Advanced Tax Strategies
Executive Deferred Compensation Tax Strategy 2026
How executives use deferred compensation to manage taxes, and how Section 409A's rules and 20% additional tax can undo the plan.
Lenny Whiting
Expert insights on estate planning, asset protection, tax law, tax preparation, tax planning, bookkeeping, accounting practices, wealth management, and legal matters for businesses and individuals.
Expert insights on estate planning, asset protection, tax law, tax preparation, tax planning, bookkeeping, accounting practices, wealth management, and legal matters for businesses and individuals.
Showing 44 of 63 articles tagged with tax-planning
How executives use deferred compensation to manage taxes, and how Section 409A's rules and 20% additional tax can undo the plan.
How advanced tax planning for family estates coordinates the $15M exclusion, gifting, trusts and basis so one decision doesn't undo another.
How the step-up in basis works under IRC 1014, why community property matters in Nevada, and planning mistakes that can cost your heirs.
The 2026 estate tax exemption sunset was replaced by a $15 million exclusion. Here's what changed and what to review with your advisor.
Where the 37% rate and 3.8% NIIT start in 2026, and the advanced moves high-income earners can use to keep more of what they earn.
Which tax strategies are legal, and which get flagged as abusive? A Las Vegas dual CPA/tax attorney breaks down what actually holds up under IRS examination.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law in 2025, raised the federal SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,400 for 2026. That sounds like great news for S-corp owners and LLC members in high-tax states. And for many taxpayers, it is. But here's the catch: if you own a pass-through business in California, New York, or New Jersey and your state tax bill already exceeds $40,400, the new cap still leaves tens of thousands of dollars in deductions on the table. A California S-corp owner earning $500,000 in pass-through income pays roughly $46,500 in state income tax. The SALT cap covers $40,400 of that. The remaining $6,100 or more disappears under the new law. And for anyone with income above $500,000, the SALT cap phases out entirely, dropping back toward $10,000 once your MAGI hits $600,000. That's where the pass-through entity (PTE) election still wins in 2026. This guide explains exactly who benefits, how to calculate the advantage, and what you need to do before the deadlines close.
If you run a profitable pass-through business and earn $300,000 in qualified business income, the 20% QBI deduction puts $60,000 off your taxable income. At a 37% marginal rate, that's roughly $22,200 in federal tax savings — every single year. And starting in 2026, that benefit is no longer scheduled to disappear.The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, permanently extended the Section 199A deduction. What was set to sunset at the end of 2025 under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is now a permanent part of the tax code. That changes the planning calculus for every self-employed owner, S-corp shareholder, and LLC operator.But "permanent" doesn't mean automatic. The rules governing income thresholds, W-2 wage limitations, and entity structure choices still determine whether you capture the full 20% or walk away with a fraction of it. This guide breaks down exactly how to maximize your QBI deduction in 2026 — with step-by-step math and strategy.
The entity structure you choose for your business determines how much of your profit goes to taxes — and for entrepreneurs earning $200,000 or more, that difference can easily exceed $20,000 per year. Self-employment tax alone sits at 15.3% on the first $184,500 of net earnings in 2026, according to the Social Security Administration. The right entity structure either eliminates or dramatically reduces that liability.This guide covers the core tax treatment of LLCs, S-corps, and C-corps in 2026. It explains when each structure works best, how the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed July 4, 2025, changed the math on pass-through income, and what decisions need your attention now. The 2026 tax landscape is meaningfully different from prior years. The QBI deduction is permanent. Bonus depreciation is back at 100%. And the QSBS exclusion just got a $5 million increase.