TST Accounting, LLC

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗲𝘀 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿?

To answer that, you have to look at the return you just filed. It’s the primary place where you can see exactly how your financial decisions translated into your tax bill.

Here are the two areas you should audit immediately:

1. Your Effective Tax Rate -- This is the actual percentage you paid after credits and deductions were applied. If this number is higher than you expected, you likely aren't utilizing the right tax-shifting strategies or accounts to protect your income.

2. Your Refund Amount -- If you received a large check, you essentially gave the IRS an interest-free loan for up to twelve months. That is capital you could have been deploying into your own investments or savings every single month.

If you want us to review your 2024 or 2025 return and identify exactly where you can keep more of what you earn in 2026, comment 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 below.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙣’𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙭 𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡?

First, and most important, don’t ignore it. It’s easy to put off a tax bill when you know you can’t pay it. But that usually makes the problem more expensive.

Here’s what we generally recommend to our clients:
1. Pay as much as you can right now. Even a partial payment helps reduce the interest and penalties that continue to accrue.
2. Look at short-term IRS payment relief. In some cases, the IRS may allow additional time to pay in full.
3. Set up an installment agreement.
4. If paying would keep you from covering basic living expenses, see if you qualify for Currently Not Collectible status.
5. See if an Offer in Compromise is an option for you.
6. Avoid using credit cards, private loans, or home equity to pay the IRS, as this can put you in a much more difficult (and higher interest) position.
7. If necessary, consider selling assets you no longer need.

If you want help sorting through the options, comment 𝗣𝗔𝗬 below.

𝙄𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨?

Sometimes. But it’s not a complete retention policy.

Some employee records can be cleaned up sooner. Others need to be kept much longer. That’s why using one general rule for everything can create risk.

The better approach is to sort records by type and apply the right timeline to each one.

Worth a quick review if your retention system has been running on autopilot.

Have any burning questions still left even after the end of tax season?

Drop yours in the comments.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗯𝗲 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀?

Start by asking yourself: 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘥𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸?

If the breakdown is around task ownership, deadlines, and collaboration, start with project management. If it’s payroll or billable hours, focus on time tracking.

Or, if appointments and staffing are causing the stress, scheduling software will likely give you the fastest operational relief.

A few practical pairings might look like this:
• If you run a growing service business, the best time management software for you might be Asana or TimeTap
• If you own a small creative or consulting firm, you might do well with Trello or Toggl
• If you operate a retail business or restaurant, you might see productivity gains from Clockify or HotSchedules
• If your business is highly customized and process-minded, you might prefer Notion or EverHour

https://www.wsj.com/tech/silicon-valley-founder-fashion-nvidia-huang-anduril-luckey-musk-tesla-palantir-karp-4d8b9339?st=V9eNC7&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink

Would you wear one of these if it had your boss's face on it?
A. I love my boss. Of course
B. Absolutely NOT

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹?

Most viral tax "hacks" are built on a tiny bit of truth stretched into a massive headache. If a video promises a "secret" IRS refund, it's usually a trap.

We are seeing three specific claims cause a lot of trouble right now:

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗲𝗹 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁
This is for heavy farm machinery or off-road equipment. If you use it for a standard work truck or van, the IRS computers will flag it almost immediately.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 "𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁"
This name doesn't actually exist in tax law. It’s a label used to trick people into claiming old pandemic-era credits they aren't eligible for.

𝗙𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲.
Some videos tell you to list "estimated" wages or employers you didn't work for to get a bigger check. This is fraud, and the IRS treats it as a crime, not a mistake.

The IRS is now using specialized software to track these social media trends. When they catch a bad claim, they don't just ask for the money back. They add expensive penalties and often freeze your entire account for months while they investigate you for identity theft.

Tax law is complicated, but it isn’t a treasure hunt. We suggest staying away from any "loophole" that only seems to exist in a 30-second influencer video.

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙭 𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙢?
The IRS does not initiate first contact by phone, text, email, or social media. If you receive a message out of the blue, look for these specific red flags:

1. The notice number on the document.
A legitimate IRS notice will always have a specific number (like CP14 or LTR 5071C) in the top right corner.

2. The payment method indicated.
Scammers demand gift cards, crypto, or wire transfers. The IRS uses standard tax payment channels.

3. Any social media claim.
The IRS reported over 600 impersonators in 2025 using fake website names and IRS-style language to steal Social Security numbers.

A little caution goes a long way. If you're unsure about it, don't click the link.

Instead, go directly to IRS.gov and log in to your official IRS Online Account to verify your status.

Or reach out to us and we can help you verify.

We've got lots of great strategies we're excited to share with you over the coming months, but we also value what you have real questions about that we can answer.