What are Specified service trades or businesses?

Specified service trades or businesses (SSTBs) are professional service categories subject to income-based limitations under Section 199A of the Internal Revenue Code, which may reduce or eliminate the 20% qualified business income deduction for high-income taxpayers. These businesses include health services, legal services, accounting, consulting, financial services, brokerage services, and professional athletics. S Corporations and other pass-through entities operating as SSTBs face phase-out rules beginning at $191,950 for single filers and $383,900 for married joint filers in 2025, with complete phase-out at higher thresholds.

Related Terms

What is Qualified business income?

What is a Pass-through entity?

What is an S Corporation?

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Tax loss harvesting

Transform investment losses into strategic tax advantages and optimize your portfolio's performance with AI-driven precision.

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Child traditional IRA

Open a Traditional IRA for children with earned income. Contribute up to $7,000 annually with full deduction, giving them decades to grow tax-free.

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Employee achievement awards

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Health reimbursement

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Child & dependent tax credits

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Health savings account

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Employee achievement

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Work opportunity tax credit

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Oil & gas deduction

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Hiring kids

Reduce taxable income & self-employment tax by hiring your kids.

Home office

Deduct qualified expenses for using your home for business purposes.

Meal expenses

Business can typically deduct 50% of meals associated with doing business with some cases allowing up to 100% deduction.

Travel expenses

Businesses can deduct necessary travel expenses, like airfare and lodging, directly related to operations for tax savings.

Vehicle expenses

Vehicle tax deduction allows deduction of business vehicle expenses, using a per-mile rate or actual costs, from taxable income.

Late S election

A Late S Election lets a corporation request IRS S corp status post-deadline.

Late C election

A Late C Election is a request to the IRS for C corporation status after the deadline.

Depreciation

Put your fixed assets to work for you by utilizing depreciation to find and compare tax savings in minutes.

R&D tax credit

Fuel your venture's growth and innovation with the R&D tax credit. Not just for tech firms or big corporations.

Clean vehicle

Businesses and Individuals can receive a tax credit for purchasing new eco-friendly vehicles. Individuals may also qualify on used eco-friendly vehicles.

Residential clean energy

Taxpayers who invest in renewable energy improvements for their home or second home may qualify for a credit to lower their income tax.

Augusta rule

The Augusta Rule lets homeowners rent their property tax-free for up to 14 days a year without reporting the income.

Roth 401k

Roth 401(k) lets employees and individuals make after-tax retirement contributions, offering tax-free growth and withdrawals.

Traditional 401k

Traditional 401(k) plans offer pre-tax retirement savings for employees, with companies reducing taxable income via contributions.