The Bilt Tax Arbitrage Is Dead — Here's Why It No Longer Works
Tax payments now earn zero Bilt rewards, not just a lower Rent Day cap
What Changed: Bilt Cut Its Rent Day Bonus Cap by 90% in October 2024
This strategy relied on two things that are no longer true. First, Bilt cut its Rent Day double-points cap from 10,000 to 1,000 bonus points per month, effective October 1, 2024 — a 90% reduction that alone would have shrunk this to a token amount. Bilt has confirmed the 1,000-point cap continues for Bilt 2.0 cards (Blue, Obsidian, Palladium) through at least January 1, 2027.
Why Tax Payments No Longer Earn Any Bilt Rewards
Separately, and more decisively: tax payments were excluded from earning the Rent Day double-points bonus in that same October 2024 change. Then, with the Bilt Card 2.0 relaunch in early 2026, tax payments were excluded from earning any Bilt rewards whatsoever — no base points, no Bilt Cash, nothing, across all three current card tiers.
What to Do Instead of the Bilt Tax Payment Arbitrage
If you still want to earn something on a required tax payment via a card-fee portal (IRS Direct Pay, Pay1040, etc.), compare the ~1.87% convenience fee against a flat-rate cashback card (2%+) or a card with a redeemable welcome-bonus minimum-spend requirement you're trying to hit — either can still make sense on its own math. Just don't expect Bilt Rent Day to be part of that calculation anymore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still earn Bilt points by paying taxes with my Bilt card?
No. As of the Bilt Card 2.0 relaunch in early 2026, tax payments earn no Bilt rewards whatsoever — no base points, no Bilt Cash, across all three current card tiers (Blue, Obsidian, Palladium).
What happened to Bilt's Rent Day double-points bonus?
Bilt cut the Rent Day double-points cap from 10,000 to 1,000 bonus points per month effective October 1, 2024 — a 90% reduction confirmed to continue through at least January 1, 2027 — and tax payments were excluded from that bonus in the same change.
Is there still a way to earn rewards on a required tax payment?
Compare a card-fee tax-payment portal's ~1.87% convenience fee against a flat-rate cashback card (2%+) or a card with a redeemable welcome-bonus minimum-spend requirement — either can still make sense on its own math, just not through Bilt anymore.