Your Q4 2026 Tax-Planning Checklist: 10 Moves to Make Before December 31
Ten IRS-smart moves before December 31: place equipment in service, max out 401(k)s, bunch charitable gifts, and prep 1099s under the new $2,000 rule.
#estimated-taxes
Estimated Taxes
Quarterly estimated tax payments, safe-harbor rules, and underpayment-penalty planning for taxpayers with income outside payroll withholding
2027 Tax Brackets Projected 3.2% Higher: Withholding, Estimates, and Year-End Moves
Federal 2027 tax brackets and standard deduction are projected 3.2% higher ($33,200 joint). Here's how to adjust W-4 withholding and estimates now.
IRS2Go Is Gone: What the New IRS App Means for Your Refunds, Payments, and Tax Records
The IRS app replaced IRS2Go on Sept. 25, 2026: sign in to check refunds, pay balances, pull transcripts and your IP PIN — business accounts stay on IRS.gov.
Session Musician Taxes and Bookkeeping: Union Scale, Buyouts, 1099s, Royalties, and Deductions
Gig pay lands on 1099-NEC, royalties on 1099-MISC, and the IRS taxes it all. US guide to scale vs. buyouts, fund payouts, and session deductions.
Tarot Reader and Astrologer Bookkeeping: Per-Reading Rates, Party Pricing, and Fortune-Telling Laws
Four states ban paid fortune-telling and Massachusetts requires a license. Price tarot readings and parties, track cash, and meet IRS quarterly tax rules.
You Won a Hackathon (or a Sweepstakes, or a Car): How the IRS Taxes Prize Winnings and the One Legal Way to Refuse One
US prize winnings are ordinary income at fair market value — report them on Schedule 1 even when no 1099-MISC arrives under the 2026 $2,000 threshold.
The October 15 Countdown: An Extended Filer's 2026 Guide to Penalties, Safe Harbors, and Last-Chance SEP-IRA Funding
File by October 15 and the IRS failure-to-file penalty — 5% a month, ten times the failure-to-pay rate — stops; it is also the last day to fund a 2025 SEP-IRA.
Form W-4P in 2026: Stop Letting the Wrong Default Shrink Your Pension Check
Form W-4P defaults new pension payments to single status with no adjustments, not 10%. Check the Step 1 box to elect zero IRS withholding.
Joint Venture Bookkeeping: Capital Accounts, Profit Splits, and Partnership Tax Filing
The IRS treats most joint ventures as partnerships: keep separate books, track capital accounts, and file Form 1065 by March 15.
Self-Employment Tax Pricing: How to Build the 15.3% Into Your Rates
US self-employment tax is 15.3% on 92.35% of net profit — about 14.1% effective. Price it in with a five-step rate formula, not salary divided by 2,080.
Pricing Wedding Calligraphy Without Losing Money: What to Charge Per Envelope, Per Hour, and Per Rush Job
Most wedding calligraphers charge $2.50–$6 per envelope, but the rate that pays is your own — hourly math, spoilage, rush tiers, and 15.3% self-employment tax.
Your Income Isn't Level: The Annualized Income Method on Form 2210
Form 2210 Schedule AI matches each IRS estimated-tax installment to income earned by March 31, May 31, Aug 31 and Nov 30 — it can only shrink your penalty.