🏀 MARCH MADNESS 2026 STARTS MARCH 18 🏀

Fill Out Your Bracket AND Your Tax Return

Save Money on Both!

March Madness + Tax Season = The Ultimate Combo. While you're picking upsets, don't forget about Schedule 1-A. Both could put money in your pocket.

⭐ Two ways to win: Perfect bracket odds are 1 in 9.2 billion. OBBB tax savings odds are 100% (if you qualify).

While You're Filling Out Your Bracket...

Don't forget to fill out Schedule 1-A! Both brackets and tax forms have the power to change your financial future.

🏀 Your Basketball Bracket

Selection Sunday
68 Teams Selected
March 18-19
First Four → Round 1
April 7
National Championship

💰 Your Tax Bracket

Now - April 15
Gather W-2s & Documents
File Schedule 1-A
Claim OBBB Deductions
Refund Season
Get Your Money Back!

March Madness by the Numbers

Basketball stats meet tax stats. Here's what every fan should know.

$5.4 billion
Amount Americans bet on March Madness 2025
All winnings are taxable income — but OBBB deductions can offset them!
68 teams
Make the tournament bracket
Same number of pages in a typical Schedule 1-A instruction booklet 📄
9.2 billion
Possible bracket combinations
But only 6 OBBB deductions to remember (much easier!)

🎲 Sports Betting Alert!

The average March Madness bettor wins $340 but pays 22% in taxes ($75).

But if you're a nurse who worked overtime, you could deduct $5,000+ in overtime premium to offset those betting winnings. Result: You pay $0 extra taxes on your bracket wins!

🏥 Hospital Workers Taking Note!

Nurses watching March Madness: your OT from those extra shifts is now deductible!

Picked up extra shifts during flu season? That overtime premium (not just the base pay) can be deducted from your taxes. Up to $12,500 for single filers.

Tax Bracket vs Basketball Bracket

Both determine how much you take home. One's based on income, the other on upsets.

The Perfect Parallel

Seven tax brackets. Seven rounds to the championship.

Tax BracketIncome Range (Single)Tournament Parallel
10%$0 - $11,000First Four (Play-in games)
12%$11,000 - $44,725First Round (64 → 32)
22%$44,725 - $95,375Second Round (32 → 16)
24%$95,375 - $182,050Sweet Sixteen (16 → 8)
32%$182,050 - $231,250Elite Eight (8 → 4)
35%$231,250 - $578,125Final Four (4 → 2)
37%$578,125+Championship Game

Pro tip: OBBB deductions can move you down tax brackets, just like upsets move teams up tournament brackets!

Ready to Win at Both Games?

Your bracket might bust, but your tax savings don't have to. Calculate your OBBB deductions while you're calculating tournament odds.

Perfect Bracket Odds
1 in 9.2B
Basically impossible
OBBB Savings Odds
100%
If you qualify (much better!)

🏀 Share with your bracket pool: Forward this to your friends, coworkers, and family. They're already thinking about winning money — help them keep more of it!