The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) creates a new federal income tax deduction for qualifying tip income received by workers in tip-based industries. This means tips received by servers, bartenders, hair stylists, delivery drivers, and other service workers may be excluded from federal taxable income starting in 2026.

Workers in industries where tipping is customary qualify, including restaurant and food service workers, hotel and hospitality staff, hair stylists and barbers, nail technicians, delivery drivers, and similar service workers. Tips must be properly reported to the employer on W-2 or 1099 forms.

Yes — tips must still be reported to your employer and on your tax return. The deduction reduces your taxable income, but the reporting requirement remains. Unreported cash tips do not qualify for the deduction and still carry audit risk.

IRS guidance is still pending on self-employed tip income. Workers who receive tips as independent contractors should consult a tax advisor to determine how the deduction applies to their Schedule C income.

Savings depend on your total tip income and your marginal tax rate. A worker earning $20,000 in tips at a 22% rate saves $4,400/year. A worker in the 24% bracket saves $4,800/year on the same tip income.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) adds an enhanced $6,000 standard deduction for taxpayers age 65 and older, on top of the regular standard deduction and the existing additional standard deduction for seniors. This applies starting in 2026 and represents one of the largest standard deduction increases for seniors in history.

Any taxpayer who is age 65 or older by December 31 of the tax year qualifies, provided they take the standard deduction (not itemizing). Both spouses qualify if both are age 65 or older, effectively doubling the benefit for married couples.

In 2026, a senior age 65+ filing single receives: the regular standard deduction (approximately $15,000) + the existing additional standard deduction for seniors ($1,950) + the new OBBBA enhancement ($6,000) = approximately $22,950 total. A married couple both age 65+ receives approximately $45,900 in total standard deductions.

Many seniors who previously itemized should recalculate in 2026 — the new enhanced standard deduction may now exceed their itemized deductions. Uncle Kam can run both calculations to determine which saves more.

The enhanced standard deduction reduces your taxable income, which may reduce the portion of Social Security benefits subject to federal income tax. This creates a compounding benefit for retirees with moderate income levels.

The Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction under Section 199A allows owners of pass-through businesses — sole proprietorships, S-Corps, LLCs, and partnerships — to deduct up to 23% of their qualified business income starting in 2026, permanently extended and enhanced under the OBBBA. The full deduction is available if taxable income is below approximately $197,300 (single) or $394,600 (married filing jointly).

Yes. S-Corp owners can claim the QBI deduction on their share of the S-Corp's qualified business income. However, W-2 wages paid to yourself as an S-Corp employee are not included in QBI — only the pass-through profit qualifies.

It depends on income. Consultants are classified as a "specified service trade or business" (SSTB), which means the QBI deduction phases out above approximately $197,300 (single) or $394,600 (married) in 2026. Below those thresholds, consultants get the full 23% deduction.

Yes — the OBBBA permanently extended and enhanced the QBI deduction, increasing it from 20% to 23% starting in 2026. It no longer faces a sunset date. This is one of the most significant permanent tax changes for self-employed individuals and pass-through business owners.

The basic calculation is 23% of your qualified business income, limited to the lesser of 23% of QBI or 50% of W-2 wages paid by the business (or 25% of W-2 wages plus 2.5% of qualified property). For most small business owners below the income thresholds, the calculation is simply 23% of net business income.

When you hire your child who is under the age of 18 in your sole proprietorship or a partnership where both partners are parents of the child, their wages are generally exempt from Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes. This significant tax deduction is outlined in IRS Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide. This exemption applies as long as the business is not a corporation or a partnership with non-parent partners. This can lead to substantial FICA tax savings for both the employer and the employee, allowing more of the child's earnings to be retained.

Yes, wages paid to your child for services performed in your trade or business are deductible as a business expense, provided the compensation is reasonable for the services rendered, regardless of their age. For federal unemployment tax (FUTA) purposes, wages paid to a child under the age of 21 by their parent are exempt. This FUTA exemption is detailed in IRS Publication 15, Circular E, Employer's Tax Guide. This means you do not owe FUTA tax on their earnings, further reducing your overall tax burden while still benefiting from the wage deduction.

Yes, if you operate as a sole proprietorship, partnership, or S-corporation and pay health insurance premiums for a family member employee, these premiums can be deductible as a business expense. For a sole proprietorship, if the family member is a bona fide employee and the plan covers them, you may be able to deduct the premiums. Additionally, if the family member is your spouse and you offer a health plan to all employees, the premiums for your spouse can be deducted. This is consistent with IRS guidance on deductible business expenses under IRC Section 162.

The 'kiddie tax' generally applies to unearned income of a child, such as investment income, above a certain threshold (e.g., $2,500 for 2026, adjusted for inflation). However, wages earned by a child from employment in a family business are considered earned income and are not subject to the kiddie tax rules. This is crucial because it means the child's earned income will be taxed at their own, typically lower, individual tax rates, rather than their parents' higher marginal tax rates. This distinction is outlined in IRS Publication 929, Tax Rules for Children and Dependents.

When you hire a family member in an S-corporation or C-corporation, their wages are generally subject to the same federal payroll taxes (Social Security, Medicare, and FUTA) as any other employee. Unlike sole proprietorships or partnerships with only parent partners, the FICA and FUTA exemptions for children under 18 or 21 do not apply in corporate structures. This is because the corporation is considered a separate legal entity from the family. Therefore, you must withhold and pay these taxes according to standard payroll procedures, as detailed in IRS Publication 15, Circular E.

The QBI deduction (Section 199A) allows owners of pass-through businesses (sole proprietorships, partnerships, S-Corps, and some trusts) to deduct up to 23% of their qualified business income from federal taxable income starting in 2026, permanently extended and enhanced under the OBBBA. Employees and C-Corp shareholders do not qualify.

SSTBs are businesses in fields like law, health, financial services, accounting, actuarial science, performing arts, consulting (in the narrow IRS sense), athletics, and brokerage services. For SSTB owners with income above the phase-out thresholds (approximately $197,300 single / $394,600 MFJ in 2026), the QBI deduction phases out completely. Below the threshold, SSTB owners get the full deduction. The "consulting" SSTB is narrowly defined — many business advisors and management consultants do not qualify as SSTBs.

For non-SSTB businesses, the deduction is limited to the greater of: (a) 50% of W-2 wages paid by the business, or (b) 25% of W-2 wages plus 2.5% of the unadjusted basis of qualified property. These limitations apply when taxable income exceeds approximately $197,300 (single) or $394,600 (MFJ) in 2026. Below these thresholds, the full 23% deduction applies without the W-2 wage limitation.

For S-Corp owners, the QBI deduction applies to the S-Corp's qualified business income — which is the net income after the owner's reasonable salary is deducted. The salary itself is not QBI. This creates a tension: a lower salary increases QBI (and the deduction) but also increases the W-2 wage limitation at higher income levels. Uncle Kam can model the optimal salary to maximize the combined QBI deduction and SE tax savings.

Yes — the OBBBA permanently extended and enhanced the QBI deduction, increasing it from 20% to 23% starting in 2026. It no longer faces a sunset date. This is one of the most significant permanent tax changes for self-employed individuals and pass-through business owners.

The IRS allows you to deduct the cost of a residential rental building (excluding land) over 27.5 years. This creates a non-cash deduction each year — meaning you get a tax write-off without spending any money. A $300,000 building generates $10,909/year in depreciation deductions automatically.

Yes. Depreciation is based on the property's cost basis, not your equity. You can deduct the full depreciation amount regardless of how much you owe on the mortgage.

Depreciation taken during ownership is subject to recapture at a 25% rate when you sell. However, this can be deferred indefinitely using a 1031 exchange, or eliminated entirely if you hold the property until death and your heirs receive a step-up in basis.

You can catch up on all missed depreciation in a single year by filing IRS Form 3115 (Change in Accounting Method). This is a powerful strategy for landlords who have owned property for years without properly tracking depreciation.

No. Land does not wear out and cannot be depreciated. Only the building and improvements are depreciable. Properly allocating the land value (typically using the assessed value ratio from property tax records) is essential to maximizing your depreciation deduction.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) creates a new federal income tax deduction for qualifying overtime wages paid under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). This means overtime pay received by W-2 employees for hours worked over 40 per week may be excluded from federal taxable income starting in 2026.

W-2 employees who receive overtime pay under the FLSA qualify. This includes hourly workers, nurses, tradespeople, construction workers, factory workers, and any employee who receives time-and-a-half for hours worked over 40 per week. Salaried exempt employees who do not receive FLSA overtime do not qualify.

No — the overtime deduction applies to FLSA-qualifying overtime paid to W-2 employees. Independent contractors and gig workers do not receive FLSA overtime and do not qualify for this deduction.

Savings depend on your total overtime pay and your marginal tax rate. A worker earning $15,000 in overtime at a 22% rate saves $3,300/year. A worker in the 24% bracket saves $3,600/year on the same overtime income.

Your employer must correctly report overtime pay on your W-2. IRS guidance on the specific form and line for claiming the deduction is pending. Uncle Kam will ensure the deduction is properly claimed on your 2026 tax return.