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Business

August 24, 2025

Qualified Business Income (QBI)

Also known as: pass-through entity income, business income

Key Information

Qualified Business Income (QBI) refers to a the net gain or loss generated from activities of a qualified trade or business. It applies primarily to owners of "pass-through entities" like sole proprietorships, partnerships, S corporations, and certain trusts.

Qualified business income (QBI) generally includes deductions for

  • self-employment tax
  • self-employed health insurance, and
  • qualified retirement plan contributions

Qualified business income (QBI) generally does not include income, expenses, gains or losses from

  • investment activities
  • conducting business outside of the United States or
  • non-taxable events

Tax Impact

The amount of qualified business income (QBI) that is generated by a business is directly related to the QBI deduction that the individual owners are eligible to take against their taxable income.

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References

IRS Qualified Business Income Deduction