Insights
Notes on tax, accounting & growth
Practical, no-jargon guidance for small business owners. Strategies I share with clients, written down for everyone.
- Tax Planning
California PTET: The Credit Too Many Owners Skip
I was reviewing a new client's return and spotted five figures left on the table: no PTET election. It's one of the most valuable moves a California business owner can make, and one of the easiest to miss, because you have to set it up before the year is even over.
July 21, 20265 min read - Tax Planning
S-Corp Reasonable Salary for a One-Person California LLC
You elected S-corp status to save on payroll tax, and now a payroll screen is asking what to pay yourself. Pick too low and the IRS notices. Here's how a solo owner sets a number that holds up, and how California steps on the savings.
July 8, 20266 min read - Tax Planning
S-Corp Home Office Deduction: The Only Way That Still Works
You took the home office deduction for years as a sole proprietor. Then you became an S-corp, and it quietly disappeared. Here's where it went and how to get it back the right way.
July 7, 20265 min read - Tax Planning
R&D Tax Credit for Software Startups: Cash Before Profit
Not profitable yet? You may still be leaving six figures on the table. Here's how early-stage software and AI companies turn R&D spending into actual cash, and where California quietly changes the math.
July 7, 20268 min read - Tax Planning
LLC vs S Corp: What Federal Reporting Actually Changes
"Become an S corp and save on taxes" skips the part where you pick up a whole new stack of federal filings. Here's exactly what changes on paper, and the income level where the extra work starts paying for itself.
June 30, 20266 min read - Tax Planning
HSA Tax Benefits for California Business Owners
The HSA is the most tax-favored account in the code, right up until your California return claws part of it back and your S-Corp status quietly changes the math. Here's what actually applies to you.
June 29, 20267 min read - Tax Planning
How Your S-Corp Salary Affects Your QBI Deduction
The salary you pay yourself from an S-corp isn't only a payroll-tax decision. Once your income clears a certain line, it quietly sets the size of your QBI deduction, and the cheapest salary stops being the smartest one.
June 26, 20266 min read - Tax Planning
Your Divorce Settlement Says "Equalization Payment." Here's What That Actually Costs You in Taxes.
Your attorney just dropped "equalization payment" and "Section 1041" into your settlement draft, and nobody stopped to translate. Good news: the payment itself is almost certainly tax-free. The bad news hides in what you agree to take instead of cash.
June 25, 20267 min read - Tax Planning
Coca-Cola Is Fighting a $20 Billion Tax Bill This Week. The Rule Behind It Applies to You Too.
Coca-Cola is in court this week over a tax bill bigger than most companies' entire market cap. The dispute sounds exotic, but the rule underneath it applies to anyone who moves money between businesses they own.
June 22, 20266 min read - Small Business
How to Fix a Depreciation Mistake on a Past Tax Return (Hint: Don't Amend)
You forgot to depreciate that equipment, used the wrong useful life, or claimed too much on a rental, and now it's been a couple of years. The good news: there's a single form that cleans up years of mistakes in one shot, no time machine required.
June 9, 20267 min read - Small Business
What Is a Balance Sheet? (And Why Your Bank Balance Is Lying to You)
Wondering what a balance sheet actually is? It's a snapshot of what your small business owns, owes, and what's left for you — built on one equation: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. Here's how to read yours in five minutes, with a real worked example.
June 9, 20263 min read - Tax Planning
Year-End Tax Planning Strategies for Small Business Owners
The best time to lower your tax bill isn't when you're filing it. It's the quiet stretch before December 31, while you still have moves left to make. Here's what actually moves the needle, and what's just noise.
June 9, 20267 min read - Bookkeeping
Five Bookkeeping Mistakes That Quietly Cost You Money
Your books can look fine while slowly bleeding money. Here are the five quiet mistakes that catch even sharp business owners off guard, and the simple fixes that pay for themselves.
October 30, 20257 min read - Accounting
When Does It Make Sense to Hire a CPA?
You've been doing your own taxes since college, and it's mostly fine. Until it isn't. Here's how to tell when DIY stops being thrifty and starts being expensive.
October 12, 20256 min read
