Tax Guides

148 guides, built from the primary documents. Pick a topic to filter.

• All guides
• Trade contractors
• Job costing & pricing
• LLC & S-corp
• Self-employed & 1099
• Roth conversions
• Inherited IRAs
• Retirement
• IRS forms

• Trade contractorsJul 4, 202614 min

  Your Contractor Vehicle Tax Deduction in 2026: Standard Mileage vs. Actual Expenses for Heavy Work Trucks

  Your contractor vehicle tax deduction comes down to one choice: track every business mile and multiply by the IRS standard rate, or add up every dollar the truck actually costs...

• Trade contractorsJul 4, 202613 min

  Your Trade Contractor Health Insurance Tax Deduction: 2026 Rules for Family Premiums

  The trade contractor health insurance tax deduction lets you write off 100% of your family health insurance premiums above the line in 2026. That means the full premium comes off...

• Trade contractorsJul 4, 202615 min

  Contractor Equipment Depreciation: Expensing vs. Depreciating That New Machine in 2026

  For 2026, most contractor equipment purchases can be written off in full the year the machinery goes to work. The choice between expensing and depreciating still matters, because the wrong...

• Trade contractorsJul 4, 202612 min

  Cash vs Accrual Accounting for Contractors: Which Method Makes Sense for Your First Profitable Year?

  Cash vs accrual accounting for contractors comes down to one question: when does a dollar count? Congress drew a bright line that answers it for almost every trade contractor reading...

• Trade contractorsJul 4, 20268 min

  Are Surety Bonds Tax Deductible? What Contractors Can Write Off in 2026

  Are surety bonds tax deductible? Yes. The premium you pay for a license bond, bid bond, performance bond, or payment bond is a deductible business expense under IRC §162(a) and...

• Trade contractorsJul 4, 202612 min

  1099 vs W-2 for Contractors: Should Your Next Crew Member Be an Employee or a Sub?

  You're at the point where the next job needs another pair of hands, and the question is 1099 vs W-2 for contractors — do you bring on a W-2 employee...

• Contractor write-offsJul 1, 202611 min

  Tax Write Offs for Self-Employed Contractors: Your 2026 Deduction Checklist

  If you're a 1099 trade contractor — HVAC, plumbing, roofing, concrete, landscaping, drywall — the tax write offs for self-employed contractors are what separate a profitable year from handing a...

• Contractor write-offsJul 1, 202612 min

  Tax Write Off for Work Clothes and Boots: What Contractors Can Actually Deduct

  The tax write off for work clothes and boots comes down to one question: would you wear that item to the grocery store? If the answer is yes, the IRS...

• Contractor write-offsJul 1, 202612 min

  Tax Write Off for Tools and Equipment: Should You Expense or Depreciate That Purchase?

  When you buy a new rotary hammer, a set of scaffolding, or a used skid steer for your contracting business, the tax write off for tools and equipment comes down...

• Contractor write-offsJul 1, 202610 min

  Meal Tax Write Off for Contractors: Can You Deduct Jobsite Lunches and Client Meetings?

  When you are running a trade business, the question of whether a meal tax write off for contractors covers the pizza you bought for your crew or the steakhouse dinner...

• Contractor write-offsJul 1, 20269 min

  LLC Tax Write Off for Contractors in 2026: Do You Actually Need One?

  You're a trade contractor — HVAC, concrete, landscaping, plumbing, drywall — and you've been filing Schedule C as a sole proprietor. Somebody told you that you need an LLC to...

• Contractor write-offsJul 1, 202613 min

  Home Office Tax Write Off for Contractors: Your Phone, Internet & Workspace in 2026

  The home office tax write off for contractors is one of the most overlooked deductions on your Schedule C. You're already writing off your truck and mileage, your tools and...