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What if you could buy a computer, a machine, or new equipment and deduct the entire cost in the first year instead of waiting 5, 10, or even 30 years? Thanks to major updates in the One Big Beautiful Bill, you can now take a full write-off upfront.

We break down how depreciation works, when to expense versus capitalize, and how the updated bonus depreciation and Section 179 rules give owners more control over their tax bill.

You’ll learn how to time asset purchases, when to avoid front-loading deductions, and why every business needs a written capitalization policy.

👉 Get the Free Tax Savings Starter Kit Built for Small Business Owners: https://www.taxsavingspodcast.com/starterkit

🚀 Book your free demo call today! Click here or visit: https://taxelm.com/demo/

Chapters

(01:00) What Is Depreciation?
Depreciation is the process of spreading out the cost of equipment, vehicles, technology, or buildings over time. Mike defines what qualifies and what does not.

(02:23) Business Use Rules
Only the business-use portion of an asset can be depreciated. Land is never depreciated. Buildings and land improvements are.

(02:45) Three Depreciation Methods
Mike breaks down regular depreciation, 100 percent bonus depreciation, and Section 179 expensing. Each method serves a different purpose depending on your income and tax plan.

(04:25) Section 179 Rules You Must Know
Section 179 lets you expense up to two and a half million dollars a year, but it cannot create a loss. Bonus depreciation can.

(05:24) Which Method Should You Use
The best choice depends on your income, your goals, and whether you want to create or avoid a loss. Mike walks through three scenarios to help you choose.

(07:12) When You Should Not Front Load Deductions
If this year is low income and next year is high income, holding back depreciation may save more money. Timing matters.

(11:44) Rules for Depreciation
You must be in business and the asset must be placed in service during the year. Paying for an item is not enough. It must be usable.

(13:15) The Capitalization Policy Every Business Should Have
A written policy lets you immediately expense any asset under $2,500 per item. Mike explains how it works and why it saves time and paperwork.

(16:47) What Happens When You Sell a Depreciated Asset
If you sell an asset you fully expensed, you may have depreciation recapture. Mike explains basis, gains, and how the tax works.

Podcast Host:

Mike Jesowshek, CPA – Founder and Host of Small Business Tax Savings Podcast
Join TaxElm: https://taxelm.com

🚀 Visit: https://www.TaxSavingsPodcast.com

🚀 Check Out TaxElm: https://taxelm.com/

🚀 Join our Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/taxsavings/

🚀 YouTube: www.TaxSavingsTV.com

👋🏼 GET IN TOUCH
You can Tweet @MJesowshek with any feedback, ideas, or thoughts about the lessons you've learned from the episodes. We want to thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🙌LEAVE A REVIEW
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more business owners find the show ⭐

🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST
The Small Business Tax Savings Podcast is your go-to resource for cutting-edge tax strategies to help entrepreneurs legally slash their tax bills. Hosted by Mike Jesowshek, CPA, this show breaks dow

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Most S Corp owners follow the right steps, but still pay more tax than they should. A business earning over 300K can lose thousands simply by underusing core strategies.

In this live case study, Mike Jesowshek, CPA, reviews a seven-figure business with an S Corp structure, a salary in place, and a record year of profit. You will see why this owner paid 30K in taxes and how that number can be reduced.

If you feel like your tax plan has stopped working, this breakdown gives you a clear blueprint for moving from basic strategies into advanced tax planning.

👉 Free Tax Savings Starter Kit: https://www.taxsavingspodcast.com/starterkit
🚀 Book a free TaxElm demo: https://taxelm.com/demo/

01:11 The Core Strategy Checklist
What an accountable plan should include, how home office reimbursements really work, and why quarterly board meetings leave tax savings behind.

02:53 After-Tax vs Pre-Tax Spending Explained
How shifting everyday expenses into legitimate business categories creates immediate tax savings without increasing spending.

05:04 The Most Underused S Corp Deduction: Meals
Why meals often show up too low on tax returns, how to identify real business-meal opportunities, and how to document them correctly.

09:01 Travel Deductions Most Owners Miss
How to turn partial travel into fully deductible business trips, how business days are determined, and how to integrate board meetings into travel.

15:41 Using the Augusta Rule at Its Full Potential
How to calculate fair rental value, document the rental period, and structure meetings to justify 14 tax-free rental days.

17:43 How to Calculate a Defensible S Corp Salary
The two accepted methods for determining reasonable compensation and how to avoid both overpaying and triggering IRS scrutiny.

23:00 Maximizing Solo 401(k) Contributions
How contribution limits work, how salary affects maximum contributions, and why timing matters before hiring your first W-2 employee.

34:00 When a Business Becomes Ready for Advanced Planning
The five major categories of advanced tax strategy and how to determine which ones open up as revenue approaches seven figures.

38:22 Building a Scalable Tax Plan
Optimizing old strategies and documenting them correctly produces long-term savings, even before layering advanced planning on top.

Podcast Host:

Mike Jesowshek, CPA – Founder and Host of Small Business Tax Savings Podcast
Join TaxElm: https://taxelm.com

🚀 Visit: https://www.TaxSavingsPodcast.com

🚀 Check Out TaxElm: https://taxelm.com/

🚀 Join our Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/taxsavings/

🚀 YouTube: www.TaxSavingsTV.com

👋🏼 GET IN TOUCH
You can Tweet @MJesowshek with any feedback, ideas, or thoughts about the lessons you've learned from the episodes. We want to thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🙌LEAVE A REVIEW
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more business owners find the show ⭐

🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST
The Small Business Tax Savings Podcast is your go-to resource for cutting-edge tax strategies to help entrepreneurs legally slash their tax bills. Hosted by Mike Jesowshek, CPA, this show breaks down complex tax topics into clear, no-fluff insights so you can keep more of y

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What if you could pay your kids a salary, take a business deduction, and teach them real financial skills at the same time? In this episode, Mike Jesowshek, CPA, explains how to legally hire your children in your business, what the IRS actually allows, and how to do it correctly so you avoid audits and penalties.

You’ll learn the rules for paying your kids under age 18, how to document their work, how much you can pay them tax-free, and how this strategy can double as a wealth-building tool through Roth IRAs.

👉 Get the Free Tax Savings Starter Kit Built for Small Business Owners: https://www.taxsavingspodcast.com/starterkit

🚀 Book your free demo call today! Click here or visit: https://taxelm.com/demo/

Chapters

(01:16) Why Hire Your Kids?
There are two big reasons: tax savings and teaching opportunities. You get a business deduction, and your kids earn tax-free income while learning real work and money skills.

(02:11) Turning After-Tax Spending Into Pre-Tax Spending
Instead of paying for sports, camps, or activities with after-tax dollars, you can pay your kids from your business and let them cover those costs using pre-tax income.

(03:30) What the IRS Actually Says
Payments to children under 18 working for a parent’s sole proprietorship are exempt from Social Security and Medicare taxes. Mike reads the exact IRS language to prove it’s black and white in the tax code.

(04:11) How It Works in Practice
If your child earns under the standard deduction (about $15,000), they pay no income tax. You deduct their wages as a business expense, and you avoid FICA taxes if paying from a Schedule C or single-member LLC.

(06:21) Setting It Up Correctly
You need proof. Mike explains that kids must be at least 7, paid a reasonable wage, tracked for hours and tasks, paid into their own account, and issued a W2 at year-end.

(11:04) Bonus Benefit: Roth IRA
Kids can use earned income from the business to fund a Roth IRA. Mike shows how $25,000 invested by age 13 could grow to over $1 million by retirement.

(12:55) What About S Corps?
S corporations must withhold FICA taxes, but Mike explains a workaround: Splitting part of the business into a Schedule C entity to pay your kids through that side.

Podcast Host:

Mike Jesowshek, CPA – Founder and Host of Small Business Tax Savings Podcast
Join TaxElm: https://taxelm.com

🚀 Visit: https://www.TaxSavingsPodcast.com

🚀 Check Out TaxElm: https://taxelm.com/

🚀 Join our Free Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/taxsavings/

🚀 YouTube: www.TaxSavingsTV.com

👋🏼 GET IN TOUCH
You can Tweet @MJesowshek with any feedback, ideas, or thoughts about the lessons you've learned from the episodes. We want to thank you personally for tuning in 🙏

🙌LEAVE A REVIEW
If you enjoy the podcast, please leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify—it helps more business owners find the show ⭐

🎙 ABOUT THE PODCAST
The Small Business Tax Savings Podcast is your go-to resource for cutting-edge tax strategies to help entrepreneurs legally slash their tax bills. Hosted by Mike Jesowshek, CPA, this show breaks down complex tax topics into clear, no-fluff insights so you can keep more of your hard-earned money.