the exclusion of up to $5,000 of your pay that you have your employer divert to a dependent care FSA account, which means you’ll avoid paying taxes on that money. That can be a huge win for parents of young kids, because before- and after-school care, day care, preschool and day camps usually are allowed uses. Elder care may be included, too.
What's covered can vary among employers, so check out your plan's documents.
Simple tax filing with a $50 flat fee for every scenario
With NerdWallet Taxes powered by Column Tax, registered NerdWallet members pay one fee, regardless of your tax situation. Plus, you'll get free support from tax experts. Sign up for access today.
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7. Rock your HSA
If you have a high-deductible health care plan, you may be able to lighten your tax load by contributing to a health savings account, which is a tax-exempt account you can use to pay medical expenses.
Contributions to HSAs are tax-deductible, and the withdrawals are tax-free, too, so long as you use them for qualified medical expenses.
For 2024, if you have a self-only high-deductible health coverage, you can contribute up to $4,150.
If you have a family high-deductible coverage, the contribution limit is $8,300 in 2024. If you're 55 or older, you can put an extra $1,000 in your HSA.
Your employer may offer an HSA, but you can also start your own account at a bank or other financial institution.
» MORE: How HSA contributions work
8. See if you’re eligible for the earned income tax credit (EITC)
The rules can get complex, but if you earned less than $63,398 in 2023, the earned income tax credit might be worth looking into.
Depending on your income, marital status and how many children you have, you might qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,430 for taxes filed in 2024.
For 2024 (taxes filed in 2025) the income limit is $66,819 and the maximum credit amount is $7,830.
A tax credit is a dollar-for-dollar reduction in your actual tax bill — as opposed to a tax deduction, which simply reduces how much of your income gets taxed. It’s truly found money, because if a credit reduces your tax bill below zero, the IRS might refund some or all of the money to you, depending on the credit.
9. Give it away
Charitable contributions are deductible, and they don’t even have to be in cash. If you’ve donated clothes, food, old sporting gear or household items, for example, those things can lower your tax bill if they went to a bona fide charity and you got a receipt.
For the 2023 tax year, you may be able to deduct 20% to 60% of your adjusted gross income for charitable donations, but this is if you itemize, versus taking the standard deduction.
Many tax software programs include modules that estimate the value of each item you donate, so make a list before you drop off that big bag of stuff at Goodwill — it can add up to big deductions.
» MORE: How tax deductible donations work
10. Keep a file of your medical expenses
If you’ve been in the hospital or had other costly medical or dental care, keep those receipts.
For taxes filed in 2024, you can deduct qualified medical expenses that are more than 7.5% of your adjusted gross income.
So, for example, if your adjusted gross income is $40,000, anything beyond the first $3,000 of your medical bills — 7.5% of your AGI — could be deductible. If you rang up $10,000 in medical bills, $7,000 of it could be deductible.
» MORE: How the medical expense deduction works
11. Consider selling those dogs weighing down your portfolio
Knowing you’re getting a tax deduction might make it a little easier to unload some of those bad stock picks that have been weighing down your portfolio.
You can deduct losses on stock sales, which can offset any taxable capital gains you might have. The limit on that offset is $3,000, or $1,500 for married couples filing separately.
One other note: If you decide to buy back your stock within 30 days, the IRS can take back your deduction.
» MORE: How tax-loss harvesting works
12. Get the timing right
From a tax perspective, there’s a huge difference between doing something by Dec. 31 and doing it a day later.
If you know an upcoming expense is going to be tax-deductible, think about whether you can pay for it this year rather than next year. Making January’s mortgage payment in December, for example, could give you an extra month’s worth of mortgage interest to deduct this year.
Similarly, if you know you’re near the threshold for the medical-expense deduction, moving that root canal up might make the pain more bearable if the cost suddenly becomes deductible, too.
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