Kyle Beltle, CPA, CTP

Kyle Beltle, CPA, CTP Proactive CPA - Uncovering Maximum Tax Savings, Reducing The Time Spent on The Tax Process

03/26/2026

Business owners:
IMO, one of the best tax deductions is investing in yourself. There are so many ways you can do this:
• Buying books
• Joining professional associations
• Attending a conference
• Taking an oline course
• Joining an online community
• Hiring a business coach

Most expenses have little direct benefit to you. But with professional development you get a direct benefit while building your business.

How are you investing in yourself right now? Any good books you're reading\conferences you're getting ready to attend?

03/18/2026

🧠𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘢 𝘣𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨; 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦.

There’s this idea floating around that if you file an extension, its a "bad thing" or that the IRS is going to come knocking. Not true. Extensions are a perfectly legal, common part of tax planning. In fact, filing one can actually save you time, money, and stress.

⏰More time = better accuracy. Rushing to file increases the risk of errors, missed deductions, or even forgetting key documents. An extension gives you six more months to file a complete and accurate return.
🗺️Strategic planning. If you're waiting on a K-1, tying up year-end bookkeeping, or exploring tax strategies, the extension gives you breathing room to do it right.
☺️Peace of mind. The IRS doesn’t view extensions negatively. It’s far better to file an extension than to file something incomplete and amend it later.

Just remember: An extension to file is not an extension to pay. If you owe, you still need to estimate and pay by 4/15 to avoid penalties.

03/11/2026

🆓𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘖𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘭𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳!🏠
Most people have heard of the home office deduction—it lets you take a tax write off for using part of your home for business purposes. But how exactly is it calculated, and how do you take it?

First off, let's talk about how you get the deduction, as this depends entirely on how your business is taxed.
• 𝘕𝘰𝘯-𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴 - If you don't own a business then unfortunately you're not eligible for this deduction. However, you can still ask your employer if they'd be willing to reimburse you for certain expenses for allowing you to work from home (e.g. desk, additional monitor, etc.).
• 𝘚𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 (i.e. Schedule C) - For those being taxed as a sole prop, you have two options. The first is to take the home office deduction on form 8829, which is a part of filing your personal 1040. The second is by using the simplified method; reported on Sch C. Under this method you get a deduction of $5 per square foot for the part of your home used for business, up to a maximum of 300 square feet (i.e. $1,500 max deduction).
• 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱𝘴 - If your business is taxed as a partnership, you can either submit a reimbursement to your company for your home office expenses, or submit them as unreimbursed partner expenses (UPE) on Schedule E, part II (part of filing your personal 1040).
• 𝘚-𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘱𝘴 - If your business is an S-Corp, you will want to submit a reimbursement to your company for your home office expenses.

Second, let's discuss how to calculate it. As most people get reimbursed using the regular method (i.e. calculate actual expenses based on the percentage of your home used for business), I'll focus on that in this post. For those taxed as a sole prop, you'll go through a very similar exercise when you fill out form 8829. Finally, to help illustrate this, I've linked a how-to video below, and a free home office deduction calculator template.
1. Download a copy of the home office reimbursement template (https://2ly.link/2EUTI)
2. Fill in the date range for which you'll be reimbursed
3. Fill in the square footage of your home office, and the square footage of your home
4. Enter your indirect expenses
5. Enter your direct expenses
6. The sheet will automatically calculate the reimbursement you're eligible for
7. Submit this sheet as part of your company's normal expense reimbursement process

The home office deduction isn’t one-size-fits-all. But for those who get reimbursed, this template provides a simple & easy way to get the deduction & keep more of what you earn!

𝘝𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘰: https://lnkd.in/exYWQEsf
𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦: https://2ly.link/2EUTI

💇‍♀️🍽️ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘐𝘊𝘈 𝘛𝘪𝘱 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 & 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘙𝘚 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺For years, restaurants have benefited ...
02/25/2026

💇‍♀️🍽️ 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘍𝘐𝘊𝘈 𝘛𝘪𝘱 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘴 𝘉𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘌𝘹𝘱𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘥 & 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘙𝘚 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺

For years, restaurants have benefited from one of the most valuable credits in the tax code: the 𝘍𝘐𝘊𝘈 𝘛𝘪𝘱 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵. What many business owners don’t realize is that eligibility has expanded and more businesses are now eligible!

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗔 𝗧𝗶𝗽 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁?
The F**A Tip Credit allows certain employers to claim a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit for the employer portion of F**A taxes paid on employee tips.

𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝘀?
Businesses in the food & beverage industry like restaurants, bars, and cafés qualify. In addition, businesses in the beauty and personal care industry, such as salons, barber shops, nail salons, and spas are now eligible! The key is that these businesses must be places where:
• Tipping is customary
• Tips are reported as wages
• The employer pays F**A on those tips

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀
Even though a tip is income a customer is giving directly the employee (i.e. not wages paid by the business) the business still pays taxes on it. This credit helps to offset that tax burden. Also, there is no cap on the credit, and it can be claimed every year. For profitable service businesses, this can translate into meaningful, recurring tax savings.

𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦:
If a restaurant reports $300,000 of employee tips, the employer F**A (7.65%) on those tips is roughly $𝟮𝟯,𝟬𝟬𝟬. That amount then becomes available as a direct tax credit to the employer.

𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲
If your business has tipped employees, the F**A Tip Credit is a must-review item. When claimed correctly, it can materially reduce your tax bill year after year.

02/23/2026

𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘐'𝘮 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘪𝘨 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴:

A massive tax refund feels great—until you realize what it actually means. You overpaid your taxes all year, and now the IRS is just giving you your own money back… with zero interest.

Instead of giving the IRS a free loan, you could have kept more of your cash throughout the year:
✔️ Invest it, and earn returns
✔️ Pay down debt, and save on interest
✔️ Reinvest in your business, and grow faster

If your refunds are consistently large, adjust your withholdings\estimated payments. A perfect tax plan doesn’t leave you with a massive bill or a massive refund—it leaves you with more control over your cash.

🔄 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺’𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸’𝘴 𝘛𝘢𝘹 𝘞𝘪𝘯 🔄An 𝗡𝗢𝗟 (𝗡𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀) is just a tax term for when your busines...
02/20/2026

🔄 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘱 𝘛𝘰𝘥𝘢𝘺’𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸’𝘴 𝘛𝘢𝘹 𝘞𝘪𝘯 🔄
An 𝗡𝗢𝗟 (𝗡𝗲𝘁 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗟𝗼𝘀𝘀) is just a tax term for when your business losses money in a year. While losses are never fun, the silver lining is you can carry that loss forward indefinitely and use it to offset up to 80 % of the current year’s income. In other words, lower tax bills in your next profitable years and better cash flow when you need it most.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗡𝗢𝗟:
• Large first year startup costs
• Cost seg or bonus depreciation creating huge deductions
• A down year in a cyclical industry

𝗜𝗹𝗹𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗡𝗢𝗹'𝘀 🧮:
Let's say your business lost ($300K) in 2025, and then had a profit of $200K this year, and $150K in 2027. The beauty of NOL's is that you don't loose that ($300K), you get to carry it forward! See the image below for an illustrated breakdown.


🛠️ 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Switching tax preparers? Make sure your new preparer has copies of your last two returns and are aware of any losses you had. Overlooked carry forwards are one of the simplest ways new clients overpay.

Losses sting, but if you carry them forward they’re a built in rebate on future profits.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀?A new tax-advantaged savings account introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bil...
02/19/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀?
A new tax-advantaged savings account introduced by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is the 530A account, or as its referred to in the IRS code, “Trump accounts.” Despite the political overtones, I believe these accounts offer some great tax advantages that will benefit many.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗺𝗽 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘀?
A Trump account is a custodial savings account for minors that combines features you’d typically find in custodial investment accounts, retirement plans, and education savings vehicles, but without many of the income caps or usage restrictions that usually come with them.

Parents or employers can contribute up to $5,000 per year, and the money grows tax-deferred. What makes these accounts distinctive is their flexibility: funds can be invested in eligible index funds and later accessed in ways that may be highly tax-efficient, depending on how they’re used after the child turns 18.

Trump accounts are expected to launch in July 2026.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀?
• Seed funding for eligible birth years – Currently, children born between 2025 – 2028 will receive an initial $1,000 government-funded contribution into the account.
• Private foundation and grant participation – Because these accounts are structured as custodial savings vehicles for minors, they are eligible to receive contributions from third parties. Some organizations, like The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, have indicated interest in making grants into these accounts for qualifying families. This creates the possibility that outside funding—not just parent contributions—can help grow the account over time.
• Potential employer deduction – Employers will be able to contribute to these accounts on behalf of employees’ children. The company will receive a tax deduction, and the contribution will not be taxable income to the employee.
• Roth conversion opportunity at age 18 – Once the child has earned income, they can convert the account to a Roth IRA, likely at the lowest tax rates of their career.
• No kiddie tax on growth – Because the structure is not treated like a typical custodial brokerage account, the annual investment growth avoids being taxed at the parent’s rate.
• Long runway for compounding – Since money can be contributed regardless of how old the child or if they have earned income or not, Trump accounts can give parents even more years of growth & compounding to provide tax-deferred growth on the children’s funds.
• Planning flexibility – Funds are not restricted solely for one purpose. After age 18, children can use the funds for education, purchasing their first home, starting a new business, and long-term investing.

𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗦𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:
1. Assume parents contribute $5,000 per year from birth to age 18 to a child’s account.
2. At an 8% average return, the account could grow to roughly $202,000 by the time the child reaches 18.
3. After age 18, the child converts the funds into a Roth IRA.
4. If the funds continued to be invested in the Roth IRA and earn 8% annually, by age 65 that Roth account would be worth approximately $𝟲.𝟭 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻!
This turns a relatively small childhood contributions into a lifetime tax-free asset.

𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀
1. Review the IRS’s guidance with your tax advisor to determine if this would be beneficial for your family
2. Go to Trumpaccounts.gov and sign up for email updates
3. Have your tax pro file a form 4547 with your 2025 tax return
4. The account will be opened for you later in 2026, & you will be notified
5. Speak with your employer to see if contributions will be available
6. Continue to watch for additional IRS guidance as we move forward in 2026

While not a “one-size-fits-all” solution, for many families with young children, steady cash flow, and a long time horizon, Trump accounts introduce a new planning lever that didn’t exist before. As guidance continues to develop, the key will be understanding how these accounts fit into your broader tax and estate planning strategy—and acting early to maximize the compounding advantage they offer!

02/16/2026

👫𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘪𝘴 “𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘑𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘭𝘺” 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘧𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘴?

Filing jointly usually means lower tax rates, bigger deductions, and simpler returns for most couples, but sometimes Married Filing Separately wins. Couples in the following situations may save more with MFS:

1️⃣ 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲𝘀: If one spouse racks up big unreimbursed medical bills, separate AGIs help surpass the 7.5% threshold for a larger deduction.

2️⃣ 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲-𝗗𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗟𝗼𝗮𝗻𝘀: Under REPAYE or IBR, filing separately can shrink monthly payments by using only one spouse’s income.

3️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: In states with community property rules, back taxes, or high penalties, MFS can limit joint liability and cut state tax.

One of the things I always double-check before finalizing a return is whether the couple will save the most with MFJ vs MFS. Make sure you’re also evaluating your unique situation each year to see which status is best for you!

𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗕𝘆 𝟰/𝟭𝟱Not all tax strategies need to be executed by December 31. The window be...
02/11/2026

𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗕𝘆 𝟰/𝟭𝟱

Not all tax strategies need to be executed by December 31. The window between January 1 and April 15 is still a great time to take advantage of some of opportunities in the tax code. Here are six of my favorites:

𝟭. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗥𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
You can contribute up to $7,000 by 4/15/26

𝟮. 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗥𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝗥𝗔 (𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗞𝗶𝗱𝘀)
Even though Roth contributions don’t reduce taxes today, the tax-free growth can still have huge tax savings for the future.

𝟯. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼 𝟰𝟬𝟭(𝗸) 𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗘𝗣-𝗜𝗥𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
If you’re self-employed you can still contribute up to $70,000 by 4/15 for the Solo 401k, and the lesser of $70,000 or 25% of eligible compensation for the SEP IRA.

𝟰. 𝟱𝟮𝟵 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗜𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗜𝘁)
While there’s no federal deduction, many states give you a state tax deduction or credit for contributions made up until the filing deadline.

𝟱. 𝗛𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝗲 (𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲 𝗖 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀)
If you’re self-employed and filing on a Schedule C, you still can take advantage of the home office deduction as well as getting a deduction for business miles driven.

𝟲. 𝗛𝗦𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
If you had an high deductible health plan in 2025, you can still fully fund your HSA by 4/15/26. This means a max of $4,300 for self-only coverage, or $8,550 for family coverage.

This is the only account in the tax code with a triple tax benefit:

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦:
Just because the year ended doesn’t mean tax planning did. You still have time before April 15 to make some tax-moves to help you save money!

👶𝘏𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘢𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘙𝘚Hiring your children in your business doesn’t just keep th...
02/10/2026

👶𝘏𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘗𝘢𝘺 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘒𝘪𝘥𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘐𝘙𝘚
Hiring your children in your business doesn’t just keep them busy & teach them life skills, it is a great tax strategy.

𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀:
•Income paid through payroll avoids the "kiddie tax" (i.e. where they get taxed at your rate)
•It allows you to provide them with pre-tax spending cash (vs. after-tax if it comes from your paycheck or draws) for discretionary activities like camps, clubs, etc.
•The Federal standard deduction for single filers in 2026 is $16,100, so anything paid up to that will not have any Federal income tax. Even if you were to pay them more than that, their effective federal tax rate will still likely be the lowest tax rate they ever have.
•You can set up a ROTH for them & save for their retirement at the lowest tax rates they will ever have
•You can set up a 529 plan for them & save for college at the lowest tax rate they will ever have

𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀:
•Children should do the work they're getting paid for
•They should get paid a fair market value for the services performed
•Your kids should go through the same new employee onboarding process that all employees go through
•Be sure to keep time sheets to support the hours they get paid for
•Pay them via payroll & deposit the money into an account in their name.

𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲: Let’s say that Michael hires his 17 year-old to help part-time on social media & marketing. Over the course of the year he pays his child $18,000. His child uses the money to pay for their summer sports camp, purchasing a car, and saving for college.
•Michael has an effective Federal tax rate of 30%, so by paying $18K through his business, he saves approximately $2,645 in taxes ($5,400 of Federal income taxes, less $2,755 of F**A payroll taxes).
•His child only has to pay $190 in Federal income taxes
•Thus as a family, they save $2,455 in taxes by paying the $18K through payroll vs gifting it.

You’re not just giving them a job — you’re giving them a financial leg-up, and helping your family save on taxes.

02/09/2026

🙅 💵 "𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘐’𝘭𝘭 𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘹 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘴!"

This is a common misconception about taxes, so let's clear it up.

Our tax system is 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲, which means you only pay the higher tax rate on the portion of your income that falls into that bracket—not all of it.

Example:
Let’s say you go from making $95K to $100K. Assuming you are married filing joint, this would take you out of the 12% bracket and into the 22% bracket. The good news is:

➡️ You’re NOT paying 22% on all $100K.
➡️ You’re ONLY paying 22% on $3K (𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 12% 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 & $100𝘒).

The rest of your income is still taxed at the lower rates. So no, making more money never means you’re taking home disproportionately less. IMO making more money is always a good thing, and with the right tax strategies, you can keep even more of it.

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴. 𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳: 📅 𝙁𝙚𝙗 – 𝘼𝙥𝙧: When...
01/30/2026

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀: 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴.

𝘏𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘰𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘢𝘱 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳:
📅 𝙁𝙚𝙗 – 𝘼𝙥𝙧: When you meet with your tax pro be sure to come prepared with a forecast for how your business will do in the upcoming year. You and your tax pro can use this to identify your safe harbor for the upcoming year

Safe harbor is the minimum amount you need to pay in to avoid an underpayment penalty when filing your tax return. For the IRS this is the lesser of:
#️⃣ 90% of this year’s tax liability, or
#️⃣ 100% of last year's tax liability (110% if your income is over $150,000)
Once you do that, this will then give you your first two estimated payments for the year, which are due on April 15 & June 15.


📅 𝙅𝙪𝙡𝙮: Now that you’re half way through the year, evaluate how things are going for your business compared to the plan you made at the beginning of the year. If things are going according to plan, then you probably won’t need to adjust your next quarterly estimate (due September 15). However, if things are going much different then you anticipated, then you should setup a mid-year planning meeting with your tax pro.

📅 𝙊𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙧:
As you head into the final quarter of the year, setup a final meeting with your tax pro to fine-tune your forecast for 2026 taxes and make plans.
😢 If business is worse than anticipated they can help re-calculate your estimated payments and ensure you’re not sending too much money in.
😁 If things are going much better than expected they will be able to help you identify some tax saving strategies to implement, as well as help you calculate what your tax bill will be so you can make sure you’re putting enough away in your savings account.

𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘰𝘮 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘦:
Surprise tax bills aren’t a tax problem—they’re a planning problem, and planning is something you can fix. Make plans today to meet with your tax pro & start getting proactive about 2026!

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