The OBBBA (Pub.L.119-21, effective July 4, 2025) raised the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 for 2025 and $40,400 for 2026, rising 1% annually through 2029. But a 30% phase-down starts at $500,000 MAGI and the cap reverts to $10,000 in 2030. Here's the practical breakdown.
A practical 2026 guide to the QSBS Section 1202 capital-gains exclusion: C-corp and original-issue rules, the gross-assets cap, the five-year holding period, qualified trades, the greater of $10M or 10x basis exclusion, the 2025 OBBBA tiered changes, stacking, Section 1045 rollovers, and the mistakes that blow it up.
Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) tax rules for 2026: the age 70½ threshold, the inflation-indexed annual limit, how a QCD counts toward your RMD, why the income exclusion beats an itemized charitable deduction, how to execute a direct custodian transfer, and the mistakes that void it.
A practical guide to how nonqualified deferred compensation (NQDC) plans work in 2026. We break down the critical Section 409A election and distribution rules, the real risk that your deferral is an unsecured claim, rabbi trusts versus employer insolvency, how NQDC compares to a 401(k), FICA versus income tax timing, and the mistakes that cost executives the most.
How the Rule of 55 lets you pull from your 401(k) penalty-free after leaving a job at 55, how it differs from the 59½ rule and 72(t) SEPP, the IRA rollover mistake that kills it, and the age-50 public safety exception for 2026.
A practical 2026 guide to the SECURE 2.0 529-to-Roth IRA rollover: the 15-year account rule, the $35,000 lifetime cap per beneficiary, the annual Roth-limit tie-in, the 5-year seasoning rule, the earned-income test, no MAGI phase-out, who actually benefits, and the mistakes to avoid.
A practical QSBS Section 1202 guide for founders and startup investors: the C-corp and five-year holding requirements, the 10 million dollar or 10x exclusion cap, the 2025 OBBBA tiered 3, 4, and 5 year rules with the 15 million dollar limit, Section 1045 rollovers, and state conformity traps.
A practical U.S. guide to Qualified Opportunity Zone (QOZ) tax benefits and Qualified Opportunity Funds (QOF): capital gains deferral to the 2026 recognition date, the permanent 10-year FMV step-up, the expired 5- and 7-year basis breaks, the 180-day window, the 90% asset test, substantial improvement, risks, and Forms 8949, 8996, and 8997.
A practical guide to how Social Security retirement benefits are taxed in 2026: how to calculate provisional (combined) income, the 50% and 85% taxability tiers, which states still tax benefits, and Roth conversion and withdrawal-sequencing strategies with real retiree examples.
A practical 2026 guide to municipal bond tax-exempt income: how muni interest escapes federal and often state tax, taxable-equivalent yield by bracket with a worked table, GO vs revenue bonds, the de minimis rule, AMT, Social Security interaction, and individual bonds vs muni funds.
A practical 2026 guide to the Section 199A Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction: who qualifies, taxable-income thresholds and phase-out ranges, the SSTB limitation, the W-2 wage and UBIA cap, aggregation, and S-corp salary planning explained clearly.
A practical 2026 guide to the wash sale rule (IRS §1091): the 30-days-before-and-after 61-day window, how disallowed losses roll into cost basis, the permanent IRA repurchase trap, what 'substantially identical' means, ETF-switch workarounds, and the current crypto exception.
A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) lets IRA owners aged 70½ and older move money straight from a traditional IRA to charity, keeping that amount out of taxable income. This guide covers RMD satisfaction, lowering AGI and MAGI, IRMAA, NIIT, Social Security taxation, contribution limits, and the SECURE 2.0 changes.
A practical 2026 guide to the Roth conversion ladder for FIRE and early retirees: how the per-conversion 5-year rule works, filling low tax brackets in gap years, the pro-rata trap, and coordinating conversions with ACA subsidies and IRMAA surcharges.
A practical 2026 guide to the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT): the 3.8% Medicare surtax thresholds ($200k single, $250k married filing jointly, $125k married filing separately), which income counts as net investment income, how the lesser-of calculation works, and the planning moves that actually lower the bill.
A complete guide to the Health Savings Account (HSA) for 2026: eligibility rules, the triple tax advantage, contribution limits, HDHP thresholds, the stealth-IRA retirement strategy, HSA vs FSA, and the mistakes that quietly cost people thousands.
A working CPA's guide to Section 179 expensing versus bonus depreciation for US businesses in 2026: annual dollar caps and the taxable-income limit, what property qualifies, the heavy SUV and truck vehicle rules, the 179-then-bonus-then-MACRS ordering, state conformity traps, recapture risk, and how to actually choose.
How the step-up in cost basis works when you inherit stock in the US, how to figure date-of-death fair market value, the double step-up in community property states, which assets like IRAs do not get a step-up, gifting versus inheriting, and the mistakes that cost heirs the most.
If you hold highly appreciated employer stock inside a 401(k) or ESOP, a simple IRA rollover can quietly cost you tens of thousands in taxes. This 2026 guide explains the NUA election—paying ordinary income tax only on the cost basis now and long-term capital gains on the appreciation later—plus the lump-sum rules, when NUA beats a rollover, and the mistakes that permanently void it.
A practical 2026 guide to the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) Section 1202 capital-gains exclusion: eligibility rules, the 5-year hold, stacking and Section 1045 rollovers, state conformity gaps, and the mistakes that quietly blow the exclusion.
How US homeowners can exclude up to $500,000 in capital gains from a home sale under IRC Section 121 — ownership and use tests, partial exclusion rules, high-gain workarounds, and state tax overlays explained with real scenarios.