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- The Deductibles // January 2026
The Deductibles // January 2026
Your New Year tax resolution is here. Clearer visibility into Q1 decisions before options narrow.
Hey there deduction detectives,
By the end of January, most people assume the important tax decisions are behind them. They’re not.
But the window to influence how this year plays out is already narrowing. What’s happening now—income flow, expense patterns, entity usage—quietly determines what won’t be possible later.
This month’s edition is about visibility: what still matters, what’s already in motion, and where clarity now changes outcomes.
🎆 In This Edition –
⏰ What still matters in late January
🧮 New calculators for early clarity
🔍 Q1 tax moves underway
🏘️ Where real estate investors lose leverage
📰 Gelt in the news
⚠️ Upcoming Deadlines to Know
🗓 January 26
The IRS opens the 2025 tax filing season. Even if you’re not filing immediately, this is the point when filing logistics start moving and missing documents become the main blocker.
🗓 January 31
A major reporting checkpoint for business owners: W-2s and 1099s must be delivered to employees and contractors paid in 2025. This date drives how quickly your income picture comes together and what cleanup may be needed.
🗓 February 15
Most brokerages release consolidated 1099 statements around this time. If your return is relatively straightforward, you should have most of what you need to file once these arrive.
🗓 March 15
A critical filing deadline for S corporations and partnerships. For business owners and real estate investors, this date often determines what can (and can’t) be adjusted later on your personal return.
These deadlines aren’t about rushing—they’re about knowing where flexibility starts to disappear. Gelt can help
To learn more, visit joingelt.com and schedule a call with a tax expert today.
🧮 New Tax Savings Calculators: Augusta Rule, PTET, and S-Corp
We’ve added three calculators to help bring early clarity to decisions that are often revisited too late:
🏡 Augusta — Understand whether renting your home to your business is actually worth it
📄 PTET — See if state-level workarounds could meaningfully change your tax outcome
🏢 S-Corp — Pressure-test whether an S-Corp structure still makes sense for your income
These tools won’t give you a full strategy, but they make it clear when deeper planning is worth exploring.
👉 Try the calculators here
Reminder: results are illustrative estimates, not tax advice. Final outcomes depend on your full tax situation.
🔍 Q1 Tax Moves: What to Revisit Now
Right now, the best question usually is not “What new tax strategy should I try?”
It is “Do I have the right setup to make good decisions later?”
We recently broke this down in our Q1 Tax Reset guide, including a full Tax Talk Unfiltered episode for those who prefer to watch instead of read.
A few things worth revisiting early in the year:
Bookkeeping: Are your books current and clean enough to plan from real numbers rather than estimates?
Entity setup: Do you have the right structure in place, and are you avoiding elections that are difficult or expensive to undo?
Strategy timing: What needs planning now, like the Augusta Rule, PTE, or real estate tracking, versus what can wait until you have income clarity?
If you want to sanity check your Q1 setup and understand what is actually worth prioritizing, connect with a Gelt tax specialist or email [email protected].
🏠 Navigating Real Estate Exits, Losses, and Tax Strategy
If you’re a business owner or high earner with real estate exposure, the biggest tax surprises usually show up when a deal ends, not while it’s running. Profitable exits, failed investments, and foreclosures can all create very different outcomes, and the wrong assumptions can get expensive fast.
In this guide, we break down:
How real estate exits are taxed (capital gains + depreciation recapture)
When passive losses can actually offset gains, and why timing matters
What happens tax-wise in a foreclosure or failed deal
Why large losses can take years to use, and how investors plan around it
👉 Read the full article: Real Estate Exits, Losses, and Foreclosures: What High Earners Need to Know About Taxes
Questions? Visit joingelt.com or schedule a call with our team about how you can get started.
📰 Gelt in the news
We’ve been featured recently for our work at the intersection of tax strategy, technology, and complex financial decision-making:
Fintech Bloom — Why the Future of Taxes Requires Both Intelligence and Interpretation
USA Today — Gelt Expands AI-Powered Tax Calculator Suite with Augusta Rule Tool
FinTecBuzz — Old-School Tax Prep Is Costing the Wealthy More Than They Think
Together, these features reflect a broader shift toward proactive, strategy-driven tax planning. If you have friends or colleagues who could benefit from a more strategic approach to taxes, these are great links to share.
Is Gelt a Fit for You Now?
Tax Season is upon us! As a reminder - We work with founders, investors, and business owners who are ready to go beyond basic tax prep. If you want to:
✔️ Keep more of what you earn
✔️ Plan with intention, not just react at tax time
✔️ Partner with a team that understands your goals
We’d love to help you take the next step. Schedule a call to learn more