Year-end is the only window in the calendar where a business can still influence its current-year tax position. By April, the year is closed and the work has shifted from planning to compliance. The strategies in this guide are the ones we evaluate with every client between October and December each year.
Use this guide as a self-assessment. If you find yourself answering "we haven't thought about that" to five or more sections, you are likely leaving meaningful money on the table. If you would like our team to apply this framework to your specific situation, the instant quote tool at the bottom of this page gets you started.
What This Guide Covers
- Income and expense timing strategies
- Depreciation, Section 179, and bonus depreciation
- Retirement plan contributions
- Entity-level decisions and elections
- S-corporation owner compensation planning
- Federal and state tax credits
- QBI deduction optimization
- Charitable giving strategies
- Multi-state and nexus considerations
- Estimated tax true-ups
- The 21-point year-end checklist
1. Income and Expense Timing Strategies
The simplest year-end lever is the one most businesses ignore: timing. Cash-basis businesses can often shift income into the next tax year by delaying customer invoicing in late December, and accelerate expenses by paying January bills in December. Accrual-basis businesses have less timing flexibility but still have material levers around prepaid expenses and bonus accruals.
Defer December Invoicing
Invoices sent December 28 will likely be paid in January, shifting income to the following tax year. This is a one-year deferral, not permanent savings, but valuable if you expect lower income next year or want to defer payment of tax.
Caveat: Do not delay invoicing if your clients are pressing for year-end billing for their own reasons. Cash flow trumps tax timing in almost every case.
Accelerate Prepaid Expenses
Software subscriptions, insurance premiums, rent, and certain other expenses can be prepaid for up to twelve months and deducted in the current year under the "12-month rule." For accrual filers, this is one of the few timing strategies still available.
2. Depreciation, Section 179, and Bonus Depreciation
Equipment, vehicles, software, and certain real estate improvements can often be deducted immediately in the year placed in service rather than depreciated over multiple years.
Up to $1.16M Immediate Expensing (2026 limit)
Section 179 lets you immediately expense qualifying equipment and software placed in service during the year. The deduction phases out dollar-for-dollar above $2.89M in total purchases. Limited to net business income, so cannot create a net loss.
Qualifying property includes machinery, vehicles, office equipment, off-the-shelf software, and certain improvements to nonresidential real property (HVAC, roofs, fire protection, security systems).
40% First-Year Bonus (2026)
Bonus depreciation has been phasing down annually. For 2026, taxpayers may bonus-depreciate 40% of qualifying property in the year placed in service. Unlike Section 179, bonus depreciation can create a net operating loss.
Often used in combination: Section 179 first up to income limits, then bonus depreciation for the remainder.
3. Retirement Plan Contributions
Retirement plans are the single largest tax deduction available to most business owners. Plans must be established and partially funded by specific deadlines to qualify for the current tax year.
Up to $69,000 Combined Contribution (2026)
For self-employed business owners with no employees other than a spouse. Combines employee deferral ($23,000 plus $7,500 catch-up if 50+) with employer profit-sharing contribution (up to 25% of compensation). Plan must be established by December 31 to qualify for current-year contributions.
Up to 25% of Compensation ($69K Cap)
Simpler than a 401(k), available to any self-employed individual or business. Employer-only contributions, no employee deferral component. Can be established up to the tax return due date including extensions.
Up to $275,000+ Annual Contribution
For high-income business owners over 50 looking to maximize tax-deferred savings. Requires actuarial calculation and ongoing administration. Contributions can dwarf 401(k) limits but the commitment is multi-year.
4. Entity-Level Decisions and Elections
The end of the year is the right moment to evaluate whether your current entity structure is still optimal. Elections for the following year often must be filed by specific deadlines.
Consider an S-Corp Election for the New Year
If your net business income consistently exceeds $80K to $100K, an S-corp election can save meaningful payroll tax. File Form 2553 by March 15 to be effective January 1. Plan now so the filing is on time.
Review Owner Distributions and Loan Balances
Pay down any disguised wage payments (excessive owner distributions in S-corps, loans to owners with no documentation). The IRS scrutinizes these patterns at audit. Year-end is when to clean them up.
5. S-Corporation Owner Compensation Planning
S-corp owners must take "reasonable compensation" as W-2 wages before profit distributions. Compensation paid in December is processed differently than annual planning anticipates, so December is the time to true up the year.
Review Year-to-Date Reasonable Compensation
Compare actual YTD compensation against the reasonable-compensation analysis at the start of the year. If income outperformed forecast, increase December compensation to maintain the right wages-to-distributions ratio. If income underperformed, scale back planned year-end bonus.
The goal is not to minimize wages, it is to defend whatever you choose with a reasonable-compensation study contemporaneous to the year.
6. Federal and State Tax Credits
Credits reduce tax dollar-for-dollar, making them the most valuable form of tax savings. Many are routinely missed because they require contemporaneous documentation.
R&D Tax Credit
The federal R&D credit covers qualified research expenditures including wages, supplies, and contract research. Available across industries far beyond traditional "tech," including manufacturers improving processes, agricultural businesses developing new methods, and architects developing new structural systems.
The credit can be carried forward or, for small businesses, applied against payroll tax. Documentation must be contemporaneous to the activities.
Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)
Up to $9,600 per qualified hire, available for businesses hiring from specific targeted groups (veterans, long-term unemployed, certain youth, SNAP recipients). Requires Form 8850 certification within 28 days of hire.
Energy Credits Under the Inflation Reduction Act
Solar, EV chargers, energy-efficient HVAC and lighting, and certain other capital expenditures qualify for credits. Specific qualifications and prevailing wage requirements apply to larger projects.
7. QBI Deduction Optimization
The 20% Qualified Business Income deduction (IRC Section 199A) applies to pass-through entity income. For specified service trades (consulting, law, accounting, financial services) the deduction phases out at higher income levels. Strategies to stay below the threshold can save meaningful tax.
Manage Taxable Income to Preserve QBI
Retirement contributions, HSA contributions, and charitable giving all reduce taxable income, which can keep you below the QBI phaseout threshold. The math is often dramatic: a $20K retirement contribution can preserve $40K+ of QBI deduction.
8. Charitable Giving Strategies
Year-end is peak charitable giving season for tax reasons. Beyond the basic deduction, several advanced strategies can multiply impact and tax savings.
Donate Appreciated Stock Instead of Cash
Donating long-term appreciated stock to a qualifying charity allows you to deduct the fair market value and avoid the capital gain that would have been recognized on a sale. The combined benefit can exceed 50% of the stock's appreciation.
Donor-Advised Funds (DAF)
"Bunch" multiple years of charitable giving into a single tax year by funding a DAF, then distribute to charities over multiple subsequent years. Useful when itemized deductions would otherwise be just below the standard deduction threshold.
9. Multi-State and Nexus Considerations
The end of the year is the right moment to assess where your business has nexus and where new filing obligations may have been triggered during the year.
Run a Year-End Nexus Review
Check whether you triggered economic nexus thresholds for sales tax in any new states. Look at where employees worked remotely during the year. Verify your franchise tax filings are current in every state of operation. Address any unfiled state returns now rather than discovering them in an audit later.
10. Estimated Tax True-Ups
The fourth-quarter estimated tax payment (due January 15) is the final opportunity to avoid underpayment penalties for the current year. If your actual income exceeded prior projections, increase the Q4 estimate to make whole.
Calculate a Year-End Tax Projection
By mid-December, run a year-to-date P&L and project full-year taxable income. Calculate expected federal and state tax liability. Compare to estimated payments already made. Adjust Q4 estimate up or down accordingly.
11. The 21-Point Year-End Checklist
Print this, work through it before December 31, hand the result to your accountant.
- Run a year-to-date P&L and identify any obvious miscategorizations
- Reconcile every bank, credit card, and merchant account through December 31
- Confirm all customer invoices for the year have been issued
- Write off uncollectible receivables
- Review fixed asset register and confirm placed-in-service dates
- Calculate Section 179 and bonus depreciation for the year
- Pay any tax-deductible prepayments by December 31 (insurance, rent, software)
- Confirm retirement plan contributions on track or fund by deadline
- Run S-corp reasonable compensation review
- Document any owner loans with proper notes and rates
- Issue 1099-NECs to qualifying contractors
- Run year-end nexus review across all states of operation
- Calculate year-end tax projection and adjust Q4 estimate
- Make planned charitable contributions before December 31
- Bonus payroll planning, run by December 31 if intending current-year deduction
- Capital expenditure decisions, place assets in service by December 31
- Inventory count and adjust to actual
- Review and document any related-party transactions
- Confirm sales tax filings are current in all jurisdictions
- Schedule the entity election review for the new year
- Schedule the first-quarter tax planning conversation with your accountant
How to Apply This Guide
If you would like our team to work through this framework for your specific business, we offer year-end tax planning engagements every fall. The instant quote tool calculates pricing based on your entity, revenue, and complexity. Most clients find the engagement pays for itself many times over in the first year.
This guide is for informational purposes only and does not constitute tax, legal, or financial advice. Tax law changes frequently and applies differently to each business based on specific facts and circumstances. Always confirm strategies with a qualified professional before acting.