Straight talk about taxes from someone who spent 12 years inside the IRS.
The Freelancer Tax Mistake I See Every April in Austin | Tax Calc Tool Cooper was snoring at my feet last Tuesday when a client named Derek walked int...
My bartender friend Dave texted me last Thursday at 11 PM. "Dude, I heard tipped workers can deduct $25,000 now. Is this real or did my regular lie to...
The IRS Letter That Made Me Realize I Had Been Doing My Taxes Wrong for Years I opened the envelope on a Saturday morning in February. The return addr...
The number on the screen was red. Not a gentle pink. Not a warning orange. A violent, screaming red that said I owed the IRS $4,200. I stared at it fo...
Why My Tax Calculator Missed $1,200 in Energy Credits—And the IRS Didn't Care James Whitfield I was doing my taxes in April, using the online tax calc...
I Owe the IRS $4,200 Because I Trusted TurboTax's 'Maximum Refund' Promise I made a mistake. I need to say that first, because what follows involves a...
Tax Loss Harvesting: A Practical Guide for 2026 My phone buzzed during dinner last November. Jennifer gave me that look—the one that says
HSA Triple Tax Advantage: The Most Underrated Tax Tool I was reviewing a client's tax return last month when I noticed something odd. $7,300 deductio...
S-Corp vs Sole Proprietor: Which Saves More Tax in 2026? I was at a barbecue joint on South Lamar last month—one of those places where the brisket fa...
Estimated Tax Safe Harbor: The 90% vs 100% vs 110% Rule A client walked into my Austin office last March looking like he had not slept in weeks. Dark...
Child Tax Credit 2026: What Changed and What Didn't Olivia came home from school last month waving a paper.
IRS Audit Red Flags: What I Looked for as a Revenue Agent I spent twelve years wearing an IRS badge. Not the scary kind you see in movies—just a gove...
2026 Retirement Contribution Limits: 401k, IRA, and SEP Jennifer and I sat down for our annual
Standard vs Itemized: Why Most People Should Not Itemize Anymore My mother-in-law called me last week. She itemizes. Has itemized for forty years.
Quarterly Tax Deadlines 2026: Do Not Miss June 15 I was driving Olivia to soccer practice last Tuesday when my phone buzzed. A client text:
QBI Deduction is Now Permanent: How to Maximize Your 20% I was at the Austin CPA Society dinner last month when the news broke. Someone checked their...
I Moved from California to Texas: A Real Tax Comparison The U-Haul truck pulled into our Austin driveway on August 14, 2019. Jennifer was eight month...
Crypto Tax Reporting in 2026: What the IRS Now Requires My phone rang at 6:47 PM last Thursday. I almost did not answer—Jennifer had just put dinner ...
Home Office Deduction: Simplified vs Actual Method in 2026 Jennifer walked into my office last month holding a stack of papers.
The 7 Tax Mistakes Every Freelancer Makes (I Audited Hundreds of Them) Three years ago, I audited a freelance graphic designer in Dallas. Nice guy. C...
What the OBBBA Actually Changed for Your 2026 Taxes I was sitting in my home office last Tuesday, Cooper snoring at my feet, when a client emailed me...