QBI IS NOW PERMANENT
(HERE'S WHAT HIGH EARNERS ARE STILL MISSING)
Every year around this time I write about the QBI deduction.
Every year someone replies: ""Holy smokes, this saved me $50,000!!"
And this year is even better because QBI is here to stay.
Originally, it was scheduled to expire December 31, 2025, but The One Big Beautiful Bill made it permanent. No more sunset date, no expiration. You can finally build long-term tax strategy around this deduction instead of wondering if it'll disappear.
For a business owner making $500,000 in qualified income, that's a $100,000 deduction — worth $37,000 in annual tax savings — now guaranteed for the foreseeable future.
The problem? Most high-earning business owners are still leaving tens of thousands on the table.
What Is QBI?
The Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction lets pass-through business owners (S-Corps, partnerships, LLCs, sole proprietorships) deduct 20% of their business income before calculating their tax bill.
Make $400,000 in qualified business income? You could potentially deduct $80,000.
Here's the kicker: That 20% deduction effectively drops your top tax bracket from 32% to about 24% (married filing jointly).
However, if you're married filing jointly with taxable income above $394,600, your deduction gets limited by wages paid.
The rule: Your QBI deduction can't exceed 50% of W-2 wages paid by your business.
This is where business owners often lose serious money.
The Math That Unlocks $36,000
Current situation:
- S-Corp profit: $500,000
- Current W-2 salary: $100,000
- Total income before wages: $600,000
Current QBI deduction:
- 20% of $500,000 = $100,000
- But limited to 50% of wages = $50,000
- You're capped at $50,000
Optimized structure:
- Take total income ($600,000) × 2/7 = optimal salary of $171,500
- New QBI: ($600,000 - $171,500) = $428,500
- New QBI deduction: $428,500 × 20% = $85,700
Additional deduction: $35,700
At a 37% tax rate, that's $13,200 in tax savings — for running one bonus payroll before December 31st.
This scales beautifully. Higher income means higher savings potential. We consistently help clients unlock $30,000-$50,000+ with this single adjustment.
What High Earners Miss About QBI
Most business owners make one of three mistakes:
They never run the calculation. They assume their accountant optimized it (most don't).
They set salary once and forget. Optimal salary changes as your profit changes. What worked in 2020 doesn't work in 2025.
They miss the December 31st deadline. Can't fix it retroactively in March when you file your return.
The Service Business Problem
If you're in healthcare, law, accounting, financial services, or any field where your reputation or expertise drives the business, the tax code treats you differently — and not in your favor.
These businesses fall into a category called Specified Service Trades or Businesses (SSTBs). Once your taxable income goes above $483,900 (married filing jointly for 2024), the benefits vanish — you lose the entire Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction.
The phase-out is brutal.
But if you're close to the threshold, strategic moves before year-end can keep you eligible. This is why entity structure and income planning matters so much for service professionals.
What It Takes to Unlock Your QBI Savings
The setup:
- Analysis of your current position: 1-2 hours
- Calculate optimal salary: 30 minutes
- Process year-end bonus payroll: 1 hour
- Document business purpose: 30 minutes
Total time: About 4 hours
The return: $13,200+ in annual tax savings
That's $3,300 per hour of effort. And now that QBI is permanent, this benefit continues year after year.
Are you optimized?
Pull your 2024 Form 8995-A (from your 1040) right now. Compare line 2 (total QBI) with line 16 (final deduction).
If they match: You're optimized. Forward this to a friend who might not be.
If line 16 is significantly lower: You left money on the table last year. Keep reading, you have 8 weeks to fix 2025.
What We Do at Better Bookkeeping
QBI optimization is standard for every client above the income thresholds. Here's the process:
Calculate your current position: Where does your deduction stand today?
Model optimal salary: What W-2 wage maximizes your deduction while minimizing additional employment taxes?
Run the bonus payroll: Better Bookkeeping processes the year-end adjustment through your payroll system.
Document everything: Full support if the IRS ever asks questions.
You Have Eight Weeks
After December 31st, your 2025 salary is locked. You can't go back and optimize it after January 1st.
You need time before that deadline to run the analysis, model different scenarios, and process the payroll adjustment properly.
If you're a high-earning business owner and haven't optimized your QBI deduction, leaving that money on the table isn't acceptable.
Want Better Bookkeeping to run your QBI analysis before year-end? Schedule a consultation today.