On the Retire SMART Podcast episode “Year-Round Tax Planning,” the guest drew a line most business owners never think about: “owning your own home is not necessarily a tax strategy.
A tax strategy is using some of those incentives to be proactive in the timing of your income.” That distinction is the difference between filing a return and running your business like a tax operator
Claiming a mortgage interest deduction is taking what the code hands you. Choosing whether $80,000 of revenue lands in 2026 or 2027 is a strategy. With the calendar at mid-year, the window to actually do something about your 2026 return is closing.
Quick Read – This strategy works for business owners expecting uneven income across consecutive years, but delivers zero tax benefit if you sit in the same bracket both years. – The verdict: the advice is right, and most owners ignore it Of the more than 1,700 provisions in the tax code, roughly 10% are worth focusing on, and most of those favor entrepreneurs. The “S” in the SMART model stands for shifting income, deliberately moving the year in which revenue or deductions hit the books. Business owners who skip this exercise leave money on the table every December.