Know the Deductions: The Game Show You Don’t Want to Play Blind

By Dr. Jose G. Cardenas | Chief Tax Strategist, The C & R Group, LLC
Published in Financial Horizons: Insights for Building Wealth and Securing Your Legacy

Ever feel like tax season turns into a bizarre game show?

🎤 “Welcome back to another round of ‘Guess That Deduction!’ where the stakes are high, the IRS is watching, and the wrong answer could cost you thousands!”

That’s the vibe a lot of business owners and high-income earners unknowingly step into every year. They sit down with a shoebox of receipts, a tax preparer running on fumes, and pray that TurboTax or their CPA magically knows what they forgot to mention.

But here’s the real twist: The game is rigged — not by the IRS, but by the lack of strategy.

🎲 Guessing Is Not a Strategy

The guy in the image? Let’s call him Chuck. Chuck is smart, well-dressed, and slightly overconfident in his ability to “wing it” through tax season.

He’s also bleeding deductions.

Without a proactive strategy, Chuck’s tax return is just a rough estimate of what could have been — had he known about Section 280A, accountable plans, or how to hire his own kids for tax savings.

Unfortunately, most folks don’t even know what they don’t know until it’s too late.

✅ Know the Deductions: A Different Game Altogether

At The C & R Group, LLC, we don’t play guessing games with your future. We build personalized tax strategies year-round — so that by the time April rolls around, it’s just a formality.

Here’s how our clients “know the deductions” before the buzzer:

• Section 280A (Augusta Rule) – Rent your home to your business tax-free
• Hiring Your Children – Legitimately shift income to a lower bracket
• Accountable Plans – Reimburse tax-deductible business expenses the right way
• Short-Term Rental Loopholes – Unlock powerful real estate deductions
• IULs (Indexed Universal Life) – Grow tax-free wealth and retirement income
• Meals & Travel – Turn everyday costs into tax advantages
• Oil & Gas Investments – Create powerful offsets against active income
• Maximized 401(k) Strategies – Stack deductions while securing your future
• C Corp Structures – Restructure income to take advantage of tax arbitrage
• Executive Bonus Plans – Use life insurance for both benefit and bonus

Each deduction isn’t just a number — it’s part of a larger tax map we design with you, not for you.

📉 What Guessing Actually Costs You

Let’s break it down.

If you make $250,000 per year and miss just 10% in deductible opportunities, you could be overpaying $7,500 to $10,000 or more every single year. Over a decade, that’s the price of a new car, a college fund, or a decent down payment on your dream home.

But more importantly, it’s money you could’ve used to build tax-free generational wealth.

📊 Example Breakdown: Two Paths, Two Outcomes

Let’s say two business owners each gross $300,000 annually.

Chuck (Guesses the Deductions)

• Uses a basic CPA once per year
• Misses $35,000 in deductible expenses
• Pays $87,000 in taxes

You (Knows the Deductions)

• Works with The C & R Group LLC
• Implements Augusta Rule, hires kids, accountable plan, maximized 401(k)
• Pays $62,000 in taxes

🧮 Annual Savings: $25,000
🧮 10-Year Compound Savings (with reinvestment): $345,000+

That’s not just tax planning — that’s legacy planning.

🎁 The Bonus Round: Proactive Planning Means Bigger Wins

Tax planning isn’t just about saving money. It’s about clarity, control, and confidence.

When you work with us, you’re not just avoiding mistakes — you’re making informed moves:

• You’ll know what to deduct
• You’ll know why it’s legal
• You’ll know how it supports your long-term goals

And guess what? You won’t need to play “Guess the Deductions” ever again.

🗓️ Ready to Retire the Guesswork?

You’ve worked hard to build your income. Don’t let the tax code chip away at it because no one handed you the rulebook.

📞 Book your custom tax planning session now:
👉 Schedule Here

🔍 Want to learn more strategies and insights like this one?
👉 Visit the Financial Horizons Blog

✍️ About the Author

Dr. Jose G. Cardenas, DBA
Chief Tax Strategist, The C & R Group, LLC
Licensed Financial Professional affiliated with Experior Financial Group
Retired U.S. Army Finance Officer | Veteran-Owned | Trusted | Strategic