How to Get a Bigger Tax Refund: 12 Smart Tax Tips for 2026

April 15th (the tax deadline) is often one of the most dreaded days of the year. But luckily, the One Big Beautiful Bill has introduced plenty of changes to the tax code that can help boost your tax refund check in 2026. This article will break down how to get a bigger tax refund this year using 12 strategies.

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1. Make Sure You’re Claiming All Eligible Tax Credits

Tax credits and deductions both reduce what you owe, but they work differently. Understanding the difference can help maximize your refund:

• Tax deduction: Deductions lower your taxable income, which indirectly shrinks your tax bill. For example, if you earn $50,000 annually but claim $10,000 in deductions, then your new taxable income is only $40,000. Instead of paying taxes on $50,000, you pay them on $40,000.

• Tax credit: This reduces the actual amount of tax you owe dollar-for-dollar. For example, if your tax bill is $5,000 but you claim a $1,000 credit, then it directly reduces your tax obligation to $4,000.

Tax credits tend to be more powerful than deductions for most filers, so before you finalize your return, take time to review every credit you may be eligible for.

Some credits are even refundable, meaning you could get money back even if your tax liability is zero. For example, if you owe $1,500 in federal taxes and qualify for a $2,000 refundable credit, you'd receive a $500 refund. 

2. File Your Taxes for Free

Paying for tax preparation software eats into your refund, sometimes before the check even hits your bank account. 

The good news is that you may be able to file your federal taxes at no cost using the IRS Free File program. If you don’t qualify for the Free File program, then you can still explore affordable tax filing software to help lower your costs.

3. Don’t Miss the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC)

The Earned Income Tax Credit is one of the most valuable tax breaks available to working Americans, but roughly 1 in 5 eligible taxpayers don't claim it. If you’re eligible, then you may be able to claim the following credit amounts in 2025:

• No qualifying children: $649

• 1 qualifying child: $4,328

• 2 qualifying children: $7,152

• 3 or more qualifying children: $8,046

Again, since these are tax credits, they offer a dollar-for-dollar reduction to your tax bill.

To be eligible for the EITC, you need to have earned income from wages, tips or self-employment, and your adjusted gross income (AGI) must fall below certain thresholds based on your filing status and family size. The AGI limit ranges from $19,104 (single filers with no children) but goes up to $68,675 (married couples filing jointly with three or more qualifying children).

If you think you might qualify, it's worth running the numbers or using the IRS EITC Assistant to check.

4. Maximize Your Retirement Contributions

Contributing to a traditional individual retirement account (IRA) or pre-tax 401(k) can directly reduce your taxable income, which may translate into a bigger refund. For 2025, you can contribute up to $7,000 to a traditional IRA ($8,000 if you're 50 or older) and $23,500 ($31,000 if you're 50 or older) to a 401(k) plan.

Here's a tax tip that you may not know: you can still make IRA contributions for the 2025 tax year up until the filing deadline of April 15, 2026. So if you haven't maxed out your contributions yet, you still have time to lower your taxable income before filing.

5. Track and Deduct Student Loan Interest

If you're repaying student loans, you may be able to deduct up to $2,500 in interest paid during the year. Claiming this deduction would help reduce your adjusted gross income directly, which can then help you qualify for other income-based tax benefits as well.

6. Itemize Your Filing if It Saves You More Than the Standard Deduction

The standard deduction for 2025 is $15,750 for single filers and $31,500 for married couples filing jointly. About 90% of taxpayers take the standard deduction because it's simpler and often higher than their itemizable expenses. But if your deductible expenses exceed those numbers, itemizing could save you more. Common itemized deductions include:

• Mortgage interest

• State and local taxes 

• Charitable contributions 

• Certain medical expenses 

It’s a good idea to run the comparison every year, because your expenses and the standard deduction amounts change annually.

7. Take Advantage of the New Tips and Overtime Deductions

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced two temporary deductions that could significantly help hourly workers.

1. Deducting tips: Tipped workers can deduct up to $25,000 in qualified tip income. 

2. Deducting overtime pay: Employees who earn overtime pay covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act may deduct up to $12,500 in qualified overtime compensation ($25,000 for married couples filing jointly).

These deductions only apply to your federal income tax bill. Payroll taxes and potentially state income taxes may still apply to tip and overtime income.

8. Claim Education Credits if You or a Dependent Is in School

There are two education credits that can reduce your tax bill if you're paying for higher education: 

1. American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC): This credit covers up to $2,500 per eligible student in their first four years of college. It's calculated as 100% of the first $2,000 in qualified expenses plus 25% of the next $2,000. Up to 40% of it (or $1,000) is refundable.

2. Lifetime Learning Credit: This credit is geared toward graduate students, part-time learners and working professionals. It provides up to $2,000 per return (20% of up to $10,000 in qualified expenses) but is not refundable.

However, keep in mind that you can't claim both credits for the same student in the same year, so be sure to pick the one that benefits you more.

9. Deduct Business Expenses if You’re Self-Employed

If you freelance, do gig work or run a side business, you can usually deduct ordinary and necessary business expenses from your tax bill. Common deductions include:

• Any home office square footage

• Home office equipment

• Vehicle mileage for business use

• Necessary software subscriptions

• Equipment purchases 

• Professional development costs

10. Adjust Your Filing Status Carefully

Your filing status affects your tax rate, standard deduction amount and eligibility for certain credits. The four main filing status options are:

1. Single

2. Married filing jointly

3. Married filing separately

4. Head of Household

Explore the different 2025 tax brackets for different filers. In most cases, you will only qualify for one filing status. However, people with complicated relationships or multiple dependents may have more flexibility.

Filing as Head of Household, for example, offers a higher standard deduction ($23,625 for 2025) and more favorable tax brackets than filing as Single. To qualify, you generally must be unmarried (or considered unmarried), pay more than half the cost of maintaining a home and have a qualifying dependent. 

If you're unsure which status benefits you most, running your return both ways or consulting a tax professional can help.

11. Don’t Forget the New Senior Deduction

If you're 65 or older, the One Big Beautiful Bill introduced an additional $6,000 deduction for tax years 2025 through 2028. Married couples filing jointly where both spouses are 65 or older can claim up to $12,000. This is in addition to the standard deduction and the existing additional deduction for seniors. The deduction begins to phase out at a modified AGI of $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers. 

12. Deduct Interest on a New Car Loan

Another new benefit from the One Big Beautiful Bill: if you purchased a new vehicle assembled in the U.S. for personal use in 2025 through 2028, you may be able to deduct up to $10,000 in auto loan interest per year. This deduction phases out for single filers with a modified AGI above $100,000 and joint filers above $200,000.

How to Get a Bigger Tax Refund: File Accurately and Avoid Refund Delays

Even the smartest tax tips fall apart if your return has errors or is submitted late. Before you submit, double-check your Social Security number and those of any dependents, verify your bank routing and account numbers for direct deposit and make sure all income sources are reported. This helps ensure that you’ll get your refund as quickly as possible – and don’t lose unnecessary money to fees.

FAQs

How to get the most back on taxes? 

A few common tax tips to boost your refund include claiming every credit and deduction you're eligible for, contributing to pre-tax retirement accounts before the filing deadline and taking advantage of new deductions for tips and overtime pay (if you’re an hourly worker).

What deductions can I claim without receipts?

The IRS allows you to take the standard deduction ($15,750 for single filers, $31,500 for married filing jointly in 2025) without any receipts. If you itemize, you'll generally need documentation to support your claims.

What gives the biggest tax breaks?

Refundable tax credits typically offer the most bang for your buck, since they offer a dollar-for-dollar reduction to your tax bill. The EITC (up to $8,046), the Child Tax Credit (up to $2,200 per child) and the American Opportunity Credit (up to $2,500 per student) are among the most impactful.

How to get a bigger tax refund with no dependents?

Focus on maxing out your traditional retirement contributions, claiming the student loan interest deduction and taking advantage of the new overtime or tips deductions if they apply to you. 

Sources

• IRS.gov – One Big Beautiful Tax Bill Provisions

• IRS.gov – Free E-File Program

• IRS.gov – Retirement Contribution Limits

• IRS.gov – Education Credits

• IRS.gov – Federal Income Tax Rates and Brackets

• Bipartisan Policy Org – What’s Driving Higher Refunds in 2026?

• hrblock.com – One Big Beautiful Bill Breakdown

• turbotax.com – No Tax on Tips or Overtime

• cnbc.com – Earned Income Tax Credit Statistics