QBI Salary Optimizer — ScanMyTaxes

Your numbers

Filing status Net business profit — before any owner salary your S-corp's economic profit for the year, before paying yourself or a spouse a W-2 salary Your total taxable income roughly your household taxable income — this is what decides whether the QBI wage cap applies (thresholds below). A close estimate is fine. Your marginal tax rate (%) pre-filled from your ScanMyTaxes report — sets the value of the deduction Owner W-2 salary you'd pay yourself

must be defensible as reasonable pay for the work$114,000

Spouse W-2 salary on the same S-corp payroll optional — also counts toward the 50%-of-wages cap. Enter 0 if none.

The salary that maximizes your deduction

Best owner salary

Deduction vs. payroll tax as your salary rises

QBI deduction Payroll tax Net benefit

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Educational only — not tax, legal, or financial advice. ScanMyTaxes is a software tool, not a tax preparer or advisor, and does not prepare or file returns. Every figure here is an estimate based on the information you enter; results are not guaranteed and depend on your specific situation. The "best" salary shown balances the QBI deduction against payroll tax — but your salary must still be defensible as reasonable compensation for the work you do, which is the most common thing the IRS challenges; the optimizer will not enforce that floor for you. Payroll tax is estimated as Social Security (up to the $184,500 wage base) plus Medicare and the 0.9% surtax; the deductible employer half is credited back at your rate. Confirm the exact salary with your CPA before changing payroll. Using this tool does not create a client relationship.