Tax Strategy Blog for Business Owners

“If we move out of our home and rent it out, should we change the title to an LLC, or leave it in our names to deduct the expenses?” An LLC for rental property is the first thing people suggest when you move out and rent your old home. But there are two different questions […]

“What is your take on the Trump accounts?” Trump accounts are the new savings accounts for children created by the 2025 tax law, and a community member asked Laura point-blank for her take. She skipped the politics and graded them the way she grades every account: by the exit. Quick answer: Worth using, with realistic […]

“I’m a W-2 employee with an S-Corp and an LLC. My accountant told me to deduct nothing, and I’m getting slaughtered. Salary around $205K. Is it dangerous to deduct? Can I do anything?” W-2 withholding stops working the moment your income gets complicated. A $205,000 W-2 earner with an S-Corp and an LLC on the […]

“If my LLC reimburses me for the office portion of real estate taxes paid on my home, can I also deduct the total amount of real estate taxes on Schedule A of my Form 1040?” A home office reimbursement from your own company feels like a win — until tax time, when the question becomes […]

“With an S-Corp, minus reasonable compensation, the income is passive, correct? So real estate depreciation could reduce it?” Using an S-Corp for rental property sounds smart when a brother, a friend or half the internet says it’s the best structure. But S-Corps are built for active businesses — and rental real estate is passive by […]

“What tax advantages are available for a residential property that has a short-term rental entitlement, in a city that doesn’t have many legally operating STRs?” A short-term rental ban in your city doesn’t rewrite the federal tax code — but it can take the strategy off the table anyway. That’s the confusion behind this question […]

“I earned an additional $70,000 this year — what can I do now to lessen my tax impact? I’m an S-Corp.” S-Corp reasonable compensation is the answer almost nobody leads with. A customs broker running an S-Corp asked what to do with an extra $70,000 of profit this year — and before any deduction, strategy […]

“I’m an LP in a lot of syndications generating K-1 depreciation. After a 5-year exit, do I 1031 into another deal — or what’s the best strategy?” A syndication exit strategy is the thing most passive real estate investors never think about until it’s too late. Getting into a deal is easy; the question is […]

“What’s your take on investing in workforce housing and equipment rentals to offset taxes for W-2 earners?” Advanced tax strategies — workforce housing, equipment rentals, energy deals — get pitched hard, often with a “get in now or miss out” urgency. Before you wire a dollar, run every one of them through the same three-filter […]