Closing a Business Involves a Number of Tax Responsibilities

While many facets of the economy have improved this year, the rising cost of living and other economic factors have caused many businesses to close their doors. If this is your situation, we can help you, including taking care of various tax responsibilities. To start with, a business must file a final federal income tax return and some other related forms for the year it closes its doors. The type of return that must be filed depends on the type of business you have. For example: Sole Proprietors will need to file the usual Schedule C, “Profit or Loss from Business,” with their individual returns for the year they close their businesses. They may also need to report self-employment tax. Partnerships must file Form 1065, “U.S. Return...

Valuing a Business for a Divorce

When a marital estate includes an interest in a closely held business, determining its value for purposes of dividing up assets for a divorce settlement can be challenging. Additionally, part or all of the business may be excluded from the marital estate, depending on state law, legal precedent and prenuptial agreements between the spouses. A business valuation professional can help the parties achieve a fair outcome. 2 components of value The value of a business can be broken down into two pieces. First up are tangible (or hard) assets. Examples include such items as cash, receivables and equipment. Most of these items are recorded on a company’s balance sheet. The difference between the combined market values of tangible assets and liabilities (such as payables and bank debt)...

Six Tax Issues to Consider If You're Getting Divorced

Divorce entails difficult personal issues, and taxes are probably the farthest thing from your mind. However, several tax concerns may need to be addressed to ensure that taxes are kept to a minimum and that important tax-related decisions are properly made. Here are six issues to be aware of if you’re in the process of getting a divorce. 1. Personal residence sale  In general, if a couple sells their home in connection with a divorce or legal separation, they should be able to avoid tax on up to $500,000 of gain (as long as they’ve owned and used the home as their principal residence for two of the previous five years). If one former spouse continues to live in the home and the other moves out (but...

Watch out for Tax Misinformation on Social Media

Social media gets blamed for a lot these days — sometimes for good reason. Recently, the IRS issued a warning to individual and business taxpayers to beware of false claims about various federal tax breaks that appear on social media platforms. The common denominator of such claims is that they involve legitimate tax provisions for which most taxpayers don’t qualify. If you claim these breaks erroneously, it could delay a refund, require time-wasting correspondence and paperwork, and even result in penalties and criminal prosecution. Abusing legitimate tax breaks Intentionally fraudulent or even honestly inaccurate tax advice can come from many sources. These days, a lot of people put faith in social media “influencers,” who may not be qualified to dispense financial advice. According to the IRS, thousands...

IRS Reminds Car Dealers to be Aware of Phishing Scams

(As appearing in IR 2024-186) IRS reminds car dealers and sellers to be aware of phishing scams In light of the CDK ransomware attack, the Internal Revenue Service would like to remind car dealers and sellers to be aware of evolving phishing and smishing scams that could impact day-to-day operations of the business. In light of the recent ransomware attack against CDK, the IRS is warning individuals and businesses to remain vigilant against these attacks. Fraudsters and identity thieves attempt to trick the recipient into clicking a suspicious link, filling out personal and financial information or downloading a malware file onto their computer. Scammers are relentless in their attempts to obtain sensitive financial and personal information, and impersonating the IRS remains a favorite tactic. The IRS urges car dealerships...

If Your Business has Co-Owners, You Probably Need a Buy-Sell Agreement

Are you buying a business that will have one or more co-owners? Or do you already own one fitting that description? If so, consider installing a buy-sell agreement. A well-drafted agreement can do these valuable things: Transform your business ownership interest into a more liquid asset, Prevent unwanted ownership changes, and Avoid hassles with the IRS. Agreement basics There are two basic types of buy-sell agreements: Cross-purchase agreements and redemption agreements (sometimes called liquidation agreements). A cross-purchase agreement is a contract between you and the other co-owners. Under the agreement, a withdrawing co-owner’s ownership interest must be purchased by the remaining co-owners if a triggering event, such as a death or disability, occurs. A redemption agreement is a contract between the business entity and its co-owners (including you). Under...

Planning Your Estate? Don't Overlook Income Taxes

The current estate tax exemption amount ($13.61 million in 2024) has led many people to feel they no longer need to be concerned about federal estate tax. Before 2011, a much smaller exemption resulted in many people with more modest estates attempting to avoid it. But since many estates won’t currently be subject to estate tax, it’s a good time to devote more planning to income tax saving for your heirs. Important: Keep in mind that the federal estate tax exclusion amount is scheduled to sunset at the end of 2025. Beginning on January 1, 2026, the amount is due to be reduced to $5 million, adjusted for inflation. Of course, Congress could act to extend the higher amount or institute a new amount. Here are some strategies...

Business Owners: Understanding Value is Key to Updating Your Estate Plan

Summer is a great time for business owners to review their estate plans. Maybe your kids are home for summer break, so they’re top of mind. Or perhaps you’re vacationing with relatives or getting together for a backyard BBQ. Whatever the reason you’re spending time with your family, consider having an open discussion with them about your estate planning goals — and how your business fits in your overall plan. Before you have a family meeting, however, you’ll need to get a handle on how much your business is worth today. In uncertain markets, the value of your business may differ from your expectations. One more reason There’s another important reason to have your discussion soon: Today’s generous federal gift and estate tax exemption is set to expire...

Be Aware of the Tax Consequences of Selling Business Property

If you’re selling property used in your trade or business, you should understand the tax implications. There are many complex rules that can potentially apply. To simplify this discussion, let’s assume that the property you want to sell is land or depreciable property used in your business, and has been held by you for more than a year. Note: There are different rules for property held primarily for sale to customers in the ordinary course of business, intellectual property, low-income housing, property that involves farming or livestock, and other types of property. Basic rules Under tax law, your gains and losses from sales of business property are netted against each other. The tax treatment is as follows: If the netting of gains and losses results in a net...

Certain Charitable Donations Allow You to Avoid Taxable IRA Withdrawals

If you’re a philanthropic individual who is also obligated to take required minimum distributions (RMDs) from a traditional IRA, you may want to consider a tax-saving strategy. It involves making a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). How it works To reap the possible tax advantages of a QCD, you make a cash donation to an IRS-approved charity out of your IRA. This method of transferring IRA assets to charity leverages the QCD provision that allows IRA owners who are age 70½ or older to direct up to $105,000 of their IRA distributions to charity in 2024. (For married couples, each spouse can make QCDs for a possible total of $210,000.) When making QCDs, the money given to charity counts toward your RMDs but doesn’t increase your adjusted gross...