Quick disclaimer: I am not a tax professional; please always consult your own professional help. I don't want to sound like I'm lying, so I'll provide a very

Quick disclaimer: I am not a tax professional; please always consult your own professional help. I don't want to sound like I'm lying, so I'll provide a very benign example of the "common, legal, and IRS sanctioned" income streams, Let's suppose that I have a house that's paid off. Instead of selling it and incurring all sorts of taxes, why don't I: 1) take out a mortgage against it 2) rent it out The mortgage is not really income, according to the IRS, but a valid business expense. By renting it out, I get the tenants to pay back the mortgage for me.