Ways Your Business Can Accelerate Taxable Income and Defer Deductions?

Typically, businesses want to delay recognition of taxable income into future years and accelerate deductions into the current year. But when is it prudent to do the opposite? And why would you want to? One reason might be tax law changes that raise tax rates. There have been discussions in Washington about raising the corporate federal income tax rate from its current flat 21%. Another reason may be because you expect your non-corporate pass-through entity business to pay taxes at higher rates in the future, because the pass-through income will be taxed on your personal return. There have also been discussions in Washington about raising individual federal income tax rates. If you believe your business income could be subject to tax rate increases, you might want to accelerate...

Establishing a Tax-Favored Retirement Plan

If your business doesn’t already have a retirement plan, now might be a good time to take the plunge. Current retirement plan rules allow for significant tax-deductible contributions. For example, if you’re self-employed and set up a SEP-IRA, you can contribute up to 20% of your self-employment earnings, with a maximum contribution of $61,000 for 2022. If you’re employed by your own corporation, up to 25% of your salary can be contributed to your account, with a maximum contribution of $61,000. If you’re in the 32% federal income tax bracket, making a maximum contribution could cut what you owe Uncle Sam for 2022 by a whopping $19,520 (32% times $61,000).  More options Other small business retirement plan options include: 401(k) plans, which can even be set up for...

2022 Q2 Tax Calendar: Key Deadlines for Businesses

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines that apply to businesses and other employers during the second quarter of 2022. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. April 18 If you’re a calendar-year corporation, file a 2021 income tax return (Form 1120) or file for an automatic six-month extension (Form 7004) and pay any tax due. Corporations pay the first installment of 2022 estimated income taxes. For individuals, file a 2021 income tax return (Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR) or file for an automatic six-month extension (Form 4868) and paying any tax due. (See June 15 for...

What to Know if Your Business Barters

In today’s economy, many small businesses are strapped for cash. They may find it beneficial to barter or trade for goods and services instead of paying cash for them. Bartering is the oldest form of trade and the internet has made it easier to engage with other businesses. But if your business gets involved in bartering, be aware that the fair market value of goods that you receive in bartering is taxable income. And if you exchange services with another business, the transaction results in taxable income for both parties. How it works Here are some examples: A computer consultant agrees to exchange services with an advertising agency. A plumber does repair work for a dentist in exchange for dental services. In these cases, both parties are taxed...

The Election to Apply the Research Tax Credit Against Payroll Taxes

The credit for increasing research activities, often referred to as the research and development (R&D) credit, is a valuable tax break available to eligible businesses. Claiming the credit involves complex calculations, which we can take care of for you. But in addition to the credit itself, be aware that the credit also has two features that are especially favorable to small businesses: Eligible small businesses ($50 million or less in gross receipts) may claim the credit against alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability. The credit can be used by certain even smaller startup businesses against the employer’s Social Security payroll tax liability. Let’s take a look at the second feature. Subject to limits, you can elect to apply all or some of any research tax credit that...

Why What an S Corp Shareholder Receives and Reports is Different

You may have wondered why, in a given year, you may be taxed on more S corporation income than was distributed to you from the S corporation in which you are a shareholder. The answers lies in the way S corporations and their shareholders are taxed. But before explaining those rules, be assured you that when you are taxed on undistributed income, you won't be taxed again if and when the income ultimately is paid to you. Unlike a regular or C corporation, an S corporation generally isn't subject to income tax (California does charge a 1.5% entity-level tax). Instead, each shareholder is taxed on the corporation's earnings, whether or not the earnings are distributed. Similarly, if an S corporation has a loss, the loss is passed...

SB 113 Provides Additional Relief from SALT Deduction Limits

Back in 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law which instituted a cap on the amount of state and local taxes (SALT) that individuals could report as Itemized Deductions on Schedule A.  Starting with the 2018 tax year, the maximum SALT deduction available was $10,000. Previously, there was no limit.  Since then, roughly 20 states have come up with workarounds intended to negate, or at least mitigate the effect of the SALT limitation. In 2021 California passed AB 150, which provides that, in the taxable years 2021-2025, a so-called "qualified entity" (a S corporation, partnership, or LLC taxed as a partnership or S corporation) to make an election to pay a new pass-through entity (PTE) elective tax equal to 9.3% of its...

Can Your Deduct the Costs of a Spouse on a Business Trip?

If you own your own company and travel for business, you may wonder whether you can deduct the costs of having your spouse accompany you on trips. The rules for deducting a spouse’s travel costs are very restrictive. First of all, to qualify, your spouse must be your employee. This means you can’t deduct the travel costs of a spouse, even if his or her presence has a bona fide business purpose, unless the spouse is a bona fide employee of your business. This requirement prevents tax deductibility in most cases.  A spouse-employee If your spouse is your employee, then you can deduct his or her travel costs if his or her presence on the trip serves a bona fide business purpose. Merely having your spouse perform some...

Withdrawals from your Closely-Helf Corporation that arent Taxed as Dividends

Do you want to withdraw cash from your closely held corporation at a minimum tax cost? The simplest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax-efficient since it’s taxable to you to the extent of your corporation’s “earnings and profits.” It’s also not deductible by the corporation. Five alternatives Fortunately, there are several alternative methods that may allow you to withdraw cash from a corporation while avoiding dividend treatment. Here are five areas where you may want to take action: 1. Capital repayments. To the extent that you’ve capitalized the corporation with debt, including amounts you’ve advanced to the business, the corporation can repay the debt without the repayment being treated as a dividend. Additionally, interest paid on the debt can be...

Tax Aspects of Operating Your Business as a Sole Proprietor

If you’re in business for yourself as a sole proprietor, or you’re planning to start a business, you need to know about the tax aspects of your venture. Here are eight important issues to consider: 1. You report income and expenses on Schedule C of Form 1040. The net income is taxable to you regardless of whether you withdraw cash from the business. Your business expenses are deductible against gross income and not as itemized deductions. If you have any losses, they’re generally deductible against your other income, subject to special rules relating to hobby losses, passive activity losses and losses in activities in which you weren’t “at risk.” 2. You may be eligible for the pass-through deduction. To the extent your business generates qualified business income,...