Self-Employed Health Insurance Premiums: Clarifying Deductibility
If you are self-employed and buy your own health insurance, you may have noticed fine print on the application stating that the policy is not employer-sponsored and that you will not deduct the premiums on your tax return. That language can be alarming, but it does not take away your tax deduction. The statement exists […]
Home Office Deduction Update for 2026: Guidance for Self-Employed Taxpayers
If you are self-employed and also have access to an office elsewhere, you may assume you cannot deduct a home office. Many people believe this, and IRS auditors sometimes raise it. But the law says otherwise, and the IRS’s own guidance backs you up. Your home office qualifies as your principal place of business when […]
When the Time Is Right: Protecting Your Future After the Loss of a Spouse
Losing a spouse is difficult, and taxes are likely the last thing on your mind. But the tax consequences arrive on a delayed schedule that creates a valuable planning window—one that closes quickly if no one is watching. Here is the timeline: For the year when your spouse dies, you may still file a joint […]
Understanding the Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction
The self-employed health insurance deduction is one of the most valuable adjustments available to you. It reduces adjusted gross income dollar for dollar; you get it whether or not you itemize, and the lower adjusted gross income can preserve other benefits that phase out as income rises. It is also one of the easiest deductions […]
How an S Corporation Can Unlock the Section 199A Deduction
If you operate as a sole proprietor or single-member LLC, earn a good income, and have no payroll and little depreciable property, you may be losing most of the Section 199A 20 percent deduction. Switching to an S corporation can fix that. Here is the problem: Once your 2026 taxable income exceeds $276,750 (single) or […]
S Corporation Health Insurance Deduction
If you own more than 2 percent of an S corporation, your dental, vision, and Medicare premiums can qualify for the same valuable tax treatment as your major medical insurance premiums. To secure the deductions, follow the same three-step process for all qualifying premiums. First, your S corporation must either pay the premiums directly or […]
ERC Refunds and the Tax Benefit Rule
If you received an Employee Retention Credit (ERC) refund in 2026 for wages paid in 2020 or 2021, you may have an opportunity to recover the tax you pay on that refund. The IRS currently says that if you failed to reduce your wage deductions in the original years, you should report the receipt of […]
Understanding Inventory Accounting Methods for Small Businesses
Businesses that produce goods or purchase merchandise for resale have traditionally treated those items as inventory. Under the general tax rules, the business capitalizes inventory costs and deducts them only in the year the inventory is sold. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed these rules for many small businesses. As a result, qualifying businesses […]
A Guide to Deducting Unreimbursed Partnership Expenses
Partners in partnerships and members of LLCs taxed as partnerships often pay business-related expenses out of their own pocket. Common examples include meals with prospective clients, vehicle expenses, professional education, subscriptions, and home-office costs. In many cases, these unreimbursed expenses may be deductible on the partner’s personal tax return. Only if the partnership agreement or […]
New Law Restores Valuable Tax Deductions for Businesses
Your business may have a valuable opportunity to claim larger deductions or refunds for research and experimentation (R&E) expenses. Starting in 2022, businesses had to amortize domestic R&E costs over five years rather than deducting them immediately. This rule created cash-flow problems for many businesses that developed new products, improved processes, wrote custom software, or […]