Millions of taxpayers could see a lower tax bill next year due to the so-called “big, beautiful bill” that was signed into law on July 4 by President Trump, with a recent analysis finding that every income group will see some savings.
On average, taxpayers will save about $2,900 per household in 2026, according to the analysis from the Tax Policy Center, a nonpartisan think tank focused on taxes. But higher-income Americans are more likely to see a bigger relative boost than lower-income households, their analysis found.
The new law extends the tax cuts in President Trump’s 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, with many of those provisions otherwise slated to expire at year-end. But the legislation also adds a bevy of new tax breaks, ranging from eliminating taxes on overtime and tips to lifting the state and local taxes deduction from $10,000 to $40,000.
About $6 of every $10 in tax breaks will go to the top 20% of households, or people who earn incomes of about $217,000 or more, the Tax Policy Center analysis found.
“Average tax cuts are generally larger as a percentage of after-tax income for higher income households than for lower income households,” it noted.
For instance, the typical household in the bottom quintile — those earning up to $34,600 per year — will save an average of about $150 in tax payments next year, or 0.8% of their income.
But those in the top quintile, or who earn $217,101 or more, will save an average of $12,540 next year, or 2.5% of their incomes, the analysis found.
To be sure, an individual’s tax savings next year will depend on a number of variables, such as their number of children, which allows people to claim the Child Tax Credit, or whether they can tap one of the new tax breaks, such as the elimination of taxes on some tipped income.
More than 6 in 10 adults said they believe the new law would do more to help wealthy Americans than other income groups, according to a July 18 poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs. About 60% said they expect the law will hurt low-income people, the survey found.
Aside from extending and instituting new tax cuts, the law also slashes spending in some social safety net programs, including Medicaid and food stamps.
