WV GSXR 750 :
These claims contain elements of legal and tax truth, but they are significantly oversimplified and carry serious pitfalls if followed blindly.
Here is how each claim actually works:
1. Paying your spouse $4,000/month: Misleading. While employee wages are a deductible business expense, the spouse must do legitimate work and receive "reasonable compensation" for the market rate. If you file taxes jointly (Married Filing Jointly), writing off the wage on the business side simply shifts it to personal income on the same return, while adding payroll taxes (Social Security and Medicare), which can actually increase your overall tax bill.
2. Paying your child up to the standard deduction: Mostly true, but strictly audited. If you operate an unincorporated business (like a sole proprietorship or single-member LLC), wages paid to your child under age 18 are exempt from FICA taxes, and earnings under the single standard deduction owe $0 in federal income tax ($13,850 was the 2023 limit; it adjusts upward for inflation annually). However, the IRS requires legitimate, age-appropriate work, formal payroll documentation (W-2s, time logs), and realistic hourly wages.
3. Moving assets to a revocable trust: Partially accurate, but potentially bad advice for direct beneficiaries. A properly funded revocable living trust does bypass probate and keep transfers private. However, assets with direct beneficiary designations (such as life insurance, 401(k)s, IRAs, or bank accounts with "Payable on Death" designations) already bypass probate directly. Removing beneficiaries from retirement accounts to fund a trust can inadvertently trigger accelerated income taxes and complicate distributions unless structured by an estate planning attorney.
2026-11-04 00:00:09