How 2026 tax changes could leave more money in your paycheck

Your paycheck could be a little bigger in 2026, even if you didn’t get a New Year’s raise. That’s because, in order to adjust for inflation, the Internal Revenue Service made some major changes to the tax code last year.

In case you missed it, the changes were announced back in October. Notably, the standard deduction for 2026 (to be filed in 2027)—which reduces the amount of your income you’ll be taxed on—will rise. “For tax year 2026, the standard deduction increases to $32,200 for...