Tax Shield

Imagine that paying your taxes is like a medieval battle. The IRS fires arrows at you, the tries to dump hot oil on your head and get you to fall into a pit with feces-tipped spikes. Now imagine that the way to avoid all this is a giant shield. Your tax shield.

Of course, in real life, it doesn't get that dramatic. The arrows and pitch and spiky pits are just the tax code. And your shield, perhaps ironically, is also the tax code. And a smart accountant.

The goal of a tax shield is to lower the amount of tax you pay by getting every possible deduction you can. Move your company's headquarters to a new state with a lower tax rate. Invest in alternative energy because it offers a tax break. Take on as much debt as possible because you can deduct interest payments on your taxes. Do what you can to protect yourself against the slings and arrows of outrageous taxes...or something like that.