OBBBA Tax Changes for NJ Residents: Everything That Changed on July 4, 2025

What Is the One Big Beautiful Bill Act?

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025 (P.L. 119-21), is the most significant federal tax legislation since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. It permanently extended most TCJA provisions scheduled to expire at the end of 2025, added several new deductions, and made structural changes to the tax code.

For New Jersey residents, the analysis is complicated by NJ’s selective conformity to federal law. When Congress changes a federal provision, NJ independently decides whether to adopt, reject, or modify it. As of March 2026, NJ has not enacted conforming legislation for most OBBBA provisions. This means your NJ return may look very different from your federal return — sometimes in your favor, sometimes not.

OBBBA at a Glance: NJ Impact Summary

1. SALT Cap: $40,000 for 2025–2029

The original TCJA capped the state and local tax (SALT) deduction at $10,000. The OBBBA raised this cap to $40,000 for tax years 2025 through 2029, with a 1% annual inflation adjustment. For 2026, the cap is approximately $40,400.

The phase-down rule: For taxpayers with modified AGI above $500,000 (MFJ; $400,000 for single), the cap is reduced by 30 cents for every dollar of excess MAGI. The cap floors at $10,000. At approximately $600,000 MAGI, the entire OBBBA benefit is phased out.

The NJ BAIT bypass: The NJ Business Alternative Income Tax election lets pass-through entities pay NJ income tax at the entity level, converting it from a personal Schedule A deduction (subject to the SALT cap) into a business expense deduction (not subject to any cap). Even with the SALT cap at $40,000, BAIT remains essential for NJ business owners whose total SALT exceeds $40,000 — which includes most owners with significant NJ pass-through income. Read the full BAIT vs. SALT Cap analysis.

2. Bonus Depreciation: 100% Permanent

The OBBBA makes 100% bonus depreciation under IRC Section 168(k) permanent for qualified property placed in service after September 27, 2017. This reversed the scheduled wind-down (80% in 2023, 60% in 2024, 40% in 2025, 20% in 2026) — meaning companies that delayed equipment purchases to wait out the phase-down can now invest with certainty.

Qualifying property: MACRS property with a recovery period of 20 years or less, computer software, qualified improvement property (QIP), and certain film/television productions. Most equipment, machinery, vehicles under the weight threshold, and building interior improvements qualify.

The NJ add-back: New Jersey has never conformed to federal bonus depreciation. NJ requires a full add-back of bonus depreciation claimed under §168(k), then depreciates the property over its normal NJ MACRS life. This creates a permanent book difference between your federal and NJ returns that must be tracked annually.

For real estate investors, cost segregation studies now create immediate federal deductions on reclassified 5/7/15-year components while NJ requires straight-line MACRS. A $1M commercial property with a cost seg study might generate $150,000 in federal first-year deductions and only $15,000 in NJ deductions. See the full NJ cost segregation analysis.

3. QBI Deduction (§199A): Permanent

The 20% qualified business income (QBI) deduction is now permanent. Key OBBBA modifications:

• $400 minimum deduction for taxpayers with QBI below $2,000
• Expanded phase-in range for the W-2 wage limitation, allowing more taxpayers above the income threshold to claim a partial deduction
• Permanent threshold: The $197,300 (single) / $394,600 (MFJ) limit for specified service trades or businesses (SSTBs) is now inflation-indexed permanently

NJ does not conform. New Jersey has not adopted §199A. A sole proprietor with $200,000 in qualified business income who saves $8,800 in federal taxes from the QBI deduction saves nothing in NJ — and pays full NJ GIT on the entire $200,000. This is one of the most consequential NJ non-conformity issues for self-employed residents.

4. Section 179: $2.56M Federal Cap, $25,000 NJ Cap

Section 179 allows immediate expensing of qualifying business property. For 2026, the federal cap is approximately $2,560,000 (inflation-adjusted), with a phase-out beginning at $3,130,000.

New Jersey’s cap: $25,000. This is one of the most dramatic federal-state divergences in the code. A landscaping company investing $300,000 in equipment deducts $300,000 federally but only $25,000 in NJ. The remaining $275,000 is recovered through NJ MACRS depreciation over the asset’s useful life. Plan capital expenditures with your NJ depreciation schedule in mind, not just the federal deduction.

5. No Tax on Tips (IRC §224)

The OBBBA created a new above-the-line deduction for tip income under new IRC Section 224:

• Maximum deduction: $25,000 per year
• Tax years: 2025–2028 (four-year window; sunsets December 31, 2028)
• Phase-out: Begins at $150,000 AGI (single), $300,000 AGI (MFJ); reduced 25% for each dollar over threshold
• Qualifying tips: Cash tips received in industries covered by the IRS tip reporting rules (food and beverage, hospitality, personal care, beauty services)
• Employer reporting: Tips must be reported through the employer’s tip reporting system to qualify; unreported or under-reported tips do not qualify

Dollar example: A NJ server earning $45,000 in wages and $22,000 in reported tips. The full $22,000 is deductible (under the $25,000 cap). Federal savings at the 22% bracket: $4,840.

NJ conformity — the critical unknown: New Jersey has not enacted conforming legislation to adopt IRC §224 as of March 2026. NJ still taxes all tip income as ordinary income. The federal deduction does not reduce NJ taxable income. NJ servers and hospitality workers must report and pay NJ income tax on all tip income, including amounts deducted on the federal return. Watch for NJ legislative updates. Full analysis in our No Tax on Tips NJ guide.

6. No Tax on Overtime (IRC §225)

The OBBBA created a new above-the-line deduction for qualifying overtime pay:

• Maximum deduction: $12,500 (single), $25,000 (MFJ)
• Tax years: 2025–2028
• Phase-out: Begins at $150,000 AGI (single), $300,000 AGI (MFJ)
• FLSA-only: Only overtime pay earned under the Fair Labor Standards Act qualifies. Independent contractor overtime, exempt salaried employee overtime, and voluntary arrangements outside FLSA do not qualify.
• W-2 reporting: The IRS is expected to issue guidance requiring employers to separately identify qualifying overtime on W-2s. Until guidance issues, maintain payroll records showing FLSA overtime amounts.

NJ conformity: Same uncertainty as tips. NJ has not adopted IRC §225. Until NJ enacts conforming legislation, overtime remains fully taxable on the NJ-1040. A NJ manufacturing worker with $18,000 in FLSA overtime saves up to $3,960 federally (22% bracket) but pays full NJ income tax on the same amount.

7. Senior Bonus Deduction: $6,000 for Ages 65+

The OBBBA created a new $6,000 above-the-line federal deduction for taxpayers age 65 or older:

• Amount: $6,000 (single or one qualifying spouse), $12,000 (MFJ, both spouses age 65+)
• Tax years: 2025–2028
• Phase-out: Begins at $75,000 AGI (single), $150,000 AGI (MFJ); eliminated at approximately $175,000/$250,000
• Age qualification: Must turn 65 at any point during the tax year

NJ interaction: The federal senior deduction reduces only federal taxable income. However, NJ has its own retirement benefit: the NJ Retirement Income Exclusion excludes up to $100,000 of pension, annuity, IRA, and 401(k) income for NJ residents meeting the age and income thresholds. The two operate in parallel — claim the federal deduction on Schedule 1, and the NJ exclusion on the NJ-1040.

8. Vehicle Loan Interest Deduction: Up to $10,000

For the first time since 1986, personal vehicle loan interest is deductible under OBBBA:

• Maximum: $10,000 per year in interest paid
• Qualifying vehicle: New vehicle with final assembly in the United States
• Tax years: 2025–2028
• Phase-out: $100,000 AGI (single), $200,000 AGI (MFJ)
• Not available: Used vehicles, leased vehicles

NJ conformity for this provision is uncertain. Keep your vehicle loan statements and manufacturer assembly records. At 22% federal rate, $10,000 in deductible interest saves $2,200 in federal tax.

9. Child Tax Credit: $2,200, Permanent

The OBBBA permanently increases the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 per qualifying child (inflation-indexed from 2027). Phase-out thresholds remain at $200,000 (single) / $400,000 (MFJ).

NJ’s separate credit: NJ maintains its own Child Tax Credit of $1,000 per child under age 5 for NJ filers with income under $80,000. Claim the federal CTC on Form 1040 and the NJ credit on the NJ-1040 — they operate independently.

10. Estate Tax: $15 Million Exemption, Permanent

The OBBBA permanently raises the federal estate tax exemption to $15 million per person ($30 million per couple with portability), inflation-indexed from 2027. Before OBBBA, this exemption was scheduled to revert to approximately $7 million at the end of 2025.

NJ context: New Jersey repealed its estate tax in 2018. NJ residents who die after December 31, 2017 owe no NJ estate tax regardless of asset level. However, NJ’s inheritance tax remains in effect. NJ taxes transfers to Class C beneficiaries (siblings, step-siblings, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law) at 11–16% and Class D beneficiaries (all others) at 15–16%. Class A beneficiaries (surviving spouse, children, grandchildren, parents) pay no NJ inheritance tax. For NJ residents with significant assets, inheritance tax planning is still relevant even though the federal and NJ estate taxes are no longer issues.

11. Section 174 R&E Expenses: Immediate Expensing Restored

The TCJA required that domestic R&D expenditures be amortized over 5 years starting in 2022, reversing decades of immediate expensing. The OBBBA restores immediate expensing for domestic R&E costs in the year paid or incurred (foreign R&E is still amortized over 15 years).

NJ decouples. New Jersey has historically applied its own R&E rules independent of federal treatment. Consult a CPA for the NJ treatment of your specific R&E costs.

12. Miscellaneous Itemized Deductions: Permanently Eliminated

The TCJA temporarily suspended the 2%-floor miscellaneous itemized deductions (unreimbursed employee business expenses, tax prep fees, investment advisory fees). The OBBBA permanently eliminates these deductions — they will not return.

Business deductions unaffected: Schedule C, S-Corp, and partnership deductions for the same expenses are still valid. Self-employed individuals can still deduct CPA fees, professional development, and business-use expenses as business expenses.

NJ exception: NJ never fully adopted the TCJA suspension of miscellaneous itemized deductions. NJ taxpayers may still be able to claim certain unreimbursed employee business expenses on the NJ-1040 under NJ’s separate rules. This is a meaningful NJ-specific benefit that most DIY software does not flag.

13. Standard Deduction: Permanently Increased

The OBBBA permanently increased the standard deduction to a base of $15,000 (single) and $30,000 (married filing jointly), inflation-indexed. For 2025, the indexed amounts are $15,750/$31,500. For 2026, they are $16,100/$32,200. Without OBBBA, these amounts would have reverted to approximately $8,300/$16,600 after 2025.

NJ has no standard deduction. NJ does not allow a standard deduction on the NJ-1040. Every NJ filer must use NJ itemized deductions, regardless of the federal election. NJ itemized deductions include property taxes, mortgage interest (up to $25,000 for certain filers), and other NJ-specific items. The federal standard deduction increase has no effect on NJ liability.

14. Dependent Care FSA: $7,500 Starting 2026

The annual limit for employer Dependent Care FSAs increases to $7,500 starting January 1, 2026 (up from $5,000). This is a meaningful benefit for NJ working parents. At 22% federal + 6.37% NJ effective rate, the additional $2,500 in pre-tax FSA contributions saves approximately $710 in combined taxes. Update your open enrollment election before the deadline.

15. Trump Accounts (Section 530A): Child Savings Accounts

The OBBBA created a new type of account — officially “Money Account for Growth and Advancement” accounts — under new IRC Section 530A:

• Eligible: Children born January 1, 2025 through December 31, 2028
• Federal seed funding: $1,000 one-time federal contribution at opening (subject to appropriations)
• Private contributions: Up to $5,000/year from family
• Investments: Equity ETFs tracking broad U.S. markets
• Tax treatment: After-tax contributions; earnings grow tax-deferred; qualified distributions tax-free
• Available: Starting July 4, 2026 (one year after OBBBA signing)

Treasury guidance on custodians, investment options, and NJ treatment is pending. If you have an eligible child, note the July 4, 2026 availability date and watch for implementation guidance.

What the OBBBA Did NOT Change

Several key provisions remain unchanged and should not be confused with OBBBA changes:

• Federal corporate rate: Remains at 21%
• Long-term capital gains rates: 0%, 15%, 20% brackets — unchanged
• Net Investment Income Tax: 3.8% surtax on net investment income — unchanged
• Additional Medicare Tax: 0.9% above $200K/$250K — unchanged
• Social Security taxation: Unchanged federally; NJ still exempts Social Security from NJ GIT at all income levels
• Roth IRA rules: Contribution limits and income phase-outs adjusted only for normal inflation

NJ Conformity Summary (March 2026)

Frequently Asked Questions