What changes California residents need to know for the 2026 tax season
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What changes California residents for the 2026 tax season
Noe Padilla, USA TODAYJanuary 14, 2026 at 12:28 AM
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It's almost that time of year again, tax season.
Although it's a good idea to start collecting the forms needed to file one's taxes, it's important to first learn which tax credits are available to people in California and at the federal level.
There have been several changes to the U.S. tax code this year, due to the passage of President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill." Most of the changes won't take effect until Jan. 6, 2026; several could affect 2025 tax returns.
Here are key dates, changes and deadlines for readers to know before filing their 2025 income tax refund check this year.
When will the IRS accept my 2026 tax returns?
The 2021 tax season kicked off on Jan. 24, 2022. For most, the tax deadline to send your return is April 18, 2022.
The Internal Revenue Service announced that it will start accepting tax filings on Jan. 26, 2026.
When will California's 2026 tax portal open?
The California Franchise Tax Board opened its 2026 tax filing season on Jan. 7, 2026.
For qualifying residents, California offers a free service to file state tax returns. The service will open on Jan. 20, 2026, according to the California Franchise Tax Board's website.
To determine eligibility for the service, residents can check their eligibility on the California Franchise Tax Board website at www.ftb.ca.gov.
To avoid penalties for taxes owed to the state, California recommends that residents pay their outstanding balance by April 15.
When is Tax Day 2026? When is the last day to file my taxes?
Tax Day always falls on April 15, unless the day falls on a weekend. This year, Tax Day falls on a Wednesday.
All taxes are due on April 15, but the government allows people to request a six-month extension by filing IRS Form 4868 if they cannot file by Tax Day. With that extension, taxpayers will have until Oct. 15 to file their returns.
The IRS said it expects to receive about 164 million individual income tax returns in 2026, with most taxpayers filing electronically.Check if you qualify for the California Earned Income Tax Credit
Certain California residents may qualify for the state's earned income tax credit (CalEITC), depending on their family size and income.
According to the California Franchise Tax Board, to qualify for CalEITC, a person must meet all of the following requirements during the 2025 tax year:
They must be at least 18 years old or have a qualifying child.
They would have to earn between $1 and $32,900.
They must have a valid Social Security Number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.
They should have lived in California for more than half of the year for which they are filing.
They cannot be eligible to be claimed as a qualifying child or a dependent of another taxpayer.
For people who are married or a registered domestic partner, but are filing separately, they must meet all of the following requirements:
If they had a qualifying child who lived with them for more than half of the tax year, and:
They lived apart from their spouse for the last 6 months of the tax year, or
If they are legally separated via a written separation agreement or a decree of separate maintenance, and they have not lived in the same household as your spouse at the end of the tax year
If a person qualifies for CalEITC, they can receive a tax credit from $302 up to $3,756, according to the California Franchise Tax Board. They will be required to file Form FTB 3514 for 2025 when they file their taxes.
Do I qualify for the Youth Child Tax Credit in California?
If a parent is eligible for CalEITC and has a child under 6 years old at the end of the tax year, they may qualify for the state's Young Child Tax Credit.
California taxpayers could receive up to $1,189 per tax return for the 2025 tax year.
In order to qualify for this tax credit, California families must have earned an income of $32,900 or less, according to the California Franchise Tax Board.
Families who qualify must file Form FTB 3514 for 2025.
How Trump's “Big Beautiful Bill" changed the federal 2025 tax law
With the signing of President Trump’s “Big Beautiful Bill," there were several changes to the 2025 tax law; TurboTax has created a list of these changes for taxpayers to know about. Here are some changes readers should know about when preparing their 2025 taxes:
Taxpayers with an income under $150,000 will be able to deduct up to $25,000 of any income made via tips. In addition, taxpayers can deduct up to $12,500 of overtime income, according to TurboTax.
The Trump administration also increased the potential child tax credit a family can receive from $2,000 to $2,200 for qualified taxpayers.
The bill also created a temporary tax credit for taxpayers 65 and older with incomes under $75,000 or under $150,000 for Married Filing Jointly filers. A qualified taxpayer can deduct an additional $6,000 from their 2025 taxes.
Notably, the bill also ended the $7,500 federal Electric Vehicle Credit for electric vehicles purchased and registered after September 30, 2025.
In response to these cuts, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Jan. 9 that the state planned to spend $200 million to provide California residents with a replacement electric-vehicle tax credit.
It's unclear at the time of reporting how much the credits will be for taxpayers or when it will go effect.
Read about California's EV rebate: California wants to give EV rebates to car buyers
Do you qualify for Trump's savings accounts for children
When parents file their 2025 taxes, they can also complete Form 4547 to have the IRS create a Trump Account for their child.
To qualify, a child must not have turned 18 before the end of the calendar year and must have a valid Social Security number.
The U.S. government will deposit $1,000 into a Trump account for eligible children. This will also apply to U.S. citizen children born between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2028, according to the federal government.
Can I file my taxes for free?
The Internal Revenue Service has partnered with eight private companies to provide tax services to residents making up to $84,000. To learn more about these services, taxpayers can visit IRS Free File at IRS.gov.
Noe Padilla is a Northern California Reporter for USA Today. Contact him at [email protected], follow him on X @1NoePadilla or on Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When can you start filing taxes in California? Tips for Tax Day 2026
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