Tax Strategy Library
Plain-English explanations of legitimate tax strategies, each with the governing Internal Revenue Code (IRC) sections, Treasury regulations, and IRS guidance linked to the primary source. Every page states who a strategy is not for, and flags strategies the IRS treats as high-risk.
Legend: 🟢 generally available / true · 🟡 depends on your facts / partly true · 🔴 high-risk / false. Reviewed by Ebot Mbi, CPA, EA.
Also see: Tax Myth-Killers · IRS Notice Library
Entity choice and structure
- Should my business elect S corporation status?
- How much salary should an S corporation owner take?
- Should my business be a C corporation?
- How are partnerships and multi-member LLCs taxed?
- What is a disregarded entity for tax purposes?
- What is the check-the-box election?
- Should my business use multiple entities?
- What is qualified small business stock (QSBS)?
- What is the accumulated earnings tax?
- When should I take dividends to pay the least tax?
- How do I maximize the QBI deduction?
- What is the pass-through entity tax (PTET) election?
Real estate
- How does a cost segregation study work?
- How does a 1031 like-kind exchange work?
- How do I qualify as a real estate professional for taxes?
- What are the material participation tests?
- Can a short-term rental loss offset my W-2 income?
- How do opportunity zone investments work in 2026?
- What is the Augusta Rule, and can my business rent my home?
Retirement plans
- What is a solo 401(k) and who qualifies?
- How does a SEP-IRA work?
- What is a SIMPLE IRA?
- Should I consider a defined benefit plan?
- How does a cash balance plan work?
- When should I convert to a Roth IRA?
- Can my IRA own real estate or a private business?
- What does a retirement plan fiduciary have to do?
Credits and incentives
- How does the research and development tax credit work?
- What is the four-part test for qualified research?
- Is the Work Opportunity Tax Credit still available?
- Are energy tax credits still available in 2026?
- Can I still claim the Employee Retention Credit?
- What state and local tax incentives can my business claim?
Charitable planning
- How do charitable contribution deductions work in 2026?
- What is a donor-advised fund and how does it work?
- How does a charitable remainder trust work?
- What is a charitable lead trust?
- What is a qualified charitable distribution?
- How do private foundations work?
- How do conservation easement deductions work?
Oil and gas
Estate, gift, and trust planning
- How much can I transfer free of gift and estate tax in 2026?
- How does the gift tax annual exclusion work in 2026?
- How does gift splitting work for married couples?
- What is the portability election, and how do I make it?
- How does generation-skipping transfer tax planning work?
- Does a revocable living trust save taxes?
- How does an irrevocable life insurance trust (ILIT) work?
- How does an intentionally defective grantor trust (IDGT) work?
- How does a grantor retained annuity trust (GRAT) work?
- How does a qualified personal residence trust (QPRT) work?
- How does a family limited partnership work, and what are the risks?
- What is trust decanting, and how does it work in Texas?
- What is the Section 645 election for a revocable trust?
- How does the step-up in basis at death work?
- Can an estate pay estate tax in installments?
- How does a Section 303 stock redemption work?
- What is private placement life insurance, and is it under scrutiny?
- How does captive insurance work, and why does the IRS target micro-captives?
Buying and selling a business
- Should I buy or sell a business as an asset deal or a stock deal?
- What is a Section 338(h)(10) election?
- How is a business purchase price allocated for tax purposes?
- Can I use a company's NOLs after I buy it?
- Can I roll part of my sale price into the buyer's equity without paying tax on it now?
- How is an earnout taxed when I sell my business?
- What is a tax-free reorganization under Section 368?
- How does an installment sale work under IRC §453?
- Can selling my company to an ESOP defer the capital gain?