Avi Kantor | Jul 07 2025 15:00
Big Beautiful Bill Act: What It Means for Your Taxes, Estate Plan, and True Wealth
The “Big Beautiful Bill Act” (formally the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, or OBBBA) became law in July 2025 and brings sweeping changes to the tax landscape for individuals, families, and business owners.
If you live in places like King of Prussia, Conshohocken, Norristown, Wayne, or the broader Montgomery County and Greater Philadelphia area, this law affects how you plan for taxes, retirement, and multi-generation wealth.
What Is the Big Beautiful Bill Act?
The Act is a major federal tax and spending law that:
- Extends the 2017 individual income tax cuts that were scheduled to expire after 2025.
- Adjusts deductions, credits, and estate and gift tax rules in ways that particularly matter for higher-income and high-net-worth families.
For many of our clients in Pennsylvania, this is not just “background news.” It’s the new framework that will shape tax planning strategies, estate planning strategies, and wealth transfer for years to come.
Key Tax Changes Individuals Should Know
Several parts of the Big Beautiful Bill are especially relevant for professionals, executives, and business owners in the Greater Philadelphia region:
- Permanent extension of the 2017 individual tax rates. What was supposed to expire at the end of 2025 is now the “new normal” going forward, which affects long-term planning around Roth conversions, income timing, and capital gains.
- Higher SALT (state and local tax) deduction cap – temporarily. The cap on state and local tax deductions rises to $40,000 for many taxpayers under certain income thresholds, but only for a limited window before reverting. This matters for Pennsylvania residents in higher-tax areas like Montgomery and Chester Counties.
- Expanded but targeted deductions and credits. The Act adds or adjusts deductions for tips, overtime, certain auto loan interest, and modestly boosts the child tax credit, among many other items.
The headline takeaway: the law creates a number of new planning opportunities, but many are temporary or nuanced. That makes timing and coordination with an experienced, fee-only financial advisor especially important.
Big Beautiful Bill and High-Net-Worth Families
For families focused on True Wealth—optimizing not just their assets but the life those assets support—the Act’s changes to estate and wealth transfer rules are particularly significant.
The law increases the federal estate and gift tax exemptions, giving individuals and couples more room to transfer wealth during life or at death without triggering federal estate tax. For clients in King of Prussia, Wayne, and surrounding areas who already have substantial investment portfolios, real estate, or business interests, this opens a strategic window for:
- Larger lifetime gifts
- More flexible trust structures
- Updated estate planning strategies that reflect the new exemption levels
However, these higher exemptions may not be permanent. As with previous tax laws, future legislation could reduce them, which is why many families are considering taking action while the current rules are in place.
What This Means for Pennsylvania Professionals and Business Owners
If you’re a high-earning professional, corporate executive, or business owner in the Philadelphia suburbs, the Big Beautiful Bill may affect:
- Year-to-year tax planning. With the SALT cap temporarily higher and individual rates extended, there may be opportunities to restructure income, deductions, or charitable giving.
- Business and exit planning. Adjustments to deductions, depreciation rules, and the broader tax environment can influence when and how you sell or transition a business.
- Healthcare and family support decisions. Changes to Medicaid and other programs may indirectly affect planning for aging parents or family members with healthcare needs.
Because the Act includes both tax cuts and program changes, the net effect can be very different from household to household. A “back-of-the-napkin” approach isn’t enough.
A Few Planning Conversations to Consider
This is not a complete list, but here are a few areas we’re actively reviewing with clients in and around King of Prussia:
- Coordinating tax reduction strategies (like tax-efficient investing, Roth conversions, or timing of gains) with the extended rate environment.
- Revisiting estate planning strategies and wealth transfer plans in light of higher exemptions and new opportunities for multi-generation gifting.
- Updating retirement planning projections using the new rules to see how long-term taxes may affect your retirement income and withdrawal strategies.
- Integrating the Act’s changes with charitable planning , education funding, and business owner planning so all parts of your financial life stay aligned.
Why a Local, Fee-Only Fiduciary Perspective Matters
The Big Beautiful Bill is a sweeping federal law, but the way it shows up in your life depends on:
- Your income and where it comes from
- Your real estate and property taxes in places like Montgomery County
- Your business ownership, stock compensation, or retirement benefits
- Your family dynamics and multi-generation goals
As a fee-only fiduciary firm based in King of Prussia and serving clients throughout Pennsylvania and across the country, Certior Financial Group focuses on holistic financial planning—not product sales. We help you interpret laws like the Big Beautiful Bill in the context of your actual life, your values, and your True Wealth.
Ready to Talk About How the Big Beautiful Bill Affects You?
If you’re wondering what the Big Beautiful Bill means for your taxes, estate plan, or long-term goals, you don’t have to figure it out alone.
We’d be glad to walk through your situation, model the impact of the new law, and explore practical strategies tailored to your family, business, and future.
Start a conversation with Certior Financial Group today to see how thoughtful, True Wealth–focused planning can help you move forward with clarity and confidence.
