Mike Thrift
Marketing Manager
The Sales Tax Deduction in 2026: How the New $40,000 SALT Cap Could Save You Thousands
For 2026 the SALT cap rises to $40,000, reviving the sales tax deduction for homeowners and big-ticket buyers. Choose between sales tax and state income tax on Schedule A, use the IRS optional tables, and stack actual tax paid on vehicles, boats, or renovation materials on top of the table amount.
Scope Management Guide: How to Prevent Scope Creep and Protect Your Service Business Revenue
Freelancers lose $15,000 to $25,000 yearly to scope creep, and 52% of agency projects expand past their original budgets. A six-step scope management lifecycle, written exclusions, and a formal change-order process keep service revenue from leaking.
Self-Employment Tax in 2026: The Complete Guide for Freelancers and Independent Contractors
How self-employment tax works in 2026 — the 15.3% combined rate, the $184,500 Social Security wage base, the $400 filing threshold, quarterly estimated payment deadlines, the deductions that reduce both income and SE tax, and the income level where an S-corp election starts to pay off (typically $60K–$80K net).
The Complete Service Agreement Template Guide: Protect Your Business and Get Paid Faster
A working guide to service agreements for freelancers, consultants, and small businesses—covering scope, payment terms, IP ownership, termination, and the boilerplate that decides who wins a dispute.
Small Business Tax Deductions 2026: The Complete Master List
A category-by-category guide to every major small business tax deduction for 2026, including the $2,560,000 Section 179 cap, 60% bonus depreciation, the 68.5-cent mileage rate, the 50% meals rule, and the documentation needed to defend each one on audit.
What Tax Rate Do Small Businesses Actually Pay? A 2026 Guide by Entity Type
There is no single small business tax rate. Federal effective rates typically run 12–24% for pass-throughs and a flat 21% for C corps, with self-employment tax, the QBI deduction, and entity choice each shifting the bill by thousands per year.
17 SMB Tax Saving Strategies That Actually Move the Needle in 2026
A working playbook for small business owners filing in 2026 — covering the now-permanent QBI deduction, the $2.56M Section 179 cap, S-corp salary structure, Solo 401(k) limits up to $72,000, and the bookkeeping habits that make every other strategy survive an audit.
Sole Proprietorship Taxes: A Complete Guide to Schedule C, Self-Employment Tax, and Deductions
A practical 2026 walkthrough of how the IRS taxes sole proprietors — covering Schedule C, the 15.3% self-employment tax on 92.35% of net earnings, quarterly estimated payments, the QBI deduction, and the threshold where an S-Corp election starts paying off.
Switching from QuickBooks: A Complete Migration Guide for Small Businesses
An eight-step guide to migrating off QuickBooks without losing your audit trail, covering cutover timing, data export limits, parallel running, opening-balance imports, and how to evaluate replacements like Xero, FreshBooks, and plain-text tools such as Beancount.
Tax Credits Explained: The Complete 2026 Guide for Individuals and Businesses
A 2026 reference for U.S. tax credits — how they differ from deductions, which credits are refundable, and the major individual and business credits with current dollar limits, including the $8,231 EITC max, $2,200 Child Tax Credit, and up to $9,600 WOTC per qualifying hire.
Are Tax Preparation Fees Deductible? A 2026 Guide for Business Owners and Self-Employed Filers
Personal tax prep fees are no longer federally deductible after the 2026 One Big Beautiful Bill Act, but business owners and self-employed filers can still deduct the business portion on Schedule C, E, F, 1065, 1120-S, or 1120—if they allocate and document it correctly.
The Tax Professional's FAQ: Working with Bookkeepers Without the Friction
A practical FAQ for CPAs and tax preparers who inherit a client's books from a third-party bookkeeper—covering opening balance verification, year-end document checklists, 1099 ownership, cash-to-accrual conversions, and the handoff habits that prevent March surprises.