Tax Guides
84 guides on Trade contractors · show all guides
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- Trade contractors
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Job costing & pricingJul 10, 20265 min
Should You Offer Discounts? What a Price Cut Actually Costs Your Margin
This comes up again and again on Jobber community: "When do you offer discounts or discounts". Most of the answers focus on when it is polite or when work is...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202610 min
Paying Workers Cash: The Tax Risk and How to Do It Right in 2026
Short answer: Paying workers cash is legal, as long as you report it and withhold on it. Cash is just a payment method. The tax risk shows up when the...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202610 min
Manage Financial Side Business as Sole Proprietor: Your 2026 Tax Playbook
When you manage a financial side business as sole proprietor, the single best defense you have isn't a clever deduction — it's a clean ledger. Scott Singer proved that. He...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202611 min
LLC vs S-Corp for Contractors: Where the 2026 Tax Savings Actually Come From
The choice between an LLC and an S-Corp comes down to one tax: the 15.3% self-employment tax. That tax is just Social Security and Medicare. A regular employee splits it...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202615 min
How to Pay Quarterly Taxes: 2026 Contractor Guide for Trades Leaving W-2 Withholding Behind
If you spent years getting a W-2 from someone else's shop and just started pulling your own plumbing or HVAC jobs, the first change that hits isn't the work —...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202610 min
How to Pay Yourself as a Profitable Contractor: Salary vs. Distributions in 2026
If your trade business is an LLC or S-Corp and it is finally throwing off real money, here is the short answer on how to pay yourself: run payroll for...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202610 min
How to Handle Sales Tax When You Work Jobs in Multiple Cities or Counties: 2026 Contractor Guide
If you need to handle sales tax when you work jobs across multiple cities or counties, the rate that matters is not where your truck is parked. It is the...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202613 min
Do You Need a Sales Tax Exemption for Products You Use on the Job? 2026 Rules
Here is the short version, because it is the opposite of what most contractors expect at the counter. In California, you generally do not get a sales tax exemption for...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202610 min
Self Employment Tax for Contractors: Your 2026 Guide to Calculating It and Paying Less
In 1989, a Milwaukee lawyer named Joseph Radtke paid himself a base salary of zero from his professional corporation. When the bank account had money, he declared a dividend instead....
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202610 min
When to Give a 1099 to a Contractor: 2026 Rules for Every Sub and Supplier on Your Job
Mieczyslaw Kurek ran a home-remodeling business out of Brooklyn with about 30 workers on his projects. They set their own hours and brought their own tools. Those two facts usually...
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202611 min
When Should You Hire an Accountant or Bookkeeper — Not Just at Tax Time?
For years the IRS has waived failure-to-file, failure-to-pay, and failure-to-deposit penalties for anyone with a clean three-year filing history — you just had to ask, and most people never did....
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Trade contractorsJul 4, 202610 min
When Should You Consider an ESOP for Your Contracting Business? 2026 Exit Rules
When should you consider an ESOP for your contracting business? You consider one when you run a profitable, stable company, you want to sell to your crew instead of an...