Insights on tax, equity, and building wealth
Guides and analysis from the Harness team and the advisors on the platform.
Qualified Opportunity Zones 2.0: What Changed for 2026 Under OBBBA
The Qualified Opportunity Zone program was supposed to be a one-time, use-it-or-lose-it deal — designate some zones in 2018, let investors pile in for a decade, and let the incentive quietly expire. (If you need a refresher on the original mechanics, see our guide to Qualified Opportunity Zone tax benefits.) The One Big Beautiful Bill Act rewrote that assumption entirely. Starting in 2027, Opportunity Zones become a permanent, recurring feature of the tax code, with a new round of designations every ten years and meaningfully better terms for investing in rural areas. If you were told a few years ago that the QOZ window was closing, that advice is now out of date — but the mechanics changed enough that old assumptions about deferral deadlines and step-up percentages don’t carry over cleanly either.
Section 179 vs. Bonus Depreciation in 2026: Choosing the Right Deduction for Business Owners
Buying equipment for your business used to come with a tax-planning puzzle: Section 179 or bonus depreciation? In 2026, under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), that puzzle got both easier and more interesting. Section 179 expensing now tops out at $2,560,000, and 100% bonus depreciation is permanent for qualifying property acquired after January 19, 2025 — meaning most small and mid-size businesses can now write off the full cost of qualifying purchases in the year they’re placed in service, full stop. The real question isn’t “which one qualifies” anymore. It’s which one to actually use, and when the answer isn’t “both.”
Estate Planning in 2026: Who Actually Still Needs a Trust With the Higher Exemption
If you saw the headline that the federal estate tax exemption jumped to $15 million per person in 2026 and mentally filed “estate planning” under problems-other-people-have, slow down. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) made that $15 million exclusion permanent, and for the vast majority of Americans it genuinely does mean no federal estate tax bill, ever. But “no federal estate tax” and “no trust needed” are two different questions, and conflating them is the most common estate planning mistake we see in 2026. State estate taxes, asset protection, blended families, special needs beneficiaries, and plain old control over how your money gets spent after you’re gone all live in a world the federal exemption doesn’t touch.
OBBBA Tax Changes: What You Need to Know in 2026
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed on July 4, 2025, introduced a raft of major tax changes that affect Americans as of this tax year. The changes represent the most comprehensive tax reform since 2017, with implications for individuals, families, and businesses nationwide.
SALT Deduction Expansion: What It Means for 2025–2029
One of the most important changes brought in by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act is the quadrupling of the SALT deduction cap to $40,000 starting in 2025. This represents a fundamental shift for high-earning taxpayers in states with substantial income and property taxes, creating significant but time-limited tax planning opportunities.
What is the Alternative Minimum Tax? (Updated for 2026)
ISOs have a favorable tax treatment on exercise, but understanding your tax obligations and how to minimize your tax burden can be complicated. Before taking any decisions around your ISOs, it's important to understand the tax consequences and how that impacts potential future profits.
Average Fees for Tax Advisors in 2026
The total average cost of working with a financial advisor will depend on what type of advice you're seeking, as well as the fee structure the advisor uses for the services you receive.
The 2026 Crypto Tax Guide – Everything You Need to Know
Harness Wealth CPAs represent clients that hold crypto assets that invest long-term, actively trade, farm, stake, as well as mine. We're here to help guide you through the taxes of one of the most exciting and increasingly popular technology and investment opportunities.
How Asset Location Helps You Reduce Taxes
Most investors focus on what they buy, but far fewer pay attention to where they hold those investments. Yet the account you choose can have a major impact on how much you keep after taxes. This idea is known as asset location, and it is one of the most effective strategies for improving long-term, after-tax returns without changing your overall investment mix.
Why Year-Round Tax Planning Is So Important
Tax planning is often treated as a once-a-year chore, but modern financial life rarely fits neatly into a single filing season. Equity compensation vests at different times. Bonuses and RSUs can push you into a new tax bracket. Side income may trigger estimated payments. State and federal rules shift mid-year. And with major tax law changes scheduled for 2026, the window for smart planning is getting smaller.
The Short-Term Rental Tax Loophole: A Gateway Strategy
Harness Wealth CPAs represent clients that hold crypto assets that invest long-term, actively trade, farm, stake, as well as mine. We're here to help guide you through the taxes of one of the most exciting and increasingly popular technology and investment opportunities.
Self-Directed Roth IRA: Tax-Free Growth on Crypto & Real Estate
Harness Wealth CPAs represent clients that hold crypto assets that invest long-term, actively trade, farm, stake, as well as mine. We're here to help guide you through the taxes of one of the most exciting and increasingly popular technology and investment opportunities.
Augusta Rule Explained: How to Rent Your Home to Your Business Tax-Free
Harness Wealth CPAs represent clients that hold crypto assets that invest long-term, actively trade, farm, stake, as well as mine. We're here to help guide you through the taxes of one of the most exciting and increasingly popular technology and investment opportunities.
How Buying Car Washes and Gas Stations Can Create Massive Tax Deductions
Harness Wealth CPAs represent clients that hold crypto assets that invest long-term, actively trade, farm, stake, as well as mine. We're here to help guide you through the taxes of one of the most exciting and increasingly popular technology and investment opportunities.
How to Avoid State Income Tax with a Non-Grantor Trust
Harness Wealth CPAs represent clients that hold crypto assets that invest long-term, actively trade, farm, stake, as well as mine. We're here to help guide you through the taxes of one of the most exciting and increasingly popular technology and investment opportunities.
Charitable Giving — DAFs, Private Foundations, CRTs/CLTs
Harness Wealth CPAs represent clients that hold crypto assets that invest long-term, actively trade, farm, stake, as well as mine. We're here to help guide you through the taxes of one of the most exciting and increasingly popular technology and investment opportunities.
How Do I Find a Tax Professional To Do My Personal Taxes?
Filing your taxes can feel straightforward when your finances are simple. But once equity compensation, multiple income streams, investment gains, or a major life change enters the picture, the process becomes more complicated—and the stakes get higher. Choosing the right tax professional can help you reduce errors and feel confident that everything was done correctly.
How to Calculate Underpayment of Estimated Taxes
Estimated tax payments are quarterly installments required for income not subject to withholding. Self-employed individuals, investors, and those with substantial supplemental income need to proactively calculate and pay their tax obligations throughout the year, unlike employees whose taxes are automatically withheld.
S Corp Reasonable Salary—How to Set a Fair and IRS-Compliant Pay
Electing S Corp status can be a smart tax move for small business owners, freelancers, and single-member LLCs. It allows you to take part of your income as salary and the rest as distributions, which aren’t subject to self-employment tax. But with that benefit comes one rule the IRS pays close attention to—your salary has to be “reasonable.”
The Small Business Tax Deductions Checklist: Maximize Your 2025 Savings
For small businesses, the start of a new tax year can usher in the potential for lost profits in the shape of new lax laws. With thresholds and deductions shifting on a near-continuous basis, what applied last year to your business may not necessarily apply now, and you stand to lose money if you don't stay up-to-date with any relevant changes.
10 Common Tax Mistakes Small Businesses Make
Running a small business means juggling sales, payroll, expenses, growth plans, and somewhere in the mix—taxes. The IRS has increased its focus on small business compliance in 2025, especially around payroll taxes, digital payments, worker classification, and estimated tax payments. Most tax errors aren’t intentional. They happen because business owners are moving fast, wearing too many hats, or relying on outdated assumptions about what’s required.
The Hidden Tax Advantage of Bad Investments
Whether it's due to broader market downturns or just poor performance in a specific venture, investors face the ever-present risk of financial loss. The silver lining is an opportunity to reduce your tax burden through strategic tax loss harvesting across multiple asset classes.
What You Should Know About the SALT Deduction in 2025
The tax arena is shifting quite dramatically in 2025, with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act raising the SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000. This fourfold increase creates major tax-saving opportunities, especially for those in high-tax states constrained by the previous limit.
Trump’s Plan to Eliminate US Expat Taxes: What It Means for Americans Abroad
In a major, but yet-to-be-enacted legislative effort, the U.S. government is seeing movement regarding the burden of Citizenship-Based Taxation (CBT) on Americans living abroad. While a shift has been strongly advocated by Donald Trump, the core system of worldwide taxation remains in place.
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