The Tax Strategy Podcast with Fexingo: Tax Planning, Deductions, and Saving Money on Taxes

Episode 79 of The Tax Strategy Podcast with Fexingo digs into the Research and Development Tax Credit (R&D Credit) — a tax break often thought of as a perk for tech giants like Apple and pharmaceutical companies, but increasingly available to small and medium-sized businesses. Lucas and Luna explain how the 2026 landscape has shifted after the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act sunset restored immediate expens...

Episode 78 of The Tax Strategy Podcast with Fexingo digs into the Alternative Minimum Tax credit recapture — a lesser-known but powerful tax break. Lucas and Luna explain how the AMT credit works, who qualifies, and why 2026 is a pivotal year for recapturing prior year AMT payments. They walk through the mechanics, the IRS Form 8801, and the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act sunset on AMT credit...

Lucas and Luna break down the foreign tax credit for US citizens living abroad, using a concrete example: a software engineer earning $120,000 in Germany, paying $35,000 in German income tax. They explain how Form 1116 prevents double taxation, the difference between the credit and the foreign earned income exclusion, and why high-tax countries like Germany often leave expats with a zero US tax bi...

Lucas and Luna break down the self-employed health insurance deduction, a valuable write-off for freelancers, gig workers, and small business owners. In this episode, they explain how the deduction works for 2026, including the rules around eligibility, the interaction with the premium tax credit, and a key trap: you cannot also claim the deduction if you are eligible for subsidized coverage throu...

Lucas and Luna break down how state-level tax credits can save you serious money even if you don't live in the state offering them. Using the Georgia Film & Television Tax Credit as a concrete example — 20% base credit, 10% uplift for Georgia promotions — they explain how non-resident investors can purchase transferable credits at a discount and apply them against their own tax liability. They wal...

In this episode of The Tax Strategy Podcast, Lucas and Luna break down the standard mileage deduction for 2026, including the new IRS rate of 62 cents per mile, how it applies to business, medical, and charitable driving, and the key recordkeeping requirements. They walk through a concrete example of a rideshare driver who can deduct over $12,000 in mileage, compare the standard rate to actual exp...

Lucas and Luna dive into the federal gift tax exclusion for 2026, which allows you to give up to $19,000 per person per year without filing a gift tax return. They explain how married couples can double that amount via gift splitting, why paying someone's tuition or medical bills directly doesn't count toward the limit, and the surprising catch: gifts that exceed the exclusion eat into your lifeti...

In this episode of The Tax Strategy Podcast, Lucas and Luna dive deep into the Health Savings Account (HSA) — arguably the most powerful tax-advantaged account available. They break down the triple tax advantage: tax-deductible contributions, tax-free growth, and tax-free withdrawals for qualified medical expenses. Lucas explains the 2026 contribution limits ($4,300 for individuals, $8,600 for fam...

Episode 71 of The Tax Strategy Podcast tackles a question that comes up every spring: do credit card signup bonuses count as taxable income? Lucas and Luna walk through the specific IRS rules that separate a true gift or rebate from taxable income, using real-world examples like an $800 Chase Sapphire bonus and a rare 250,000-point Amex Business Platinum offer. They explain why the IRS has never i...

Episode 70 of The Tax Strategy Podcast dives into the Section 121 exclusion for home sale gains. Lucas and Luna break down the $250,000 / $500,000 thresholds, the two-out-of-five-year ownership and use test, and how the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act sunset in 2026 changes the landscape. They use a concrete example: a single filer who bought a home for $300,000 and sells for $650,000 in 2026. The hosts als...

Episode 69 of The Tax Strategy Podcast breaks down the Section 199A Qualified Business Income deduction — the 20 percent deduction for pass-through business owners. Lucas explains how the deduction phases out above taxable income thresholds ($383,900 married filing jointly in 2026), how specified service trades or businesses like law and consulting get restricted, and why a real-world example — a...

Episode 68 of The Tax Strategy Podcast breaks down the Net Investment Income Tax (NIIT) — a 3.8% surtax that catches many high-earning investors by surprise. Lucas and Luna explain how the tax works, who triggers it, and why a single real estate sale or mutual fund distribution can push a taxpayer over the threshold. They walk through a concrete example: a married couple filing jointly with $250,0...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna unpack the stepped-up basis rule—a tax provision that lets heirs reset the cost basis of inherited assets to their date-of-death value, effectively wiping out decades of capital gains. They walk through a concrete example: a grandmother who bought Apple stock in 2008 for $8 a share and held it until her passing in 2026 when it's worth $220. Her heir sells immediatel...

Lucas and Luna break down the 25C Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Credit in 2026. They explain how homeowners can claim up to $3,200 annually for heat pumps, windows, doors, and insulation. The hosts walk through the credit limits, eligible products, and the critical stacking rules with other incentives. A concrete example: replacing an old furnace and installing solar-powered attic fans on a $1...

Lucas and Luna break down the SEP IRA — a tax-deferred retirement account that allows self-employed individuals to contribute up to 25% of net earnings, with 2026 contribution limits reaching $69,000. Using the example of a freelance graphic designer earning $150,000, they show how a 20% contribution reduces taxable income by $30,000, saving roughly $7,400 in federal income tax plus self-employmen...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act sunsets at the end of 2025. In this episode, Lucas and Luna walk through how that changes your 2026 tax return — lower standard deduction, lost personal exemptions, reduced child tax credit, and the return of the state and local tax deduction cap. They focus on a real middle-income family scenario: a couple with two kids earning $120,000 in Atlanta. Compare their 2025 tax...

Lucas and Luna unpack the kiddie tax—a rule that taxes a child's unearned income above $2,800 at the parent's marginal rate, not the child's lower rate. They use a concrete example: a 14-year-old with $5,000 in dividend income from a custodial account. Lucas explains the $2,800 threshold for 2026, why the rule exists to prevent income shifting, and how it interacts with the new 2025 tax brackets a...

Lucas and Luna tackle the so-called 'nanny tax' — the IRS rules for household employees like nannies, elder caregivers, and house cleaners. They walk through the $2,800 threshold for 2026, what forms you need (Schedule H, W-2, W-3), and the Social Security and Medicare tax split. Lucas explains why many families accidentally misclassify workers as independent contractors and the penalties that fol...

Episode 61 of The Tax Strategy Podcast breaks down the 2026 crypto wash sale rule. Lucas and Luna explain how the IRS now treats digital asset losses the same as stock losses, using a concrete example of a trader who tried to harvest losses on Bitcoin and Ethereum. They cover what changed, what didn't change for spot vs. derivatives, and how the rule affects year-end tax planning. No generic advic...

Episode 60 of The Tax Strategy Podcast breaks down the pending expiration of key Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions at the end of 2025 — and what that means for your 2026 return. Lucas and Luna walk through the specific changes hitting itemized deductions, the child tax credit, the estate tax exemption, and the qualified business income deduction. They explain why the standard deduction won't revert...

This episode of The Tax Strategy Podcast uncovers a little-known IRS rule that disallows unreimbursed partnership expenses — costs you pay out of pocket for a partnership or multi-member LLC that you can't deduct as a business expense and can't claim as an itemized deduction either. Lucas and Luna walk through a real-world example: a freelance graphic designer and a web developer who form a 50-50...

Episode 58 of The Tax Strategy Podcast digs into the Child Tax Credit's phase-in rules for 2026. Lucas and Luna explain how the credit's refundable portion gradually increases with earned income above $2,500, using a concrete example of a single mom earning $18,000. They walk through the formula, contrast it with the fully refundable credit from 2021, and discuss how the phase-in affects low-incom...

In this episode, Lucas and Luna dive into the cost segregation study—a tax strategy that lets real estate investors accelerate depreciation on commercial and residential rental properties. They break down how this technique reclassifies building components into shorter-lived asset categories, generating bigger upfront deductions and deferring taxes. Using a concrete example of a $1.5 million apart...

This episode of The Tax Strategy Podcast with Fexingo explores the Foreign Tax Credit, a powerful tool for U.S. investors and expats with international income. Lucas and Luna break down how the credit works, who qualifies, and why it often beats the foreign earned income exclusion for tax efficiency. They use a concrete example: a U.S. resident with $10,000 in dividends from a German company, show...

Episode 55 unpacks the wash sale rule — a tax provision that disallows losses on securities sold at a loss if you buy a substantially identical stock within 30 days. Lucas and Luna walk through a concrete example of a trader triggering the rule unintentionally during a volatile quarter in June 2026. They explain tracking the 61-day window, how it interacts with tax-loss harvesting, and the surpris...