For many attorneys, CPAs, and financial advisors, the tax law changes under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act are old news. That is not the case for many of your clients! While you've been busy reading dozens of articles and evaluating how the changes will impact your clients, many of your clients are just now learning about the changes, especially as issues came to the forefront for them during tax season. Even if you've been talking with clients about the changes for months, don't stop. For many clients, now is the first time they'll really be listening.  

Here are a few Advisor Talking Points: OBBBA & Charitable Planning 

  • Clients are just catching up
    Increased media attention is driving new questions, many clients still don't know DAFs are available through NoCo Foundation or wealth advisor options.  The Wall Street Journal recently published an article about donor advised funds as a tool for tax savings and community impact.  
  • New deduction "floor" (2026)
    Giving must exceed 0.5% of AGI to qualify. Consider bunching gifts via a DAF to unlock tax benefits, allowing the client to front-load donations into a single tax year to cross the threshold.  
  • New deduction "cap"
    Top-bracket clients see reduced tax benefit (35% vs. 37%)—adds complexity to planning strategies. This means that if a client donates $10,000, the tax break would be $3,500 instead of $3,700. In short, the floor and the cap add extra complexity to helping clients plan their charitable contributions.  
  • Non-itemizer opportunity (with limits)
    The new tax laws have changed the landscape. $1K/$2K above-the-line deduction now available—but excludes DAFs and noncash gifts. Because both noncash gifts and gifts to donor advised funds are important tax planning tools for many clients, this limitation is worth noting in your discussions. 
  • Appreciated assets remain a strong play 
    Donating stock avoids capital gains and allows a full FMV deduction for itemizers and usually more tax-efficient than writing a check.  

Please reach out to the NoCo Foundation anytime. We know the new tax laws add a lot to your plate, and we are always happy to point you in the right direction as you conduct research and offer counsel to your clients. And remember, you don't have to jump headfirst into the complexity during your client discussions. Even talking about philanthropy in the simplest terms can help strengthen your client relationships and grow your practice.