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The Milestone Journal

Tax Talk

Field notes on tax planning, accounting practice, and the financial decisions that shape Bay Area businesses, real estate investors, and high-net-worth families.

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Business Tax

R&D Tax Credit for Bay Area Design Firms: When Engineering Work Qualifies

How Bay Area architecture and engineering firms can identify qualifying research activities under IRC § 41 — and capture the credit most generalist CPAs never…

June 1, 2026
Business Tax

Form 990 Compliance & UBI Risk: A Bay Area Nonprofit CPA Guide

A Bay Area CPA's guide to Form 990, public support tests, unrelated business income, and the governance documentation that keeps a nonprofit exempt.

June 1, 2026
Business Tax

California Pass-Through Entity Tax (PTET) Election: When AB 150 Saves You — and When It Doesn't

A Bay Area CPA's guide to the California Pass-Through Entity Tax election under AB 150: who benefits, the June 15 deposit trap, multi-state coordination, and…

June 1, 2026
Business Tax

Dental Practice Acquisition: §179, Goodwill & Financing for Bay Area Dentists

How Bay Area dentists should structure a practice acquisition for maximum after-tax cash flow: §179 equipment expensing, §197 goodwill amortization, working…

June 1, 2026
Business Tax

QSBS §1202: How Bay Area Tech Founders Can Exclude $10M+ of Gain

A Bay Area CPA's deep dive on Qualified Small Business Stock §1202: eligibility, the 2025 tiered exclusion, common pitfalls, and how tech founders can stack…

June 1, 2026
Business Tax

POC vs. Completed-Contract: Tax Method Selection for California Contractors

How Bay Area construction companies should choose between Percentage-of-Completion and Completed-Contract method for tax — and the §460 rules that determine…

June 1, 2026
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