Skip to main content

#tax-planning

Tax Planning

Strategic tax planning to minimize liability and maximize savings

746 postsView all tagsBack to All Posts
7 min read

How to Get the IRS to Answer You in Writing: Private Letter Rulings and Determination Letters for Small Businesses

Oral advice from the IRS is not binding — a private letter ruling is. Under Revenue Procedure 2026-1, 9100 relief for a missed tax election generally costs about $14,500, with reduced tiers near $3,450 and $9,775 for smaller organizations, and the IRS must make contact within 21 days of a complete request. Here's when a ruling is worth the fee, what the request must contain, and the no-fee alternatives — Form SS-8, Form 3115, and Rev. Proc. 2013-30 — that cover most common cases.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-complianceirs-requirements
8 min read

Safe Harbor 401(k) Plans in 2026: How Small Businesses Skip Nondiscrimination Testing

A safe harbor 401(k) automatically passes IRS ADP/ACP nondiscrimination testing in exchange for a fixed employer contribution — a 3% nonelective or a match of up to 4%. Here's how the three formulas compare in cost, the December 1 retroactive adoption deadline, and the 2026 limits ($24,500 deferral, $72,000 total additions, mandatory Roth catch-ups for high earners).

Mike Thrift

small-businessretirement-plansemployee-benefits
8 min read

Depreciation Recapture Explained: The Tax Bill Waiting When You Sell Depreciated Equipment or Real Estate

Depreciation recapture taxes the deductions you already took when you sell a business asset at a gain — Section 1245 equipment gains are recaptured as ordinary income at rates up to 37%, while Section 1250 real estate depreciation is capped at 25%. With 100% bonus depreciation restored and the Section 179 limit at $2,560,000 for 2026, a fully expensed asset has a $0 basis from day one, so nearly the entire sale price becomes taxable. Here's how the rules split, a worked example, and five strategies owners use to manage the bill.

Mike Thrift

depreciationfixed-assetstax-planning
8 min read

The Netherlands Is Cutting the Zelfstandigenaftrek Again: What ZZP Freelancers Should Budget for in 2026 and 2027

The Dutch zelfstandigenaftrek drops from €2,470 in 2025 to €1,200 in 2026 and €900 in 2027 — an 88% reduction since 2020's €7,280. For a ZZP freelancer with €50,000 profit, the 2026 cut alone adds roughly €400–€480 in tax, compounded by the MKB-winstvrijstelling falling to 12.70%. Here's the full phase-down schedule and five concrete budgeting steps.

Mike Thrift

taxtax-deductionstax-planning
6 min read

The Roth Catch-Up Mandate Arrives: 2026 401(k) Rules for High Earners and Business Owners

Starting January 1, 2026, SECURE 2.0's Section 603 requires workers 50 and older with over $150,000 in prior-year FICA wages from the same employer to make 401(k) catch-up contributions — $8,000 standard, $11,250 for ages 60–63 — as after-tax Roth. Plans without a Roth option must amend by December 31, 2026 or bar catch-ups entirely; W-2 S-corp owners are in scope while K-1 partners are not.

Mike Thrift

401kretirement-planstax-planning
9 min read

Autónomo Taxes in Spain: Cuotas by Real Income, IRPF Withholding, and the €80 Flat Rate Explained for 2026

Spain's autónomo cuota is income-based across 15 tiers (roughly €205 to €1,606/month at a 31.5% rate), reconciled after your annual tax return via regularización. New freelancers can pay a flat €80/month for 12 months and withhold IRPF at a reduced 7% instead of 15% — but choosing 15% once forfeits the reduced rate. Here's how the 2026 rules fit together.

Mike Thrift

taxself-employmentfreelance
8 min read

When a Deficit Restoration Obligation Isn't One: What CCA 202628009 Means for Partnership Loss and Liability Allocations

IRS Chief Counsel Advice CCA 202628009 (July 10, 2026) held that a demand-based deficit restoration obligation enforceable only by withholding future distributions is not unconditional, failing both the §1.704-1(b) economic-effect safe harbor and the §1.752-2(b) recourse-liability test — a fact pattern common in family LP boilerplate that can reallocate recourse debt and suspend previously deducted losses.

Mike Thrift

taxpartnershipstax-compliance
Start Free→Documentation