This fast-paced session follows the tax life cycle of Maria Rivera, a music educator who transitions from W-2 employment to operating, and eventually selling, her own teaching studio. Using this relatable case study, the session highlights the key issues tax professionals encounter when advising small service businesses, including start-up cost identification, Schedule C deductions, entity selection, worker classification challenges and the tax treatment of selling a service-based practice. Attendees will see how a client’s tax needs evolve over time and learn practical strategies for guiding service-based business owners through each stage.