#tax-deductions
Tax Deductions
Maximize tax deductions and reduce your tax liability legally
The 23% QBI Deduction Explained: What the Small Business Tax Cut Act Could Mean for Your Pass-Through Income
H.R. 8415 would raise the Section 199A qualified business income deduction from 20% to 23% — an extra $3,000 of deduction on $100,000 of QBI, worth $660 to $960 in tax depending on your bracket. Here is how the deduction works in 2026 after OBBBA made it permanent, which W-2 wage and SSTB limits still apply, and how to keep books that support the number you claim.
Gig Economy Driver Tax Deductions 2026: The 72.5-Cent Mile, the $25K Tips Break, and 100% Bonus Depreciation
For 2026, gig drivers deduct 72.5 cents per mile through June and 76 cents after, claim up to $25,000 in qualified tips as an above-the-line deduction, and expense vehicles at 100% bonus depreciation — if they log miles and tips contemporaneously and keep books on the right Schedule C lines.
The Real Cost of AI Coding Subscriptions in 2026: How Freelance Developers Can Track, Compare, and Deduct Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code
AI coding stacks now cost freelance developers $150–$600 a month across Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code — and every dollar is deductible, but only the portion you can document. A practical guide to tracking per-vendor spend, splitting business from personal use, allocating tool cost by client, and trimming the bill without losing the leverage.
Charitable Giving in 2026: Cash vs. Property, $500 Noncash Threshold, and the Appraisal Rule for Donations Over $5,000
Noncash gifts over $500 require Form 8283 and over $5,000 require a qualified appraisal — and every single gift of $250 or more needs a contemporaneous acknowledgment letter before the return is filed.
Mobile Detailing Bookkeeping: How to Track True Job Costs and Profit Margins
Solo mobile detailers can hit 60-80% gross margins, but only by tracking job-level costs — consumables, water, van depreciation, and labor — categories a generic "Supplies" bucket obscures.
ATO Interest Is No Longer Tax-Deductible: What GIC and SIC Now Really Cost Your Business
From 1 July 2025, the ATO's General Interest Charge and Shortfall Interest Charge are no longer tax-deductible — even on old tax debts. With GIC around 11% compounding daily, the after-tax cost of ATO debt jumped from roughly 7–8% to full sticker price. Here's how the incurred-date rule works and what to do about existing debt.
Stunt Performer and Freelance Entertainer Tax Deductions: Why W-2 vs. 1099 Decides Everything
W-2 performers permanently lost the deduction for unreimbursed job expenses, and the Qualified Performing Artist deduction's $16,000 AGI cap — frozen since 1986 — excludes most working artists. Self-employed stunt performers and entertainers paid on a 1099 can still deduct 100% of training, safety gear, demo reels, agent commissions, union dues, and audition mileage on Schedule C.
The Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction in 2026: Navigating the Return of the ACA Subsidy Cliff
The enhanced ACA premium tax credits expired January 1, 2026, restoring the 400% FPL subsidy cliff — about $60,240 for a single filer — and roughly doubling net premiums for the average subsidized enrollee. Here's how self-employed workers can use the 100% above-the-line health insurance deduction, Form 7206, HSA contributions ($4,400 individual / $8,750 family), and MAGI timing strategies to soften the hit.
Towing Company Bookkeeping: Tow Truck Depreciation, Impound Lot Revenue, and the Compliance Costs Most Owners Underprice
A tow truck over 14,000 lbs GVWR can often be fully expensed under Section 179 the year it's placed in service — but only if the depreciation schedule starts that year. How towing companies should separate tow, impound, and lien-sale revenue, reconcile lot logs monthly, and price compliance costs into every job.
Cameo Creator Taxes: Why Your 1099 Won't Match Your Bank Deposits (and How to Book It Right)
Cameo's 1099-NEC reports your gross booking price, but the platform keeps 25% — and Apple takes another 30% on iOS orders — so booking only your net deposits creates an IRS mismatch and erases a deductible fee. Here's how to record gross revenue and platform fees separately, what the 15.3% self-employment tax costs once you clear $400, and the 2026 quarterly estimated-tax dates to calendar.
The DB(k) Plan: Why the Combined 401(k)-Pension Failed, and What Small Business Owners Use Instead
The DB(k) plan under Section 414(x) let small employers bundle a 401(k) and a pension into one plan, yet almost nobody adopted it. Here's why it failed — IRS double filing fees, unchanged administrative work, weaker owner contributions — and how a DB/DC combo of a cash balance plan plus 401(k) profit-sharing can push an older owner's deductible contributions past $480,000 a year.
Donor-Advised Funds for Small Business Owners: Timing Charitable Giving Under the 2026 Rules
Starting in 2026, itemized charitable deductions only count above a 0.5%-of-AGI floor, while the new non-itemizer deduction excludes donor-advised funds. This guide shows small business owners how to respond — bunching several years of giving into one high-income year, donating appreciated stock to avoid capital gains, and using the 60%/30% AGI limits and five-year carryforward around a business sale.