Tax Strategy Blog for Business Owners

“Can my IRA buy a rental with a mortgage? Can it buy from my brother? What happens to it when I die? Real questions about self-directed IRAs and Solo 401(k)s.” This self-directed IRA Q&A is our September 2026 live session: 90 minutes with guest John Bowens, Director & Head of Education and Investor Success at […]

“My IRA is at Fidelity, and it’s “self-directed”… isn’t it? What really changes when I go self-directed?” Self-directed IRA vs regular IRA is the first confusion most investors hit: the IRA at Fidelity or Schwab is already called “self-directed,” so what changes? In our September live Q&A, Laura Dohanes, CPA, put that question to guest […]

“What can a self-directed IRA actually hold, and what’s off-limits?” Self-directed IRA prohibited transactions are where most investors get into trouble, usually not on purpose. In our September live Q&A, guest John Bowens of Equity Trust Company and Laura Dohanes, CPA, started with the short list of things an IRA can never own, then who […]

“You open a self-directed IRA and buy a rental with a mortgage. What’s the tax bill you weren’t expecting?” UDFI tax is the bill most investors don’t see coming when their self-directed IRA buys a rental with a mortgage, and yes, a Roth IRA can owe it too. In our September live Q&A, guest John […]

“What does the IRS actually care about? 13 real questions from real business owners and high earners.” This live tax Q&A for business owners and high earners is the full August 2026 session, where CPA and tax strategist Laura Dohanes answered 13 real questions from real owners and investors — no hypotheticals, no “it depends” […]

“I have a self-directed IRA in real estate that keeps throwing off returns, and I’m rolling principal into a Roth IRA. How does the 5-year rule work on continual rollovers?” The Roth 5-year rule trips up almost everyone — especially investors rolling real estate profits from a self-directed IRA into a Roth. Here’s how it […]

“Is cost segregation something worth doing, or is it better to live only with regular depreciation?” Cost segregation recapture is the part of the pitch nobody leads with. The studies can be spectacular — but sell too soon and the write-off comes back at a higher rate than you’d have paid without it. Quick answer: […]

“At what profit level does the expense of converting to an S-Corp make sense?” The S-Corp profit threshold is one of the most-Googled small-business tax questions — and everyone quotes a different magic number. Quick answer: On structure alone, Laura’s firm finds the S-Corp profit threshold sits somewhere around $40,000–$70,000 of net profit, and by […]

“How does the QBI deduction work with two active businesses — one Schedule C with a net profit and one with a net loss? Is QBI only possible if the combined total is a profit?” The QBI deduction looks simple — 20% off your pass-through profit — until you own two businesses and one of […]