Cut Your 2025 Taxes Before the Eggnog Hits

Son Surprises Dad with Dream Car He Had to Sell 40 years Earlier to Afford Diapers

A Texas father was moved to tears after his son surprised him with the car of his dreams — a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro almost identical to the one he had to sell over 40 years ago to pay for his kids’ diapers. Earl Guynes was only 22 years old when he was working in automotive parts and had the opportunity to purchase the iconic car from . . read more

It’s December 11th. You’ve Got 20 Days to Legally Cut Your 2025 Tax Bill by Tens (or Hundreds) of Thousands… or Kiss That

Money Goodbye

💋💲👋

Hey, it’s Roy from Shipley Bookkeeping Solutions.

Every December I watch the same thing happen with our construction-company clients: One group finishes the year with a five - or six-figure tax refund already locked in.
The other group shows up in February, hands me a shoebox of receipts, and we discover they just overpaid the IRS by $47k, $93k, or $180k because they “didn’t know” or “thought they’d handle it later.”

If your construction company does $1M+ in revenue, every dollar you spend or invest in the business between now and December 31 is basically on a 35–50% discount, courtesy of Uncle Sam. Miss the deadline and that discount disappears forever.

Here are the moves our $1M–$20M contractors are executing right now:

Equipment & trucks – Section 179 + 60% bonus depreciation are still in play. Buy it, finance it, put it in service by 12/31 → write off 100% this year.
Repairs & shop improvements – New roof on the warehouse? Office remodel? Concrete work? Expense it now under safe-harbor rules (up to $2,500 per invoice, almost zero paperwork).
Prepay 2026 expenses – Q1 rent, annual insurance, software subscriptions, equipment maintenance contracts → pay in December, deduct in 2025.
Retirement bomb – Max your Solo 401(k) employer contribution by 12/31 (up to $69k or $76.5k if over 50) and erase taxable income the same day.

You were probably going to buy most of this stuff in January anyway. Do it three weeks early and the government pays for nearly half.

I only work with established contractors doing $1M–$20M. If that’s you and you don’t already have a written year-end tax plan, let’s fix it this week. Text or reply “TAX PLAN” and I’ll shoot you my 2025 Construction Year-End Tax Accelerator Checklist (free).

Takes 12 minutes and routinely finds $30k–$150k+ in legitimate savings.You’ve got 20 days. Let’s not leave six figures on the table.—

Roy Shipley
Founder, Shipley Bookkeeping Solutions

P.S. We’ll still take on 3 - 4 more $1M+ contractors before year-end if your books are reasonably organized. First five who reply get a free 30-minute planning call with me this week. After that I’m slammed until February.Hit reply or text “TAX PLAN” to (252) 369-8380 right now.

ARE THE $2000 STIMULUS CHECKS COMING?

There are currently no approved new federal stimulus checks for Americans. The last round of federal economic impact payments was in 2021.

However, there is a proposal by President Trump to issue a $2,000 "tariff dividend" to low- and middle-income Americans, using revenue generated from tariffs.

Latest updates on the proposed $2,000 tariff dividend:

Status: It is currently just a proposal and would require new legislation from Congress to be implemented. Many lawmakers remain skeptical of its chances of passing.
Timeline: President Trump has indicated the payments would not be issued in 2025, but rather sometime in mid-to-late 2026, before the midterm elections.
Eligibility: The checks are intended for individuals of moderate or middle income, potentially those making $100,000 or less.
Mechanism: The specifics of how the payments would be structured (direct checks versus tax cuts) are still unclear. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested the relief could potentially come in the form of tax cuts rather than direct checks.

Beware of Scams:
Officials warn that rumors of new stimulus payments are circulating online and are often scams designed to trick people into sharing personal information. The IRS has not confirmed any new stimulus checks are scheduled. The official IRS website is the best source for information on any legitimate federal payments.

This newsletter sponsored by

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“A Charlie Brown Christmas” Turns 60 This Year!

By Emily Van de Riet

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” turned 60 years old on Tuesday.

The classic 25-minute animated special debuted on television Dec. 9,

1965.

It first appeared on CBS and is based on the comic strip “Peanuts” by

Charles M. Schulz.

The show was the first of more than 45 animated Charlie Brown

television specials.

The plot revolves around Charlie Brown feeling depressed during the

start of . . . continue reading

EVENTS/HAPPENINGS

JPD - Pics With Santa

Join us for our annual Pics with Santa at the Center for Public Safety- 200 Marine Blvd.

We welcome all families to come out and visit with Santa and our Officers as we celebrate the holiday season.

This is a FREE event.

We will have someone taking pictures. Pictures will be posted to our Facebook page after the event (unless vocalized that you do not want your picture posted), but you are welcome to take your own pictures as well.

WHEN: Tuesday, Dec 16, 2025 - 5:30 PM to 7:30 PM

WHERE: 200 Marine Blvd, Jacksonville, NC

Christmas Clash

Get Ready for the BIGGEST RACE OF THE SEASON!!

A HUGE Day of Racing Action!

Special Ticket Pricing is ONLINE NOW! TICKETS WILL GO UP AT THE GATE!

Drivers - REGISTRATION IS LIVE! REGISTER NOW BEFORE REGISTRATION PRICES INCREASE!

Most Questions Are Answered on the Links - Please Check There First if you have questions!

Registration:
https://form.jotform.com/252794622435159

Race Information:
https://www.carteretspeedway.com/christmasclash

Rules:
https://www.carteretspeedway.com/rules

Advanced Tickets & Information: carteretspeedway.com

WHEN: Saturday, December 13 - 2 PM to 6 PM

WHERE: 501 Whitehouse Fork Rd, Swansboro, NC

Christmas in the Ferry

Save the date for Christmas in the Ferry

Friday, December 12th from 6pm-9pm - Chili cook off, presentations, and Festival of trees.

Saturday, December 13th 8:45 AM - 3 PM
Santa arrives at 8:45 AM by Turkey Creek Fire Rescue

Breakfast with Santa 9 AM -11AM
Enjoy a day full of free crafts, activities, unique local craft vendors, musical presentations & more!!

WHERE: Sneads Ferry Community Center

126 Park Lane, Sneads Ferry, NC

Merry Fitness 5K

Merry Fitness 5K & Flapjacks & Fitness Pancake Dinner

Bundle up the family, lace up those sneakers, and get ready for a weekend full of holiday cheer with the New River YMCA!

Merry Fitness 5K
Rustic Barn at Half Moon
135 Batting Cage Trail
Saturday, December 13th
Race kicks off at 8:00 am

Run (or walk!) through the farm all lit up with festive lights, music, and a cheerful holiday atmosphere. Whether you’re chasing a PR or just soaking up the sparkle, this family-friendly event will be a magical way to celebrate the season!

Flapjacks & Fitness Pancake Dinner
Eggs Up Grill
Friday, December 12th
5:00–7:00 PM (during packet pick-up!)
$10 per ticket

Kick off race weekend with a cozy pancake dinner before the big event. Warm stacks of fluffy pancakes, good company, and plenty of holiday spirit—what better way to fuel up for race day?

One weekend.

Two festive events.

Endless holiday memories!

Registration is open now! Don’t miss out on a chance to celebrate the holidays with lights, laughter, fitness, and flapjacks!

https://runsignup.com/Race/NC/Jacksonville/MerryFitness5k

WEEK IN WEATHER

CLASSIFIEDS

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Classifieds are FREE through Dec 31, 2025

Looking for Co-Host - see announcement at top of this newsletter and reply to: lifeafter55channel@gmail.com

YARD SALES

OPEN HOUSE

FOR SALE

FOR RENT

JOBS

Looking for Co-Host - see announcement at top of this newsletter and reply to: lifeafter55channel@gmail.com

SERVICES

Will Be Handy LLC - Remodels (kitchens, baths, flooring, drywall), custom decks, fence installs/repairs, interior/exterior painting. Local & reliable. Free, no-pressure estimate.

Call/Text 910-284-4272. Will Be Handy, LLC

LuxeBabe Boudoir & Portrait Studio

Luxury photography studio offers luxury boudoir sessions with hair and makeup included, along with maternity, branding, birthday portraits, family sessions, and outdoor portrait experiences.

Website: Veronica Contreras Photography

Shipley Bookkeeping Solutions -

QuickBooks a mess? Get it fixed before tax season.

🔥 $147 QuickBooks Cleanup Special
Full review, error correction & tax-ready books

for local contractors.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Looking for Co-Host - see announcement at top of this newsletter and reply to: lifeafter55channel@gmail.com

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