Tax Season Shouldn't Be a Surprise

Filing vs. Planning: The Expensive Difference

Most tattoo artists have someone who files their return. They take your receipts in March, plug numbers into software, and file. That's tax compliance, and it's the bare minimum.

Tax planning is completely different. It's a year-round strategy that makes proactive decisions to reduce your tax bill before it's set in stone. For tattoo artists, the gap between the two can be thousands of dollars.

Finding Every Deduction

This is where industry-specific knowledge matters. A generic CPA might catch the obvious deductions, but they miss the ones that require understanding how tattoo artists actually work.

• Supplies & equipment: Every needle, bottle of ink, pair of gloves, machine, and power supply
• Travel & conventions: Flights, hotels, booth fees, rental cars, and a portion of meals
• Studio & workspace: Booth rent, utilities, cleaning products, station improvements
• Technology: iPad, Procreate, booking software, website hosting
• Education: Workshops, seminars, art reference books, online courses
• Insurance & licensing: Liability insurance, license renewals, health insurance premiums
• Marketing: Business cards, portfolio photography, social media tools

Entity Structure: Are You Set Up Right?

How your business is structured directly impacts how much you pay in taxes. We evaluate whether you should operate as a sole proprietor, single-member LLC, or elect S-Corp status. And we revisit this as your income changes, because the right structure at $50,000 isn't the same as the right structure at $150,000.

The S-Corp Question

An S-Corp is not a type of business. It's a tax election that changes how your income is taxed. Instead of paying self-employment tax on every dollar of profit, you split your income into a salary (taxed normally) and distributions (which avoid the 15.3% self-employment tax).

On $120,000 of net income, that 15.3% is over $16,000 in self-employment tax alone. An S-Corp may reduce that amount significantly, depending on your specific situation.

But it's not right for everyone. Below $60,000 in net income, the compliance costs often outweigh the savings. We run the numbers for every client before recommending anything.

Retirement Planning

Most tattoo artists don't think about retirement accounts as a tax strategy, but they should. Contributions reduce your taxable income dollar for dollar, and the money grows tax-free until you withdraw it.

• SEP-IRA: Contribute up to 25% of your net income (up to $69,000 per year). Simple to set up, massive flexibility.
• Solo 401(k): Even more contribution room by combining employee and employer contributions. Often results in higher total contributions than a SEP-IRA.

We analyze your income and help you choose the right vehicle, then plan your contributions to reduce taxable income while building long-term wealth.

This Is For You If...

• You're tired of massive tax bills every April and want a proactive strategy
• You're not sure you're capturing every deduction you're entitled to
• You've heard about S-Corps but aren't sure if it's right for you
• You want to use retirement planning as both a wealth-building and tax reduction tool
• You want a CPA who understands the tattoo industry and can find savings that generic accountants miss

Tax planning is not a one-time event. It's an ongoing partnership. We work with you throughout the year, adjusting your strategy as your income changes, so you can make informed decisions and keep more of what you earn.