The W-2 Ceiling: Advanced Strategies for High W-2 and Ordinary Income Earners
High W-2 Income is Not a Dead End for Planning.
Act before the year-end window closes, not during tax season.
Most high W-2 clients get a tax return, not a tax strategy. Passive loss limits block the obvious moves, so planning has to start earlier and look different. Episode 2 of Beyond the Return, our 3-part mini series, shows you how to match each client profile to realistic non-passive strategies.
Watch Lisa Sretenovic, CPA, Joel Salas and Todd May break down bonus depreciation, oil and gas general partnerships and material participation rules. This session is educational, technical and code-grounded, not a sales pitch.
Why This Matters
- Passive losses trapped on Form 8582
- Weak material participation records
- At-risk limits behind leveraged write-offs
A big write-off only works if it clears the rules.
In one example, a $100,000 investment targets a $400,000 write-off. Material participation, at-risk rules and passive loss limits decide the outcome. Figures are illustrative only.
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What You'll Learn
- Why passive activity loss limits block high W-2 earners
- How non-passive bonus depreciation and oil and gas partnerships work
- How to meet and document material participation
- At-risk rules, recourse debt and excess business loss traps
- How to build a multi-year plan and stay in the CPA lane
Who This Webinar Is For
- CPAs and enrolled agents with high W-2 clients
- Tax pros who want to go beyond the 401(k) conversation
- Firm owners building a repeatable strategy process
- Advisors who coordinate with CPAs on implementation
Your Experts
Lisa Sretenovic
Managing Director, Strategic Alliances & Ecosystem Education
Lisa is the Velocity Detective, helping CPA firms build stronger, client-focused advisory services. With 30+ years of experience as a controller and CFO in both industry and public accounting, she helps accountants create the time, confidence, and processes needed to expand their advisory capabilities.
Her experience spans public accounting, real estate, SaaS, telecommunications, manufacturing, hospitality, and other industries, giving her a broad perspective on business and client needs. She specializes in business development, financial literacy, and helping firms strengthen client relationships and support long-term growth.
Lisa has also spoken at UT Austin, Baylor University, the City of Austin Small Business Expo, and industry conferences.
Joel Salas
Managing Partner, Elevated Tax Strategies
Joel Salas is a tax strategist and Managing Partner of Elevated Tax Strategies, a firm rated 5.0 on Google. He helps real estate investors, crypto holders, blue-collar business owners and high earners ($500K+) cut their tax bills through year-round planning. He’s also a speaker for investor groups and trade associations, and has been featured on JustAnswer and Bluevine.
Todd May
Chief Investment Officer, 1031 DST Group
Todd Helps Investors and Advisory Partners Bring Tax Strategy into the Picture before Decisions are Finalized. With 20+ Years in Senior Leadership, He Oversees Capital Alignment and Portfolio Positioning across Real Estate, 1031 Exchanges, Opportunity Zones, and DSTs.