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What Is a Defined Benefit Plan and Who Should Use One?

Key Takeaways Introduction A defined benefit plan is a qualified retirement plan that promises a specific benefit at retirement, with the employer contributing whatever an actuary determines is needed…

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How Do You Build Wealth Through Tax-Advantaged Investing?

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9 min

Oct 14, 2026

How Do You Build Wealth Through Tax-Advantaged Investing?

Key Takeaways Introduction Tax-advantaged investing builds wealth by lowering the tax paid on investment growth each year, which leaves more capital invested to compound. In practice that means using…

What Is Asset Protection and How Do Business Owners Set It Up?

Key Takeaways Introduction Asset protection is the lawful practice of arranging how assets are owned and titled so personal wealth is insulated from business, professional, and investment liabilities.…

How Does Entity Structuring Reduce Taxes for Growing Businesses?

Key Takeaways Introduction Entity structuring reduces taxes for growing businesses by aligning how the business is legally organized with how its income is taxed. Because pass-through entities, S…

What Are the Most Overlooked Business Tax Deductions in 2026?

Key Takeaways Introduction The most overlooked business tax deductions in 2026 tend to be everyday operating costs, health and retirement expenses, and timing-based items like startup costs and…

What Tax Mistakes Cost Business Owners the Most Money?

Key Takeaways The most expensive business tax mistakes are usually missed planning opportunities, not math errors: the wrong entity, no retirement plan, and no year-round strategy. Missing quarterly…

How Do You Lower Capital Gains Tax When Selling a Company?

Key Takeaways Long-term capital gains on assets held more than one year are taxed federally at 0%, 15%, or 20%, depending on taxable income. Higher earners may also owe the 3.8% net investment income…

How Do High-Income Earners Avoid the Next Tax Bracket Legally?

Key Takeaways U.S. income tax brackets are marginal: moving into a higher bracket only raises the rate on income above that threshold, not on all income. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed July 4,…

What Is a Cost Segregation Study and Is It Worth It for Your Business?

Key Takeaways A cost segregation study identifies parts of a building that can be depreciated over 5, 7, or 15 years instead of the standard 27.5 years for residential rental property or 39 years for…

How Should a Business Owner Pay Themselves to Minimize Taxes?

Key Takeaways How an owner can be paid depends on the entity: owner's draws in sole proprietorships and most LLCs, salary plus distributions in S corporations, and salary plus dividends in C…

What Is QSBS and How Can Founders Avoid Capital Gains Tax?

Key Takeaways Qualified small business stock (QSBS) under IRC Section 1202 lets eligible shareholders exclude some or all of their federal capital gain when they sell C corporation stock. For stock…

How Does the Qualified Business Income (QBI) Deduction Work in 2026?

Key Takeaways The qualified business income (QBI) deduction under IRC Section 199A lets eligible owners of pass-through businesses deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income. The One Big…

What Is Exit Planning and When Should Business Owners Start It?

Key Takeaways Exit planning is the process of preparing a business, its owner's finances, and the tax position for a future sale or transfer. Advisors commonly recommend starting 3 to 5 years before…

How Do You Minimize Taxes When Selling Your Business?

Key Takeaways How a sale is structured, as an asset sale or a stock sale, often changes the seller's tax bill more than the sale price does. Under Internal Revenue Code Section 1060, buyer and seller…

How Much Does a Tax Strategist Cost? Fees, Pricing Models, and ROI

A tax strategist's cost depends on how complex your situation is and how they price: a one-time flat fee for a written plan, an annual retainer for ongoing planning, or occasionally a fee tied to…

Year-End Tax Planning Checklist for Business Owners (2026)

Year-end tax planning means making moves before December 31 that lower this year's tax bill. For business owners, the biggest levers are retirement plan contributions, S corp payroll, equipment…

How to Become a Certified Tax Strategist: Steps, Costs, and Timeline

To become a certified tax strategist, start with a tax foundation such as a CPA license, Enrolled Agent status, or solid return-preparation experience. Then complete a tax planning certification…

What Is a Certified Tax Advisor? Credentials, Scope, and How to Verify One (2026 Guide)

A certified tax advisor is a tax professional who has completed a specialized training and certification program in tax planning. Their focus is building legal, year-round strategies that lower a…

How Can Hiring Your Kids Legally Lower Your Tax Bill?

Key Takeaways Introduction Hiring your children can lower your tax bill by moving income from your higher tax rate to their lower one, while letting the business deduct the wages as a legitimate…

What Is an Accountable Plan and How Does It Save Taxes?

Key Takeaways Introduction An accountable plan is a reimbursement arrangement that lets a business pay back employees for business expenses without those payments counting as taxable income. It saves…

How Do You Deduct a Vehicle for Business in 2026?

Key Takeaways Introduction To deduct a vehicle for business in 2026, you calculate the business-use portion of the vehicle and choose one of two methods: the standard mileage rate or the actual…

What Is the Augusta Rule and How Do Business Owners Use It?

Key Takeaways Introduction The Augusta Rule is a tax provision, found in Section 280A(g), that lets you rent out your personal residence for 14 days or fewer in a year without paying tax on that…

How Can S-Corp Owners Lower Their Self-Employment Taxes?

Key Takeaways Introduction S-corp owners can lower self-employment tax by paying themselves a reasonable salary and taking the remaining profit as distributions. The salary is subject to payroll…

What Is a Dynasty Trust and How Does It Protect Generational Wealth?

Key Takeaways A dynasty trust holds assets across multiple generations instead of distributing everything outright, reducing the number of times estate tax applies as wealth passes down. Many dynasty…

How Do You Pass a Family Business to the Next Generation Tax-Efficiently?

Key Takeaways Successfully passing down a family business requires addressing leadership readiness, fairness among heirs, and tax structure together, not separately. Strategies to transfer business to…

What Is a Step-Up in Basis and How Does It Save Your Family Money?

Key Takeaways A step up in basis resets an inherited asset's cost basis to its fair market value at death, which can reduce or eliminate capital gains tax if heirs later sell it. Assets gifted during…

How Does the Estate Tax Work and Who Has to Pay It in 2026?

Key Takeaways The federal estate tax applies only to the portion of an estate's value that exceeds the applicable exemption amount, not to the entire estate. Legislation enacted in 2025 raised the…

What Is Succession Planning and When Should You Start?

Key Takeaways A business succession plan should address leadership, ownership transfer, tax structure, and what happens in an unplanned transition. Succession planning is not only for retirement, it…

How Do You Build Generational Wealth That Lasts?

Key Takeaways Generational wealth depends as much on preservation and transfer strategy as it does on accumulation. Multigenerational wealth planning uses tools like trusts, entity structuring, and…

What Is a Trust and Which Type Is Right for Business Owners?

Key Takeaways A trust separates legal ownership (held by the trustee) from the benefit of an asset (held by the beneficiary), governed by rules you set as the grantor. Revocable trusts offer…

How Does Estate Planning Reduce Taxes for Your Heirs?

Key Takeaways Reducing estate taxes usually depends on strategies put in place years before a transfer, not decisions made at the last minute. Lifetime gifting, trusts, and valuation discounts are…

What Is Legacy Planning and Why Should Business Owners Start Now?

Key Takeaways Legacy planning covers more than a will, it includes business succession, tax strategy, asset protection, and how you want your wealth used after you're gone. Waiting until retirement or…

How Do You Protect Business Assets From Lawsuits and Creditors?

Key Takeaways Asset protection reduces exposure rather than creating immunity, and no structure substitutes for adequate liability insurance. Timing decides whether planning holds. Transfers made…

What Is a 1031 Exchange and How Do You Use It to Defer Taxes?

Key Takeaways A 1031 exchange defers capital gains and depreciation recapture tax when investment real property is exchanged for like-kind real property. Deferral is not forgiveness. The deferred gain…

What Is a Mega Backdoor Roth and How Does It Work?

Key Takeaways A mega backdoor Roth moves after-tax 401(k) contributions into a Roth account, allowing far more Roth funding than a Roth IRA alone. It depends entirely on plan document features. If the…

How Can Business Owners Maximize Retirement Contributions in 2026?

Key Takeaways Business owners maximize retirement contributions mainly through plan design, not by finding a higher limit inside an existing plan. Capacity comes from four levers: plan type,…

What Is a Defined Benefit Plan and Who Should Use One?

Key Takeaways A defined benefit plan promises a set retirement benefit, and the employer funds whatever is actuarially required. Cash balance plans are the most common version, presenting that benefit…

How Do You Build Wealth Through Tax-Advantaged Investing?

Key Takeaways Tax-advantaged investing builds wealth by reducing annual tax drag, so more of each year’s growth stays invested and compound. Three levers do the work: deferring tax, exempting growth,…

What Is Asset Protection and How Do Business Owners Set It Up?

Key Takeaways Asset protection is the lawful organization of ownership so personal wealth stays separated from business liability. Plans are layered: insurance, legal entities, state exemptions and…

How Does Entity Structuring Reduce Taxes for Growing Businesses?

Key Takeaways Entity structuring is the choice of how a business is legally organized, which directly affects how its income is taxed. Pass-through entities, S corporations, and C corporations are…

What Are the Most Overlooked Business Tax Deductions in 2026?

Key Takeaways Many overlooked deductions are ordinary business costs that owners forget to track, such as software, fees, and a portion of home expenses. Health and retirement-related deductions are…

How Can Hiring Your Kids Legally Lower Your Tax Bill?

Key Takeaways Hiring your children for real, age-appropriate work lets the business deduct their wages while shifting income to the child's lower tax rate. A child can often earn up to the standard…

What Is an Accountable Plan and How Does It Save Taxes?

Key Takeaways An accountable plan is a business reimbursement arrangement that meets IRS rules, so reimbursements are not treated as taxable wages. Under an accountable plan, the business deducts the…

How Do You Deduct a Vehicle for Business in 2026?

Key Takeaways You can deduct a business vehicle using either the standard mileage method or the actual expense method, based on the business-use portion of the vehicle. The standard mileage method is…

What Is the Augusta Rule and How Do Business Owners Use It?

Key Takeaways The Augusta Rule (Section 280A(g)) lets a homeowner rent out a personal residence for 14 days or fewer per year without reporting that rental income as taxable. Business owners can use…

How Can S-Corp Owners Lower Their Self-Employment Taxes?

Key Takeaways S-corp owners can lower self-employment tax by splitting income into a reasonable salary and separate profit distributions. Only the salary is subject to payroll taxes; distributions are…

What Are R&D Tax Credits and Does My Business Qualify in 2026?

Key Takeaways Introduction R&D tax credits are a tax incentive for businesses that spend money developing or improving products, processes, software, formulas, or techniques. Your business may qualify…

How Does Cost Segregation Reduce Taxes for Real Estate Owners?

Key Takeaways Introduction Cost segregation reduces taxes for real estate owners by speeding up depreciation. It identifies parts of a building that can be written off over 5, 7, or 15 years instead…

What Are the Best Tax Strategies for Business Owners Making Over $500K?

Key Takeaways Introduction The best tax strategies for business owners making over $500K usually combine a well-chosen business structure, maximized retirement contributions, careful timing of income…

What Is Proactive Tax Planning and Why Does It Matter for Business Owners?

Key Takeaways Introduction Proactive tax planning is the ongoing process of organizing your financial decisions before the year ends so you can manage your tax liability within the law, rather than…

How Do the Wealthy Pay So Little in Taxes? (Legal Strategies Explained)

Key Takeaways Introduction The wealthy often pay a smaller share of their income in taxes mainly because of how the tax code treats different kinds of income and activity, not because of secret…

What Questions Should You Ask Before Hiring a Tax Advisor?

Key Takeaways Introduction Before hiring a tax advisor, the most useful questions cover their credentials, their focus, their relevant experience, how they charge, and how they communicate, because…

When Should a Business Owner Hire a Tax Strategist?

Key Takeaways Introduction There is no universal moment when a business owner “should” hire a tax strategist, but planning generally becomes more valuable as your income grows, your situation gets…

Tax Planning vs. Tax Preparation: What Is the Difference and Which Do You Need?

Tax preparation is the once-a-year job of reporting income and filing your return accurately. Tax planning is ongoing work done before the year ends to legally reduce what you owe. Preparation records…

How Much Can a Certified Tax Advisor Actually Save You on Taxes?

Key Takeaways Introduction There is no fixed amount a certified tax advisor can save you, because the answer depends entirely on your income, structure, and circumstances, for some people planning…

What Does a Tax Strategist Do That a Tax Preparer Doesnt?

Key Takeaways Introduction A tax strategist plans ahead to influence your tax position before the year closes, while a tax preparer records and files what already happened, so the main thing a…

How Do Business Owners Find a Certified Tax Advisor Near Them in 2026?

Key Takeaways Introduction Business owners can find a certified tax advisor in 2026 by searching credential-based directories, asking for referrals from trusted contacts, and then verifying each…

Is Your Tax Preparer Costing You Money? 7 Signs Youre Overpaying the IRS

Key Takeaways Introduction You may be overpaying the IRS if your tax preparer files an accurate return but never helps you plan ahead, because most tax savings come from decisions made during the…

What Is a Certified Tax Strategist and How Are They Different From a CPA?

Key Takeaways Introduction A certified tax strategist is a tax professional who focuses on planning your tax position before decisions are made, aiming to legally reduce tax liability over time, while…

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Frequently Asked Questions

What topics does the Certified Maverick blog cover?

The blog covers strategic tax insights, wealth-building strategies, and exit planning guidance for business owners. Articles follow the three areas of the Maverick approach: reducing what you owe in taxes, growing and protecting what you've built, and planning your eventual exit or transition.

Who writes the articles on the Certified Maverick blog?

Articles come from Certified Maverick tax strategists who work directly with business owners nationwide. Every contributor is part of the Certified Maverick network, so the guidance reflects strategies they use with real clients rather than general commentary.

Can I apply the strategies in these articles to my own business?

These articles are educational, not personalized advice. Tax outcomes depend on your entity structure, income, industry, and state, so the right strategy varies by situation. To find out how something applies to you, book a free consultation with a Certified Maverick strategist. There's no obligation, and you'll get a response within 48 hours.

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How do I contact Certified Maverick with a question about an article?

Call (956) 434-1773, email support@certifiedmaverick.com, or use the chat widget on any page. The team is based at 256 S Sam Houston Blvd, San Benito, TX 78586. You can also browse the directory to connect with a strategist near you directly.

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