Are your finances ready for the end of the year? December brings many deadlines and lists; there are gifts to buy, holidays to plan, and vacations to organize. While financial planning should occur year-round, it often becomes top of mind as the year draws to a close. Even though the holiday season is a busy time, it’s important to take care of financial matters to save you time and money in the long run. Addressing the following five opportunities can help you start the new year on the right financial foot.
1. Check Your Tax Withholding
In order to avoid a large tax bill or even a penalty for underpaying, you may need to review your tax withholding for the year. Though withholding issues can affect anyone, they are most likely to affect those with less predictable incomes, such as business owners or salespeople who work on commission. If this applies to you, the income estimates you made earlier in the year may not be accurate. In the last months of the year, you can use the IRS’s withholding estimator to help ensure that no major tax issues come up in April.
2. Consider Year-End Gifting
Gifting allows you to give up to $19,000 per person, per year to an individual (usually a child or grandchild) without any tax consequences in 2025. Such gifts do not count against the lifetime estate tax exemption amount as long as they stay beneath the annual federal gift tax exclusion threshold. The gifting limit also applies to contributions made to 529 plans.
3. Plan Charitable Contributions
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed how many people approach their charitable gifting. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), passed in July of 2025, made several changes to the TJCA. For example, the OBBBA temporarily increases the SALT deduction to $40,000 for joint filers and from $5,000 to $20,000 for those married and filing separately for tax years 2025-2029. The SALT cap begins phasing down to $10,000 at an income level of $500,000. This might mean that more people are able to itemize again, but the following four techniques to support a person’s desire to give charitable may still apply:
- Bunching Charitable contributions – A technique that is seeing renewed interest is bunching charitable contributions every other year or even less frequently. However, the OBBBA made several changes to charitable giving. There is now a 0.5% adjusted gross income floor. This means itemizers can only get a benefit for itemized charitable deductions over 0.5% of their AGI. Furthermore, there is a limit on overall itemized deductions for taxpayers in the 37% tax bracket. It is important to consult with your tax preparer before using this technique.
- Donor-Advised Funds – Using the DAF method, you would contribute the equivalent amount of money of your normal charitable giving over a number of years and instruct the fund to spread that amount over a period of years to specific charities. You would itemize deductions in the year that you fund the DAF and use the standard deduction in other years.
- Qualified Charitable IRS Distributions (QCDs) – If a taxpayer meets the requirements, this is an excellent way to receive a tax benefit for those who are charitably inclined, regardless of whether they itemize. The regulations allow an IRA holder to make a distribution from their IRA directly to a qualified charitable organization.
- Non-Itemized Charitable Deductions – Starting in 2026, single filers who do not itemize can deduct $1,000 of cash donations to charity. The limit is $2,000 for married couples filing jointly.
According to a recent study by Psychological Science, the happiness of giving a gift actually outlasts the happiness of receiving gifts. If you’re looking to donate to charity this year, you’ll need to make your donation by December 31st in order to receive a donation receipt for this year.
4. Take Your Required Minimum Distribution
If you’re 73 or older and have a traditional IRA, the IRS requires that you take a distribution of a certain amount each year, also known as the Required Minimum Distribution (RMD). The amount of the RMD will vary and is based on multiple factors, including your age and the value of your IRA at the end of the previous year.
If you don’t take your RMD by year end, you’ll end up with a penalty. If you don’t need the funds, consider making a Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD). A QCD, also known as a charitable IRA rollover, turns your RMD into a charitable gift. You won’t pay taxes on a QCD, but you also can’t get a tax deduction.
5. Use Your Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
It’s important to review how much you have remaining in your FSA, since some or all of the funds in an employer sponsored FSA may not roll over to the next year. For a medical FSA, at the start of the year, you make an assumption about how much you’ll need for the year. Many people choose to overestimate, which may leave them with extra funds in the account at the end of the year.
It depends on the plan, but most plans only allow you to roll over $660 for 2025. If you have more than $660, you may want to buy any medicine or make any medical appointments prior to the end of the year. Dependent care FSAs typically don’t allow any rollover, though this is often less of an issue since you can often plan childcare costs more accurately ahead of time.
You can also save yourself some time, and potentially some money, by noting your current year’s FSA surplus or deficit and taking that into account for the next year.
Prioritize and Ask Questions
The end of the year is a busy time. Prioritize your financial needs to help save money, avoid penalties, and start off the new year with your finances in the best possible shape. For further guidance on year-end financial planning opportunities, contact us today.
Sources:
https://www.morganstanley.com/articles/fall-planning-for-your-finances
https://www.georgewealthgroup.com/article/2471-year-end-financial-planning-checklist
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/the-joy-of-giving.html
