Year‑End Tax Moves Every Business Owner Must Make

Why You Need This Checklist

What if your tax bill this year could be thousands of dollars lower — and all it took was acting before December 31? Most business owners never find out, because they wait until after the year ends to think about taxes. By then, it's too late to do anything except look at what already happened.

Here's the frustrating truth: the strategies that actually move the needle — the ones that can save you $10,000, $50,000, or more — are only available while the year is still open. Every day you wait is a day you can't get back. And the IRS certainly isn't going to remind you. Business owners who don't plan proactively hand over money they didn't have to, year after year, simply because they didn't know what was possible in time to act.

Imagine sitting down to file your taxes and realizing you already handled it. Equipment purchased, retirement accounts funded, reimbursements structured, prepaid expenses documented. Your taxable income is lower, your business is stronger, and you kept more of what you earned. That's not a fantasy — it's what proactive tax planning actually looks like in practice.

Sherman, a licensed CPA at My CPA Coach, walks business owners through exactly this process every single day. In this checklist, we've distilled his complete year-end framework into a clear, step-by-step action plan you can follow right now. Sherman covers everything from equipment and vehicle purchases that qualify for 100% depreciation, to retirement plans that can shelter up to $300,000 in a single year, to personal expense reimbursements most business owners don't even know they can take. His approach isn't about spending money to save pennies — it's about making smart investments that grow your business and cut your taxes at the same time.

This PDF checklist gives you every action item from Sherman's proven year-end strategy, organized so you can move through it quickly and confidently before the deadline hits. No guesswork, no jargon — just clear steps you can take this week to pay less and keep more.

What's Inside — Preview

Every checklist item comes with actionable notes to guide you — things like "Don't forget to do this before you start," "Avoid this common mistake," or "Set a reminder for 30 days out." Nothing vague, just clear next steps.

DECIDE Ask yourself: What does my business need right now or in the near future?

PLAN Ask yourself: What investments would help my business grow, and would I make them sooner if it reduced my taxes?

CHECK Identify equipment and tools your business uses that are outdated or limiting your capacity.

BUY Purchase qualifying equipment and place it into service before December 31 to claim 100% bonus depreciation.

BUY Evaluate whether your business needs a new vehicle — truck, delivery van, or work vehicle — and purchase and place it into service before year-end.

+ 15 more action items inside...

Year‑End Tax Moves Every Business Owner Must Make

Why You Need This Checklist

What's Inside — Preview

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