Overtime pay is getting a tax break, and the IRS just answered a pile of questions about how it works.
The agency issued an updated FAQ for the 2026 tax year after the 2025 filing season left workers and employers scratching their heads. The rules are now clearer, but there is a catch: the number on your W-2 needs to be right, and checking it is on you.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, enacted in July 2025, created this deduction. The same legislation also established three additional temporary deductions: auto-loan interest, tip income, and a separate benefit for seniors aged 65 and up. These four breaks apply to tax years 2025 through 2028.
For overtime, single filers can claim up to $12,500, and married couples filing jointly can claim up to $25,000. But not every hour of overtime counts.
The deduction only covers the "overtime premium" - the extra half of the 1.5 rate that the Fair Labor Standards Act requires for non-exempt employees working more than 40 hours in a week. Say a worker earns $40 per hour normally and $60 per hour for overtime. Only the $20 premium counts toward the deduction, not the full $60 rate.
There is also an income limit. The benefit phases out for singles starting at $150,000 and for joint filers at $300,000.
For 2025 returns, the IRS and Treasury were not ready with employer reporting systems and forms, so workers had to figure out the amount themselves from pay stubs.
"We had to use people's pay stubs ... and make a best guesstimate as to what the amount of qualified overtime would be," said Tom O'Saben, a tax expert.
Among those claimants, 75% had income below $100,000, and 96% had income below $200,000.
For 2026, employers must report the qualifying overtime amount in Box 12 on W-2 forms. That shift should make things easier, but experts still want workers to stay alert.
"No tax on overtime can fit on a bumper sticker, but all of the terms and conditions that apply ... naturally led to lots of questions from workers and employers about what kind of overtime is eligible and what kind of reporting is required of employers," said Andrew Lautz, a policy expert.
The new reporting system is an improvement, but it is not foolproof. Tax experts recommend checking that Box 12 figure against your pay stubs before you file.
"I'm going to ask my clients to still bring those pay stubs, and let's spend a few minutes to [check] that number and see if it's accurate," said Tom O'Saben, a tax expert.
If the number is wrong - too high or too low - you cannot fix it yourself on your return. The IRS says workers must request a corrected W-2 from their employer instead of reporting a different amount on their own.
"If you see a mistake, you can't say 'we're going to correct that myself' and claim a different deduction amount," said Andrew Lautz, a policy expert.
There is also a risk that last year's self-calculated claims were off. O'Saben noted that the deduction taken in 2026 could end up being smaller than what was claimed in 2025, simply because those earlier calculations may have been incorrect.
Because these breaks apply only to tax years 2025 through 2028, the overtime deduction will expire unless Congress acts again. That makes accurate W-2 reporting especially important while the provision is in effect.
The bottom line: The overtime deduction means substantial savings for millions of workers, but it depends on accurate reporting. When your W-2 arrives for the 2026 tax year, take a few minutes to check that Box 12 amount against your pay stubs. A small mistake could cost you, and correcting it after filing is far more complicated.
