SSTB Phase-Out Calculator

Your numbers

Filing status Your total taxable income roughly your household taxable income — this is what drives the phase-out Qualified business income (QBI) the net profit from your specified-service business W-2 wages your business pays optional — only matters inside the phase-out range. Enter 0 if none. Your marginal tax rate (%) pre-filled from your ScanMyTaxes report — sets the deduction's value

Your QBI deduction right now

Deduction remaining

Full 20%thresholdgone

💡 Not sure you're an SSTB? Insurance and real-estate agents, contractors, and anyone selling a product, project, or course are NOT specified-service — even when they give advice. If that's you, ignore this phase-out: you keep the full 20% at any income. Confirm the classification with your CPA.

Winning it back

Levers that lower taxable income (ask your CPA)

Retirement plans — a solo 401(k), SEP, or cash-balance / defined-benefit plan can move a large deduction above the line. Compare plans →
HSA contributions, if you're on a qualifying high-deductible health plan.
Charitable giving, including bunching into a donor-advised fund in a high year.
Timing income — deferring a bonus, billing, or a gain into a lower year.

Each dollar that gets you under the threshold is worth more than a normal deduction, because it also restores QBI — that stacking is exactly what a CPA should size for you.

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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. Whether a business is a specified service trade or business (SSTB) is a legal classification with exceptions — confirm it, and the numbers, with your own qualified tax professional before acting. Using this tool does not create a client relationship.