Geiger Tax & Accounting
Guides for owners & the self-employed
Practical, no-jargon answers to the questions business owners actually ask — written by a NYS licensed preparer, not a content farm.
Your Partner Is Leaving. Before You Sign Anything, Read This.
The tax treatment of a partner buyout depends entirely on your entity type and deal structure. Here's what changes, what it costs, and where the traps are.
Tax TipsThe Step-Up in Basis: Why Your Heirs Won't Owe a Dime on Decades of Business Growth
When you die, your heirs inherit your business at today's fair market value — not what you paid for it. Here's what that means for capital gains.
Tax TipsYour Opportunity Zone Deferral Expires December 31, 2026 — Even If You Haven't Sold a Thing
You invested in a Qualified Opportunity Fund. That deferred capital gain must be recognized by December 31, 2026. Here's what to do before year-end.
Tax TipsYou Own the Building. You Rent It to Your Business. The IRS Has a Trap for That.
If you own your building and rent it to your own business, the IRS applies a rule that traps your losses and taxes your income. Here's how to fix it.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Has a Get-Out-of-Penalty-Free Card. Most Business Owners Never Ask for It.
The IRS will remove failure-to-file and failure-to-pay penalties for qualifying businesses — and starting in 2026, it's automatic for eligible returns.
Tax Tips72.5 Cents Per Mile or Track Every Receipt: The Vehicle Deduction Decision You Can't Take Back
The 2026 IRS mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile. But the method you choose in year one follows the car for life — here's how to pick the right one.
Entity & FormationYou Just Formed an LLC. Here's What You Have to Do in the Next 30 Days.
An EIN, a business bank account, and a tax election — three things most new LLC owners skip that cost them later. Here's the actual first-steps checklist.
Tax TipsYou Have an Airbnb. Here's How the IRS Actually Taxes It.
Short-term rentals aren't taxed like regular rentals. Schedule E, Schedule C, the 7-day rule — here's what Airbnb and VRBO hosts actually need to know.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Is Running 125 AI Models on Your Tax Return Right Now
The IRS nearly doubled its AI audit models between 2024 and 2026. Here's what the systems specifically look for — and which businesses are at highest risk.
Tax TipsNew Car Loan Interest Deduction: What Business Owners Need to Know Before They Claim It
New $10,000 auto loan interest deduction for US-made vehicles: how it interacts with the business vehicle write-off for owners.
Bookkeeping & PayrollThe IRS Will Give You Back 50% of What You Spend on Employee Childcare
OBBBA rebuilt the Section 45F employer childcare credit. Small businesses now get back 50% of what they spend — up to $600,000 per year in tax credits.
Retirement & SavingsAges 60–63: The Four-Year Window Where the IRS Lets You Contribute $11,250 More to Retirement
If you're 60–63 in 2026, SECURE 2.0 lets you contribute $11,250 extra to your 401(k) — 50% more than the standard catch-up. At 64, it drops back.
Notices & AuditsYou Got an ERC Notice from the IRS. Here's What It Actually Means.
The IRS has six years to audit and recapture Employee Retention Credit claims. What disallowance notices mean, what your real options are, and when to act.
Entity & FormationBorrowing Money From Your Own S-Corp: Why the IRS Usually Wins This Argument
The IRS reclassifies S-corp shareholder loans without proper documentation as wages, triggering back payroll taxes and penalties.
Retirement & SavingsThe Retirement Account Most High-Earning Business Owners Have Never Heard Of
A cash balance plan lets you shelter $100,000–$300,000 of business income per year. Most owners stop at the 401(k) and leave it there.
Bookkeeping & PayrollYou Sell in 10 States. You Might Owe Sales Tax in All 10.
The Wayfair ruling lets every state tax your online sales. Most small businesses don't find out until they're facing back taxes, interest, and penalties.
Tax TipsYou Don't Have to Hand the IRS a Six-Figure Check the Year You Sell Your Business
Taking the cash upfront when you sell can push your entire gain into the top bracket. An installment sale spreads it over years — but there's one catch.
Tax TipsYou're Halfway Through 2026. Here Are 5 Tax Moves to Make Before September.
Most business owners only think about taxes in April. Here are five moves to make now that can actually lower what you owe this year.
Entity & FormationShould You Title Your Car in Your LLC? The Answer Depends on How You're Set Up.
Putting a vehicle in your LLC affects liability, insurance costs, and how you take the deduction. Here's when it makes sense — and when it's not worth it.
Tax TipsThe 0% Capital Gains Rate Is Real — and Most Business Owners Never Use It
In 2026, married couples can sell appreciated investments at zero federal capital gains tax if taxable income stays under $98,900. Here's how it works.
Tax TipsMarried Filing Jointly vs. Separately: What Business Owners Actually Need to Know
MFJ saves most couples money. But for business owners, three specific scenarios flip the math — and most people never check.
Tax TipsYour Business Had a Loss. Here's How the IRS Lets You Use It — and Where It Stops.
Net operating losses carry forward indefinitely, but you can only use 80% of taxable income per year. Here's what that means for your future tax bills.
Tax TipsNew York Business Owners Got a SALT Break This Year. Most of Them Are Still Missing the Better Move.
The SALT cap jumped from $10K to $40,400 in 2026. But for NY S-Corps and partnerships, New York's PTET often beats it — and most owners haven't elected it.
Tax TipsThe Home Office Deduction: What Self-Employed Owners Can Actually Claim — and What Kills It
Work from home as a sole proprietor? Part of your rent and utilities is deductible. How the home office deduction works and what disqualifies it.
Notices & AuditsIRS Lien vs. IRS Levy: What Happens to Your Business When You Stop Responding to Notices
A lien claims your assets on paper. A levy empties your bank account. Most business owners learn the difference too late — here's the full notice sequence.
Tax TipsThe 1031 Exchange: How Real Estate Investors Defer a Tax Bill That Would Otherwise Run Six Figures
Roll investment property proceeds into a new property and defer the capital gains tax. Here's how a 1031 exchange works and where investors blow it.
Tax TipsCost Segregation: How Business Property Owners Cut Decades Off Their Depreciation Schedule
A cost segregation study can reclassify 20–40% of a commercial building's cost into shorter-lived property, generating six-figure first-year deductions.
Retirement & SavingsInherited an IRA? The 10-Year Rule Has a Catch Most People Miss
If you inherited a traditional IRA and the original owner had already started RMDs, you must take annual distributions too — not just empty it by year 10.
Notices & AuditsThe IRS Can Take Your House for Unpaid Payroll Taxes — Here's How
Missed payroll tax deposits can trigger the Trust Fund Recovery Penalty, making you personally liable for 100% of what your business owed.
Retirement & Savings529 vs. Trump Account: Which Should You Open for Your Kid?
529 or Trump Account for your child? One saves for school tax-free, the other is a locked retirement head start. Here's how the 2026 rules compare.
Retirement & SavingsThe HSA Is the Most Underused Account a Self-Employed Owner Has
An HSA hands a self-employed owner a triple tax break: deduct going in, grow tax-free, withdraw tax-free for medical. 2026 caps: $4,400 and $8,750.
TechnologyQuickBooks Online vs. Desktop: Where Each Wins, and How to Get the Best of Both
QuickBooks Online or Desktop? Each shines for a different business. Here's where each wins, where each lags, and how to keep Desktop's power in the cloud.
Retirement & SavingsThe Roth Conversion Window: Filling the Bracket Before RMDs Start
A multi-year Roth conversion can drain a pre-tax 401(k) before RMDs hit — if you fill the right bracket and pay the tax from outside the account.
Retirement & SavingsRoth IRA vs. Traditional IRA: Which Tax Break Actually Wins?
Roth or Traditional IRA? The choice is a bet on your tax rate now vs. later. Here's how the 2026 limits, deductions, and income rules really break down.
Retirement & SavingsSEP-IRA vs. SIMPLE IRA: Which Plan Fits a Business With Employees?
Once you have staff, the SEP-vs-SIMPLE choice is about who funds the plan and how much flexibility you keep. Here's how the 2026 rules compare.
Retirement & SavingsSEP-IRA vs. Solo 401(k): Which One Shelters More of Your Self-Employment Income?
SEP-IRA or Solo 401(k)? For a one-person business the solo 401(k) usually wins at lower income. Here's how the 2026 math and paperwork really compare.
Retirement & SavingsTrump Accounts: The $1,000 Head Start for Kids — and How to Claim It
Trump Accounts give kids a $1,000 federal seed and decades of tax-deferred growth. Here's who qualifies, how the 2026 rules work, and how to register.
Notices & AuditsYou Owe the IRS and Can't Pay It. Here Are Your Real Options.
Owe the IRS and can't pay? Don't ignore it. Installment plans, short-term extensions, and offers in compromise — what each costs and who qualifies.
Tax TipsYou Wrote It Off at 100%. Now You're Selling It — Meet Depreciation Recapture.
Wrote the truck off at 100%? When you sell it or business use drops below 50%, the IRS recaptures that depreciation as ordinary income. The math.
Tax TipsThe IRS Will Cover Up to $5,000 a Year of the Cost of Setting Up Your Team's Retirement Plan
Have employees? SECURE 2.0 covers up to 100% of the cost of starting a retirement plan — $5,000 a year for three years — plus a contribution credit.
Tax TipsYou Can Deduct the Money You Spent Before the Business Even Opened
Spent money getting a business off the ground? Up to $5,000 of startup costs is deductible year one — and the rest isn't lost, it's amortized.
Tax TipsWriting Off Business Travel: What You Can Actually Deduct — and What Gets the Trip Thrown Out
Transportation and lodging are 100% deductible, meals 50% — but only if the trip is really for business. The real rules on business travel write-offs.
Entity & FormationWhen an S-Corp Costs You Money: The Profit Number You Need to Hit First
An S-corp saves on self-employment tax — but only above a profit threshold. Below it, the payroll, filing, and NYC costs eat the savings.
Tax TipsWhy Your Rental Losses Are Trapped — and the Two Ways to Free Them
Rental losses can wipe out other income, but passive-activity rules usually lock them up. Here are the only ways to actually use them against your W-2.
Notices & AuditsNo, You Can't Write Off Your Wardrobe: What Content Creators Actually Get to Deduct
The viral 'buy designer clothes and write them off' advice is wrong. The real IRS rule on clothing, watches, and luxury goods — and what does qualify.
Tax TipsWriting Off a Business Vehicle: The 6,000-Pound Rule and the Luxury-Car Trap
How to actually write off a business vehicle in 2026 — the 6,000-lb GVWR rule, the luxury-car caps, and mileage vs. actual, with the real dollar math.
Notices & AuditsRunning Your Business Through a Personal Account? That's the First Thing an Auditor Looks For
Mixing business and personal money costs you deductions and your liability shield. Why a clean, separate set of books is your best audit defense.
Bookkeeping & PayrollDoes Your New York Business Have to Collect Sales Tax? The Certificate of Authority, Explained
Sell goods or certain services in New York and you likely need a Certificate of Authority before your first sale. Who must register — and the audit risk.
Entity & FormationHow to Choose a Business Structure
Separate the liability question from the tax question and the entity choice gets simpler. A practitioner's framework for picking one.
Notices & AuditsYou Got a CP2000 From the IRS. Don't Panic — and Don't Just Pay It.
A CP2000 isn't an audit and isn't a bill — it's a proposed change from a document mismatch, often overstated. How to read it and respond inside 30 days.
Tax TipsThe Long Island Small Business Owner's Year-Round Tax Checklist
Bookkeeping, quarterly estimates, entity choice, and planning — the year-round tax habits that keep Long Island small business owners out of trouble.
Entity & FormationYou Missed the S-Corp Deadline. You Can Still Elect for This Year.
Missed the March 15 S-corp deadline? Rev. Proc. 2013-30 lets you file Form 2553 late — up to 3 years and 75 days back — with a reasonable-cause statement.
Tax TipsQuarterly Taxes for NYC Freelancers and Creators: A No-Panic Guide
1099 income, quarterly estimates, deductions, and when an S-corp makes sense — a calm, practical tax guide for NYC freelancers and creators.
Bookkeeping & PayrollS-Corp Owners: Your Health Insurance Deduction Disappears If It's Not on Your W-2
S-corp owners lose a real deduction every year by paying health premiums the wrong way. The one W-2 step that turns them into an above-the-line write-off.
Notices & AuditsCalling a Worker a 1099 Contractor When the IRS Says Employee: The Mistake That Costs the Most
Misclassifying an employee as a 1099 contractor can mean back payroll taxes, penalties, and interest. How to tell the difference and protect yourself.
Bookkeeping & PayrollIf You Run an S-Corp, You Can't Deduct the Home Office Directly. An Accountable Plan Fixes That.
S-corp owners can't write off the home office or mileage directly. An accountable plan reimburses you tax-free — here's how to set one up right.
Tax TipsThe Augusta Rule: Rent Your Home to Your Own Business for Up to 14 Tax-Free Days
Rent your home to your own business up to 14 days a year and the rent is tax-free to you, deductible to the business. The rules, limits, and math.
Retirement & SavingsThe Four Doors Into a Roth (and the Tripwire on Each)
Roth IRA, Roth 401(k), backdoor, and mega backdoor — four ways to build tax-free money in 2026, and the tripwire that catches people on each one.
Notices & AuditsThe Quarterly Tax Mistake That Quietly Racks Up Penalties
Skip or lowball estimated taxes and the IRS adds a penalty — currently 7% — even if you pay in full at filing. The safe-harbor rule that prevents it.
Entity & FormationThe NY Publication Rule: Why an LLC Costs More to Set Up Than a Corporation
In New York, only LLCs must publish — and it's why an LLC can cost more to set up than a corporation. Here's the real math and the 120-day rule.
Bookkeeping & PayrollPutting Your Kids on Payroll: How to Move $16,100 Out of Your Tax Bracket — Legally
Hire your own kids the right way and a sole prop can deduct up to $16,100 per child tax-free. The rules, the math, and the mistakes that blow it up.
TechnologyQuickBooks Pro Is Going Away in 2027. Here Are Your Real Options.
Intuit is sunsetting QuickBooks Desktop Pro by 2027 and pushing everyone online. You have more options than Intuit lets on.
Entity & FormationShould You Put Your Rental Property in an LLC? The Protection Is Real — So Are the Costs
An LLC shields your assets from a rental lawsuit — but it won't cut your taxes, and in New York it costs more. Weigh this before you transfer.
Retirement & SavingsA Solo 401(k) Can Shelter Up to $72,000 of Your 2026 Business Income — Here's the Math
Self-employed with no employees? A Solo 401(k) lets you stash up to $72,000 in 2026 and cut your tax bill. Limits, deadlines, and the new Roth rule.
Tax TipsFiling a Tax Extension Isn't a Red Flag — It's Often the Smart Move
An extension buys six more months to file — not to pay. What it actually does, what it doesn't, and why smart business owners use one on purpose.
Tax TipsTax Planning Is Not Tax Preparation
Your preparer files the return. A planner sees April coming in October. The difference — and why it matters most for business owners.
Tax Tips100% Bonus Depreciation Is Permanent Again: What It Changes for 2026 Equipment Buys
100% bonus depreciation is permanent again under the OBBBA. What qualifies, how it pairs with Section 179, and the acquisition-date trap to watch.
TechnologyIs It Safe to Use Artificial Intelligence With Your Tax Information?
Artificial intelligence can save you time, but most consumer tools aren't built to protect your tax and financial information. Use it safely.
Bookkeeping & PayrollThe New 1099 Thresholds for 2026: Who You Still Have to Send a Form To
The OBBBA raised the 1099-NEC threshold to $2,000 and brought back the $20,000/200 rule for 1099-K. What changed, and what to track now.
Bookkeeping & PayrollHired an Out-of-State Employee? The Multi-State Payroll Reality
Hire a remote worker in another state and you create payroll nexus there — registration, withholding, SUI. Plus New York's convenience-rule trap.
Entity & FormationS-Corp Reasonable Salary: How to Pay Yourself Without Inviting an Audit
The S-corp savings live in the salary/distribution split — but the salary has to be 'reasonable.' How the IRS judges it, and how to set yours.
Entity & FormationIs an S-Corp Worth It in New York? Stop Guessing and Calculate Your Real Savings
S-Corp vs LLC vs sole prop in New York: how the self-employment tax split actually works, the NYC GCT catch, and where PTET still saves you money after the 2025 SALT cap change.
Notices & AuditsViral Tax "Hacks" That Quietly Trigger Audits
The G-Wagon write-off, the Augusta Rule, hiring your kids, the 'LLC = write-offs' myth: what's real in the viral advice and where it goes wrong.
Notices & AuditsWhy Schedule C Returns Get Audited More Than S-Corps (and the Home Office Myth)
Sole proprietors get audited more than s-corps, and IRS data shows why. Here's the real reason, plus the truth about the home office deduction.
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