Explainers written for the people who'll owe the tax.
Plain-English pieces on the rules we work with every day, organized by specialty. Reference tables for the current year are on the tax rates page.
From our specialists
RSUs and ISOs: the two tax problems equity compensation creates
Why 22% RSU withholding leaves high earners short, the 1099-B basis error that taxes the same income twice, and planning ISO exercises around the 2026 AMT rules.
October 8, 2026 Real estate · Gabriel KuperusThe short-term rental strategy and cost segregation
How high W-2 earners use the 7-day rule, material participation and bonus depreciation, and the mistakes that break the deduction.
October 8, 2026Rentals & depreciation
Depreciation basics for rental owners
The 27.5-year default, what cost segregation changes, and why depreciation is a deferral rather than a deduction — recapture explained before you need it.
Updated for the redesign · from Jan 2023 ExplainerThree doors through the passive loss rules
The $25,000 allowance, real estate professional status, and the short-term rental position — which one a high-W2 household can actually use.
New ExplainerThe tax benefits of rentals, honestly stated
What a rental does and doesn't do for a high-income return, and the hours log that determines which.
Updated for the redesign · from Jan 2023Options, RSUs & ESPP
Stock options vs. RSUs
How ISOs, NSOs, and RSUs differ in when they're taxed, what they're taxed as, and what form reports them.
Updated for the redesign · from Jan 2023 ExplainerWhy your RSU withholding is short
The 22% supplemental rate, the bracket you're actually in, and how to size estimated payments to the vest schedule.
New ExplainerThe 1099-B basis error
Why brokers report the wrong basis on equity compensation sales and how Form 8949 fixes it.
New