HR 5334, the SEED Act of 2025, expands the existing educator expense deduction under federal tax law to explicitly include early childhood educators. It revises the Internal Revenue Code to cover expenses for "early childhood educators" and broadens the educational levels affected to include "pre-kindergarten through grade 12." This change allows early childhood educators (such as preschool teachers) to deduct work-related expenses like classroom supplies and professional development costs, which they previously could not claim under the existing deduction for "kindergarten through grade 12" teachers. The amendment applies to expenses incurred in taxable years beginning after December 31, 2024.
The Tax Relief for Fraud Victims Act helps individuals who suffer financial losses due to theft involving fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation by changing how they can claim tax deductions. It allows taxpayers to treat these theft losses as occurring when they discover them rather than when the theft happens, giving them more time to file for refunds. The bill also extends the deadline for filing refund claims related to these losses and provides special rules for withdrawing retirement funds to cover such losses without immediate tax penalties. Additionally, the legislation includes specific provisions for victims of pyrrhotite-related home damage, allowing them to claim deductions and file refunds based on discovery dates rather than the standard future effective date.
HR 8469 is an appropriations bill that allocates federal funds for military construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and several related agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2027. The bill provides substantial funding for military construction projects across all service branches, including new facilities, upgrades, and family housing for military personnel and their families. It also dedicates significant resources to the Department of Veterans Affairs to support a wide range of veterans' benefits, healthcare services (including community care, mental health, and care for toxic exposures), medical research, and the modernization of the veterans' electronic health record system. Additionally, the bill funds national cemeteries, the US Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, and the American Battle Monuments Commission, while setting administrative rules and conditions for how these funds can be obligated and spent. This legislation directly affects military members, veterans, and their families by providing the financial resources for their infrastructure, healthcare, and benefit programs.
This bill, the IRS Whistleblower Program Improvement Act, aims to strengthen protections and incentives for individuals who report tax violations to the Internal Revenue Service. It directly affects whistleblowers who submit information about tax evasion or avoidance schemes and the IRS officials who evaluate those reports. Key changes include requiring Tax Court reviews of whistleblower awards to be conducted de novo based on the original administrative record, granting whistleblowers anonymity before the Tax Court unless a societal interest outweighs potential harm, and adding interest to award amounts if the IRS delays providing preliminary recommendations. The legislation also modifies IRS annual reports to include descriptions of top tax avoidance schemes disclosed by whistleblowers and corrects a provision regarding attorney fee deductions for whistleblowers.
Clergy Act This bill establishes a two-year window for certain members of the clergy and Christian Science practitioners to revoke their exemption from Social Security and Medicare taxes on ministerial earnings. Under current law, such individuals who object to participation in public insurance programs on religious or conscientious grounds may apply to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an irrevocable exemption and will not receive Social Security or Medicare benefits in retirement unless they have qualifying credits from other employment. The IRS must develop a plan to inform members of the clergy and Christian Science practitioners of their eligibility to revoke prior exemptions, pursuant to the bill's changes.
This joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment prohibiting total federal expenditures for a year from exceeding the average annual federal receipts collected in the three prior years, adjusted for changes in the population of U.S. citizens and inflation. Expenditures for payment of debt and receipts derived from borrowing are excluded. Under the amendment, Congress may authorize specific expenditures in excess of the limit with (1) a roll call vote of two-thirds of each chamber, or (2) a roll call vote for any year in which a declaration of war is in effect. The amendment also prohibits any bill to levy a new tax or increase the rate of any tax from becoming law unless it has been approved by a roll call vote of two-thirds of the whole number of each chamber of Congress. The requirements take effect in the fifth year beginning after ratification of the amendment.
This joint resolution reinstates provisions of District of Columbia (DC) tax law to conform with federal tax law. As background, DC generally automatically adopts changes to federal tax law (known as rolling conformity). Therefore, upon enactment of the 2025 reconciliation act (commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act), many of its tax provisions became DC law. DC subsequently enacted its own legislation (the DC Income and Franchise Tax Conformity and Revision Temporary Amendment Act of 2025) that decoupled DC tax law from these federal provisions. This joint resolution nullifies the DC legislation, thereby generally realigning DC tax law with the tax provisions of the 2025 reconciliation act. Specifically, the joint resolution reinstates for DC provisions that • increase the higher basic standard deduction; • increase deductible charitable cash contributions (for taxpayers who take the standard deduction); • establish a $6,000 tax deduction for taxpayers 65 years and older; • allow a tax deduction of qualified tips, qualified overtime pay, and qualified car loan interest; • authorize an elective 100% depreciation allowance for nonresidential real property; and • authorize businesses to deduct 100% of research and experimental costs retroactive to tax year 2022. The DC legislation also amended several other provisions of DC tax law, including restoring the DC child tax credit. The joint resolution negates these changes.
Disaster Related Extension of Deadlines Act This act requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to treat the postponement of the federal tax return deadline due to a federally declared disaster or certain other events as an extension of such deadline for purposes of calculating the limit on a tax refund. The act also provides that the IRS’s deadline for sending certain notices includes such postponement. Under current law, a tax refund claim must be filed within three years of the date that the federal tax return is filed. (Some exceptions apply.) The tax refund amount generally is limited to federal taxes paid within the three years preceding the tax refund claim plus any extension of the federal tax return deadline (known as the lookback period). Under the law in effect prior to this act, the postponement of the federal tax return deadline is not an extension for purposes of the lookback period. Thus, under prior law, certain tax payments (e.g., amounts withheld from a paycheck for federal taxes) made before the federal tax return is filed may be outside the lookback period and non-refundable. Under the act, a federal tax return deadline postponed due to a federally declared disaster or certain other events must be treated as an extension of such deadline for purposes of the lookback period. Further, under current law, the IRS is required to mail a notice and demand for tax payment within 60 days of an assessment but not before the tax payment due date. The act provides that the tax payment due date includes the postponement of the tax payment deadline due to a federally declared disaster or certain other events.
Rescissions Act of 2025 This act rescinds specified unobligated funds that were provided to the Department of State, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), various independent and related agencies, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The rescissions were proposed by the President under procedures included in the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974. Under current law, the President may propose rescissions to Congress using specified procedures, and the rescissions must be enacted into law to take effect. Specifically, the act rescinds funds that were provided to the State Department or the President for Contributions to International Organizations; Contributions for International Peacekeeping Activities; Global Health Programs (excluding funds for programs addressing HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria, nutrition, or maternal and child health); Migration and Refugee Assistance; the Complex Crises Fund; the Democracy Fund; the Economic Support Fund (excluding funds for assistance to Jordan, Egypt, or the Countering PRC Influence Fund); Contributions to the Clean Technology Fund; International Organization and Programs; Development Assistance (excluding funds for Feed the Future Innovation Labs, the Countering PRC Influence Fund, or commodity-based food aid); Assistance for Europe, Eurasia, and Central Asia; International Disaster Assistance (excluding funds for commodity-based food aid); and Transition Initiatives. The act also rescinds funds that were provided for USAID Operating Expenses, the Inter-American Foundation, the U.S. African Development Foundation, the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
This bill extends tax filing deadline relief from 60 to 120 days for taxpayers affected by natural disasters. It allows states (or the District of Columbia) to request IRS postponements for disasters like hurricanes, floods, or droughts, rather than requiring federal disaster declarations. The change applies to all taxpayers in affected areas across all 50 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. The law modifies IRS rules under Section 7508A of the Internal Revenue Code to implement these longer, state-declared disaster extensions.
