Fix Your Tax Strategy Before Year-End
HOW TO SAVE THOUSANDS BEFORE DECEMBER 31ST
If you're planning to file on October 15th, you have six days left. Next Wednesday. Final deadline. You're in the home stretch.
But here's the catch: You just spent the last 10 months completing your taxes for a year that ended 10 months ago.
And 2025? It ends in 83 days.
The Real Question
How did tax season feel for you this year?
Maybe you filed in April and it was smooth. You had everything organized, your bookkeeping was current, and you knew exactly where you stood.
Or maybe you're planning to file next week. The final deadline. No extensions left. No take-backs. You're scrambling to pull everything together, paying more than you expected, and promising yourself next year will be different.
Either way, here's what matters: What have you done for 2025?
The Pattern I Keep Seeing
A client called right before New Years last year. A call that should have happened at least two months earlier…
"Mitchell, I had an amazing year! What can I do to save on taxes?"
My answer: "Not much at this point. You're too late."
He'd waited until the last 48 hours of the year to think about retirement plans, income deferral, entity structure changes, and strategic moves. The cost of that procrastination? Roughly $22,000 in unnecessary taxes.
Now, it’s October again. And most business owners are in the same spot. Getting ready to celebrate surviving compliance next week after finally filing for 2024, but they’ve done nothing to get ahead for 2025, or even begun to think about 2026..
The Difference Between Reactive and Proactive
Business owners who pay the least in taxes follow a quarterly rhythm:
- Q1 (Jan-Mar): Strategy Setting: Review previous year results, set tax goals, implement basic structure (entity, accounting, retirement plans).
- Q2 (Apr-Jun): Mid-Year Assessment: Complete prior year filing, make adjustments based on Q1 performance, identify strategic opportunities.
- Q3 (Jul-Sep): Scenario Planning: Project full-year results, model different tax scenarios, prepare for year-end execution.
- Q4 (Oct-Dec): Execution: Implement specific strategies, make time-sensitive moves before December 31st, position for next year.
They don't think about taxes obsessively. They just stay in control.
Most business owners wait until April and document what already happened.
One is reactive. The other puts you in control.
You're in the Sweet Spot Right Now
We're in Q4 — execution time. You still have over two months to implement strategies that save thousands:
- Solo 401(k) establishment (deadline: December 31st)
- Equipment purchases for bonus depreciation
- Capital loss harvesting
- Income deferral strategies
- S-Corporation elections for next year
Take action now, and you'll finish the year knowing you've optimized your tax situation.
What This Looks Like in Practice
Picture two business owners with nearly identical income. One treats taxes as an April chore, scrambles through tax prep, pays what's owed, and tries to forget about it until next year.
The other plans quarterly, adjusts strategy as the business evolves, and makes strategic moves throughout the year.
The difference in tax liability for a business making $200,000+? Often $15,000-$50,000.
Same income. Wildly different tax bills. The difference is planning.
Your Next Move
October 15th is next week. Whether filing feels easy or hard, whether you’re done or just about to get there — you’re now looking at 83 days until this year ends.
That call that should have happened at the beginning of Q4 last year? Let’s make sure it happens in the next couple of weeks.
Want to run your numbers and build your Q4 execution plan? The team at Better Bookkeeping can help you project your full-year tax situation, identify opportunities you're missing, and lock in thousands in savings before December 31st.