24 Jun 2024
0

Inflation Enhances the 2025 Amounts for Health Savings Accounts

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Inflation Enhances the 2025 Amounts for Health Savings Accounts

The IRS recently released guidance providing the 2025 inflation-adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These amounts are adjusted each year, based on inflation, and the adjustments are announced earlier in the year than other inflation-adjusted amounts, which allows employers to get ready for the next year. Fundamentals of HSAs An HSA is a trust created or organized exclusively for the purpose of paying the qualified medical expenses of an account beneficiary. An HSA can only be established for the benefit of an eligible individual who is covered under a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). In addition, a participant can’t be enrolled in Medicare or have other health coverage (exceptions include dental, vision, long-term care, accident and specific disease insurance). Within specified dollar limits, an above-the-line tax deduction is...

05 Jun 2024
0

Should You Convert Your Business from a C to an S Corporation?

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Should Your Convert Your Business from a C to an S Corporation?

Choosing the right business entity has many implications, including the amount of your tax bill. The most common business structures are sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, C corporations and S corporations. In some cases, a business may decide to switch from one entity type to another. Although S corporations can provide substantial tax benefits over C corporations in some circumstances, there are potentially costly tax issues that you should assess before making the decision to convert from a C corporation to an S corporation. Here are four considerations: 1. LIFO inventories. C corporations that use last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventories must pay tax on the benefits they derived by using LIFO if they convert to S corporations. The tax can be spread over four years. This cost must be weighed against the potential tax gains from...

05 Jun 2024
0

Tax Tips When Buying the Assets of a Business

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Tax Tips When Buying the Assets of a Business

After experiencing a downturn in 2023, merger and acquisition activity in several sectors is rebounding in 2024. If you’re buying a business, you want the best results possible after taxes. You can potentially structure the purchase in two ways: Buy the assets of the business, or Buy the seller’s entity ownership interest if the target business is operated as a corporation, partnership or LLC. In this post, we’re going to focus on buying assets. Asset purchase tax basics You must allocate the total purchase price to the specific assets acquired. The amount allocated to each asset becomes the initial tax basis of that asset. For depreciable and amortizable assets (such as furniture, fixtures, equipment, buildings, software and intangibles such as customer lists and goodwill), the initial tax basis determines...

17 May 2024
0

California Short-Term Rentals Now Require a Business Personal Property Filing

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
California Short-Term Rentals Now Require a Business Personal Property Filing

Commencing in 2024, individuals who possess short-term rentals (such as rentals facilitated by platforms like Airbnb) will be required to fill out the newly introduced Form BOE-571-STR, known as the Short Term Rental Property Statement, in order to disclose their business personal property. Business personal property is typically subject to annual reappraisal, unlike real property. Every year, business owners are required to provide a business property statement that provides a comprehensive breakdown of the expenses associated with supplies, equipment, and fixtures at each of their locations. Form BOE-571-STR can be found here: www.boe.ca.gov/proptaxes/pdf/sample-boe571str.pdf When a property owner rents out all or part of their property, such as a residential unit, they are required to pay business property tax on the items used for the rental, such as furniture,...

16 May 2024
0

The Tax Advantages of Including Debt in a C Corporation Capital Structure

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
The Tax Advantages of Including Debt in a C Corporation Capital Structure

Let’s say you plan to use a C corporation to operate a newly acquired business or you have an existing C corporation that needs more capital. You should know that the federal tax code treats corporate debt more favorably than corporate equity. So for shareholders of closely held C corporations, it can be a tax-smart move to include in the corporation’s capital structure: Some third-party debt (owed to outside lenders), and/or Some owner debt. Tax rate considerations Let’s review some basics. The top individual federal income tax rate is currently 37%. The top individual federal rate on net long-term capital gains and qualified dividends is currently 20%. On top of this, higher-income individuals may also owe the 3.8% net investment income tax on all or part of their investment income,...

16 May 2024
0

Growing Your Business With a New Partner: Here Are Some Tax Considerations

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Growing Your Business with a New Partner: Here are Some Tax Considerations

There are several financial and legal implications when adding a new partner to a partnership. Here’s an example to illustrate: You and your partners are planning to admit a new partner. The new partner will acquire a one-third interest in the partnership by making a cash contribution to the business. Assume that your basis in your partnership interests is sufficient so that the decrease in your portions of the partnership’s liabilities because of the new partner’s entry won’t reduce your basis to zero. More complex than it seems Although adding a new partner may appear to be simple, it’s important to plan the new person’s entry properly to avoid various tax problems. Here are two issues to consider: If there’s a change in the partners’ interests in...

30 Apr 2024
0

When Partners Pay Expenses Related to the Business

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
When Partners Pay Expenses Related to the Business

It’s not unusual for a partner to incur expenses related to the partnership’s business. This is especially likely to occur in service partnerships such as an architecture or law firm. For example, partners in service partnerships may incur entertainment expenses in developing new client relationships. They may also incur expenses for: transportation to get to and from client meetings, professional publications, continuing education and home office. What’s the tax treatment of such expenses? Here are the answers. Reimbursable or not As long as the expenses are the type a partner is expected to pay without reimbursement under the partnership agreement or firm policy (written or unwritten), the partner can deduct the expenses on Schedule E of Form 1040. Conversely, a partner can’t deduct expenses if the partnership would have...

28 Apr 2024
0

When Businesses May Want to Take a Contrary Approach with Income and Deductions

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
When Businesses May Want to Take a Contrary Approach with Income and Deductions

Businesses usually want to delay recognition of taxable income into future years and accelerate deductions into the current year. But when is it wise to do the opposite? And why would you want to? One reason might be tax law changes that raise tax rates. The Biden administration has proposed raising the corporate federal income tax rate from its current flat 21% to 28%. Another reason may be because you expect your non-corporate pass-through entity business to pay taxes at higher rates in the future and 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...

28 Apr 2024
0

Don’t Have a Tax-Favored Retirement Plan? Set One Up Now

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Don't Have a Tax-Favored Retirement Plan? Set One Up Now

If your business doesn’t already have a retirement plan, it 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 $69,000 for 2024 (up from $66,000 for 2023). 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 $69,000. If you’re in the 32% federal income tax bracket, making a maximum contribution could cut what you owe Uncle Sam for 2024 by a whopping $22,080 (32% × $69,000). Other possibilities There are more small business retirement plan options, including: 401(k) plans,...

28 Apr 2024
0

Scrupulous Records and Legitimate Business Expenses are the Key to Less Painful IRS Audits

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Scrupulous Records and Legitimate Business Expenses are the Key to Less Painful IRS Audits

If you operate a business, or you’re starting a new one, you know records of income and expenses need to be kept. Specifically, you should carefully record expenses to claim all the tax deductions to which you’re entitled. And you want to make sure you can defend the amounts reported on your tax returns in case you’re ever audited by the IRS. Be aware that there’s no one way to keep business records. On its website, the IRS states: “You can choose any recordkeeping system suited to your business that clearly shows your income and expenses.” But there are strict rules when it comes to deducting legitimate expenses for tax purposes. And certain types of expenses, such as automobile, travel, meal and home office costs, require...

ROGER ROSSMEISL, CPA

Kho & Patel CPAs
160 E. Arrow Highway
San Dimas, CA 91773

(714) 325-0442
roger@khopatel.com

RECENT BLOG ENTRIES

JOIN OUR E-NEWS

LET’S GET SOCIAL

Twitter
Facebook
LinkedIn
logo ©2019 Roger Rossmeisl | Effusion