2025 tax and economic outlook
Joseph Gianforte, CPA
Joseph Gianforte, CPA, is an experienced tax expert with a career spanning two decades. His career began with preparing tax returns for small businesses and their owners before progressing to serve high net worth individuals. For the past five years, Joseph has served as the Director of Advanced Philanthropic Accounting at Ren, specializing in high-level tax returns for trusts and private foundations. He also advises clients on charitable giving strategies and guides clients through Federal and state tax compliance matters.
Don’t miss this quick overview of what to expect in 2025, as forecasted by Ren’s in-house tax expert, Joseph Gianforte:
Key tax changes:
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- Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) Extensions: Many provisions from the 2017 tax reform will be extended through at least 2028, including:
- Individual tax rates (top rate remains 37%)
- Section 199A deduction for pass-through entities
- 60% AGI limit for cash contributions to public charities
- SALT Deductions: The $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions will be doubled.
- Estate Tax Exemption: Reduced from $27.98M for married couples but will remain above $10M.
- Miscellaneous Deductions: Investment fees and similar deductions will still be nondeductible.
- Tax Cuts & Jobs Act (TCJA) Extensions: Many provisions from the 2017 tax reform will be extended through at least 2028, including:
IRS and government outlook:
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- IRS Budget Cuts: Expect significant impacts on IRS functions:
- Long wait times for calls
- Delayed processing of paper-filed returns
- Elimination of the Direct File service after 2025 due to lobbying by tax prep firms.
- Social Program Reductions: Significant cuts in government funding will impact housing, education, food assistance, and charities, particularly those working with vulnerable populations.
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- Charities will increasingly rely on large donations from wealthy individuals rather than smaller contributions.
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- IRS Budget Cuts: Expect significant impacts on IRS functions:
Economic and industry trends:
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- Stock Market: The S&P 500 is expected to grow by 30%, with tech and AI driving growth.
- Cryptocurrency: Bitcoin to surpass $150,000, though the crypto space remains largely unregulated.
- Accounting Sector: Increased AI adoption will reduce demand for entry-level accountants in audit and tax functions.
- Experienced CPAs will see higher demand.
- At least one state will eliminate the 150-credit hour requirement for the CPA exam, potentially setting a trend for others.
Joseph Gianforte, CPA
Joseph Gianforte, CPA, is an experienced tax expert with a career spanning two decades. His career began with preparing tax returns for small businesses and their owners before progressing to serve high net worth individuals. For the past five years, Joseph has served as the Director of Advanced Philanthropic Accounting at Ren, specializing in high-level tax returns for trusts and private foundations. He also advises clients on charitable giving strategies and guides clients through Federal and state tax compliance matters.