Forgiven PPP loans are federally tax-free and the expenses paid with them remain fully deductible, but EIDL loans, EIDL Advance grants, and PUA benefits each carry distinct tax treatment — including a one-time $10,200 unemployment exclusion for 2020 under the American Rescue Plan.
A line-by-line guide to the deductions self-employed workers can claim in 2026, including the now-permanent 20% QBI deduction under OBBBA, $72,000 Solo 401(k) limits, the 72.5-cent IRS mileage rate, and the documentation rules that hold up under audit.
The IRS uses a nine-factor test under Section 183 to decide whether your side income is a business or a hobby. After the OBBBA took effect in 2026, hobbyists report income in full but can deduct no expenses against it — making the classification more consequential than ever.
Form W-9 collects your taxpayer ID so payers can issue accurate 1099s. The 2026 OBBBA raised the reporting threshold from $600 to $2,000, and the IRS released a revised form. This guide explains the line-by-line mechanics, the single-member LLC mistake that triggers backup withholding, and the recordkeeping habits that keep January boring.
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).
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.
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.
A precise 2026 guide to taxable income — which dollars the IRS counts (wages, tips, capital gains, cancelled debt), which are excluded (gifts, inheritances, Roth distributions, muni bond interest), the step-by-step AGI-to-taxable-income calculation, and seven legal strategies to reduce the final number, including new One Big Beautiful Bill Act deductions for tipped, overtime, and senior taxpayers.
A 2026 guide to deducting business travel on Schedule C — covering the IRS tax home rule, the $178 CONUS per diem, 50% meal limits, 75% international business-day threshold, and the documentation habits that survive an audit.
A tax extension buys six months to file, not to pay. This guide explains exactly how to file Form 4868 (individuals) and Form 7004 (businesses), how to estimate a good-faith payment, and the state-level traps that cost filers real money.
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