FOR W-2 EARNERS MAKING $100K–$500K

You can't out-earn the tax code.
You can learn it.

W-2 income is the most heavily taxed money in America — withheld before you ever see it, with almost none of the deductions business owners get. W2 Playbook teaches the strategies that actually work for employees, in 5 minutes a day. And tells you plainly which popular "loopholes" don't.

Free during beta · one email each morning · founding members lock 50% off for life

WHAT THE GURUS SELL YOU

"Start an LLC and write off your car"
"Deduct your home office" (W-2 employees: no)
"Business meals on your W-2 job"
"Become a real estate professional" (750 hrs + over half your working time — while working full time?)
A $2,000 course to tell you this

WHAT ACTUALLY WORKS

The mega backdoor Roth — up to ~$47,500 of extra space
HSA: the only triple-tax-free account there is
Fixing the 22% RSU withholding trap before it bites
The 2026 SALT window — built for your income band
Charitable bunching under the new 0.5% floor

Built for employees, not entrepreneurs

Every strategy here is one a W-2 earner can actually use. No "just start a business" hand-waving, no fantasy deductions that trigger audits.

Honest about the limits

Some famous loopholes are real but narrow, and some are nonsense. We label which is which — including the ones that would be easier to sell you.

Current, not evergreen

Tax law moved in 2026: SALT, charitable floors, itemized-deduction caps. The morning brief covers what changed and what it means for your paycheck.

A plan that follows you for years

Answer eight questions once and get a personal, prioritized action list — tracked, saved, and rebuilt every January when the new limits and laws land.

Fair questions

Is this tax advice?

No — it's tax education. We teach how the rules work so you can ask your CPA better questions (or know you need one). Nothing here is advice for your specific situation.

I'm a W-2 employee. Can I really save anything?

Yes, but through account structure and timing, not fake deductions. Someone at $200k who fully uses pre-tax space and an HSA can shelter tens of thousands of dollars of income. That's the game — and most people play maybe half of it.

Why should I trust you over a guy on Instagram?

Because we cite the IRS figure next to every number, publish corrections, and tell you when a strategy doesn't apply to you. There's no $2,000 course at the end of this.

What does it cost?

Free during beta. Later $9.99/month or $79/year — less than one hour of a CPA's time, and waitlist founding members keep 50% off for life.

Today's Brief

"Anyone may arrange his affairs so that his taxes shall be as low as possible… nobody owes any public duty to pay more than the law demands."
— JUDGE LEARNED HAND, HELVERING v. GREGORY (1934)
MARKET PULSE · LIVE
Why a tax site cares: rates drive your mortgage, what your savings earn, and the bond math in your 401(k). And interest on U.S. Treasuries is exempt from state and local income tax — which changes the real yield on your cash if you live in a high-tax state. Bank savings interest is taxed at your full marginal rate, federal and state.
Quotes via ETF proxies (SPY = S&P 500 · QQQ = Nasdaq-100 · DIA = Dow · TLT = long Treasuries), data from Finnhub, refreshed when you load this page. Delayed on the free tier. Education, not advice.
THE NUMBERS THAT RUN YOUR YEAR · 2026
401(k) DEFERRAL
$24,500
▲ from $23,500
TOTAL 401(k) CAP
$72,000
all sources · §415(c)
HSA (FAMILY)
$8,750
triple tax-free
SALT CAP
$40,400
▲ from $10,000
Catch-up at 50+: $8,000. Ages 60–63: $11,250. IRA: $7,500 ($1,100 catch-up).
Source: IRS — "401(k) limit increases to $24,500 for 2026"; HSA limits per 2026 IRS guidance; SALT per OBBBA as summarized by PwC/KLR. Verify against irs.gov before acting.
WHAT TO WATCH
Now through year-end: the 2026 SALT cap of $40,400 phases out between $500k and $600k of modified AGI — timing income and deductions matters more than usual in this band.
New in 2026: itemized charitable deductions only count above 0.5% of AGI, and the top bracket's itemized benefit is capped — bunching strategy changed this year.
Every vest: RSUs withhold at a flat 22% federal (37% above $1M). If your marginal rate is 32%+, that gap is your April surprise.
Sources: PwC and KLR OBBBA summaries; Wealthspire and IRS guidance on supplemental withholding.

That's today. One strategy, one myth, one habit.

Tax Fluency: 300 · Beginner

Tomorrow at 6 AM: the RSU withholding trap, in full.

Market figures reflect the most recent close at publication. Tax figures are 2026 and re-verified each January.

My Plan

2026 TAX YEAR · SAVED ON THIS DEVICE
ESTIMATED ANNUAL TAX SAVINGS STILL ON THE TABLE
Answer the questions below and your personal plan builds itself.
YOUR SITUATION · 8 QUESTIONS, ONCE A YEAR
Filing status
Household W-2 income
Age band
Your state income tax
How much of your 401(k) space are you using?
Do you have a high-deductible health plan (HSA-eligible)?
Equity compensation?
RSUs, options, or ESPP through work
Anything else that applies?
Tap all that are true
YOUR MOVES · CHECK THEM OFF AS YOU GO
Estimates are rough, education-only illustrations using 2026 federal figures and your inputs — not a projection of your actual return. Confirm plan features with your employer and specifics with a CPA.
THE TAX YEAR · WHY THIS IS NEVER "DONE"

Tax isn't a topic you finish — it's a cycle that resets every January with new numbers, new law, and new deadlines. Here's the loop you'll live in with us:

Estimated payment dates apply if you have income without withholding. Dates shift for weekends and holidays — verify at irs.gov.

The W-2 Tax Playbook

STRATEGIES · SITUATIONS · MYTHS

Card-by-card lessons — one idea at a time, points as you go. Green tiles are strategies you can act on; red tiles are the myths that waste your money. Everything is archived here forever.

Tools

2026 TAX YEAR · FEDERAL ONLY
CALCULATOR · YOUR MARGINAL RATE & PRE-TAX SAVINGS

What's the next dollar you shelter actually worth?

ESTIMATED TAX SAVED THIS YEAR BY THOSE CONTRIBUTIONS

Rough federal estimate using 2026 brackets and the standard deduction ($16,100 single / $32,200 MFJ), plus a flat state rate. Ignores credits, FICA, AMT, phase-outs, and itemizing. Education, not advice — your actual result depends on your full return.
CALCULATOR · RSU WITHHOLDING GAP

Will your vest leave you owing in April?

ESTIMATED FEDERAL SHORTFALL

Employers typically withhold a flat 22% federal on supplemental wages (37% above $1M in a year). If your marginal rate is higher, the difference is due at filing — and can trigger underpayment penalties. Sources: IRS supplemental wage rules; Wealthspire.

How W2 Playbook Works

THE TRUST PAGE

Education, never advice. We teach how the tax code works for employees. We don't know your full situation, we're not your CPA, and we'll never tell you what to do on your return. When a strategy needs a professional, we say so.

Every number carries its source. Contribution limits, brackets, and thresholds come from IRS releases and major firm summaries, cited on the card. Tax law changes constantly — the 2026 rules here get re-verified every January, and corrections are published openly.

We tell you when something doesn't apply to you. That's the whole point. Real estate professional status, home-office deductions, "LLC write-offs" — mostly unavailable to full-time W-2 employees, no matter how confidently they're sold. Losing your money to a course is still losing your money.

Built for the $100k–$500k band. High enough that tax is your biggest annual expense; not high enough for a family office to run it for you. Wealth managers ignore you, course-sellers farm you. This is the manual in between.

Five minutes, then it ends. One brief, one strategy, one move a day. No infinite scroll, one notification, no engagement games. Your Tax Fluency Score measures understanding — nothing else.

Tax is a cycle, not a course. You don't finish this and leave. Every January brings new limits, new law, and a rebuilt plan; every quarter brings deadlines; every raise, vest, bonus, move, or baby changes what applies to you. My Plan is the living document that tracks it — the reason people stay for years, not weeks.

Important: W2 Playbook provides general tax education for informational purposes only. It is not tax, legal, or investment advice, and does not create a professional relationship. Tax outcomes depend on your specific facts, your state, and law that changes. Consult a qualified CPA, EA, or tax attorney before acting. Figures shown are for the 2026 tax year and should be verified at irs.gov.