Some of the most effective tax moves are small and can be made year after year, adding up to saving significant money over time. Here are a few tax planning ideas for you to consider:

• Adjust your tax withholding. A big refund isn’t a bonus. It means too much tax came out of your paychecks all year. Adjust your withholding to match what you owe. This puts cash back in your pocket all year instead of waiting until spring.
  
  Result: Increasing your take-home pay by just $50 per month means an additional $3,000 stays in your pocket over five years.
• Increase retirement contributions. Traditional retirement contributions may reduce your current taxable income, so you’re building long-term retirement savings while potentially lowering today’s tax bill.
  
  Result: Contributing an extra $100 per month means you’ve added $6,000 to your retirement savings after five years, before any investment growth.
• Take advantage of HSAs or FSAs. If your health plan qualifies, an HSA lets you set aside money before taxes for medical costs. Whatever you don’t use this year stays in your HSA to use in the future. An FSA works similarly, but generally must be used within the year.
  
  Result: Setting aside $150 per month pretax in an HSA or FSA puts $9,000 towards medical costs over five years. You will pay medical expenses with money the IRS never taxed.
• Open or fund a 529 college savings plan. A 529 plan lets your education savings grow tax-free and qualifying withdrawals come out tax-free too. And many states offer a tax deduction for contributions. If your child doesn’t need all of it, unused funds can be rolled over into their own Roth IRA.
  
  Result: Contributing $100 per month adds $6,000 over five years before any investment growth.
• Give to your favorite charity. Beginning in 2026, you can deduct up to $1,000 in cash donations ($2,000 if married filing jointly) even when you take the standard deduction. So everyday giving can lower your taxes.
  
  Result: Donating $40 per month comes to $2,400 over five years of tax deductions that are now deductible even if you take the standard deduction. That’s a tax break on giving you may already be doing.
• Maximize available tax credits. Credits reduce your tax bill dollar for dollar so you don’t want to overlook them. Child and dependent care tax credits may be available if you have children or care for an aging parent. And if you have a child in college, education tax credits may offset some costs you already have.
  
  Result: A childcare credit worth $600 a year while your kids are young adds up to $3,000 over five years and gives you money back for expenses you were paying anyway.
• Review life changes annually. Marriage, a new baby, or a child heading to college can shift what you owe or what you qualify for. The tax implications of these can be easy to miss in a busy year. A quick annual review catches new credits or a needed withholding change while there’s still time to act.
  
  Result: Catching one missed credit can be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars over the years.

Small moves like these don’t require a complicated strategy. A little attention each year can help ensure valuable tax opportunities don’t slip through the cracks.