Hidden Money Podcast

Mike Pine and Kevin Schneider
  • 4.8 (16)
  • Business
  • Updated Biweekly

In the Hidden Money podcast, you'll learn how you can legally use the tax code to your financial advantage. There’s wealth inside the tax code. Taxes aren’t the enemy. Most people hate taxes (and pay more than they should). But when you view taxes only as an evil expense, you miss out on legal ways to grow your wealth. Unlock the secrets to saving tax and building wealth with the Hidden Money Podcast! 🎧💰 Hosted by Mike Pine and Kevin Schneider.

  1. 4d ago

    Get Tax Strategies Like Microsoft

    On this week's episode: most people assume Microsoft's 2.44% tax rate means the game is rigged for billionaires, and never ask what the tax code has already built in for anyone willing to invest the same way. What the tax code already rewards:1. Corporations pay a flat 21% tax rate — that's the rule. Microsoft backed into 2.44%, which means roughly $85 billion of its $101 billion in profit was offset by deductions and credits written directly into the tax code, available to any business that invests the way Microsoft does.2. Buy $100,000 of office equipment and you write it off a little at a time over several years. Put that same $100,000 into qualifying AI data center property — or a rental property using the same bonus depreciation rules — and it's largely 100% deductible this year, against income you're already earning.3. R&D tax credits aren't a deduction that lowers your taxable income — they're a dollar-for-dollar reduction of the tax you actually owe. Every dollar of W-2 wages paid to build genuinely new technology counts the same way for a five-person business as it does for Microsoft.4. Most taxpayers don't lose out because the tax code is stacked against them — they lose out because they have a tax preparer instead of a tax strategist. The fix isn't a bigger tax bill, it's proactive planning before the year closes: we have clients landing at 0% and 2% effective tax rates using this exact playbook. Get in touch: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e30-get-tax-strategies-like-microsoft&utm_content=show-notes#contact-1 Connect With Us• Website: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revotaxpayer/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revotaxpayer/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revo-taxpayer-advocacy• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HiddenMoneyPodcast Chapters[00:00] Why "the rich don't pay their fair share" misses the real story[01:11] Microsoft reported $101B in profits and paid 2.44% in tax[02:46] The math: backing into $85B in deductions[03:19] These aren't loopholes — they're intentional tax incentives[03:39] Inside the strategy: AI data centers and 100% deductible property[05:12] R&D tax credits: a dollar-for-dollar reduction, not just a deduction[06:54] You don't have to be a corporation to use this playbook[10:01] Real clients getting to 0% tax — and how[11:01] A retired client's capital gains deferral through a rural opportunity zone[12:53] Tax preparer vs. tax strategist — the gap that costs people millions[13:44] These opportunities exist for every taxpayer, not just billionaires

  2. Sep 30

    How the Refresh App Has Greatly Increased Goodwill's Impact

    For every job Goodwill posts, 54 people apply. Now, with the Refresh app, every one of them leaves with job leads, benefits and local resources, and that connection stays in place long after a program or a job ends. We had the privilege of sitting down with Logan Sugarman (Founder and CEO of Refresh), and two Goodwill leaders, Michelle Roberts (President & CEO, Marion Goodwill) and Adrian Gessen (SVP Organizational Development, Goodwill Northeast Texas), who are putting the Refresh app in the hands of the people they serve. What We Cover in the Episode The app sprawl problem. The average corporation runs 200 to 300 apps, tools and channels, and typical HR tools see 10 to 15 percent usage. Refresh sits above all of it and delivers the right resource to the right person.Tearing down Goodwill's digital wall. With 54 applicants for every opening, most people used to hear "we'll call you." Now everyone who applies gets the Refresh app, and one IT applicant called within 48 hours to say thank you after landing a job in Dallas.A housing program nobody knew existed. The Goodwill team used Refresh to find a brand-new rent-assistance program that kept a man over 55 from homelessness.No more benefits cliff. Leaving a program or a job used to cut people off. With Refresh, the relationship, the resources and the community stay.Scale that's already real. More than 1.6 million licenses are distributed, roughly two new Goodwill territories come on every month, and Catholic Charities, YMCAs and food banks are asking to join.Get in Touch Reach out to us to hear more about the opportunity to partner with Refresh and Goodwill: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e29-tax-play-employee-benefits-app&utm_content=show-notes.Interested in Refresh for your organization? Book a demo at https://www.refreshplatform.com. Know a charity that could benefit? Refresh has more licenses coming next year.Connect With Us Website: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revotaxpayer/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revotaxpayer/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revo-taxpayer-advocacyYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HiddenMoneyPodcastChapters[00:00] Introduction: meet the team behind Refresh and Goodwill's rollout[00:58] Logan Sugarman: 200 to 300 apps and 10 to 15 percent usage[03:33] What Refresh actually does: sits above it all and delivers it[04:45] The Google Home analogy: "15 apps to walk into my house"[06:40] How the HR role got reduced to admin[08:37] The 401(k) match our own team didn't know about[09:34] Michelle Roberts: "If I could have all of these things in one place"[11:19] Goodwill is so much more than a donation drop-off[12:41] Adrian Gessen: the digital wall and 54 applicants for every job[14:15] The IT applicant who called within 48 hours to say thanks[14:43] A warm off-boarding, and no more benefits cliff[16:11] Learning from Catholic Charities, the YMCA and the Salvation Army[18:03] Resource guides that were outdated the day they were published[19:42] One question, a ladder of resources[21:02] Mimetic drive, repurposed for good[23:06] "I would like to thank me": gratitude and community in the app[24:36] Covered vs. uncovered employees, and who gets left out[27:53] A helper bot, not a DOS prompt[29:16] The church rent program nobody knew existed[31:34] Why one case manager, or one book, can't keep up[32:33] Case managers, financial coaches and legal advice on demand[32:56] 1.6 million licenses and a queue forming[35:04] Armed forces, first responders and the wider charitable space[37:28] How Refresh serves nonprofits and corporations alike[41:54] Where to learn more about Refresh[42:49] When people don't know help exists[45:57] The compounding effect: 14 questions, and data that serves back[47:43] Caseworker compassion fatigue, and what changes[49:39] The rollout: about two Goodwill territories a month[50:40] The 14 social determinants of wellbeing[52:01] Closing thoughts: "We are so much more than a store" Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes and does not constitute tax or legal advice. Always consult a qualified tax professional for your situation.

  3. Sep 15

    Need a Tax Plan But Have No Time (Oil & Gas)

    On this week's episode: most people assume tax deductions come from spending money you don't want to spend, and never ask what the tax code has already built in for anyone willing to take on real risk. The math nobody walks you through:1. Every other investment keeps active and passive income in separate buckets — but a working interest in oil and gas gets treated as active, even when you're 100% passive. That's not a workaround. It's written directly into the tax code.2. Buy $100,000 of Apple stock and you get zero deduction, just a higher basis for later. Put that same $100,000 into oil and gas, and you deduct it this year, against your active income — a difference no other asset class offers.3. Intangible drilling costs can turn a $100,000 investment into a 90%+ first-year deduction, not a rough estimate but a calculated share of what actually goes into the well.4. Six out of ten retail oil and gas investments lose money. The fix isn't avoiding the asset class — it's buying leases that are already producing, which removes the industry's biggest failure point, the dry hole, almost entirely. Get in touch: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e28-oil-gas-tax-plan&utm_content=show-notes#contact-1 Connect With Us• Website: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revotaxpayer/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revotaxpayer/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revo-taxpayer-advocacy• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HiddenMoneyPodcast Chapters[00:00] Introduction: oil and gas, and the tax code's best-kept secret[00:02] Why "don't let your tax tail wag the dog" is bad reasoning[00:03] Tax 101: active, passive, and portfolio income[00:08] The exception: how oil and gas becomes "active" even when you're passive[00:12] Real numbers: turning a $100K investment into a 90%+ deduction[00:16] The Apple stock test: why this deduction is unlike any other investment[00:17] The real risk: why most retail oil and gas investments lose money[00:19] De-risking with insurance and the year-two flip to limited partner[00:35] The strategy with zero dry-hole risk

  4. Sep 8

    If You Have High Income But No Time

    On this week's episode: high earners often assume the more they make, the more they owe, and don't ask what the tax code already has built in for them. Four things hiding in plain sight: $50,000 into the right strategy can come back as a $250,000 deduction — a five-time return, backed by an independent valuation, not a guess.If you clear $500,000 a year and skip tax strategy, your biggest expense isn't your mortgage. It's the IRS, and withholding hides the number so well most people never add it up.That same $50,000 contribution saved $86,000 in federal tax in a single year. No property to manage, no material participation, no time required.Overpay your taxes by $36,000 instead of investing it, and in 20 or 30 years you're down $144,000. The real risk was never the strategy. It's doing nothing.Chapters[00:00] Introduction: high income, no time for tax strategy[00:01] The hamster wheel: why working harder doesn't fix a tax bill[00:05] The real cost of not planning: your biggest expense at $500K+[00:07] Why Q4 is the worst time to start (and the best time to act)[00:08] Strategy one: the zero-time-commitment charitable deduction[00:12] Real numbers: how $50K became an $86K tax save[00:17] The biggest risk is doing nothing[00:20] Buyer beware, and why "more likely than not" still isn't a guarantee[00:25] Next week's cliffhanger: a passive deal with cash flow and ROI Get in touch: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e27-if-you-have-high-income-but-no-time&utm_content=show-notes#contact-1 Take our 5 minute tax assessment: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e27-if-you-have-high-income-but-no-timeutm_content=show-notes#taxassistant  Connect with us:• Website: revotaxpayer.com• Facebook: @revotaxpayer• Instagram: @revotaxpayer• LinkedIn: @revo-taxpayer-advocacy• YouTube: @HiddenMoneyPodcast

  5. Sep 1

    The IRS Doesn't Care about Fair

    On this week's episode: two people can have the exact same income and still land tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars apart at tax time — and the IRS will never tell you why. Four things we unpack this week:Two employees with identical stock option packages can land 31 points apart on their effective tax rate. One paid under 1%. The other paid over 32%. Same income, same year, same opportunity.Sell "non-covered" stock without documenting what you originally paid for it, and the IRS doesn't ask — it assumes your basis is zero and bills you as if the entire sale was pure profit.Fall behind on filing for a few years, and the IRS assumes you had zero deductions and a 100% profit margin on every dollar reported to them — even after 50 years of clean returns.An $80,000 vacation, taken past your tax-plan deadline, can quietly become a $600,000 line item once you count what the delay actually cost. Chapters[00:00] Introduction — Why two neighbors with the same income pay wildly different tax[00:01] The IRS default: guilty until you prove yourself innocent[00:04] Same income, same options, two Nvidia employees — one pays under 1%, one pays 32%[00:08] Why the IRS actually helped fund Mike and Kevin's own commercial property purchase[00:12] The $600,000 vacation — what it really costs to skip your tax plan[00:15] Covered vs. non-covered stock transactions — why the IRS assumes your basis is zero[00:17] The dementia case — five years of unfiled 1099s and the IRS's worst-case-by-default rule[00:20] Why the IRS "works for us," and what that means when you push back[00:23] Take control: don't let the IRS write your story for you[00:24] Revo is hiring Get in touch: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e26-the-irs-doesnt-care-about-fair&utm_content=show-notes#contact-1 Connect with us:• Website: revotaxpayer.com• Facebook: @revotaxpayer• Instagram: @revotaxpayer• LinkedIn: @revo-taxpayer-advocacy• YouTube: @HiddenMoneyPodcast

  6. Aug 25

    Tax Planning in Business

    On this week's episode: owners focus on their personal return and never ask what could be done inside the business itself. Four things we constantly see missed:1. Your spouse already approves every big decision you make. They can be on the company 401(k) too — one business, two maxed-out retirements.2. Twenty percent of your income, deductible, without spending a dollar. Most owners get a fraction of it and never find out why.3. A swimming pool that was 100% deductible and the home office rule that made it hold up.4. 76 cents a mile for driving you already do. Many people leave it on the table because they don't want an app on their phone. Get in touch: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e25-tax-planning-in-business&utm_content=show-notes#contact-1 Chapters[00:00] Why business owners plan on the wrong return[04:20] Your spouse is an officer: doubling 401(k) contributions through the business[07:00] "Have you strategized your QBI deduction with your CPA?"[09:40] How QBI works: twenty percent, without spending a dollar[11:00] The wage limit, and why contractor pay doesn't count[12:00] The S corp advice that reversed in 2017[15:50] The home office deduction without the red flag form[17:50] What a red flag actually is[21:50] The pool builder whose backyard was a showroom[26:00] Business mileage, the new rate, and Big Brother[30:40] Be proactive — tell us before, not after Connect with us:• Website: revotaxpayer.com• Facebook: @revotaxpayer• Instagram: @revotaxpayer• LinkedIn: @revo-taxpayer-advocacy• YouTube: @HiddenMoneyPodcast

  7. Aug 18

    What Are You Missing in Your Own Tax Planning?

    On this week's episode we turn it on the taxpayer. We look at the habits, assumptions, and easy shortcuts that quietly cost people money. Along the way: a client who rated us three out of five over a strategy that saved her $150,000, a man paying $780,000 a year in tax who said "it is what it is," and a state tax cliff that cut a family's charitable deduction in half. Get in touch: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e24-what-taxpayers-are-missing&utm_content=show-notes#contact-1 Chapters[00:00] Truth with love — turning last week's episode on the taxpayer[01:00] Why easy is expensive: $2,000 a year over thirty years[04:20] The LLC that should have gone inside the S corp[07:00] Don't assume your CPA is your advocate[09:20] The Lamborghini, $2 million a year, and $780,000 in tax[13:30] The tried and true: 401(k) match, HSAs, Trump accounts[16:00] Bunching deductions, and the one-day timing difference[18:00] A client who rated us three out of five — refund is not savings[21:40] The state that halves your charitable deduction over $1 million[27:30] Making more money doesn't mean paying more tax Connect with us:• Website: revotaxpayer.com• Facebook: @revotaxpayer• Instagram: @revotaxpayer• LinkedIn: @revo-taxpayer-advocacy• YouTube: @HiddenMoneyPodcast

  8. Aug 11

    What Other CPAs are Missing

    Why do so many CPAs never explore the gray areas the tax code explicitly allows, or understand what that conservatism costs their clients? In this episode we show you why we do and how it gives you the advantage. Along the way we talk about a $3 million savings killed by the other side's accountants, a nursery depreciation question nobody had asked before, and a Florida eye surgeon who won an audit three levels of IRS "no" deep. Get in touch: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e23-what-cpas-are-missing&utm_content=show-notes#contact-1 Chapters[00:00] Housekeeping: partnership and S corp filings are due in about six weeks [00:45] "I never knew you could do that" — the sentence new clients always say [01:30] Why most CPAs stay in the safe box, and why that's a choice about risk [02:00] The rule that proves the tax code is gray [02:45] Where the profession lost its advocacy for clients [03:15] You can't live in the gray area without knowing your client's business [04:30] Discovery calls: the free service every Revo prep client gets [05:30] 110 years of conditioning since the 16th Amendment [06:15] When a position is only 55% likely  and the client says no anyway [07:15] The revenue model problem: ten fast returns versus one good one [08:20] "It's partly the taxpayer's fault" — $500 versus $5,000 [09:50] What a strategist should actually save you for what you pay [10:30] Kevin's 15 to 20 returns a week, five client meetings a day [12:30] Seventeen returns across ten professionals — the 10x difference [13:30] Where AI actually helps: data mining, not preparing returns [14:20] The $3 million deal killed by the seller's CPAs [17:20] Big-firm fiefdoms and why the in-house experts go unused [18:40] The nursery depreciation question nobody had researched [21:00] CPA PTSD: burned once, never going back [21:50] Two leased vehicles, a golf cart, and an audit we won at appeals [25:00] What's actually printed in an IRS audit technique guide [26:30] Closing thoughts [27:00] Revo is hiring advisors who want to add value Connect With Us• Website: https://www.revotaxpayer.com/?utm_source=revo-taxpayer&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e23-what-cpas-are-missing&utm_content=show-notes• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/revotaxpayer/• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revotaxpayer/• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/revo-taxpayer-advocacy• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@HiddenMoneyPodcast

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4.8
out of 5
16 Ratings

About

In the Hidden Money podcast, you'll learn how you can legally use the tax code to your financial advantage. There’s wealth inside the tax code. Taxes aren’t the enemy. Most people hate taxes (and pay more than they should). But when you view taxes only as an evil expense, you miss out on legal ways to grow your wealth. Unlock the secrets to saving tax and building wealth with the Hidden Money Podcast! 🎧💰 Hosted by Mike Pine and Kevin Schneider.

Information

  • Creator
    Mike Pine and Kevin Schneider
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    125
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Mike Pine and Kevin Schneider
  • Show Website
    Hidden Money Podcast

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