CBIZ, a Top 10 Firm based in Cleveland, has released its 2026 Tax Planning Guide, offering a resource to help businesses and individuals navigate the extensive changes in the recently passed One Big Beautiful Bill Act and plan for next year.
The guide explains how the OBBBA is reshaping taxes and suggests strategies for preparing for 2026 and beyond. It includes insights on topics including net operating losses, Supreme Court decisions on tariffs, as well as AI and automation.
“The OBBBA represents one of the most significant overhauls to tax policy in recent years, and its effects will be felt across every industry,” said Joseph Perry, national leader of tax services at CBIZ, in a statement Wednesday. “Our 2026 Tax Planning Guide positions tax planning not as a year‑end checklist, but as a growth driver, inviting decision‑makers to turn complexity into clarity, and strategy into savings.”
Some of the highlights from the CBIZ 2026 Tax Planning Guide include:
Key OBBBA changes and effective dates: Major provisions include the immediate deductibility of domestic research and experimental expenses, the restoration of 100% bonus depreciation, the permanent expansion of Section 179 expensing, and increases to the estate and gift tax exemptions.
New and expanded tax incentives: Businesses and individuals can benefit from:
Qualified production property: Manufacturers are now eligible for a 100% deduction for the cost of new qualified production property where construction begins after Jan. 19, 2025, and before 2029.
Expanded qualified opportunity zones: Updated rules open new windows for capital‐gain deferral and reinvestment, especially for business and individual investors managing “trapped” gains.
Expanded 1202 qualified small business stock: The new QSBS rules provide potentially large tax exclusions for founders and investors, and now taxpayers must think about QSBS in estate and succession‑planning contexts.
New individual tax-advantaged provisions: The OBBBA includes higher state and local tax caps and new deductions for tip income and overtime pay, a temporary bonus deduction for seniors, and Trump accounts for children under eight, among others.
Post-OBBBA entity selection: The OBBBA implemented changes affecting both C corporations and pass-through entities, offering enhanced, new, or permanent tax benefits. This encourages businesses to reconsider which type of entity they should choose.
The OBBBA’s reach: sector-by-sector analysis: A detailed chart illustrates the impact of new provisions on major industries, helping organizations spot opportunities and set compliance priorities.
International updates: Global trade and tariffs aren’t just supply‑chain tactics — they’re tax‑planning drivers. Companies must account for tariff risks and potential trade‑policy shifts in their U.S. tax strategy.
CBIZ’s national tax office will be hosting a webinar this Thursday, Nov. 13, 2025, from 1-3 p.m. EST, during which experts, including former IRS commissioner Chuck Rettig, will share insights from the guide and discuss how the tax changes might affect business and personal finances. A registration link can be found here. The CBIZ 2026 Tax Planning Guide is available for download here.
