Most people think of spring as planting season. In Texas, it's fall.
Anyone who gardens in San Antonio knows this. You plant trees and shrubs now so the roots can settle in over our mild winter. By the time the summer heat hits, they're ready for it.
Your taxes work the same way. What you do between now and December 31 decides what your 2026 tax bill looks like. Once January 1 comes, most of your options are gone. In April, all we can do is report what already happened.
So let's talk about what you can still do.
1. Know where you stand before you make any moves
Every good tax decision starts with current books. If your bookkeeping is three months behind, you're guessing.
I want every client looking at a real year-to-date profit and loss in October. From there, we can project where the year will land and decide which of the moves below make sense for you.
2. Buy the equipment you were going to buy anyway
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act made 100% bonus depreciation permanent, and the Section 179 limit went up. In plain terms, most equipment, vehicles, software, and certain building improvements can be written off in full the year you put them into service.
The key words are “put into service.” A truck that's ordered in December but delivered in January is a 2027 deduction.
One caution: don't spend a dollar to save thirty cents. If you don't need it, a tax deduction isn't a reason to buy it.
3. S corporation owners: check your salary
If you're taxed as an S corp, you need to be paying yourself a reasonable salary through payroll. The IRS watches this closely, and it's much easier to fix in the fourth quarter than after the year closes.
This is also the time to set up an accountable plan if you don't have one. It lets your business reimburse you for things like your home office and personal cell phone, tax-free to you and deductible to the business.
4. Look at retirement plans now, not in March
Some retirement plans have to be set up by December 31 to count for this year. Others can wait until you file. A good plan can take a real bite out of your tax bill while you build savings for yourself.
If you've been meaning to start one, now is the time to have that conversation.
5. Get your 1099s ready early
Starting with payments made in 2026, the 1099-NEC reporting threshold went from $600 to $2,000. That means fewer forms for many of you, but you still need to track who you paid and how much.
Collect W-9s from your contractors now, while they're still answering your calls.
6. Plan your fourth-quarter estimated payment
If you pay estimated taxes, your last 2026 payment is due:
Once we know where your year is landing, we can size that payment correctly so you're not overpaying or setting yourself up for a penalty.
Roots before leaves
Here's what I've learned after more than 20 years of doing this. The clients who have the easiest tax seasons aren't the ones with the simplest businesses. They're the ones who did the root work in the fall.
Clean books. A projection. A few smart decisions made on purpose instead of in a panic.
None of it is flashy, but it's what everything else grows from.
That's why we're giving away plant cuttings this season. It's a small reminder that the work you do now, when nobody's watching, is what carries you through the heat later. You can learn more at sbsofsa.com/grow.
Take a lesson from the frogs
If you've visited our office, you know we have a soft spot for frogs. Here's something I love about them. Come fall, frogs start getting ready for winter. They find their spot, settle in, and wait out the cold, so they're ready to go the moment spring arrives.
And when a frog does move, it doesn't try to cross the whole pond in one jump. It crouches, gets set, and goes lily pad to lily pad.
- Hop 1Get your books current
- Hop 2Look at your numbers
- Hop 3Make one smart move at a time
- LandingLeap into 2027
Year-end planning works the same way. You don't have to do everything today. Just take the next hop: get your books current, look at your numbers, then make one smart move at a time. The fourth quarter is your crouch. Do the prep now, and you'll leap into 2027 instead of stumbling into it.
If you'd like help planning your next hop, give us a call at (210) 884-5067 or email me at kika@sbsofsa.com.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Kika