Category: 📕 Tax Book

This post is Chapter 5 of 14 of the book Keep More of What You Earn — a plain-English guide to US taxes. It’s April 13th. Daniel has his laptop open, tax software loaded, and a growing sense of dread. He has his W-2. He thinks that’s everything. Then the software asks about the freelance…

This post is Chapter 4 of 14 of the book Keep More of What You Earn — a plain-English guide to US taxes. Two sisters, Nicole and Teresa, each earn $55,000. Nicole is single. Teresa is unmarried but raising her 8-year-old son, paying all the household costs herself. When they file, Nicole owes about $4,600…

This post is Chapter 3 of 14 of the book Keep More of What You Earn — a plain-English guide to US taxes. Two neighbors, Luis and Ana, each find a way to cut their tax bill by $2,000. Luis contributes $2,000 to a charity and deducts it. Ana qualifies for a $2,000 tax credit…

This post is Chapter 2 of 14 of the book Keep More of What You Earn — a plain-English guide to US taxes. Every February, a client I’ll call Rosa brings me a shoebox. In it: her W-2, a 1099 from a bank, a 1099 from a freelance gig, a letter about unemployment benefits she…

This post is Chapter 1 of 14 of the book Keep More of What You Earn — a plain-English guide to US taxes. Jamal gets a $5,000 raise in June. He’s thrilled — until his brother-in-law warns him: “Careful, man. That raise might push you into the next tax bracket. You could end up taking…

This post is the Introduction of the book Keep More of What You Earn — a plain-English guide to US taxes. Maria and Denise sit three desks apart at the same company. Same job title. Same $68,000 salary. Same health plan. In April, they compare notes over lunch, the way coworkers do, and Maria nearly…