#tax-planning
Strategic tax planning to minimize liability and maximize savings
SECURE 2.0 lets the beneficiary of a 529 plan roll up to $35,000 of unused college savings into a Roth IRA tax-free and outside Roth income limits, provided the account is 15+ years old, contributions are 5+ years seasoned, and the beneficiary has earned income. This guide walks through the five federal tests, the state tax clawbacks that can erase the benefit, and a clean five-year execution plan.
A working IRS-compliant accountable plan lets S-Corp owners reimburse home office, 72.5¢/mile mileage, internet, and travel tax-free—turning otherwise-lost expenses into deductible corporate spending. This guide covers the three §1.62-2 requirements, a worked $3,126 home office calculation, the five mistakes that get plans reclassified as wages, and the monthly bookkeeping rhythm that keeps it audit-proof.
US OBBBA's 0.5% AGI floor and 35% cap hit in 2026 — how donor-advised fund bunching still clears the federal charitable hurdle.
Section 1042 of the IRC lets a C-corporation owner selling shares to an ESOP defer federal capital gains tax indefinitely — and potentially eliminate it through step-up at death. This guide covers the five qualifying conditions, what counts as Qualified Replacement Property, the floating-rate-note diversification strategy, and the trade-offs founders should weigh against a strategic sale.
Section 409A lets companies defer executive pay above 401(k) limits, but a single misstep triggers immediate taxation on every vested dollar plus a 20% federal penalty and premium interest. Here is how NQDC plans, rabbi trusts, and the six permissible distribution triggers actually work.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act's Section 174A restores immediate domestic R&D expensing starting in 2025, and small businesses under roughly $31 million in average gross receipts have until July 6, 2026 to amend 2022, 2023, and 2024 returns to recover taxes paid under the TCJA capitalization rules.
A 2026 decision guide for small businesses choosing between Section 179's $2.56M cap and OBBBA's permanent 100% bonus depreciation, with order-of-operations rules, hybrid examples, and state-conformity caveats.
Starting in 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act expands Section 45F's Employer-Provided Child Care Credit from 25% to 40% (50% for businesses under $32M in average gross receipts) and lifts the annual cap from $150,000 to $500,000 ($600,000 for small businesses), with new explicit rules for intermediaries, pooled arrangements, backup care, and reserved-seat contracts.
A see-through trust named on an IRA beneficiary form must navigate the SECURE Act 10-year rule. Conduit trusts pass every distribution through to the beneficiary by year ten, while accumulation trusts retain assets but face compressed trust brackets that reach the 37 percent federal rate at just $16,000 of retained income in 2026.
The Augusta Rule (26 USC § 280A(g)) lets you rent your home to your business for up to 14 days a year and exclude the rent from federal income tax.
How the 2026 Health Savings Account combines tax-free contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free medical withdrawals — and how the shoebox strategy turns an $8,750 family limit into a six- to seven-figure retirement vehicle by age 65.
U.S. cash balance pension plans let solo doctors, attorneys, and consultants deduct $100,000–$370,000 a year on top of a Solo 401(k). 2026 contribution limits, a worked example for a 54-year-old physician, and the actuarial commitments to weigh before signing.
