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.
Rentals & 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