09/04/2026
Selling high-end real estate in Orange County is hard enough. Don't hand over an extra $10k+ of your hard-earned commission to state taxes just because your entity isn't set up to take advantage of California's rules. 🏡💸
If you’re an OC real estate broker or solo agent running your business through an S-Corp or LLC, the California Pass-Through Entity (PTE) tax election is one of the most powerful wealth-preservation tools available.
Here is how top-producing agents use the 9.3% PTE election to stop losing money to the federal $10,000 SALT deduction cap:
Bypass the Federal Cap: Your S-Corp or LLC pays California state income tax directly at the entity level.
100% Federal Write-Off: Instead of a non-deductible personal expense, state taxes become a fully deductible business expense.
Real Savings: On $300k in net commission (GCI), this strategy puts roughly $7,000 to $10,000+ back in your pocket every year.
California has officially locked this strategy in through 2030, but meeting quarterly payment deadlines and setting up your entity correctly are critical to claiming the credit.