How To Get a Head Start on Your 2026 Tax Return in January — Tax Experts Share 8 Moves

Group 1 - The importance of early organization in tax planning is emphasized, with recommendations to create a checklist based on the previous year's return and to establish a dedicated digital folder for documents [2][3] - Gathering all necessary tax documents early, including W-2s, 1099s, and charitable receipts, is crucial to avoid delays and errors during the filing process [3] - Understanding new tax rules for 2026, particularly those introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, is essential for effective tax planning and maximizing deductions [4][5] Group 2 - The article suggests setting up an email folder for auto-generated acknowledgments from charitable organizations to streamline document management [3] - Keeping documents in digital format is recommended to facilitate easier collaboration with CPAs and to simplify the filing process [3] - Changes in tax rules may influence the timing of charitable contributions, with non-itemizers potentially postponing contributions to 2026 while itemizers may want to contribute before the end of 2025 [5]