OBBBA 2026 Tax Changes: The Complete Knowledge Guide
# OBBBA 2026 Tax Changes: The Complete Knowledge Guide
> **Quick answer:** The One Big Beautiful Bill Act permanently extended TCJA tax provisions for 2026. The standard deduction is now $32,200 for married filers, the Child Tax Credit increased to $2,200 per child, the estate exemption rose to $15 million per individual, the SALT cap jumped to $40,400, and seniors 65+ get a new $6,000 above-the-line deduction. Backdoor Roth conversions survived unchanged. How much of this did you already know? Most Americans can't identify more than three of these changes correctly — the [OBBBA 2026 tax knowledge quiz](/quiz/obbba-2026-tax-knowledge-quiz) will tell you exactly where you stand.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act — signed into law on July 4, 2025 — made the most sweeping changes to U.S. tax law since 2017. Every American who files a federal return is affected. Yet surveys consistently show fewer than 25% of taxpayers can correctly identify more than three major provisions of a new tax law in its first year. That gap costs real money.
## What Is the OBBBA and Why Does It Matter?
The OBBBA permanently extended the tax provisions originally introduced by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Without it, virtually every major TCJA provision would have "sunsetted" — expired — after December 31, 2025. That would have meant:
- Standard deductions cut roughly in half - The Child Tax Credit dropping from $2,000 back to $1,000 per child - The estate tax exemption reverting from $13+ million to approximately $7 million - Income tax brackets shifting upward, pushing more income into higher rates - The SALT deduction cap staying locked at $10,000 with no expansion in sight