Guides on deductions, planning strategies, and IRS rules — written for people who actually pay taxes.
Adjusted Gross Income is the number the IRS uses to calculate almost every deduction, credit, and phase-out. Understanding it is the single most valuable thing you can do before filing.
Pass-through owners can deduct up to 20% of business income — but the SSTB phaseout turns one extra dollar costly. Who qualifies, the 2025 thresholds, and how to plan.
SALT cap status, the bonus depreciation phase-down, Section 179 limits, QBI thresholds, and the TCJA sunset — the legislation-dependent numbers, dated in one place.
Bracket, basis, depreciation, QBI, SALT, MAGI, AMT — every tax term that shows up on a return, defined with examples.
Every CPA says elect S-Corp once net SE income hits $80k. The real breakeven is more nuanced — and at the wrong income level, the election can cost you for a decade.
Pass-through entity tax (PTET) elections, charitable bunching, and trust-based shifts — the legal moves that route around the $10k SALT cap.
If your 401(k) allows after-tax contributions + in-plan Roth conversion, you can shovel up to $46,500 more into Roth — tax-free growth forever.
Real Estate Professional Status unlocks unlimited rental-loss deductions against W-2 income. The 750-hour test is strict — here's how to actually pass it.
Section 199A lets qualified self-employed filers deduct up to 20% of qualified business income. Most freelancers qualify and never claim it.
CA's top income tax rate is 13.3% — and the effective top rate reaches ~14.4% once the 1.1% SDI payroll surcharge (no longer wage-capped) is included. These four moves legally reduce your CA exposure without leaving the state.
New guides, rule changes, and planning strategies — before they matter.
In 2 minutes, see exactly what you owe — and exactly how to owe less.