Key Takeaways
- Schedule 1-A is a new IRS form that attaches to Form 1040 to claim four OBBBA deductions: qualified tips, overtime premium pay, auto loan interest, and the senior bonus deduction.
- All four deductions are above-the-line - you claim them whether you take the standard deduction or itemize.
- The form has six parts. You only complete the sections that apply to your situation.
- The deduction amounts are: tips up to $25,000 per person, overtime premium up to $12,500 (single)/$25,000 (joint), auto loan interest up to $10,000, senior bonus $6,000/$12,000 (65+).
- All four deductions are temporary - 2025 through 2028 tax years only.
- Income phase-outs apply to all four deductions; thresholds vary by deduction type.
Four new tax breaks. One new form. If you received tips, overtime pay, financed a new American-made car, or are 65 or older, Schedule 1-A is your ticket to a lower tax bill for 2025 through 2028.
The IRS created Schedule 1-A specifically to handle the new deductions introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Think of it as a dedicated hub that calculates each deduction, applies the phase-out if your income is over the limit, and sends the total to Line 1 of Schedule 1 on your Form 1040.
Part of our OBBBA Tax Guide series — see all OBBBA provisions in one place.
The Four Deductions on Schedule 1-A
| Deduction | Max Amount | Phase-Out Starts | Expires |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qualified Tips | $25,000/person | $150,000 (single) / $300,000 (joint) | 2028 |
| Overtime Premium | $12,500 (single) / $25,000 (joint) | $150,000 (single) / $300,000 (joint) | 2028 |
| Auto Loan Interest | $10,000/year | $100,000 (single) / $200,000 (joint) | 2028 |
| Senior Bonus (65+) | $6,000 / $12,000 (joint) | $75,000 (single) / $150,000 (joint) | 2028 |
You only complete the parts that apply to you. A bartender who also bought a new Ford truck completes the tips and auto loan sections but skips the overtime and senior sections.
Part 1: No Tax on Overtime — The Premium Deduction
This is the most misunderstood of the four. The deduction does not apply to all overtime pay — only the premium portion. If you earn $20/hour and get paid $30 for overtime (time-and-a-half), only the extra $10 per hour is the premium you can deduct.
Who qualifies:
- Hourly and non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
- Workers whose overtime is mandated by FLSA (the premium over regular rate)
- Both W-2 employees and certain 1099 workers where FLSA-equivalent overtime applies
Who does not qualify:
- Salaried employees who are FLSA-exempt (most managers, professionals, executives earning over $684/week)
- Workers who receive bonuses called “overtime” but not subject to FLSA mandates
- Self-employed individuals (no employer to mandate overtime under FLSA)
Maximum deduction: $12,500 per individual. Married filing jointly: $25,000 combined.
Phase-out: Same as tips — starts at $150,000 MAGI (single) / $300,000 (joint). You must file jointly if married to claim this.
Example — Emily, Manufacturing Worker: Emily earns $18/hour. Her overtime rate is $27 ($18 × 1.5). The premium is $9/hour ($27 − $18). In 2025, Emily worked 800 hours of overtime, earning $7,200 in overtime premium pay. She deducts the full $7,200 on Schedule 1-A. In the 22% bracket, that’s $1,584 in tax savings.
Where to find your overtime premium on your W-2: Your W-2 won’t break this out automatically — you’ll calculate it from your pay stubs. Keep your year-end pay stub showing total regular hours and overtime hours. For 2026 income (filed in 2027), employers may add overtime detail to W-2 Box 14 — watch for IRS guidance on standardized reporting.
→ Full overtime deduction guide with more examples: No Tax on Overtime 2026 — Who Qualifies and How It Works
Part 2: No Tax on Tips
The tips deduction covers voluntary tip income from one of the IRS’s 68 designated tipped occupations. Maximum $25,000 per person; same $150,000/$300,000 MAGI phase-out as overtime.
Your qualified tips come from W-2 Box 7. If you received cash tips you didn’t report to your employer, you can still claim them — but you must first report them on Form 4137.
→ Full tips deduction guide: No Tax on Tips 2026–2027 — Who Qualifies, Income Limits, Examples
Part 3: Auto Loan Interest Deduction
Deduct up to $10,000 per year in interest paid on a loan for a new, American-assembled vehicle purchased for personal use on or after January 1, 2025. The vehicle’s VIN must confirm U.S. final assembly (your lender handles this reporting).
Phase-out starts at $100,000 MAGI (single) / $200,000 (joint), and the deduction vanishes completely at $150,000/$250,000.
→ Full auto deduction guide: Auto Loan Interest Deduction 2025–2028
Part 4: Senior Bonus Deduction (Ages 65+)
If you were 65 or older by December 31 of the tax year, you can claim an additional $6,000 deduction ($12,000 if both spouses qualify on a joint return) on top of your standard or itemized deductions. Phase-out starts at $75,000 MAGI (single) / $150,000 (joint).
→ Full senior deduction guide: $6,000 Senior Bonus Deduction — Do You Qualify?
How to File Schedule 1-A: Step by Step
Step 1: Calculate your MAGI. Part 1 of Schedule 1-A starts here. Your MAGI determines whether you get the full deduction or a reduced amount. For most people, MAGI equals AGI before these new deductions.
Step 2: Fill in only your applicable sections. Each deduction has its own part. Skip the ones that don’t apply. You need:
- For tips: W-2 Box 7 + Form 4137 figures
- For overtime: premium pay amount calculated from pay stubs (hours × premium rate)
- For auto loan: interest statement from lender + vehicle VIN
- For senior bonus: your birth date (must be 65 by December 31)
Step 3: Total and transfer. The final section sums all your OBBBA deductions and passes the total to Schedule 1, which then flows to Form 1040 Line 10.
Step 4: Keep your records. W-2s, pay stubs, loan statements, and any VIN verification documents. The IRS may ask for them.
Most tax software handles all of this automatically. If you use a human tax preparer, mention all four deduction types — some preparers focused on traditional returns may not immediately ask about the newer provisions.
Common Issues to Watch Out For
The biggest mistake I see with the overtime deduction: people assume their entire overtime paycheck is deductible. Only the premium portion is. If you made $30 per hour instead of your usual $20, only the extra $10 per hour counts.
On tips: automatic gratuities don’t qualify. The 18% auto-added to a party of 10 is a service charge, not a tip.
On the auto loan: used cars don’t qualify. Refinanced balances on existing loans also have limitations. The vehicle must be new and the loan must originate after December 31, 2024.
For the senior bonus: married couples filing separately cannot claim it. Filing status matters more than people realize.
Things can evolve — especially with IRS guidance on overtime documentation for 2026 returns. I’ll update this page as new guidance comes in. Subscribe here to get notified.
Looking Ahead: 2027 and 2028
The 2026 tax year (returns filed in 2027) will have better documentation tools. Employer W-2 Box 12 code “TP” for tips, and potentially standardized overtime reporting in Box 14, should make filing Schedule 1-A faster and cleaner.
All four deductions sunset after 2028. If no extension passes, 2028 returns (filed in early 2029) will be the last time you can use Schedule 1-A for these benefits.
For a full picture of how all OBBBA changes affect your 2026 tax return, see: 2026–2027 IRS Tax Brackets
