Arledge & Associates tax partner Josh Mullins provides three top things to focus on in the new year and why.
Stephanie Maniche - News9
Jan 1, 2026
Arledge & Associates tax partner Josh Mullins provides three top things to focus on in the new year and why. Mullins said many people are not on top of updating their W-4 each year if necessary.
Here are some reasons why he suggests changing the W-4:
- Change in marital status
- Moving locations
- Had a promotion at work
- If you had a child or your children moved out
Mullins said updating the W-4 is a way of making sure you are not giving more to your withholding account than you should. It also helps avoid a big surprise of what you may owe when filing your taxes.
In this economy, Mullins said it is common for people to have side hustles but many of them do not update their W-4 with that information.
The second thing Mullins encourages people to take advantage of is a retirement account if your company offers one.
He said if you are not contributing, you are losing money.
Here are a couple of things to know about retirement accounts:
- Whether it is a traditional IRA or Roth IRA, that could reduce your taxes.
- If it is traditional, that money reduces your taxable income.
The third thing Mullins recommends if you fall under this category, is gifting.
He said this is another tax strategy and provides the example of grandparents having college-aged grandchildren.
One thing you can do is pay their tuition directly and it will not count as income to your family.
It also does not count as a gift.
For more information on how to maximize your money, Mullins suggests Oklahoma Society of CPAs.
He said they have a number of educational topics on their website as well as resources to help you find a CPA near you.