Every year around the middle of March, someone walks into my office with a box. Sometimes it's a shoebox, sometimes a grocery bag, once memorably a cooler. Inside is a year of business receipts, a stack of bank statements, and the quiet hope that somewhere in there is a refund. I have to tell them the truth, which is that the year is closed. Whatever we might have done about their tax bill, we could have done in September. By March, I'm not their advisor. I'm their historian.

Quick answer: For 2026, the IRS business standard mileage rate is 72.5 cents per mile from January 1 to June 30, and 76 cents per mile from July 1 to December 31. Because the rate changed mid-year, you must split your mileage log by date and apply each rate to the correct half of the year to claim the full deduction. Key Takeaways Business mileage rate: 72.5¢ (Jan 1–Jun 30) and 76¢ (Jul 1–Dec 31, 2026). The IRS raised the rate mid-year to reflect rising fuel costs — a rare mo

Let's get one thing straight: the IRS doesn't care about you. Not in a cruel way. In a completely, utterly indifferent way. They don't care that you've been working 60-hour weeks running your HVAC company. They don't care that your bookkeeper quit without notice. They don't care that nobody told you about self-employment tax when you started your cleaning business three years ago. The IRS has one job: collect what's owed. And they are very, very good at it. THE RULE YOU DIDN'

Running a business can feel lonely. You make decisions about money, taxes, employees, customers, growth, and risk. That is a lot for one person to carry. A Board of Advisors can help. A Board of Advisors is a group of trusted people who help guide your business. They can give advice, share ideas, ask good questions, and help you make better choices. This strategy is not just for large companies. Small businesses, contractors, service businesses, consultants, family-owned busi