Session Musician Taxes and Bookkeeping: Union Scale, Buyouts, 1099s, Royalties, and Deductions
Gig pay lands on 1099-NEC, royalties on 1099-MISC, and the IRS taxes it all. US guide to scale vs. buyouts, fund payouts, and session deductions.
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Tax Deductions
Maximize tax deductions and reduce your tax liability legally
Bringing Your Spouse on a Business Trip? When Their Travel Is Deductible (and When It Lands on Your W-2)
Your spouse's travel is deductible only if they are your employee on a bona fide business trip — otherwise the IRS treats employer-paid costs as W-2 wages.
Commuting vs. Business Mileage: When Your Drive Is Deductible and When It Never Is
Home-to-work driving is never deductible, but a qualifying home office or temporary site flips the same miles to IRS business mileage at 76 cents each.
Starting Your HDHP in December? How the HSA Last-Month Rule Lets You Contribute the Full Year
Covered by an HDHP on Dec. 1? The IRS last-month rule allows a full-year HSA contribution — but fail the 13-month testing period and owe tax plus 10%.
Tearing Down a Building? Why Section 280B Adds Demolition Costs to Your Land Basis Instead of Giving You a Deduction
Section 280B puts demolition costs and a razed building's leftover basis into land, not a deduction. The 75% renovation safe harbor can preserve write-offs.
Tarot Reader and Astrologer Bookkeeping: Per-Reading Rates, Party Pricing, and Fortune-Telling Laws
Four states ban paid fortune-telling and Massachusetts requires a license. Price tarot readings and parties, track cash, and meet IRS quarterly tax rules.
Are Frequent Flyer Miles Taxable? What IRS Announcement 2002-18 Says About Your Business-Travel Rewards
Miles earned by flying or card spending are tax-free rebates under IRS Announcement 2002-18; bank-account bonuses and cash conversions are taxable income.
Hair Transplant Clinic Bookkeeping: Per-Graft Pricing, FUE Equipment, and the 15-Surgery Capacity Benchmark
Price grafts from cost, not the market: FUE runs $4–$12 per graft, deposits are liabilities, and the IRS treats transplants as nondeductible cosmetic surgery.
Why Hemp-Derived CBD Shops Escape the IRS's Harshest Tax Rule (and Cannabis Dispensaries Don't)
Hemp-derived CBD shops deduct rent, payroll, and marketing like any retailer — cannabis dispensaries cannot under Section 280E. The 0.3% THC line decides.
Loan-Out Corporations for Actors and Performers: How Getting Paid Through Your Own Company Works
A loan-out corporation restores the business-expense deductions the IRS permanently denies W-2 performers — at $3,000 to $6,000 a year to run.
Hop Farm Bookkeeping: Why Your $12,000-Per-Acre Trellis Depreciates Differently From the Bines
Hop yard buildout runs $12,000-$15,000 per acre, and the trellis depreciates as 7-year farm equipment while IRS Section 263A decides the plants.
How Sports Betting Winnings Are Taxed: W-2G Thresholds, the Session Method, and State Taxes on Out-of-State Bets
W-2Gs report single wagers, not net profit. IRS lets you net wins per session, deduct losses only if you itemize under the 90% cap, and file where you bet.