Every strategy a business owner, earner, investor or family should know, ranked by how many people it helps. Each one tells you plainly who it's for, who it isn't for, and what it's worth in cash. Open any strategy for the full brief.
Split profit into a fair salary and a distribution; keep about $9,400 a year at $250,000 profit.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeBusiness owners$250,000 profit, $90,000 salary: about $9,400 a year kept after $3,000 of costs.
Owners with steady profit above about $80,000 willing to run payroll.
Profit under $60,000; a fair salary that equals the profit.
§1361–1362
Twenty percent off pass-through profit, and the salary move that can cost you.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeBusiness owners$150,000 of qualifying profit at 24%: about $7,200 a year.
Every pass-through owner; key decisions between $403,500 and $553,500 of taxable income married.
C-corps; service businesses above $553,500 married / $276,750 single.
§199A
The side door to a Roth for high earners, and the pitcher trap.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeRetirement & savingsAvoids a ~$2,350 surprise tax; ~$16,000 of lifetime tax kept per $7,500 deposit.
Income above about $168,000 single / $252,000 married, with empty traditional IRAs.
Earners under the limit; pre-tax IRA money with nowhere to go.
§408A
Three tax locks: going in, growing, and coming out for medical bills.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeRetirement & savingsFamily at 32%: about $2,800–$3,470 a year, plus tax-free growth.
Anyone on an HSA-eligible plan; 2026 adds bronze and catastrophic plans.
Medicare enrollees; anyone with a general-purpose health FSA or HRA.
§223
Your company rents your home for real meetings; the rent is tax-free to you.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeBusiness ownersAn Irving owner moves $9,600–$14,000 a year of company cash to the family tax-free (12–14 meetings at $800–$1,000 a day, if quotes support it): about $2,700–$5,200 of tax saved.
S-corp, C-corp and partnership owners holding real meetings at home.
Sole proprietors; meetings of one; no quotes or minutes.
§280A(g)
Real work at a fair wage moves income into your child's tax-free slice.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeBusiness ownersAbout $1,300–$5,900 a year per child, plus a Roth IRA head start.
Owners with children old enough to do real work.
Very young children; jobs with no business need.
§3121(b)(3)
Your company pays you back tax-free for mileage, home office and phone.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeBusiness owners$20,000 of costs: about $5,600–$7,000 a year.
S-corp and C-corp owners paying business costs personally.
Sole proprietors; partners.
§62(c)
Two contribution slots instead of one for one-person businesses.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeRetirement & savings$100,000 salary: about $5,900–$8,600 a year more deferred than a SEP.
Owner-only businesses with salary under about $290,000.
Businesses with eligible employees.
§402(g), §415(c)
Deduct equipment and vehicles in year one, 100% in 2026.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeBusiness assets & R&D$100,000 truck at 35%: about $28,000 sooner; the truck still costs about $65,000.
Profitable businesses buying what they need.
Purchases made for the deduction; mostly personal vehicles.
§168(k), §179
Seven days and 100 hours let rental losses offset your salary.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeReal estateA $200,000 first-year deduction at 24%: about $48,000 in year one, mostly timing.
High earners who will self-manage a short-stay rental.
Owners using a full-service manager; long stays.
§469
Turn losing investments into tax savings.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeInvestments$19,470 this year in our example.
Taxable brokerage accounts with gains this year.
Retirement-account-only investors; the 0% bracket.
§1211, §1091
Trade up in real estate without paying tax now.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeReal estate$52,600 deferred in our example; erased if held until death.
Investors trading up with a qualified intermediary hired before closing.
Homeowners; flippers; anyone wanting cash out.
§1031
Stack five years of giving into one to clear the standard deduction.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeCharitableAbout $15,300 more over five years.
Givers of $10,000+ near the $32,200 standard deduction.
Small givers; anyone needing the cash.
§170
750 hours by one spouse turns rental losses into salary offsets.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeReal estateAbout $36,500 in year one in our example, mostly timing.
Households where one spouse works real estate as their main job.
Two full-time employees.
§469(c)(7)
Heirs inherit at today's value; Texas couples get both halves.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeFamily & heirsUp to about $95,000–$190,000 of gains never taxed in our example.
Texas couples with appreciated community assets.
IRAs and 401(k)s; assets with losses.
§1014(b)(6)
Same investments, smarter shelves.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeInvestmentsTop bracket, 6% yield: about $20,000 a year per $1 million of bonds moved into retirement accounts.
$250,000+ invested across taxable and retirement accounts.
Single-account investors; large embedded gains.
§1(h), §1411
Fill your 401(k) to $72,000 and convert the extra to Roth.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeRetirement & savingsAbout $25,000–$31,000 long-term per year's deposit.
Plans that allow after-tax contributions and conversions.
Plans without those features.
§402A
Route out-of-state income tax through the business.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeBusiness owners$0 for most; about $6,500 a year above the SALT phase-down.
Owners taxed in other states with income above about $505,000.
Texas-only businesses: most Texans.
§164(b)(6)
$19,000 per person per year, plus unlimited tuition and medical paid directly.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeFamily & heirs$0 for most. Above the exemption, $228,000 a year for 10 years saves about $1.16 million of estate tax, less lost step-up on appreciated gifts.
Estates near $15 million per person; families helping with school.
Most families seeking tax savings.
§2503(b), §2503(e)
Tax-free interest pays only above a 34.5% rate.
Calculator liveSeason 1 episodeInvestmentsTop bracket with NIIT: about $3,400 per $1 million a year; below about 34.5%, taxable bonds win.
Households paying about 35%+ on interest.
The 32% bracket and below; IRAs.
§103
Deduct up to $25,000 of tips, 2025 through 2028.
Calculator liveNew lawThe 2025 tax law$18,000 of tips in the 12% bracket: about $2,160 a year back.
Servers, bartenders, stylists, delivery drivers and others in IRS-listed tipped jobs whose tips are reported on a W-2 or 1099.
Unreported tips; specified service businesses; married filing separately. Shrinks above $150,000 / $300,000 of income; gone at $400,000 / $550,000. Social Security and Medicare still apply.
§224 (new)
Deduct the extra "half" of time-and-a-half pay, 2025 through 2028.
Calculator liveNew lawThe 2025 tax law$9,000 of overtime premium in the 22% bracket: about $1,980. Cap $12,500 single, $25,000 married.
Hourly workers paid overtime under federal law: nurses, police, warehouse, trades.
Salaried exempt staff; overtime paid only under state rules; married filing separately. Shrinks above $150,000 / $300,000; gone at $275,000 / $550,000.
§225 (new)
An extra $6,000 per person 65 and older, 2025 through 2028.
Calculator liveNew lawThe 2025 tax lawMarried couple, both 65+, 12% bracket: about $1,440 a year.
Anyone 65+ with income under $75,000 single / $150,000 married; it shrinks above that.
Under 65. Each person's $6,000 shrinks by 6% of income above the line: gone at $175,000 single / $250,000 married.
§151(d) (new)
Deduct up to $10,000 a year of interest on a new, U.S.-assembled car.
Calculator liveNew lawThe 2025 tax law$3,000 of interest in the 22% bracket: about $660 a year.
Buyers of a new personal vehicle with final assembly in the U.S., loan taken after 2024.
Used cars, leases, foreign-assembled vehicles. Shrinks above $100,000 / $200,000; gone at $150,000 / $250,000.
§163(h) (new)
A new tax-deferred account for kids, with a $1,000 federal deposit for babies born 2025–2028.
Calculator liveNew lawThe 2025 tax law$5,000 a year from birth to 18 at a hypothetical 7%: about $170,000.
Parents of U.S.-citizen children under 18. Contributions open July 4, 2026: up to $5,000 a year, $2,500 of it from an employer.
Families who need the money before the child turns 18; contributions are not deductible for parents.
§530A (new) · Form 4547
Deduct the part of your home used regularly and only for business.
Calculator liveBusiness ownersSimplified method: up to $1,500. Actual method on a $4,000-a-month home with a 12% office: often $5,000+.
Self-employed people (on Schedule C); S-corp owners through an accountable plan.
W-2 employees (their deduction is gone for good); a kitchen table used for everything.
§280A(c)
Standard mileage or actual costs, whichever is bigger, with a log.
Calculator liveBusiness owners15,000 business miles at the IRS standard rate: $10,875 deducted at the 2026 rate of 72.5¢.
Owners who drive for the business and keep a mileage log.
Commuting miles; anyone without a written log.
§162, §274(d)
$2,200 per child, a $7,500 dependent care FSA, and a care credit of up to 50%.
Calculator liveNew lawFamily & heirsTwo children: $4,400 of child credit, plus about $2,200 from a full FSA at 22%. FSA dollars reduce the expenses the care credit can use.
Working parents with children under 17, or paying daycare for children under 13.
Incomes above the credit phase-outs; care paid in cash with no provider tax ID.
§24, §21, §129
Tax-free growth for school, now $20,000 a year for K-12 and trade credentials.
Calculator liveFamily & heirs$10,000 a year for 10 years at 6%: about $32,000 of growth never taxed. Unused money: up to $35,000 can roll to a Roth IRA.
Parents and grandparents saving for school, trade programs or private K-12.
Families who may need the money for other things (earnings become taxable plus 10%).
§529
Move IRA money to a Roth when your bracket is temporarily low.
Calculator liveRetirement & savingsConverting $50,000 at 12% instead of 22% later: about $5,000 less tax.
Early retirees, business owners with a down year, anyone between jobs.
High-income years; anyone who must pay the conversion tax from the IRA itself.
§408A(d)(3)
Pay 100% of last year's tax (110% above $150,000 AGI) and owe no penalty.
Calculator liveBusiness ownersAvoids the IRS underpayment penalty, charged at the IRS interest rate on every late quarter.
Self-employed people, business owners, anyone with big investment income.
W-2 earners whose withholding already covers it.
§6654
Up to $250,000 of gain ($500,000 married) tax-free on your home.
Calculator liveReal estate$500,000 gain, married: up to about $119,000 of tax avoided at 23.8% (20% plus the 3.8% NIIT). Depreciation taken is still taxed.
Owners who lived in the home 2 of the last 5 years.
Investment property; gain above the cap; rented years can reduce it.
§121
Premiums run through payroll: deductible, and free of payroll tax.
Calculator liveBusiness owners$18,000 of premiums at 24%: about $4,300 a year.
Owners of 2%+ of an S-corp who buy health insurance.
Owners eligible for a spouse's employer plan in that month.
§162(l) · Notice 2008-1
Earned income at 15 can become a seven-figure tax-free account at 65.
Calculator liveFamily & heirs$7,500 a year from 15 to 22 at a hypothetical 7% can pass $1 million by retirement, tax-free.
Teens with real earned income: a job or wages from a family business.
Children with no earned income (allowances don't count).
§408A
The two low-paperwork plans, and which one fits a business with staff.
Calculator liveRetirement & savingsSEP: up to 25% of pay, $72,000 max. SIMPLE: lower limits, but the business can match just 3%.
Small businesses choosing a first plan.
Owners who want to put away the most with no staff (see Solo 401(k)).
§408(k), §408(p)
The largest retirement deduction available, often $150,000 to $300,000+ a year.
Calculator liveRetirement & savingsA $200,000 contribution at 37%: about $74,000 of tax deferred this year.
Profitable owners 50+, often professionals, with steady cash flow for 5+ years.
Uneven income; owners who can't commit to yearly funding.
§412, §415(b)
Client and travel meals are 50% deductible; entertainment is not.
Calculator liveBusiness owners$12,000 of business meals: a $6,000 deduction.
Owners meeting clients or traveling for business.
Entertainment (golf, games); meals with no business discussion.
§274(k), §274(n)
Sole proprietor, LLC, S-corp or C-corp: the choice decides how much you keep.
Calculator liveBusiness ownersThe S-corp switch alone is worth about $9,400 a year at $250,000 of profit.
New businesses and businesses that outgrew their setup.
Anyone choosing for liability alone (that's a legal question as much as tax).
§1361, §11, §7701
Up to $5,000 a year for 3 years for starting a plan, plus more for auto-enrollment.
Calculator liveCreditsA 10-person firm can recover most of its plan costs for 3 years, plus up to $1,000 per employee in contribution credits.
Employers with up to 100 employees opening a first plan.
Businesses with no employees other than owners.
§45E
Break a building into parts that depreciate in 5, 7 and 15 years.
Calculator liveReal estate$1 million building, 25% reclassified: about $250,000 deducted in year one.
Owners of buildings worth $500,000+, especially with 100% bonus depreciation.
Owners whose losses would be passive and unusable; small properties where the study costs too much.
§168(k)
Middle-income landlords can deduct up to $25,000 of rental losses.
Calculator liveReal estate$25,000 loss in the 22% bracket: about $5,500.
Landlords who help manage their rentals, income under $100,000.
Incomes above $150,000 (fully phased out).
§469(i)
Donate stock instead of cash: deduct full value and never pay the gain.
Calculator liveCharitable$20,000 of stock with a $15,000 gain: about $2,800 of gains tax never owed, plus the deduction.
Givers who itemize and hold stock owned more than a year.
Stock with a loss (sell it and give the cash).
§170(e)
Give straight from your IRA after 70½; it counts toward your RMD and stays off your income.
Calculator liveCharitable$20,000 QCD at 22%: about $4,400, plus lower income for Medicare premiums. Annual cap $111,000.
IRA owners 70½+ who give to charity.
Gifts to donor-advised funds (not allowed).
§408(d)(8)
New for 2026: $1,000 single / $2,000 married for cash gifts.
Calculator liveNew lawCharitable$2,000 in the 12% bracket: $240 back.
Anyone taking the standard deduction who gives cash to a charity.
Gifts to donor-advised funds; non-cash gifts.
§170(p) (new)
Sell winners in a low-income year at a 0% rate and reset your cost basis.
Calculator liveInvestmentsRealize $30,000 of gains at 0% and owe nothing; your future gain shrinks by $30,000.
Retirees, students, and anyone with a low-income year and appreciated investments.
Middle and high brackets.
§1(h)
Sell property or a business and pay the tax as the payments come in.
Calculator liveReal estateSpreading a large gain can keep it in lower brackets and out of the 3.8% NIIT some years.
Sellers who can carry a note: property, practices, small businesses.
Sellers who need all the cash now; inventory and dealer property.
§453
Up to $15 million of gain tax-free on C-corp stock, under the new 3-4-5 year rules.
Calculator liveNew lawBusiness owners$5 million gain after 5 years: about $1.19 million of tax avoided.
Founders and investors in C-corps with under $75 million of assets, stock issued after July 4, 2025.
S-corps and LLCs; service businesses like law, health, accounting, consulting.
§1202
A dollar-for-dollar credit for improving products, processes or software.
Calculator liveCredits$300,000 of qualified wages often yields an $18,000–$24,000 credit; startups can use up to $500,000 against payroll tax.
Manufacturers, software, engineering, food and product developers.
Routine work; research funded by a customer.
§41
Domestic research costs are deductible right away again, starting 2025.
Calculator liveNew lawBusiness assets & R&DExpense this year's U.S. research instead of spreading it over 5 years. The window to amend 2022–2024 closed July 6, 2026; leftover 2022–2024 costs can be deducted in 2025 or over 2025–2026.
Businesses that had to spread R&D costs over 5 years since 2022.
Foreign research (still 15 years).
§174A (new)
Expense items up to $2,500 each instead of depreciating them.
Calculator liveBusiness assets & R&DSimpler books and a faster deduction; the total deduction is the same.
Every business buying computers, furniture, tools.
Large single assets above the threshold.
Reg. §1.263(a)-1(f)
How personal use changes the tax on a home you also rent.
Calculator liveReal estateUnder 15 rental days: rent is tax-free. More personal use than 14 days or 10%: losses are limited.
Owners of lake houses, cabins and second homes rented part of the year.
Full-time rentals.
§280A(g), (d), (e)
Start dates, amounts, and how to avoid the 25% penalty.
Calculator liveRetirement & savingsA missed $40,000 RMD can cost a $10,000 penalty (cut to 10% if fixed promptly).
IRA and 401(k) owners 73+ and heirs of inherited IRAs.
Roth IRA owners (no lifetime RMDs).
§401(a)(9), §4974
Net unrealized appreciation: pay capital gains rates instead of ordinary on employer stock.
Calculator liveRetirement & savings$400,000 of growth taxed at 20% instead of 37% (no 3.8% NIIT on NUA): about $68,000 saved, less tax on the plan's cost basis now.
Employees leaving with highly appreciated company stock in their 401(k).
Stock with little growth; anyone who already rolled it to an IRA.
§402(e)(4)
A spouse with no income can still fund a full IRA.
Calculator liveRetirement & savings$7,500 more sheltered each year.
Married couples with one earner.
Couples filing separately.
§219(c)
Sell an appreciated asset inside a trust: gain spread over your payments, income for life, a gift at the end.
Calculator liveCharitableThe trust sells a $2 million asset with no tax at sale, so the full amount earns income. The gain is taxed to you as payments come out, not erased, and charity gets what remains.
Owners of highly appreciated stock, property or a business who want lifetime income.
Anyone who wants the full asset to go to heirs; smaller amounts (setup costs).
§664
Invest gains in designated areas to defer them and erase growth after 10 years.
Calculator liveNew lawReal estateGrowth on a 10-year investment can be tax-free.
Investors with large capital gains and a 10-year horizon.
Anyone needing liquidity. Old-program deferral ends December 31, 2026; the permanent program starting 2027 gives a 5-year deferral and a 10% basis step-up (30% rural).
§1400Z-2
Up to $500,000 a year ($600,000 small business) for providing childcare.
Calculator liveNew lawCreditsCovers up to 50% of qualifying costs for small businesses.
Employers offering on-site or contracted childcare.
Businesses with no childcare costs.
§45F
A credit of 12.5%–25% of wages paid to employees on family leave, now permanent.
Calculator liveNew lawCreditsPaying $20,000 of leave wages can return $2,500–$5,000.
Employers with a written paid-leave policy.
Leave required by state law in some states.
§45S
Keep investment income below the $200,000 / $250,000 line.
Calculator liveInvestments3.8% of every dollar kept below the threshold.
High earners with investment or passive rental income.
Wage-only households.
§1411
Hold one day longer and the tax rate can drop by half.
Calculator liveInvestments$50,000 gain: at 35% short-term vs. 15% long-term, $10,000 saved.
Anyone about to sell an investment held just under a year.
Positions you need to sell now.
§1222
Pick the highest-cost shares and report the smallest gain.
Calculator liveInvestmentsCan turn a taxable sale into a loss on the same position.
Investors who bought the same fund or stock at different prices.
Single-purchase holdings.
Reg. §1.1012-1(c)
How big losses carry forward, and the cap on using them against other income.
Calculator liveBusiness ownersLosses above the yearly cap ($512,000 married / $256,000 single in 2026, now permanent) carry forward instead of being lost.
Owners with a loss year.
Profitable years.
§172, §461(l)
Give income to charity for years; pass what's left to heirs at a reduced gift value.
Calculator liveCharitableCan move growth to heirs with little or no gift tax.
Large estates with charitable goals.
Most families, given the $15 million exemption.
§170(f)(2)(B)
Control and legacy against cost and paperwork.
Calculator liveCharitableDAF: no excise tax, no annual return. Foundation: 1.39% tax on income, 5% minimum yearly payout.
Families giving $1 million+ who want a family foundation.
Most givers (a DAF is simpler and cheaper).
§509, §4940, §4942
Move assets out of your estate while your spouse can still benefit.
Calculator liveFamily & heirsRemoves future growth from the taxable estate.
Couples with estates near or above $30 million.
Most couples, under the permanent $15 million exemption.
§2511, §2041
Sell growing assets to a trust and freeze their value for estate tax.
Calculator liveFamily & heirsAll growth after the sale passes outside the estate.
Owners of fast-growing businesses or real estate with large estates.
Estates under the exemption.
§671–679
Hold family assets together; gifts of interests may be valued at a discount.
Calculator liveFamily & heirsValuation discounts often range 20%–35% on gifted interests, when supported by an appraisal.
Families with real estate or a business who want centralized control.
Personal-use assets; partnerships with no business purpose (IRS challenges these).
§2701–2704
Keep life insurance proceeds out of your taxable estate.
Calculator liveFamily & heirsA $5 million policy kept out of a taxable estate avoids up to $2 million of estate tax.
Large estates and families needing cash to pay estate costs.
Most estates under the exemption.
§2042
A child's investment income above a small amount is taxed at the parents' rate.
Calculator liveFamily & heirsAvoid surprises: shift wages, not dividends, to children.
Parents putting investments in a child's name.
Earned income (wages are taxed at the child's own rate).
§1(g)
§179D and §45L ended for buildings started or homes acquired after June 30, 2026. Claim qualifying projects on your 2026 return.
Calculator liveEnding June 30, 2026Business assets & R&D§45L: up to $5,000 per qualifying home. §179D: a per-square-foot deduction for efficient buildings.
Commercial building owners, designers and home builders with projects underway.
Projects starting after the cutoff.
§179D, §45L
Expired for wages after December 31, 2025; watch for an extension.
Calculator liveExpiredCredits$2,400 per hire, up to $9,600 for some veterans, on qualifying wages paid before 2026.
Employers who hired from targeted groups (veterans, long-term unemployed) before 2026.
Hires after 2025, unless Congress extends it.
§51
Ended: solar and home improvements after 2025, EVs after September 30, 2025.
Calculator liveExpiredThe 2025 tax lawSolar was 30% of cost; check that your 2025 return claimed it.
People who installed or bought in time: claim it on the 2025 return.
Purchases after the end dates.
§25C, §25D, §30D
Certain small captives are listed transactions or transactions of interest; both require IRS disclosure.
Calculator liveCautionProceed with cautionPenalties and disclosure duties can exceed any saving.
Very few businesses with real insurable risk and real claims.
Anyone sold a captive mainly for the deduction.
§831(b) · Reg. §1.6011-10, -11
Promoted deductions of 4–5 times the investment: a listed transaction.
Calculator liveCautionProceed with cautionA partnership deduction above 2.5 times the partners' basis is disallowed in full. Courts have disallowed most litigated syndicated deals; a 40% penalty can apply.
Landowners donating a real easement on their own land, valued honestly.
Investors buying into a syndicate for the deduction.
§170(h)
Promoted as deferral with cash in hand; the IRS is moving to list them.
Calculator liveCautionProceed with cautionCan lose the deferral and add penalties.
Almost no one.
Sellers offered a 'loan' that returns the sale proceeds to them.
§453
'Pure' or 'asset protection' trusts sold to eliminate income tax.
Calculator liveCautionProceed with cautionTaxes, penalties and interest when examined.
No one.
Anyone. The IRS has warned against these arrangements (Notice 97-24).
§671–679
Late and aggressive ERC claims are under enforcement; some can't be paid at all.
Calculator liveCautionProceed with cautionCorrecting early can limit penalties; we handle this as resolution work.
Businesses that may have filed an improper claim and want to fix it.
New claims (deadlines have passed).
§3134
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Figures use 2026 federal law (IRS inflation adjustments for 2026 and the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Pub. L. 119-21) and hypothetical examples; your result depends on your facts. "Calculator live" strategies open an interactive calculator. Each calculator was reviewed against the Internal Revenue Code, Treasury regulations and IRS guidance current as of October 2026. General education only, not tax, legal or investment advice for your situation; reading this creates no client relationship. ebotCPA PLLC, 4425 W Airport Fwy, Ste 595, Irving, TX 75062 · 817-214-4014.