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Working Harder Can Now Work in Your Favor: New Tax Breaks for Tips and Overtime

Recent temporary tax provisions for 2025–2028 create targeted relief for tipped workers and overtime pay. This post walks through how the tip phase-out works, compares a $30 versus $20 overtime exclusion with a practical example, and explains how to report the changes on Schedule 1-A so you and your payroll team stay compliant.

What changed for 2025–2028

Policymakers added temporary rules that (1) allow a partial exclusion of certain tip income that phases out as tips rise, and (2) raise the per-period overtime exclusion available in some circumstances. Employers and employees must reflect these adjustments on the new Schedule 1-A when filing federal returns during the window through 2028.

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Tip phase-out formula (how to calculate)

Use a two-step approach: compute the phase-out percentage, then apply it to the eligible tip exclusion. Formula (framework): phase-out % = MIN(100%, (Reported tips − Phase-out Start) ÷ Phase-out Range). Adjusted exclusion = Eligible exclusion × (1 − phase-out %). Example: if the phase-out starts at $6,000 with a $12,000 range, a worker reporting $12,000 in tips has phase-out % = (12,000−6,000)÷12,000 = 50%, so they claim half of the full exclusion.

Overtime: $30 vs $20 — a simple comparison

Compare two employers offering an overtime exclusion: one excludes up to $20 per pay period, the other up to $30. If an employee receives $50 of overtime in a period, taxable overtime under the $20 rule = $30; under the $30 rule = $20. That $10 difference reduces taxable wages, payroll-tax base, and can slightly boost take-home pay over the year.

Filing and documentation: Schedule 1-A

Schedule 1-A is the designated attachment to reconcile tip exclusions and overtime adjustments. Employers must report aggregate exclusions and provide employee-level worksheets on request. Keep timesheets, tip logs, and payroll records for at least four years and run reconciliations each quarter to avoid surprises at year-end.

In Moorpark, CA, restaurants, hotels, and catering firms should brief front-of-house staff and payroll vendors now. Local managers benefit from modeling cash-flow and payroll-tax impacts so scheduling choices reflect after-tax employee pay.

Bottom line: these temporary provisions through 2028 reward higher tip and overtime earnings in many cases, but the phase-out and reporting rules matter. Consult your tax advisor or payroll provider to run specific scenarios and update payroll systems before the next filing cycle.

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