From the outside, these two plans look almost identical. Both cap at $72,000. Both are tax-deferred. Both are built for self-employed earners. But if you're a physician doing locum work, running a side practice, or building a solo business, the differences between them can quietly cost you $30,000 in a single tax year, and permanently complicate your backdoor Roth strategy if you pick wrong.
This week's piece breaks down contribution limits at every income level, the catch-up advantage for physicians over 50, why a SEP-IRA and a backdoor Roth don't mix, and the three scenarios where the SEP-IRA actually wins.
Don’t forget to read these from Physician on FIRE:
Many physicians feel their CPA is just a historian, not a partner. Doc Wealth is a physician-founded, one-stop shop designed to handle your financial complexity.
Why thousands of physicians trust us:
Elite Tax Team: Access Tax Attorneys, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents under one roof.
Comprehensive: We handle tax planning, filing, bookkeeping, entity formation, and business services.
Tech-Forward: Manage everything via our proprietary mobile app and desktop platform.
Proactive:Year-round planning to help you keep more of what you earn.
100 hours & $100k: How to Use Short-Term Rentals to Transform Your Finances in Just One Year
From Semi-Retired MD
When: Tuesday, March 17th, 2026, at 8:00pm ET I 5:00pm PT
Most physicians think building serious real estate income takes years of experience, huge capital, and countless hours. But what if it didn’t?
Some doctors are generating six-figure cash flow from short-term rentals while spending as little as 100 hours per year managing their properties.
Join the Physicians on Fire team with Kenji and Leti from Semi-Retired MD for a practical session on how busy physicians are using short-term rentals to build meaningful passive income—without adding another full-time job.
What You’ll Learn
How some physicians are generating up to $100K in annual cash flow with short-term rentals
Why short-term rentals can outperform traditional long-term rental strategies
How busy doctors can build real estate income without sacrificing their careers
The “100 Hours & $100K” framework and the first steps to getting started
When: Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, at 2:30pm ET I 11:30am PT
Tax season is a great time for physicians to “spring clean” their finances — whether you’ve already filed your return or are still preparing it.
Join Carole Foos, CPA, on Tuesday, March 24 at 2:30 PM ET / 11:30 AM PT for a practical session on the tax strategies physicians should review each year. With more than 25 years of experience advising physicians and high-income professionals, Carole brings deep expertise in tax planning, retirement strategy, and financial decision-making for complex income situations. She has helped thousands of physicians navigate multi-income careers, practice ownership, and tax-efficient wealth building.
In this session, she’ll walk through common tax pitfalls physicians face and the planning opportunities many overlook — along with practical steps you can take now and throughout the year.
You’ll learn how to:
Check if you underpaid estimated taxes and avoid surprise penalties
Identify deductions physicians commonly miss (CME, home office, business expenses)
Decide when an S-Corp or entity structure may actually reduce taxes
Maximize retirement contributions, including backdoor Roth and cash balance plans
Use charitable strategies like donor-advised funds to improve tax efficiency
Spot tax planning opportunities for the year ahead — even if you’ve already filed
Attendees will also receive a downloadable Physician Tax Season Checklist you can use each year to review key financial items, catch missed opportunities, and plan more proactively for the year ahead.
Every week, we scan hundreds of headlines, read dozens of posts, and bring you the best of the best.
From the outside, these two plans look almost identical. Both cap at $72,000. Both are tax-deferred. Both are built for self-employed earners. But if you're a physician doing locum work, running a side practice, or building a solo business, the differences between them can quietly cost you $30,000 in a single tax year, and permanently complicate your backdoor Roth strategy if you pick wrong.
This week's piece breaks down contribution limits at every income level, the catch-up advantage for physicians over 50, why a SEP-IRA and a backdoor Roth don't mix, and the three scenarios where the SEP-IRA actually wins.
Don’t forget to read these from Physician on FIRE:
Many physicians feel their CPA is just a historian, not a partner. Doc Wealth is a physician-founded, one-stop shop designed to handle your financial complexity.
Why thousands of physicians trust us:
Elite Tax Team: Access Tax Attorneys, CPAs, and Enrolled Agents under one roof.
Comprehensive: We handle tax planning, filing, bookkeeping, entity formation, and business services.
Tech-Forward: Manage everything via our proprietary mobile app and desktop platform.
Proactive:Year-round planning to help you keep more of what you earn.
100 hours & $100k: How to Use Short-Term Rentals to Transform Your Finances in Just One Year
From Semi-Retired MD
When: Tuesday, March 17th, 2026, at 8:00pm ET I 5:00pm PT
Most physicians think building serious real estate income takes years of experience, huge capital, and countless hours. But what if it didn’t?
Some doctors are generating six-figure cash flow from short-term rentals while spending as little as 100 hours per year managing their properties.
Join the Physicians on Fire team with Kenji and Leti from Semi-Retired MD for a practical session on how busy physicians are using short-term rentals to build meaningful passive income—without adding another full-time job.
What You’ll Learn
How some physicians are generating up to $100K in annual cash flow with short-term rentals
Why short-term rentals can outperform traditional long-term rental strategies
How busy doctors can build real estate income without sacrificing their careers
The “100 Hours & $100K” framework and the first steps to getting started
When: Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, at 2:30pm ET I 11:30am PT
Tax season is a great time for physicians to “spring clean” their finances — whether you’ve already filed your return or are still preparing it.
Join Carole Foos, CPA, on Tuesday, March 24 at 2:30 PM ET / 11:30 AM PT for a practical session on the tax strategies physicians should review each year. With more than 25 years of experience advising physicians and high-income professionals, Carole brings deep expertise in tax planning, retirement strategy, and financial decision-making for complex income situations. She has helped thousands of physicians navigate multi-income careers, practice ownership, and tax-efficient wealth building.
In this session, she’ll walk through common tax pitfalls physicians face and the planning opportunities many overlook — along with practical steps you can take now and throughout the year.
You’ll learn how to:
Check if you underpaid estimated taxes and avoid surprise penalties
Identify deductions physicians commonly miss (CME, home office, business expenses)
Decide when an S-Corp or entity structure may actually reduce taxes
Maximize retirement contributions, including backdoor Roth and cash balance plans
Use charitable strategies like donor-advised funds to improve tax efficiency
Spot tax planning opportunities for the year ahead — even if you’ve already filed
Attendees will also receive a downloadable Physician Tax Season Checklist you can use each year to review key financial items, catch missed opportunities, and plan more proactively for the year ahead.
