One of the financial advantages of locum tenens work is the ability to deduct certain travel expenses when you take a temporary assignment away from home. Hotel bills, airfare, mileage, and meals can add up quickly, so these deductions may be substantial.

But there is an important rule that locums physicians should understand:

Once an assignment is expected to last more than one year, the tax treatment changes significantly.

A common misconception I see — even among highly educated professionals — is the belief that everything on your tax return has to happen between January 1st and December 31st.

It doesn’t.

For physicians, business owners, and self-employed professionals, this timing flexibility is often the key to making aggressive tax planning actually work in real life.

Let’s walk through the major deadlines — and what actually needs to happen by each one.

As a physician working from home, you have two methods to calculate your home office deduction: the simplified method and the actual expense method. While the simplified method appears straightforward on the surface, recent tax law changes—particularly the increase in SALT deduction limits—have shifted the calculation in ways that may surprise you.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce happily announced their engagement this week. If you are also considering a walk down the aisle, read on to learn how getting hitched can result in big changes in your tax return.