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The Plug [Newsletter]

I've been a CPA for nearly 20 years - serving private small business and real estate the entire time. I take the lessons learned in serving and now running a small business and share them here. For business owners, investors, and advisors looking to lower their cost of capital, subscribe for delivery straight to your inbox πŸ‘‡ Also on YouTube at PlugAccountingandTax!

Featured Post

What + When + Where = The Formula to Hack Your Tax Bill

Whether you're a high-earning W2 employee πŸ‘¨πŸ­ or crushing it as a small business owner πŸ’†β™‚οΈ, getting smart about tax follows the same formula: What: πŸ€·β™‚οΈ spend money on the right things + When: ⏰ spend money on the right things at the right time + Where: πŸ—ΊοΈ spend money on the right things at the right time from the right accounts What - Spending Smart Tax is a penalty for spending money on the wrong things. ⚠️ If you want to save taxes, you need to know what types of spending will have the...

I am convinced that Anthropic ("Claude"), ahead of their IPO this year, is engaging in major guerrilla marketing. 🦍 Paying X-influencers to go on and on about how much their work is changing with: swarms πŸ€–, Ralph Wiggum loops ↩️, autonomous agents πŸ‘¨πŸ’», clawdbot on Mac Minis 🀏, etc. Most of the examples I've seen are basic admin tasks πŸ€·β™‚οΈ and not at all intriguing to me from a real impact point. I've personally spent the last 4-5 months overhauling processes within our firm with AI that I...

Over the last week I, along with 10 million others πŸ‘€, saw Dan Koe's X article on how to change habits realistically. If you didn't see it, it's worth the read ‡️ DAN KOE @thedankoe http://x.com/i/article/2010742786430021632 4:31 PM β€’ Jan 12, 2026 3326 Retweets 29272 Likes Read 474 replies This resonated because one theme that constantly comes up in new client calls is a dissonance of tax efficiency. Business owners are unsure if they are being the most efficient they can be and want help from...

This is it. We've reached K1 season again πŸ“† - where returns are rushed out before March 31 only to sit with the LP's CPAs until October 14th at which time all the questions come. But how can you, as either a LP, GP, or an advisor, look at the K1 in March and tell if something is off? πŸ€·β™‚οΈ I'm glad you asked. Today, we're jamming on 5 things βœ‹ to check when you first get the K1: Debt classification and allocation Distribution and contribution amounts Capital account ending balance QBI allocated...

One of the most confusing parts of the recent tax bill that passed in July was the different effective dates. πŸ“† Some parts were effective retroactively, some immediately, and others not until 2026. With a new tax filing season barreling down upon us, I wanted to share a reminder of the items that impact 2025 πŸ‘‡ - with a focus on small business and individuals. Note this is not a comprehensive list, so as always chat with your tax pro for specific impacts to you! Individual Provisions No Tax on...

In the world of small business and private real estate, accounting is a necessity 🀝 - but good accounting is a luxury. πŸ’ One of the differences in a seasoned business owner πŸ‘΄ and novice πŸ‘©πŸΌ is how seriously they take the need for smart people on the accounting team. Because accounting salaries are usually far less than the sales team is making, it's an opportunity for leverage πŸͺ“ - and is much more than a "sunk cost" or "cost of doing business." Here are a few ways I've seen firsthand how...

S-Corps are a tool 🧰 like any other tax strategy - not a one-size fits-all solution for every business. And in most cases, businesses with debt or multiple owners should actually be a partnership, 🀝 with S-Corps layered in the org. chart along the way. But if you have made it past my S-Corp gatekeeping, I wanted to share a quick-hitting list of 5 ways to still mess it all up: Profit distributions being unequal βš–οΈ Partnership Terms in the Operating Agreement ✍️ Reasonable Salary πŸ‘¨πŸ­...

Every December, I talk to business owners who are scrambling to cut their tax bill at all costs. Buy a new truck. 🚚 Don't deposit checks from customers. πŸ—„οΈ Prepay invoices to vendors (my favorite as a vendor, personally). πŸƒβ™‚οΈ But when does it make sense to take the medicine and pay the tax? It all depends on (1) what you want to retire with, and (2) how you'll make it. Let's talk Tax Strategy 301. ‡️ The Benefits of Paying the Tax - Low Tax-Cost of Basis Paying a 🀏 little tax now can save...

Freakonomics is a classic read about initially uncorrelated outcomes. πŸ“– One of the more memorable correlations is how diapers and beer were purchased together at grocery stores. It seems weird at first until you think about young dads at the store to buy diapers and likely not being able to go out to a bar and drink. 🍺 Tax strategy works the same way. πŸ‘† Business owners and tax pros alike can approach each tax strategy as a standalone tool. A Roth conversion is a part of retirement planning πŸ‘¨πŸ¦³...

Ten years ago, I met with my business development partner and shared with him this idea of documenting and sharing the tax strategies each client was using. πŸ“ It would make us intentional strategists - having to commit to strategies and execute on them. The idea floundered in that firm but it stuck with me. Fast forward to 4 years ago when I left Baker Tilly and shared the same idea with my now partner, Mitchell Baldridge. We doubled down into the idea and have built out work-up's and...