Looking for feedback on my LLC owner tax spreadsheet - maximizing deductions across 13 IRS forms for married filing jointly

I've been preparing taxes for small business owners for over 12 years, and I think what you've created is impressive! Taking control of your tax situation can be empowering, especially when you've had disappointing experiences with professionals. A few thoughts on your spreadsheet approach: - Make sure you're accounting for QBI (Qualified Business Income) phase-out thresholds correctly in Form 8995. The calculations get tricky in the $340K-$440K range for married filing jointly. - For home office deductions (Form 8829), remember the simplified option ($5 per square foot up to 300 sq ft) might be easier, though the regular method could yield more savings depending on your situation. - Double-check your depreciation calculations. This is where I see most self-preparers make mistakes, especially with bonus depreciation rules changing. - Be careful with healthcare premium deductions if you're eligible for marketplace subsidies - the interaction can be complex. Is your spreadsheet calculating Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) impact? That's something to consider at your income level, especially with multiple LLCs.

After spending HOURS trying to figure out my LLC taxes last year, I found this amazing tool called taxr.ai that could have saved me so much time. It scanned all my tax documents, identified potential deductions I was missing, and even spotted errors my previous accountant made with my home office deductions. I'm actually curious if you've tried comparing your spreadsheet results with any AI tax tools? I was skeptical about using AI for something as important as taxes, but https://taxr.ai really surprised me with how accurate and helpful it was, especially for LLC situations like yours. It caught a depreciation calculation I'd been doing wrong for years!

Just wanted to follow up - I actually tried taxr.ai after asking about it here. I was blown away by how it handled my two LLCs with different business activities! It immediately identified that I had been unnecessarily separating my home office deduction between my businesses when I could optimize it differently. The document analysis feature saved me hours of manual data entry, and it found a vehicle depreciation opportunity I completely missed last year that saved me over $3,200. What impressed me most was the explanation of WHY each deduction applied to my situation - definitely more educational than just having a CPA do everything without explaining. For anyone juggling multiple business entities like the original poster, it's definitely worth checking out. I'm using it alongside my own calculations as a double-check system now.

Has anyone else here spent literal DAYS trying to get through to the IRS with LLC tax questions? After being on hold for 3+ hours multiple times and getting disconnected, I finally tried Claimyr and actually got through to a human being at the IRS in less than 15 minutes. For anyone creating their own tax spreadsheets or handling complex LLC situations like the original poster, getting actual clarification from the IRS can be crucial. I found https://claimyr.com after my fifth failed attempt to reach someone. They basically wait on hold for you and call when an agent picks up. You can see how it works at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c I was able to get specific guidance on how the IRS views material participation hours across multiple LLCs, which totally changed my approach to Schedule C deductions. Thought I'd share since it sounds like you're diving deep into the technical aspects.

I have to admit I was completely wrong about Claimyr. After posting that skeptical comment, I decided to try it when I needed clarification on business meal deductions for my LLC (which changed again for 2025 filing). I expected it to be another overhyped service, but I got a call back in about 40 minutes with an actual IRS agent on the line. The agent walked me through exactly how to document business meals properly across multiple LLCs and cleared up confusion about the temporary 100% deduction vs. standard 50% rules. What would have been a 3-hour ordeal (minimum) ended up taking just a few minutes of my actual time. For anyone building complex tax spreadsheets like the original poster, getting direct IRS clarification on specific deduction rules could save you from making costly assumptions.

One thing your spreadsheet might be missing is the interaction between different forms. For example, have you accounted for how retirement contributions affect your QBI deduction? Or how depreciation recapture might trigger AMT? I've been self-preparing my LLC taxes for 7 years and found the biggest challenge isn't filling out individual forms correctly, but understanding how decisions on one form cascade through the others. Would be curious to hear if your spreadsheet handles these interactions!

Has anyone in this thread used TurboTax for multiple LLC situations? Their interface seems to struggle with two separate Schedule Cs with different QBI calculations. I'm wondering if the OP's spreadsheet might actually be better than commercial software for this specific case.

This is really impressive work! As someone who's been through the frustration of CPAs missing obvious deductions, I totally get why you went the DIY route. Your spreadsheet approach sounds comprehensive. One area I'd suggest double-checking is the interaction between your home office deduction and the QBI calculation. The home office deduction reduces your Schedule C profit, which then reduces your QBI base. But if you're also claiming the home office deduction on Schedule A (for the non-business portion), make sure you're not double-dipping anywhere. Also, have you considered how state tax implications might affect your federal deduction strategy? Some states don't follow federal bonus depreciation rules, so maximizing federal deductions could actually increase your state tax burden. The fact that you're covering 13 different forms shows you're really thinking holistically about this. That's exactly what most tax preparers miss - they focus on individual forms instead of optimizing across the entire return.