You’ve absolutely crushed it. You learned your craft, built a client roster, and you’re navigating the wild world of invoicing and marketing like a seasoned pro. We’re proud of you. But then the topic of retirement planning comes up, and it feels like you've been handed a puzzle with half the pieces missing.
Let’s set the scene. You just landed a fantastic new client. The project sounds amazing, the rate is solid, and you’re genuinely excited to start. The contract lands in your inbox, and you’re ready to hit ‘sign’ and get to the good stuff.
So, you did the smart thing. You formed an S-Corp to optimize your taxes and take home more of your hard-earned money. It felt like a major win. But now a single, nagging question has started to creep in, probably late at night: "Am I paying myself *enough*?"
You did it. You actually pulled it off.
You’ve mastered the art of working from anywhere. One month it’s a sun-drenched apartment in Lisbon, the next a cozy cabin in the mountains. You’re living the dream. But as you sip your morning coffee and look out at a view you could have only imagined a few years ago, a nagging question pops into your head: Can any of this actually count as a "home office" on my U.S. tax return? The whole point of this life is freedom, but navigating the IRS rulebook can feel like the exact opposite.