Tax Planning Season Starts Now: OBBBA Decoded for 2025

The Clock Is Ticking: How to Use OBBBA Before 2025 Slips Away

August 3, 2025 

Tax season starts now.
We’re in August — and that means the window for proactive tax planning is officially open. And this year, what you do between now and December matters more than ever.

Why? Because on July 4, 2025, the federal government passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), one of the most sweeping and investor-friendly tax laws we’ve seen in a generation. But here’s the truth:

The biggest problem isn’t that tax law changes. The biggest problem is failing to plan before it does.

If you wait until the fourth quarter to take action, it’s already too late. Most CPA firms won’t even begin talking about tax planning until October — but by then, there’s no time left to implement the more advanced, layered strategies.

At Collective VFO, we specialize in helping business owners, investors, and high-net-worth families get ahead of the curve. Our Virtual Family Office model brings together your CPA, attorney, and investment team to execute tax strategies before the window closes.

Let’s Decode What OBBBA Means for You — and Why It’s Time to Act Now

1. Estate and Gift Tax Exemption Rises to $15M per Person (Starting 2026)

The new law increases the lifetime estate and gift tax exemption to $15 million per person, effective January 1, 2026. But don’t be fooled — Congress has a history of walking this number back depending on political and budget pressures.

✅ Planning Tip: Now is the time to explore:

• SLATs (Spousal Lifetime Access Trusts)
• Dynasty Trusts
• Valuation discounts for privately held business interests

Collective VFO coordinates legal, valuation, and CPA teams to ensure you secure and lock in current and future exemption values — before the IRS does.

2. QSBS Upgrades: Up to 100% Capital Gains Exclusion + $15M Issuer Limit

Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) rules were expanded dramatically:

• 50% exclusion after 3 years
• 75% after 4 years
• 100% after 5 years
• $15M cap per issuer, up from $10M

✅ Planning Tip: If you own or invest in startups or closely held companies, this is your window to structure appropriately. But you must meet very specific criteria — and early planning is essential.

We help entrepreneurs and investors document QSBS eligibility, structure entities properly, and maximize long-term tax-free growth.

3. Opportunity Zones: Now Permanent with Enhanced Rural Incentives

Opportunity Zones are now permanent, and investments in rural-designated OZs now receive additional capital gain incentives and depreciation benefits.

✅ Planning Tip: OZs are no longer just a niche investment trend — they’re a permanent tool for long-term tax deferral, depreciation, and impact investing.

Collective VFO vets and integrates OZ investments into broader planning, ensuring alignment with your income, estate, and business goals.

4. SALT Cap Adjustments, Charitable Floors, and Itemized Deduction Changes

High-income taxpayers have more flexibility — and more complexity — when it comes to deductions:

• The SALT cap (State and Local Tax deduction) has been adjusted upward
• New charitable deduction floors mean your giving must be better planned
• Itemized deduction limitations have changed, affecting high earners in particular

✅ Planning Tip: You may benefit from:

• Charitable deduction bunching
• Using Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs)
• Leveraging charitable trusts that preserve income or pass-through benefits

We help structure your giving and deductions to be both impactful and tax-optimized — with a team that understands both the rules and the math.

5. Business Tax Perks: 100% Bonus Depreciation + Better Interest Deduction Rules

Two major wins for business owners:

• Permanent 100% bonus depreciation
• Expanded interest deduction rules under Section 163(j)

But this isn’t just about buying a truck or new equipment. With the right strategy, these provisions can create massive deductions across multiple areas:

• Energy-efficient upgrades (potentially stacking with energy credits)
• Real estate portfolios — using cost segregation and accelerated depreciation
• Leasehold improvements to commercial properties
• Strategic capital expenditures to reduce pass-through or active income
• Lease-vs-buy decisions with real cash flow and tax implications

✅ Planning Tip: If you’re planning any major investments, restructuring loans, or expanding real estate or operating capacity — this is the time to act.

Collective VFO works with your advisors to layer in cost segregation, energy incentives, bonus depreciation, and financing strategies — ensuring you maximize your deductions and minimize friction.

Here’s the Bottom Line: The Clock Is Ticking

We’re in August. That means:

• September
• October
• November
• December

Four months. That’s all we have left to implement, not just plan. Legal documents take weeks. Valuations take time. Strategies like trust structuring, charitable giving, or bonus depreciation all require precise timing and documentation.

The biggest risk isn’t missing a deduction — it’s missing the opportunity to act.

Why Collective VFO Is Built for This Moment

Traditional CPAs are on a treadmill. They want to help, but they’re juggling too many clients and not enough bandwidth. And most business owners are stuck trying to coordinate disconnected professionals across legal, tax, and finance.

That’s why we built Collective VFO — to fill the gap between vision and execution.

Our membership model brings proactive strategy, implementation support, and a coordinated team that actually gets things done.

• 🧠 Strategy that moves beyond compliance
• 🛠️ Implementation before deadlines hit
• 🤝 Collaboration with your existing CPA, attorney, and advisors
• 📈 ROI-focused, multi-layered tax planning — done before it’s too late

👉 Click here to schedule your OBBBA Readiness Assessment with Collective VFO

(Let us quarterback your planning before the window closes.)

Because tax law will always change. The real question is: will you be ready when it does?