06/01/2026
Below $400K in business income: standard planning works fine.
Above it: three tax rules change — and most advisors don't flag them until it's too late.
If you're a Virginia Beach business owner or defense contractor crossing that threshold, here's what shifts:
1. Additional Medicare Tax (0.9%)
On income above $200K (single) or $250K (married), you owe an extra 0.9% Medicare surtax. It's separate from F**A and often missed in annual projections.
2. QBI Deduction phase-out
The Qualified Business Income deduction — up to 20% of your pass-through income — starts to disappear for service businesses above $182,050 (single) or $364,200 (married). Above those levels, your entity structure determines how much you keep.
3. Net Investment Income Tax (3.8%)
Dividends, capital gains, and rental income get hit with an additional 3.8% NIIT once your modified AGI crosses $200K (single) or $250K (married). A large capital gain near the threshold can trigger this without warning.
None of these thresholds are secrets.
But they require planning in the year before you cross them — not in April after you already have.
Which of these three did your advisor mention this year?
Save this for your next planning conversation.