http://guidingstarsolutions.com/

Guiding Star Solutions, Houston, TX (2026)

09/07/2026

Still holding onto every receipt and digging through bank statements? 🧾😩

There’s a smarter way to stay on top of your money.

With GSS Tax Tracker, families, entrepreneurs & small businesses can organize receipts, track income and expenses, monitor mileage, and keep better financial records throughout the year, all in one place. 💚

Snap it. Track it. Stay ready.
Track smarter. File stronger. Build wealth with intention.

Explore GSS Tax Tracker: gsstaxtracker.app

09/07/2026

GUIDING STAR DAILY BRIEF

Monday, September 7, 2026

FIRE IS RETIRING: IS YOUR 1099 FILING PROCESS READY FOR IRIS?

CONFIRMED CHANGE

If your business or tax office files information returns through the IRS Filing Information Returns Electronically system—better known as FIRE—the filing route is changing.

The IRS says current FIRE users must transition to the Information Returns Intake System, or IRIS, to file tax-year 2026 information returns during the 2027 filing season. After January 1, 2027, IRIS will be the only IRS electronic filing system for information returns currently received through FIRE, including current-year returns, prior-year returns, and corrections.

That may sound like a filing-season issue, but the best time to prepare is before filing season begins. A business can have correct payee information and still encounter delays if credentials, software, file formats, or internal procedures are not ready for the new platform.

IRIS offers two filing paths. The free, web-based Taxpayer Portal allows manual entry or CSV upload and accepts up to 100 returns per submission. It also lets filers download payee copies and keep records of filed returns. The Application-to-Application channel is intended for larger-volume filers and third-party software.

DEADLINE/REMINDER

The transition calendar matters. November 1, 2026 is the last day to file test information returns through the FIRE test system. November 9 is the last day to change an Information Returns application for a FIRE Transmitter Control Code. November 19 at 3 p.m. Eastern is the final deadline for submitting information returns through FIRE.

If you currently use FIRE, start by confirming which forms you file, how many returns you normally submit, whether your software or service provider supports IRIS, and who is responsible for the new IRIS application and credentials.

DEADLINE/REMINDER

Two nearer dates also deserve attention. Employees who earned $20 or more in tips during August generally must report those tips to their employer by September 10. September 15 is the extended filing deadline for calendar-year partnerships and S corporations, and it is also the third estimated-tax installment date for many individuals and corporations.

COMMENTARY

The lesson is simple: compliance is not only about knowing the form. It is also about having a working process. Give your business time to test the route before the deadline becomes the emergency.

FINANCIAL TIP OF THE DAY

THE 5-STEP IRIS READINESS CHECK

1. Inventory your forms. List every information return your business files through FIRE.

2. Choose your channel. Compare the IRIS Taxpayer Portal with Application-to-Application filing.

3. Handle credentials early. Complete the IRIS Application for a Transmitter Control Code.

4. Test the workflow. Confirm your CSV file, software, or service provider is IRIS-ready.

5. Protect your records. Save acknowledgments, payee copies, and correction procedures.

FEATURED GUIDING STAR SOLUTION

4-WEEK START-TO-LAUNCH TAX BUSINESS BOOT CAMP

A tax business needs more than tax knowledge. It needs clear systems, compliant workflows, client processes, and a plan for busy season. Guiding Star Solutions helps aspiring and growing tax professionals build with intention.

Learn. Launch. Earn. Repeat.

Visit: https://guidingstartaxsolutions.com

09/07/2026

1099 & SELF-EMPLOYED BUSINESS OWNERS: Do you actually know how much you should be setting aside for taxes?

Getting paid feels good.

Then comes the question many business owners avoid until later:

“How much of this money should I be preparing to pay in taxes?”

That’s exactly why Guiding Star Solutions created our FREE Quarterly Tax Estimator.
Use it as a simple planning resource to get a better idea of your estimated quarterly tax picture—before a tax deadline catches you by surprise.

No guessing.
No waiting until tax season to start thinking about it.
No purchase required.

Estimate your quarterly tax amount.
Get a clearer picture for planning.
Start thinking ahead instead of reacting later.
And yes—it’s FREE.

Knowing your numbers gives you the opportunity to make smarter decisions with the money coming into your business.

Try the FREE Quarterly Tax Estimator here:
Free Guiding Star Quarterly Tax Estimator
Educational planning tool only; your actual tax liability can vary based on your complete tax situation.

09/07/2026

GUIDING STAR SOLUTIONS DAILY BRIEF

Your Daily Dose of Financial Empowerment
Sunday, September 6, 2026
Jaquaya Hamilton — Founder & Tax + Business Solutions Strategist
Clarity. Compliance. Confidence.

W-2 + 1099? One Tax Plan Must Cover Both

Having taxes withheld from a paycheck does not automatically settle the tax picture when you also earn money from a side business, freelance work or gig platforms. The IRS treats federal tax as pay-as-you-go, which means the goal is to pay enough during the year through withholding, estimated payments or a combination of both.

Here is the helpful part: a worker with a W-2 job and independent-contractor gig income may be able to increase withholding from the employee paycheck instead of sending separate estimated payments for the side income. The IRS directs workers in this situation to use its Tax Withholding Estimator and, if an adjustment is appropriate, provide a new Form W-4 to the employer. The form does not go to the IRS.

That does not make extra withholding the right answer for everyone. Some taxpayers will still prefer or need estimated payments. The September 15 installment generally relates to income earned from June 1 through August 31. Before making a decision, combine the whole picture: wages, current withholding, side-income receipts, deductible business expenses, credits and payments already made.

The recordkeeping piece matters. The IRS says gig income must be reported even if no Form 1099 arrives. At the same time, properly documented ordinary business expenses may affect net business income. That is why estimating from deposits alone can produce a distorted answer.

Start with your latest pay stubs and your spouse’s pay stubs if you expect to file jointly. Add your most recent federal return, side-income payment records and expense documentation. The IRS estimator says it takes about 25 minutes and does not save or share your responses with the IRS.

The message for this week is simple: your W-2 income and 1099 income do not belong in separate planning conversations. Bring them together, compare the available pay-as-you-go options and make an informed adjustment before a deadline becomes a surprise.

Timely tax and financial updates

Two income streams, one tax picture

An employee with gig income may be able to increase paycheck withholding to help cover tax on the side income. Whether that works depends on the full household tax situation. IRS gig-work guidance

DEADLINE/REMINDER — September 15 estimated-tax date

The third 2026 estimated-tax payment date is September 15 and generally covers income earned June 1 through August 31. Review actual year-to-date information before deciding what to pay. IRS pay-as-you-go guide

CONFIRMED GUIDANCE — Report gig income even without a 1099

The IRS says all gig income must be reported, including payments not shown on a W-2 or 1099. Keep sales, payment and expense records throughout the year. IRS gig-work guidance

DEADLINE/REMINDER — National Payroll Week begins September 7

The IRS recommends a withholding review after major job, income or family changes. National Payroll Week runs September 7–11, making this a timely paycheck checkup. IRS IR-2026-105

Financial Tip of the Day

The Five-Step Two-Income Tax Check

1. Total W-2 withholding. Use the year-to-date amount on current pay stubs.

2. Add side-income records. Include income even if no 1099 arrived.

3. Update business expenses. Use documented expenses—not guesses.

4. Compare both payment paths. Review extra W-4 withholding and estimated payments.

5. Act before September 15. Record any adjustment or payment you make.

One household. Two income streams. One clear plan. — Jaquaya

09/06/2026

Your daily tax & money check-in starts here!

Follow Guiding Star Solutions for the Daily Brief for fresh tax updates, important reminders, money tips, free resources & practical information to help you stay ready, not surprised.

Follow now. Tomorrow’s Brief will be different.

09/03/2026

STOP COLLECTING INFORMATION. START BUILDING.

How long have you been saying, “I want to start a tax business”—but you still don’t know what to do FIRST?

Maybe you’ve watched videos.
Joined groups.
Saved posts.
Downloaded checklists.
Researched PTINs and EFINs.

But you’re still sitting there with pieces of information and no clear path from idea to business.
That’s the problem the Guiding Star Tax Business Boot Camp is built to solve.
Over four structured weeks, we move through:

Foundation → Setup → Clients → Scale.

Not just “learn taxes.”
We talk about building the actual business around the service—your structure, systems, pricing, intake, technology, client acquisition, retention and long-term growth.

Because information without implementation can keep you researching forever. At some point, you have to BUILD.

If starting your tax business has been sitting on your goal list long enough, make this the season you finally put structure behind the vision. Explore the Guiding Star Tax Business Boot Camp today!

GuidingStarTaxSolutions.com/bootcamp

09/03/2026

YOU CAN’T SCALE A BUSINESS THAT DEPENDS ON YOU DOING EVERYTHING.

⭐ There comes a point when preparing MORE returns is no longer the smartest way to grow your tax business.

You’ve built the skills.
You have clients.
You know the industry.

But there are still only so many returns one person can personally touch.

That’s when the conversation changes from:

“How do I get more clients?”
to:

“How do I build infrastructure that can support more professionals?”

Guiding Star’s Service Bureau pathway is designed for qualified tax professionals who are ready to think beyond their individual desk and begin building systems around recruiting, onboarding, support, leadership and growth.
You don’t scale by working yourself into exhaustion.
You scale by building something that can operate beyond you

👉 If you’re an established tax professional ready to explore your next level, review the Guiding Star Service Bureau pathway and qualification requirements.

GuidingStarTaxSolutions.com

09/03/2026

YOUR SOFTWARE SHOULDN’T MAKE RUNNING YOUR TAX OFFICE HARDER.

Preparing the return is only ONE part of running a professional tax business.

You still have clients asking where to send documents.
Forms waiting for signatures.
Refund questions.
Compliance responsibilities.
Bank-product decisions.
And an entire client experience to manage.

If your technology only helps you prepare a return, you’re still doing too much of the business manually.

Guiding Star Tax Software was designed to give tax professionals infrastructure around the return—not simply another place to enter numbers.
That includes professional filing tools plus client-facing capabilities such as a mobile client app for document uploads, e-signatures and refund-status tracking.

The goal is simple:
Spend less energy piecing together your office and more energy actually building it.

👉 Ready for tax software that supports the business behind the tax return? Explore your Guiding Star Tax Software options today.

09/03/2026

If someone asked you right now how much your business actually made this year—could you answer without checking three apps, your bank account, a pile of receipts, and your memory?
Making money is one thing. Knowing your numbers is another.

For a lot of self-employed people and small-business owners, tax season becomes a scramble because income was coming in all year—but expenses weren’t consistently tracked, receipts disappeared, business and personal spending got mixed together, and nobody was watching the bigger financial picture.

That’s exactly why I created the Guiding Star Tax Tracker System™.

This is not another Excel spreadsheet you have to build and maintain. It’s a system designed to help you organize income and expenses, capture receipts, monitor your numbers, create budgets, estimate taxes and build tax-ready records throughout the year.

Because you shouldn’t have to wait until tax season to find out how your business performed.

👉 Stop guessing about your money. Start tracking it with intention today at gsstaxtracker.app.

HASHTAGS:

09/02/2026

This is not an Excel spreadsheet. This is a financial tracking system built to help you stay organized all year. 💚⭐

A spreadsheet can hold numbers.

But GSS Tax Tracker is designed to help you actually manage the process.

You can track income, categorize expenses, scan receipts, monitor dashboards, review monthly and annual reports, estimate quarterly taxes, and keep your records organized for tax season.

The system also includes family/team workspaces, accountant sharing, savings and goal tracking, home-office support, mileage organization, and AI-assisted receipt categorization that you review before anything is saved.

That’s the difference.

You’re not just entering data into rows and columns. You’re building a clearer picture of what’s happening with your money.

1. Snap the receipt
2. Track the transaction
3. See your numbers
4. Prepare for taxes
5. Stay organized

And because you stay in control, the AI can help with the heavy lifting while you still review and approve what gets recorded.
For entrepreneurs, freelancers, 1099 workers, families, and small-business owners, that can mean less scrambling and more visibility throughout the year.
Stop guessing. Start tracking.

⭐ Guiding Star Solutions
Track smarter. Prepare stronger. Build with intention.

Start exploring the system at gsstaxtracker.app

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