The tax laws you follow depend on when your income was earned, not who is president
Tax rules do not change on Inauguration Day. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 set tax brackets, standard deductions, and other rules that applied to income earned from 2018 onward. Those rules are still in effect for the 2024 tax year and beyond, unless Congress passes a new law. No president can change tax law alone — only Congress can do that through legislation.
What has changed since 2017 is not the core tax structure, but specific provisions that were written to expire. The most visible one: the individual income tax cuts (the lower brackets and wider standard deductions) are scheduled to end after December 31, 2025, unless Congress extends them. After that date, tax brackets would return to their pre-2017 levels unless new legislation prevents it.
For your 2024 return, you are using the tax brackets and deductions that came from the 2017 law. Your filing status, number of dependents, and income level determine which bracket applies to you — not current political leadership.
Key Takeaways
- The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act set the tax rules you use today, and those rules remain in effect for 2024 tax returns.
- Individual income tax cuts from 2017 are set to expire after December 31, 2025, unless Congress votes to extend them.
- Tax law changes only when Congress passes legislation; the president cannot change tax brackets or deductions without Congress.
- Your 2024 tax bracket, standard deduction, and child tax credit amounts are all based on the 2017 law, not on current administration policy.
What the 2017 tax law changed and what stayed the same
The 2017 law lowered tax brackets across all income levels. For example, the top federal income tax rate dropped from 39.6% to 37%. The standard deduction roughly doubled: for single filers it went from $6,350 to $12,000 (and has risen slightly each year since for inflation). The child tax credit increased from $1,000 to $2,000 per child.
What did not change: the basic structure of how income tax works. You still report wages on Form W-2, self-employment income on Schedule C, investment income on Schedule D. You still file using your filing status (single, married filing jointly, head of household, and so on). The IRS still uses the same forms and processes.
One major change that did expire already: the pass-through deduction (Section 199A), which allowed business owners to deduct up to 20% of business income, was set to expire after 2025. Congress extended it in December 2024 through 2026, so it remains available for now.
When the 2017 tax cuts expire and what happens next
The individual income tax provisions from 2017 are set to expire on December 31, 2025. This means that starting with the 2026 tax year, tax brackets would widen (meaning you would owe more tax at each income level), the standard deduction would shrink, and the child tax credit would drop back to $1,000 per child — unless Congress votes to extend or modify these provisions before that date.
Congress has not yet voted on whether to extend these provisions. That decision will happen in 2025, likely in the fall. If Congress does nothing, the changes take effect automatically. If Congress passes a new law, the rules could stay the same, change partially, or change entirely.
For your 2024 return, this expiration does not affect you. You use the current brackets and deductions. But if you are planning for 2025 or beyond, it is worth watching for news about whether Congress extends these provisions.
How to find your current tax bracket and standard deduction
The IRS publishes updated tax brackets and standard deduction amounts every January for that year's tax returns. For 2024, you can find these on the IRS website under "Tax Brackets and Standard Deduction" or in the instructions to Form 1040.
Your tax bracket depends on your filing status and total income. The IRS provides a tax table in the Form 1040 instructions that shows which bracket you fall into. You do not need to calculate it yourself — tax software and tax preparers use these official numbers.
The standard deduction for 2024 varies by filing status and age. A single filer under 65 gets one amount; a married couple filing jointly gets a higher amount; a head of household gets a different amount. If you are 65 or older, your standard deduction is higher. The exact amounts are in the Form 1040 instructions and on the IRS website.
What changed under different administrations since 2017
Between 2017 and 2021, no major tax law changes affected individual income tax brackets or deductions. The 2017 law remained in effect.
From 2021 onward, Congress passed several laws that affected specific tax credits and deductions, but not the core brackets or standard deduction. For example, the American Rescue Plan temporarily expanded the child tax credit and the earned income tax credit for 2021. Those expansions ended after 2021, and the credits returned to their 2017 levels for 2022 and beyond.
The point: tax law changes when Congress passes new legislation, regardless of which party controls Congress or the presidency. No single administration has unilaterally changed your tax bracket since 2017.
How to stay informed about tax law changes
The IRS website (irs.gov) publishes updates to tax law as they happen. You can sign up for IRS email alerts, or check the "What's New" section before you file each year.
Tax software companies also notify users of changes. If you use TurboTax, H&R Block, TaxAct, or another platform, they update their software each January to reflect the current year's brackets and rules.
News outlets and tax publications cover major changes when Congress passes them. If you want to know whether Congress will extend the 2017 tax cuts past 2025, watching for news in fall 2025 will tell you what to expect for your 2026 return.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will my taxes go up in 2026?
Only if Congress does not extend the 2017 tax cuts before they expire on December 31, 2025. If Congress extends them, your 2026 taxes will use the same brackets and deductions as 2024. If Congress does nothing, your brackets will widen and your standard deduction will shrink, which means you would owe more tax. Congress has not yet voted on this.
Can the president change tax brackets without Congress?
No. The president can direct the IRS to enforce tax law differently in some cases, but cannot change the actual tax brackets, standard deduction, or tax credits. Only Congress can pass legislation that changes those numbers. This is true regardless of which party the president belongs to.
Do I use different tax forms depending on who is president?
No. Form 1040, Schedule C, Schedule D, and all other tax forms have remained the same since 2017. The forms themselves do not change based on administration. The instructions may be updated to reflect new law, but the basic forms stay consistent year to year.
What happens to my child tax credit after 2025?
If Congress extends the 2017 tax cuts, it stays at $2,000 per child. If Congress does not extend them, it drops to $1,000 per child starting in 2026. Congress will decide this in 2025, and you will know the answer before you file your 2026 return.
Where can I see the current tax brackets for 2024?
The IRS publishes 2024 tax brackets in the Form 1040 instructions and on irs.gov. Tax software also displays your bracket based on your income and filing status. You can also find them in the "Tax Brackets" section of the IRS website under "Individuals."