You've heard the phrase "no tax on overtime" — but what does it actually mean on your tax return? The overtime deduction on taxes is a provision of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025. It lets eligible hourly W-2 workers deduct a portion of their overtime pay from federal taxable income for tax years 2025 through 2028.
This guide explains the overtime deduction in plain English — what qualifies, what taxes it reduces, what the income limits are, and how to claim it. For the numbers specific to your situation, use our free overtime tax savings calculator.
The Overtime Deduction in One Paragraph
The No Tax on Overtime deduction was created by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21), signed July 4, 2025, and codified as IRC §225 of the Internal Revenue Code. It allows non-exempt W-2 employees who receive FLSA overtime pay (time-and-a-half for hours over 40 per week) to deduct the premium portion of that overtime — defined as their regular hourly rate × 0.5 × overtime hours — from their federal Adjusted Gross Income. The deduction is capped at $12,500 per year for single and head-of-household filers, and $25,000 for married filing jointly, and is available for tax years 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028 only.
What Counts as the "Overtime Premium"
This is the most important concept to understand: the deduction is not your full overtime paycheck. It's only the premium portion — the extra half above your regular rate that you receive for working overtime.
Here's the clearest way to think about it: When you work an overtime hour at time-and-a-half, you receive 1.5× your regular rate. That 1.5× breaks down into two parts:
- 1.0× your regular rate — this is just your regular wages for that hour. It's fully taxable, same as if you'd worked it as a regular hour.
- 0.5× your regular rate — this is the "premium" you receive for working overtime. This is the deductible portion.
Example: A warehouse supervisor earns $24/hr. For each overtime hour, they receive $24 × 1.5 = $36. The deductible premium is $24 × 0.5 = $12. The remaining $24 (the regular rate portion) is still taxable. So the deduction for that one overtime hour is $12, not $36.
Who Can Claim It
Not every worker qualifies. The deduction has three strict requirements:
W-2 Employees Only
You must receive a Form W-2. Independent contractors (1099), gig workers, freelancers, and self-employed individuals do not qualify.
FLSA Non-Exempt
You must be classified as non-exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act — meaning you earn time-and-a-half for hours over 40 per week. Most salaried managers are exempt and cannot claim this deduction.
Not MFS
Married Filing Separately (MFS) filers are completely ineligible. Single, Head of Household, and Married Filing Jointly filers may qualify.
Income Below Phase-Out
Your MAGI must be below $275,000 (single) or $550,000 (MFJ) to receive any benefit. The deduction phases out starting at $150,000 / $300,000.
For a complete breakdown of eligible and ineligible worker types, see our full eligibility guide.
What Taxes Does It Reduce?
This is another point of confusion. The overtime deduction only reduces federal income tax. Here is a complete breakdown:
| Tax Type | Rate | Reduced by OBBBA? | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal income tax | 10%–37% (marginal) | Yes | The deduction reduces federal taxable income |
| Social Security (FICA) | 6.2% | No | FICA still applies to all overtime earnings in full |
| Medicare (FICA) | 1.45% | No | FICA still applies to all overtime earnings in full |
| State income tax | Varies (0%–13.3%) | No | No state has conformed as of 2026 |
The total FICA rate is 7.65% (6.2% + 1.45%), and it applies to all your overtime earnings regardless of the OBBBA deduction. State income taxes also continue to apply — check your state's tax laws for the latest. Our state tax guide tracks which states have proposed or enacted conformity legislation.
Income Limits and Phase-Out
The deduction is not available to high earners above certain MAGI thresholds. The phase-out reduces the deduction by $100 for every $1,000 of MAGI above the starting threshold:
- Single / Head of Household: Phase-out starts at $150,000 MAGI, deduction fully eliminated at $275,000.
- Married Filing Jointly: Phase-out starts at $300,000 MAGI, fully eliminated at $550,000.
- Married Filing Separately: Not eligible — $0 deduction regardless of income.
Example phase-out: A single filer with $200,000 MAGI is $50,000 over the $150,000 threshold. The deduction is reduced by $50,000 ÷ $1,000 × $100 = $5,000. If their qualifying premium was $8,000, the final deduction is $3,000. Our calculator handles this automatically.
How to Claim It
The overtime deduction is an above-the-line deduction — you don't need to itemize. You claim it on Schedule 1-A of Form 1040, which feeds into Line 10 as an adjustment to income.
For tax year 2025, your employer may have voluntarily reported your qualifying overtime premium in W-2 Box 14. Starting with tax year 2026, employers are required to report it in W-2 Box 12 Code TT. If your employer didn't report it for 2025, you can calculate it from your pay stubs per IRS Notice 2025-69.
For step-by-step filing instructions, including how to enter the deduction in TurboTax and other tax software, see our Form 1040 filing guide.
How Much Can You Save?
Your savings depend on your regular hourly rate, annual overtime hours, filing status, and marginal tax bracket. A few examples:
- Single filer, $25/hr, 10 OT hrs/week, 50 weeks: premium = $6,250 → savings ~$1,375 at 22%
- MFJ household, both spouses work OT, combined $20,000 premium: savings ~$4,400 at 22%
- Single filer, $40/hr, 12 OT hrs/week, 48 weeks: premium = $11,520 → savings ~$2,534 at 22%
See Exactly How Much You Can Save
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Calculate My Savings →Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the same as "no tax on overtime"?
The popular phrase "no tax on overtime" describes the OBBBA deduction, but it's slightly misleading. Technically, it's a deduction of the 0.5× overtime premium from federal taxable income — not a complete exemption from all taxes on all overtime pay. FICA (Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%) still applies to all overtime earnings, and no state has conformed to the federal deduction. A more accurate description is "reduced federal income tax on the overtime premium portion."
Is the overtime deduction permanent?
No. The OBBBA overtime deduction is a temporary provision covering tax years 2025 through 2028 only. Unless Congress acts to extend or make it permanent, the deduction expires after December 31, 2028. Workers who qualify should take full advantage during this window.
What is it in the Big Beautiful Bill? IRC §225?
Yes. The overtime deduction is codified in the Internal Revenue Code as Section 225 (IRC §225), added by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA, P.L. 119-21), which was signed into law on July 4, 2025. IRC §225 defines "qualified overtime compensation" as the premium portion of FLSA overtime paid to non-exempt W-2 employees — specifically, the regular rate × 0.5 × overtime hours.
Will the overtime deduction give me a bigger tax refund?
Likely yes, if your employer withheld federal income tax on your overtime pay throughout the year without adjusting for the upcoming deduction. The deduction reduces your federal tax liability below what was withheld, and the difference comes back as a refund when you file. Starting in 2026, employers may begin adjusting withholding to reflect the deduction, but in 2025 most workers will see the benefit primarily at tax filing time.
What does the overtime deduction mean on my tax return?
On your Form 1040, the overtime deduction means a portion of your overtime pay — specifically the 0.5× premium — is subtracted from your gross income before the federal income tax calculation. You enter it on Schedule 1-A, it flows to Form 1040 Line 10, and reduces your Adjusted Gross Income on Line 11. A lower AGI means a lower federal tax bill. The effect is the same as if you simply earned less income that year for federal tax purposes — though your actual paycheck is unchanged.