Are You Ready for Tax Day? Here’s What You Need to Know Before You File

Tax day is quickly approaching, and it’s time to get organized. New tax rules might make it worth your while to itemize rather than take the standard deduction this year. And don’t just file away your 1099 forms—they can offer valuable insight into your portfolio’s tax efficiency. Christine Benz, Morningstar’s director of personal finance and retirement planning, discusses what you need to consider before, and after, you file. Morningstar’s Tax-Planning and IRA Resources for 2026 On this episode: 00:00:00 Welcome 00:01:15 The "Procrastination Penalty" of Last-Minute IRA and HSA Contributions 00:02:35 How to Decide Whether to Itemize or Claim the Standard Deduction 00:04:18 Tips for Itemizing 00:05:37 Other Deductions You May Qualify For 00:07:45 Insights from Your 1099 Forms: Dividends 00:10:40 Insights from Your 1099 Forms: Capital Gains 00:09:39 Insights from Your 1099 Forms: Tax-Exempt Interest 00:12:35 How to Avoid Overpaying Your Taxes Watch more from Morningstar: Avoid This IRA Distribution Error to Protect Your Retirement Cash Elevate Your 60/40 Portfolio With These Simple Tweaks Why REIT ETFs Still Work as Real Estate Slumps Follow Morningstar on social : Facebook X Instagram LinkedIn Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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Are You Ready for Tax Day? Here’s What You Need to Know Before You File is an episode from Investing Insights by Morningstar.

This episode is 00:14:40 long.

This episode was published on Mar 6, 2026.

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