Tag Archives: taxes

Alphabet – Tax Terms & Tips

Posted in Accounting, Bookkeeping, ENTREPRENEUR, Independent Contractor, Personal Finance, Small Business, Small Business Finance, Tax, Tax Planning, taxes by

 

“Work Anywhere – includes an ice skating rink @ Hotel Del in Coronado, CA.

 

Almost a year ago, I presented my demo workshop titled “IRS Compliance and Strategy” for the University of Texas at San Antonio, Small Business Development Center (UTSA SBDC). My mentor, Ruben Lopez, MBA, and I identified the need for this class in our conversations. What I thought was important for a small business owner to know, Ruben, thought was important too. He suggested I create a class and if requested, present a demo, which I did, on 11/22/16. Since that time, I have taught this class, thankfully, several times for times for them and I look forward to teaching more.

While the students were learning from me, I, too, was learning from them. Their questions identified new topics that could be taught in class.

Every well-built house begins with a blueprint; I created this class as an IRS Business Basics- a blueprint for entrepreneurs and new small business owners. In today’s “Sharing Economy”, “small business owners” include independent contractors and freelancers. If you are just collecting your 1099-Miscellaneous forms and not tracking expenses, you are probably paying too much tax.

What we don’t know can often hurt us financially and education can prevent a problem.

This blog was created to help others learn, understand, and apply general income tax rules and procedures. I thought the alphabet format would be a fun way to teach tax terms & topics and hope you think so too.

A is for:

  • Accounting Method is how income and expenses are reported for taxation purposes:
  • Cash Method: Income is reported when constructively received (not earned) and expenses when paid (not incurred).
  • Accrual Method: Income is reported when earned (not necessarily received) and expenses when incurred (not necessarily paid).

B is for Basis of an Asset

  • Basis, in an asset, is its cost plus sales tax and other expenses incurred to acquire the property or to place the asset in service for tax purposes. This basis is used to figure depreciation, amortization, depletion, casualty losses, and any gain or loss on the sale, exchange, or other disposition of the property
  • The Initial basis can be increased or decreased for various items = Adjusted Basis
  • Maintain your basis for each asset to determine the accurate gain/loss
  • Retain supporting documentation for the life of the asset
  • Basis Limitation, is the limit on deducting losses, to the extent of the shareholder’s basis in the S Corporation or partner’s basis in the partnership

 

C is for Corporation

  • C-Corporation: “Double-Taxation” applies: the profit of a corporation is taxed to the corporation when earned, and then is taxed to the shareholders when distributed as dividends
  • S-Corporation: Corporations that elect to pass corporate income, losses, deductions and credit through to their shareholders for federal tax purposes. Shareholders of S Corporations report the flow-through of income and losses on their personal tax returns

 

D is for Depreciation:

  • Depreciation is an annual deduction that allows taxpayers to recover the cost of property used in a trade or business or held for the production of income. The amount of depreciation depends on the basis of the property, its recovery period, and the depreciation method.
  • Depreciation Recapture: Amount of depreciation or section 179 deduction that must be reported as ordinary income when property is sold at a gain.

 

E is for: Estimated Tax

  • Method used to pay tax on income that is not subject to withholding (for example, earnings from self-employment, interest, dividends, rents, alimony)

 

F is for:

  • Failure to File (FTF) Penalty is 5%, of the additional taxes owed amount, for every month, or fraction of a month, the return is late, up to a maximum of 25%.
  • Failure to Pay (PTF) Penalty is the most common penalty issued by the IRS. 0.5% per month, or fraction of a month, up to 25%.

Tax Tip: Note there are 2 penalties. If you cannot afford to pay, at least file, and save yourself the cost of 1 penalty.

 

G is for Gig Economy:

  • Also known as the Sharing Economy or On Demand economy
  • File and Pay estimated taxes
  • Note that Self-Employment Tax is in addition to the Income Tax
  • Expect that a 1099-Misc will be issued to the IRS and to you if payments were more than $600/annually

 

H is for: “Hobby”

  • An activity is either a Hobby or a Business
  • An activity is, generally, presumed to be a Hobby if a profit is not earned in at least 3 of 5 taxable years
  • Tax deductions for hobby losses are limited to the income produced

 

I is for Independent Contractor

  • The general rule is that an individual is an independent contractor if you, the person for whom the services are performed, have the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not the means and methods of accomplishing the result.
  • The basic rule is that you must file a 1099–MISC whenever you pay an unincorporated independent contractor (sole proprietor or member of a partnership or LLC) — $600 or more in a year for work done in the course of your trade or business.

 

J is for Joint and Several Tax Liability

  • Married Filing Joint: Both you and your spouse are generally responsible for the tax and interest or penalties due on the return
  • This means that if one spouse doesn’t pay the tax due, the other may have to
  • Or, if one spouse doesn’t report the correct tax, both spouses may be responsible for any additional taxes assessed by the IRS

 

K is for Kiddie Tax:

Investment income of a child is taxed at the parent’s tax rate

 

L is for Limited Liability Company (LLC)

  • Notice that this is not a corporation
  • An LLC is created by state statue and is not an IRS filing status

 

M is for: Meals and Lodging:

  • You can deduct the cost of meals and lodging if your business trip is overnight or long enough that you need to stop for sleep or rest to perform your duties. In most cases, you can deduct only 50% of your meal expenses.
  • You can deduct entertainment expenses only if they are both ordinary and necessary and meet one of the following tests: Directly –Related test or Associated test
  • In general, you can deduct only 50% of your business-related meal and entertainment expenses

 

N is for Net Operating Loss

  • If your deductions for the year are more than your income for the year (line 41 of your Form 1040 is a negative number), you may have a net operating loss (NOL). You can use an NOL by deducting it from your income in another year or years.

 

O is for Ordinary and Necessary:

  • A business expense must be both ordinary and necessary. An ordinary expense is one that is common and accepted in your trade or business. A necessary expense is one that is helpful and appropriate for your trade or business.

 

P is for Profit and Loss

  • Profit & Loss statements are required for small business loans, for a mortgage, and to determine tax owed for the IRS and/or your state
  • Review at least quarterly to determine if Self-Employment Tax & Estimated Tax payments are required

 

Q is for Quarterly Tax Reporting & Payments

  • The U.S. Tax system is “Pay as You Go” and generally not at the end of the year
  • Accounting records must be kept current to determine if quarterly payments are required

 

R is Refundable Credit

  • A Refundable tax credit means you get a refund, even if it is more than you owe
  • A Non-Refundable tax credit means you get a refund only up to the amount that you owe

 

S is for Self-Employment Tax:

  • 2017 Self-Employed Tax Rate, on net earnings of $400+, is 15.3%
  • 4% for Social Security and 2.9% Medicare Tax = 15.3%
  • For 2017, Social Security wages are capped at $127,200
  • Medicare Tax applies to all income; i.e. a wage limit does not apply

 

T is for Taxable Income

  • Gross income, minus any adjustments to income, any allowable exemptions, and either itemized deductions or the standard deduction = Taxable Income

 

U is for Use Tax

  • A tax on purchases made outside the state for use in the state. Residents are responsible for paying the tax on purchases for which no state sales tax has been charged. The tax applies to transactions that would be subject to sales tax if the purchase were made in the state.

 

V is for Vehicle

  • IRS Deduction for operating a vehicle for business, charitable, medical, or moving; track each separately- different rates apply
  • Standard Mileage Rates or the Actual Costs of using the vehicle
  • A taxpayer may not use the business standard mileage rate for a vehicle after using any depreciation method under the Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) or after claiming a Section 179 deduction for that vehicle.

 

W is for Withholding (Federal Income Tax)

  • To avoid an Underpayment Penalty, estimate your 2017 tax liability, to see if you should adjust your withholding, or make an estimated payment before year-end

 

X is a tough one; X “Marks the Spot” or Solving for an Unknown:

  • You can fill in the blank on this one, or choose
  • X = Your Break Even Point
  • Unknown is your 2017 estimated tax liability

 

Y is for Year-End Tax Planning

  • There is still time to setup an appointment for year-end tax planning by December 31. Being in control of your finances & taxes is a great stress reliever.

 

Z is for Zero Based Budgeting (ZBB)

ZBB is a method to prepare cash flow budgets & operating plans. Each year these start from scratch and do not use incremental budgeting, in which past sales and expenses are assumed to continue. ZBB requires a systematic basis for resource allocation; cost-benefit analysis and priority ranking are part of the process.

 ©2017 Deborah Fox, CPA

 

Thanks for reading.

To your success,

Deb

Deborah Ann Fox, CPA helps Small Business Owners & Individuals build and protect their financial wealth though education, strategy, and proactive tax planning. Deb thinks this is the fun part of tax because it makes a financial difference for her clients, their business, and their families.

Debbie offers free 30 minute no obligation consultations. We can discuss/resolve via a mix of e-mail, phone, virtual, and in-person communications.

http://www.DeborahFoxCPA.com 

Call 619-549-2717

E-Mail me @ debfoxfinancial@gmail.com 

Twitter: @debfoxfinancial

Facebook: Deborah Ann Fox, CPA

The blog is provided as general information only and should not be considered a substitute for the advice and services of an attorney or Certified Public Accountant.

4 Step Process – What “Business Entity”?

Posted in Accounting, Bookkeeping, Budgets, business entity, ENTREPRENEUR, Financial Planning, IRS, legal entity, Small Business, State Statue, Strategy, Tax, Tax Planning, taxes by

DDHub8FWAAAtxhI-2

Tax and, to a lesser extent, Personal Liability, concerns often create a maze of confusion for those trying to decide what business entity should I choose?

I hope this blog reduces or resolves any confusion, creates clarity, and provides a solution for you.

This blog is intended to provide you a good “Birds Eye View” of your options and a systematic and analytical process to help you discover:

  • What “Business Entity” you may want
  • Why you want it, and
  • How much it will cost

As someone with both an accounting/tax and risk management background, I look at choices from two perspectives:

  1. The number side of me wants to find out if there is a way to save money.
  2. The risk management part of me wants to make sure we are protecting the money we have.

I also look at the “Cost VS Benefit” or the Risk/Return for decision alternatives.

Is the money spent worth the benefit received?

 This same process can work for you as you evaluate the pros and cons of your alternatives.

Before we look at the 4 Steps, it is helpful to see the “big picture” before diving into the details. “First, see the forest, and then see the trees”

Choosing a “Business Entity” involves choosing both a legal entity and also choosing the way you want your business entity to be taxed.

  • Legal Entities are created by state statues
  • Tax Classifications are created by the IRS

Legal Entities:

  • Sole Proprietor
  • General Partnership
  • Corporation
  • Limited Liability Company
  • Limited Partnership
  • Limited Liability Partnership

IRS Federal Tax Classifications are:

  • Sole Proprietor
  • Partnership
  • C Corporation
  • S Corporation

A cursory review of the two (2) lists clearly shows a mismatch; i.e. they are not “apples to apples”.

Hopefully, showing this to you “up front” will help you develop a discerning eye for the difference in terminology. Examples:

  • Corporations and Limited Liability Company’s are legal entities and not tax classifications.
  • A corporation has two tax classifications available to it, the C Corporation and S Corporation.
  • The Corporation is the legal entity and the C Corporation and the S Corporation are tax classifications.

If you get confused as you read through the details below, come back to the two lists to see which term fits where.

 Now, Back to the

Systematic and Analytical Process to Help You Decide:

  • What “Business Entity” you may want
  • Why you want it, and
  • How much it will cost

4 Step Process

  1. Take a Personal Inventory of your Business Needs
  2. Research & Understand your options
  3. Review the Cost VS Benefit of your possible choices
  4. Meet with a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and an Attorney to help you finalize your decision

Factors to consider in your decision may include:

  • Your Objective
  • Your Industry
  • Short and Long term goals
  • Tax Implications
  • State law treatment
  • Protection for Personal Assets
  • Formation cost
  • Recordkeeping and ongoing maintenance requirements
  • Capitalization
  • Compensation
  • Allocation of Profits, Losses, and Distributions
  • Fringe Benefits
  • Rights and Duties of Business Owners
  • Management and Control
  • Transfer, Conversion, and Merger
  • Termination/Dissolution

Step 1:

Personal Inventory of your Business Needs:

  • What Do I have to Protect?
  • Liability exposure from your product, services, or location?
  • Am I operating this business by myself or do I have partners, shareholders or members?
  • What are my short and long- term goals?
  • Do I want to retain capital to pay for inventory or to fund growth?
  • Do I want to raise capital?
  • Do I want to establish business credit?

 

Step 2:

Research & Understand Your Options:

Broad Perspective:

Taxes and Personal Liability should both be considered as primary factors in your decision.

  • This blog will focus upon federal taxes; your state statues should also be reviewed. Don’t assume that your state law will follow the IRS. Do the research.
  • Personal Liability and the protection of personal assets, will be addressed within each entity type

The two types of federal taxation that are often considered in entity selection are income tax and self-employment tax.

Income Tax obligations vary depending on the legal structure and tax classification.

The most common forms of business are the sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and S corporation.

A Limited Liability Company (LLC) is a relatively new business structure allowed by state statute; it is not an IRS filing status.

  • With pass-through taxation, generally, no income taxes are paid at the business level. Business profit or loss is passed-through to the owners’ personal tax returns.
  • Corporations, on the other hand, are separate tax entities and are taxed independently from owners.

 

Self-Employment tax is required if your annual net earnings is more than $400.

As an employee, you know that money is withheld from your paycheck for social security and Medicare tax; you and your employer split this 50/50.

Self-Employed individuals must pay both the employer and the employee side of Social Security and Medicare tax.

The self-employment tax rate for 2017 is 15.3% of the first $ 127,200 of income and 2.9% of everything above that amount.

There is an income cap for the Social Security tax; the Medicare tax is not capped.

The Social Security tax rate is 12.4%; the Medicare tax is 2.9% (15.3% combined).

  • Self-Employment taxes are reported on Federal Form Schedule SE
  • Taxpayers can deduct 50% of their self-employment tax in determining their Adjusted Gross Income on Form 1040; the adjustment does not affect the amount of self-employment tax owed.

 

Detail Perspective:

Sole Proprietor: Flying Solo

Sole Proprietorships are an unincorporated business that is owned by one person.

Owner Liability?

  • Unlimited; A Sole Proprietor is always personally liable for the debts, obligations, and liabilities of the business

How Are Income Taxes Paid? :

  • Report business income or losses on your personal income tax return; the business itself is not taxed separately. File form 1040 and use Schedule C- Profit or Loss from Business.

Will I pay Self Employment Tax? –

  • Yes; file Schedule SE with your federal form 1040

Other Entity options for a Single Owner Entity?

  • Corporation
  • Limited Liability Company- Single Member LLC

 

Partnership: Two or More:

A Partnership is a relationship formed by 2 or more persons or entities that join together to carry on a trade or business.

Two primary choices:

  1. General Partnership – By definition, at least 2 General Partners each of whom manage the partnership
  2. Limited Partnership – A Limited Partnership has 1 or more General Partners and 1 or more Limited Partners. The General Partner manages the partnership; Limited Partners are typically passive investors.

 

Owner Liability?

  • General Partners, in a Partnership, are “jointly and severally” liable for the debts, obligations, and liabilities of the business
  • Limited Partners, in a Limited Partnership, have limited liability unless they take an active role in management; General Partners remain personally liable

How Are Income Taxes Paid?

  • Partnerships file an annual information return; file federal form 1065 and Schedule K-1 is used for the individual member’s profit and loss; Individual Partners file their personal tax information on Federal Form 1040 and Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss

Will I pay Self-Employment Tax?

  • Yes, if general partner
  • Generally, No, if limited partner

 

C-Corporation:

A corporation is a separate legal entity with a life beyond that of its owner.

For federal income tax purposes, a C corporation is recognized as a separate taxpaying entity. A corporation conducts business, realizes net income or loss, pays taxes and distributes profits to shareholders.

Double-Taxation applies: the profit of a corporation is taxed to the corporation when earned, and then is taxed to the shareholders when distributed as dividends

Owner Liability?

  • Corporations (C or S) – Shareholders are not personally liable for debts, obligations, or liabilities of the business

 

How are income taxes paid?

  • The C Corporation pays taxes on the annual net earnings and files federal form 1120

Will I pay Self-Employment Tax?

  • No, Self Employment Tax does not apply because payment for services is in the form of wages, which is subject to withholding for social security and Medicare tax

 

S-Corporation

  • An S corporation combines the limited liability of a C corporation with the tax treatment similar to a partnership.
  • You “elect” to become an S Corp by filing Form 2553 with the IRS within the 1st 75 days of the tax year that you want to operate as an S Corp.
  • The S status is only to elect to have all income /losses pass-through to the owners/stockholders and you must qualify to elect.
  • Failure to comply with IRS requirements will cause the S-Corp to lose its status.
  • State taxation of S-Corps vary – see your state rules. Some states treat S corporations, like C corporations, and impose an income or franchise tax.

 

Owner Liability?

  • S Corps limit liability to the same extent as C Corporations
  • Corporations (C or S) – Shareholders are not personally liable for debts, obligations, or liabilities of the business

How is Income Taxes Paid?

  • S Corporations are corporations that elect to pass corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits through to their shareholders for federal tax purposes
  • S Corporations are responsible for tax on certain built-in gains and passive income at the entity level
  • File S-Corp informational return on Federal Form 1120-S and use Schedule K-1 for the individual shareholder’s profit and loss
  • Shareholder-Employees are taxed on their salary income and on any profits distributed by the S-Corporation
  • Shareholder-Employees file Federal Form 1040 and Schedule E – Supplemental Income and Loss

 

Will I pay Self Employment tax?

  • Generally, no, this is why many Small Business Owners elect to be an S-Corp, if they qualify

 

Limited Liability Company (LLC)

State statues create a Limited Liability Company; owners are called members.

There are 2 primary types:

  • Single Member
  • Multi-Member

Owner Liability?

  • LLCs are state entities; the level of legal protection given to a company’s owners depends upon the rules of the state in which the LLC was formed

 

How are Income Taxes paid?

The tax classifications available to an LLC vary based on the number of members

  • All income, gain, loss, and deduction flow through to members unless the LLC is taxed as C-Corp
  • A Single Member LLC, by default, is a disregarded entity
  • A Single Member LLC can choose to be taxed as a “Corporation” *
  • A Multi Member LLC, by default is a Partnership
  • A Multi Member LLC can choose to be taxed as a “Corporation” *

 

Generally, when an LLC only has one member, the fact that it is an LLC, is ignored or “disregarded”, for the purpose of filing a federal tax return, and is treated the same as a Sole Proprietor.

 

If the only member is an individual, LLC income and expenses are reported on federal form 1040 and Schedule C, E, or F unless it files Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a C Corporation. *

 

A domestic LLC with at least two members is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes unless it files Federal Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a C Corporation *

An LLC can also elect to be an S Corporation, if they qualify*

The type of legal entity remains the same—only the tax classification changes to impact how the entity reports and pays taxes.

 

Will I pay Self Employment Tax?

  • Yes, Self-Employment Tax applies except if the LLC operates as C-Corp or S-Corp
  • Sole Proprietor and Partners both pay this tax. File Schedule SE with your federal form 1040

Step 3:

Determine the Cost VS The Benefit:

  • Each Option has it’s own “cost” and “benefit”. Understanding this helps you make an educated decision before you spend any money.
  • The options available to you vary by state and by profession. There is no one size fits all rule, for everyone, across the United States.
  • Visit your local SBDC, Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE), and Secretary of State website to find specifics for your area
  • Consider Tax (monetary) and Non-Tax benefits

Costs Include:

  • Filing Fees and Set-Up Costs
  • Annual Maintenance Fees & Services
  • Any State Entity Taxes on Gross or Net Income
  • Tax Return Preparation and Services through out the year
  • Cost, in terms of Time & Money: the amount of paperwork required, Board Meetings, Shareholder meetings, minutes, etc.,

For your state entity taxes, you could use an estimated amount of gross or net income for perhaps, 1, 3, and 5 years and then determine you estimated tax for each year. No, this is not a “real number”, but it does provide a useful illustration to help quantify your cost for alternatives

Benefits Include:

  • Potential Tax Savings
  • Peace of Mind because your personal assets are protected from business liability
  • Other intangibles 

 

Step 4: Meet with an Attorney/CPA to help finalize your choice:

Although a lot of information is included here, it does not cover everything that is important to understand.

Your preliminary research has probably increased your understanding, narrowed your choices, and also created new questions for you.

You could consider this 4 Step process as a good preliminary foundation for your discussions with your attorney and CPA; they can provide more details about income tax and legalities for your situation.

 

Wrapping Up

The entity selection process can seem like a maze of confusing options. I hope this information helped to remove some confusion and perhaps, make a small difference for you? If so, please let me know; I’d appreciate it. Thanks.

 

Thanks for reading.

To your success,

Deb

 

 

Deborah Ann Fox, CPA helps Small Business Owners & Individuals build and protect their financial wealth though education, strategy, and proactive tax planning. She is passionate about helping others. She teaches and also blogs to provide helpful information for individuals, independent contractors entrepreneurs, and small business owners.

Debbie offers free 30 minute no obligation consultations. We can discuss/resolve via a mix of phone, e-mail, virtual, and in-person communications.

 

http://www.DeborahFoxCPA.com

 Call 619-549-2717

E-Mail me @ debfoxfinancial@gmail.com 

Twitter: @debfoxfinancial

Facebook: Deborah Ann Fox, CPA

The blog is provided as general information only and should not be considered a substitute for the advice and services of an attorney or Certified Public Accountant.

Smart Personal Tax Planning –What to do before Year-End

Posted in Budgets, Cash Flow Management, Financial Planning, IRS, Personal Finance, Tax Filing, Tax Planning by

2013 TaxTaxes take a big bite out of the income we earn. We may pay: federal (IRS) income tax, state income tax, payroll tax (social security/medicare), sales tax, and property tax. Most of these taxes offer limited options to control how much we pay. However, our golden opportunity comes with income tax because there are a ways to reduce our expense. Today, I offer some of these for you to consider:

The Why & The How

If you want to want to make sure your money is more in “your pocket” than in theirs (The IRS), now is the time to act. Estimating your 2014 tax bill keeps you from being surprised next year. More importantly, it provides you the opportunity to perhaps decrease the amount of tax you pay by planning and acting strategically before the end of this year.

To start:

  • Determine how much you have earned this year
  • Determine what you have paid toward your 2014 tax bill
  • Then increase each of these amounts to estimate the year-end amounts

Now that you have a glimpse of your 2014 tax situation, compare those numbers to those on your 2013 tax return. A filed return can be used as a sort of “road map” to see if there are options to reduce your tax bill now or in the future.

For example, did you get a refund last year? If so, consider this:

Kiplinger’s recently had a great article titled, “Safeguard your Refund by shrinking it”. The article includes the following:

  • More than 75% of Americans get an IRS tax refund each year which is the equivalent of giving the IRS an interest free loan
  • Identity Theft is on the rise and thieves file fraudulent returns to collect refunds. Avoid this risk by limiting the amount of refund you receive
  • Use on –line tax calculators to see if your estimated tax withholding is correct; the IRS and Kiplinger’s both provide these
  • File a revised W-4 with your employer this year to change your tax withholdings; remember the goal is to break even

Shift Income?

Then consider if you can shift income to decrease the amount of tax owed:

If you think your income will decrease next year and your tax rate would be lower, can you:

  1. Defer a year-end bonus to January 2015?
  2. Postpone a sale that will trigger a gain to next year?
  3. Delay exercising stock options?

Alternatively, it may make sense to move income to this year:

  1. Covert a traditional IRA into a Roth IRA and recognize the conversion income this year
  2. Take IRA distributions this year?

Shift Payments?

If you itemize, would you benefit if you changed the timing of some of your payments?

If you expect your income to decrease next year, then you might want to move some payments/deductions to the current year to offset your higher income this year. Can you:

  • Prepay property taxes?
  • Make your January mortgage payment this year?
  • If you owe state income taxes, consider making up any shortfall rather than waiting until your return is due
  • Consider the timing of medical expenses so you can benefit from the deduction?
  • Sell some or all of your loss stocks?
  • If you qualify for a health savings account, consider setting one up and making the maximum contribution allowable

Defer Deductions into 2015

If you expect tax rates to increase next year, or if you anticipate a substantial increase in taxable income, you may want to explore waiting to take deductions until 2015:

  • Postpone year-end charitable contributions, property tax payments, and medical and dental expense payments, to the extent you might get a deduction for such payments
  • Postpone the sale of any loss-generating property

Can you do anything else?

For those that would like to take it a step further, consider if there is anything you can do to increase your “Above the Line Deductions”.

On a Federal Individual1040 tax form, the basic formula is:

Income minus “Above the Line” deductions = Adjusted Gross Income.

These deductions include paying monies to:

  • Establish an IRA for you or your spouse?
  • If qualified, set up a Health Savings Account?
  • If self-employed, would you benefit from having health insurance or a Qualified Pension Plan?

While this is not an exhaustive list, I hope it gives you enough information to initiate your plan, act this year, and save money on your next tax bill.

A dollar saved is a dollar you don’t need to earn. Keep marching towards financial freedom. Happy planning!

Deb Fox is working to make a difference in peoples lives, hearts, and wallets by helping others protect their financial health and is available for side-by-side, remote, or mobile appointment. More information is available at www.debfoxfinancial.com. Questions or comments can be sent to debfoxfinancial@gmail.com. Thanks for reading

Have you reviewed your legal business structure for tax savings and/or liability?

Posted in Budgets, Cash Flow Management, Financial Planning, Financial Wellness, IRS, Risk Management, Small Business, Small Business Finance, Tax Filing, Tax Planning by

Tax Time is a great time to review your business financial life and determine if there are changes you can make to help you keep more of the money your earn in your pocket. One way to do this is to see if your legal business structure provides you the best opportunity for tax savings and/ or more limited liability.

In the U.S., there are four major legal choices to chose from when deciding how to operate your business: sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, and the limited liability company. There are also variations within these categories, such as the S-corporation.

Making this decision is complicated and both an attorney and an accountant should be consulted to provide information to help you decide which form may be best for your business. Factors to consider include:

  • Legal Liability
  • Tax implications
  • Cost of formation and record keeping
  • Flexibility
  • Future needs

As someone with both an accounting and risk management background, I look at choices from both perspectives. The number side of me wants to find out if there is a way to save money. The risk management part of me wants to make sure we are protecting the money we have. The following business entity review focuses upon these two aspects.

Liability can arise from negligence, statutory law, and assumption by contract. The risk of potential liability varies by business entity form.

Sole Proprietor: Flying Solo

  • Taxpayer is the owner; the business is not separate
  • Unlimited exposure to liability
  • All debts or claims against the business can be filed against the owners’ personal property
  • If the owner is sued, insurance is the only form of protection
  • The business itself is not taxed separately; The IRS calls this “pass-through” taxation, because the business Profit and Loss passes through the business to be taxed on your personal tax return
  • Tax is based on your personal income level and is taxed at graduated rates
  • File your personal income tax on Federal Form 1040 and all business information on Schedule C or Schedule F, Profit or Loss from the business
  • Sole Proprietors must pay both the employer and the employee side of Social Security and Medicare taxes; this is called Self-Employment tax
  • Self-Employment tax is required if your annual net-earnings is more than $400
  • The self-employment tax rate for 2014 is 15.3% of the first $117,000 of income and 2.9% of everything above that amount
  • Self-Employment taxes are reported on Federal Form Schedule SE
  • Sole Proprietors can deduct ½ of this cost on 1040-Line 27, the deductible part of self-employment tax 

Partnership: Two or More

  • General Partnerships: Partners are exposed to unlimited liability for business expenses
  • Limited Partnerships: General Partner is personally liable; Limited Partners have limited liability unless they are participating in management
  • Depending on the form, Partners may lose their investment and/or personal assets as well
  • Partners are not employees and should not be issued a W-2
  • Partnerships file an annual information return on Federal Form 1065; Schedule K1 form is used for the individual member’s profit and loss allocations
  • Individual Partners file their personal tax information on Federal Form 1040 and Schedule E, Supplemental Income and Loss
  • Taxable at the personal income level and at the graduated rates
  • File Self-Employment tax on Schedule SE; see Sole Proprietor for additional information

C-Corporation: Double-Taxation applies

  • Separate legal entity that exists, separately and is distinct from its owners
  • Owners’ personal assets are protected from claims against the corporation
  • Generally, the owners of a corporation cannot lose any more than they have invested in the corporation
  • The corporation is taxed and can be held legally liable for its actions
  • Double-Taxation applies: the profit of a corporation is taxed to the corporation when earned, and then is taxed to the shareholders when distributed as dividends
  • Owners do not pay tax on corporate earnings unless they receive money as compensation for services or as dividends
  • The corporation pays taxes on the annual net earnings and files Federal Form 1120
  • Corporate owners, who want to leave some profit in the business, may benefit from lower corporate rates
  • For example, 2013 corporate tax rates are 15% for taxable income below $50K, plus 25% for taxable income between $50K-$75K; perhaps, lower than individual rates
  • Corporate taxation is more complicated than the pass-through taxation
  • Self-Employment tax does not apply; FICA payroll taxes are shared 50/50 between the corporation and the employee

Limited Liability Company (LLC) – Single Member

  • An LLC is an entity created by state statute
  • LLCs are state entities, so the level of legal protection given to a company’s owners depends upon the rules of the state in which the LLC was formed
  • Tax reporting depends on the status of the LLC
  • Depending on elections made by the LLC and the number of members, the IRS will treat an LLC either as a corporation, partnership, or as part of the owner’s tax return; i.e. a disregarded entity
  • An LLC with only one member is treated as an entity disregarded as separate from its owner for income tax purposes unless it files Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a corporation
  • If a single-member LLC does not elect to be treated as a corporation, the LLC is a “disregarded entity,” and the LLC’s activities should be reflected on its owner’s federal tax return on Federal Form 1040 and Schedule C, Schedule E, or Schedule F
  • An individual owner of a single-member LLC that operates a trade or business is subject to the tax on net earnings from self employment in the same manner as a sole proprietorship
  • A domestic LLC with at least two members is classified as a partnership for federal income tax purposes unless it files Federal Form 8832 and elects to be treated as a corporation
  • All income, gain, loss, and deduction flow through to members unless the LLC is taxed as C-Corp
  • No double taxation unless the LLC choses to file as a corporation
  • Taxable at the personal income level and at the graduated rates
  • Self-Employment Tax applies except if the LLC operates as C-Corp
  • File Self-Employment tax on Schedule SE; see Sole Proprietor for additional information

Subchapter S-Corporation (S-Corp): Double Taxation does not apply

  • Separate legal entity
  • Limited liability for shareholders, officers, and directors
  • Generally, a corporation’s shareholders are not personally liable for the corporations debts just because they have ownership in the business; the same is true for the members of an LLC
  • S corporations are corporations that elect to pass corporate income, losses, deductions, and credits through to their shareholders for federal tax purposes
  • Generally, the S-Corp does not pay Income Tax at the Corporate level; they can be responsible for tax on certain built-in gains and passive income at the entity level
  • Self-Employment tax does not apply
  • Many small business owners use S-Corps because they can save a business owner Social Security and Medicare taxes
  • Owners receive a salary and normal payroll taxes apply
  • As an owner-employee, the corporation pays ½ of the payroll tax which can be a substantial tax savings to the owner-employee
  • An S corporation must pay reasonable employee compensation to a shareholder-employee in return for the services the employee provides before a distribution
  • File S-Corp informational return on Federal Form 1120-S
  • Income, gain, loss, and deduction is passed through to share holders
  • Shareholder-employees will receive two tax documents from the S-Corporation: a W-2 wage statement and a Schedule K-1 statement
  • Shareholders report the flow-through of income and losses on their personal tax returns; taxed are based upon the individual income tax rates
  • Double-Taxation does not apply
  • Shareholder-employees are taxed on their salary income and on any profits distributed by the S-Corporation
  • Profit distribution is not subject to FICA payroll taxes; salaries paid must be reasonable for services provided
  • Shareholder-Employees file Federal Form 1040 and Schedule E – Supplemental Income and Loss
  • Under California law, the S corporation is subject to a 1.5 percent tax on its net income
  • See if special tax rules apply in your state

Understandably, reading about tax implications and legal liability might seem a bit boring. Most would agree. Think about it this way:

  • Money saved is money you do not need to earn
  • Knowing you are protected is a good form of “sleep insurance”

Chinese Proverb: To open a shop is easy; to keep it open is an art.

Deb Fox can be reached via twitter @ debfoxfinancial or via e-mail @ debfoxfinancial@gmail.com.

http://www.debfoxfinancial.com/

2013 Federal Tax Filing

Posted in Financial Planning, Financial Wellness, IRS, Personal Finance, Tax Filing, Tax Planning by

tax2• Tax returns are due 4/15/14 – about 3 weeks from now
• You can extend the dead-line if you apply for an extension
• You cannot extend the time to pay the tax that you owe; this means you must estimate the amount owed to ensure you have paid in the correct amount, on time, to avoid interest and a possible penalty
• A penalty may be imposed if:

1. If the amount owed is at least $1,000 and it is more than 10% of the tax shown on your tax return
2. You did not pay enough estimated tax by any of the due dates. This is true even if you are owed a refund
3. There are exceptions; it is safer not to count on them or you can read about them in the Instructions for 1040


Filing Options:
• Do it yourselfers, with Adjusted Gross Income less than $58,000 can, generally, use the IRS Free File Program
• Hire A Professional – Someone that is educated, experienced, licensed (or in California, this includes being registered with CTEC –California Tax Education Council)

Food for thought:
• Typically, the Income Tax is the single biggest bill in an U.S. household. Understanding, planning, and using tax breaks, by year, can reduce your lifetime tax burden
• If you like to file your own taxes, sometimes it provides comfort to have a professional review your taxes to ensure accuracy or to use your tax return as a “road map” to see if there are options to lessen your tax bill – now or in the future
• From an IRS audit perspective, history has shown that Self-Employed people underestimate their income and overstate their deductions. Watch for these IRS audit redflags: http://www.Kiplinger.com/links/auditredflags

Things to think about for Same-Sex Married Couples:
• Same-Sex Married (SSM) couples can file their federal taxes together this year for the 1st time
• If it would benefit you, you can chose to amend any/all previous returns
• Dead-lines to amend previous returns are:
1. 4/15/14 to amend 2010
2. 4/15/15 to amend 2011
3. 4/15/16 to amend 2012

An investment in knowledge pays the best interest – Benjamin Franklin.
http://www.debfoxfinancial.com

Congratulations Same Sex Married couples; The IRS – Post DOMA – Ruling is effective 9-16-13

Posted in Financial Planning, IRS, LGBT Community, Same-Sex Marriage, Tax Filing, Tax Planning by

 

This recent IRS ruling could have a major impact upon your finances. Don’t be caught short by an unexpected surprise.

This recent IRS ruling could have a major impact upon your finances. Don’t be caught short by an unexpected surprise.

Effective Monday September 16, 2013 all Same Sex Married (SSM) couples can file their Federal tax return as either Married Filing Separate or Married Filing Joint.  Filing as single is no longer an option.

The change was announced in an 8/29/13 IRS Press Release:

  • All Same-Sex Married (SSM) couples must file as married even if they are living in a state that does not recognize their marriage
  • Couples can evaluate returns filed in 2010, 2011, and 2012 to see if amending their return results in an overpayment and money back to you
  • Amending returns is an option and is not required

From a tax standpoint, SSM couples have incurred a lot of financial change since the DOMA ruling.

The 2012 Federal Tax filing season is almost over and SSM couples were granted the right to file their Federal return as married on 8/29/13. How will this change affect you? Is there “money in the IRS Treasury bank” or do you need to put money in the bank to pay tax obligations that you just incurred?

To help you get started evaluating how all this change could affect you, create a chart similar to the following for each of the tax years that could be amended to see if filing an amended return for Married Filing Joint (MFJ) saves you money as a couple.

Specific rules are available for each year on the IRS website. It is important to pay attention to credits, deductions, and related phase out amounts. For example, for 2012

  • The $2,500 maximum deduction for interest paid on student loans begins to phase out for married taxpayers filing a joint return at $125,000 and phases out completely at $155,000

The following chart shows TP#1 using the Standard Deduction and TP#2 using the Itemized Deduction. Hypothetical dollar amounts are not included because they would not be relevant to you.

2012 –Filed:

Prior to DOMA

 Taxpayer #1 Taxpayer #2 MFJ Amended after 9-16-13
Adjusted Gross Income
Standard Deduction $5950. $0.00
Itemized Deduction 0 ?
Personal Exemption $3800 $3800.
Taxable Income
Tax Due


To see what the 2013 tax year looks like for Married Filing Joint:

  • List your combined income and Federal Tax withheld or paid to date
  • Determine if you are going to use the Standard or Itemized Deduction
  • Use the IRS Withholding Calculator to check your withholding amount
  • File a new W-4 to adjust your holding if needed

The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 includes the following rules for 2013:

  • A new tax rate of 39.6% for individuals over $400,000 and $450,000 for Married Filing Joint
  • The Personal Exemption is $3900; this is phased out beginning with incomes of $250,000 and $300,000 for Married Fling Joint
  • Itemized Deductions are limited for Individuals over $250,000 and $300,000 for Married Fling Joint
  • The Alternative Minimum Tax Exemption is $51,900 ($80,000 for Married Fling Joint).

In closing, I understand that this is a lot of information to absorb, research, and evaluate to determine your financial situation.  Do-It –Yourselfers could be ready to go while others prefer to get help and spend their free time doing something enjoyable. Understandable. For now, just know that the IRS ruling could have a major impact upon your finances. Don’t be caught short by an unexpected surprise.

Benjamin Franklin said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest”.  May your investment produce a positive return for both your time and for your money.

How much do you keep of what you earn? 2013 Tax Plan

Posted in IRS, Tax Filing, Tax Planning, Uncategorized by

Have you noticed “The IRS” spells “Theirs”?  Paying tax is required.  How much you pay is determined, in part, by how you plan.

If you are married, or plan to be, for the 2013 Federal tax year, now is the time to look at your potential tax liability and determine your financial plan. Nobody wants to find out at the end of year that they owe taxes when there is little time to do anything about it.

The U.S. uses a graduated tax rate, which means that the tax rate increases as the income goes up.

There are five filing statuses:

  • Single (S)
  • Married Filing Joint (MFJ)
  • Married Filing Separate (MFS)
  • Head of Household (HOH)
  • Qualifying Widow (er) with Dependent Child (Q/W)

More than one filing status can apply to you. You can choose the one that gives you the lowest combined tax.

Generally, Married Filing Joint will result in the lowest amount of tax. There are exceptions and good tax planning involves reviewing “what if” scenarios.

Are you “withholding” enough to cover the estimated tax liability by the end of the year? If not, you need to either increase your withholding or use other methods, such as deferring income, to decrease the estimated amount owed.

The following will help you get started:

Filing Single is the easiest. All you need to decide is if you are going to save more money by using the Standard Deduction or to itemize deductions.

Married Filing Joint (MFJ) can be used if:

You are married on the last day of the year

Both you and your spouse report all your income, exemptions, deductions, and payments

Both spouses must sign the tax return because both of you may be held responsible for accurate reporting and tax payment

Married Filing Separate

Report your income, exemptions, credits, and deductions

Different rules apply if you live in a community property state. See Publication 555

You will “generally” pay more combined tax on Married Filing Separate returns than you would on Married Filing Joint returns for the reasons listed under “Special Rules” in IRS Publication 501

Some of the “Special Rules” include:

If your spouse itemizes deductions, generally, you cannot take the standard deduction

You cannot take the student loan interest deduction, the tuition and fees deduction, the education credits, or the earned income credit.

There are reasons why you might want to choose the Married Filing Separate (MFS) status:

  • You only want to be responsible for the accuracy and the payment of your tax liability
  • If your Adjusted Gross Income  (AGI) is lower by filing MFS than MFJ you may be able to deduct a larger amount for certain deductions that are limited by AGI such as medical expenses. For the 2012 tax year, you can deduct only the part of your medical and dental expenses that exceeds 7.5% of your Adjusted Gross Income. This increased to 10% for 2013.
  • Head of Household is for unmarried, or are considered unmarried, you provide a home for certain persons, and you meet the criteria by passing one of two tests. Detailed information can be found at IRS.Gov.

Tax rules are complicated and this is by no means comprehensive. Hopefully, it is enough to encourage you to look at your tax situation and to take action so you are not surprised with a big tax bill next year. A large return because of overpayment equates to giving the IRS an “interest free loan”.

Suggestions:

Use the 2012 tax rules to estimate your 2013 income and the amount of federal tax withheld

If it appears that you will either owe or have a possible large refund, consider filing a new W-4, the Employee withholding Allowance Certificate, with your employer

Reasons to change the amount withheld may include a change in your marital status or your dependents. Perhaps, you bought a house this year and know you will have enough deductions to itemize rather than use the standard deduction. Maybe, because of multiple jobs, too much is being withheld from your checks.

You work hard for your money. Don’t you want to keep as much as you can? After all, it is yours, not all theirs.

Together in Love & Marriage – but not for U.S. Taxes?

Posted in Financial Planning, IRS, LGBT Community, Same-Sex Marriage, Tax Filing, Tax Planning, Uncategorized by

Marriage and TaxesNote:

While today’s blog has an initial focus for those affected by the recent Supreme Courts DOMA decision, the tax implications discussed apply to all married couples that file their federal return as Married Filing Joint.

*******************************************************************************

Same-Sex Married Couples may have enjoyed life together for years, but 2013 will be the first U.S. tax year that these couples have to consider “filing married “. How will this affect their personal finances or even the their personal financial liability?

Perhaps, because filing married was never a possibility for filing Federal Taxes there was not a clear and driving need for discussion. Now there is.

Consider this quote from the Prudential LGBT Financial Experience 2012-2013 Research Study: “Same-Sex Couples value financial independence far more than the general population, often keeping separate accounts and financial plans.”

With the overturn of certain parts of DOMA (Defense of Marriage Act), it will be harder to keep money in the closet.

One of my personal goals is to help people make smart financial decisions and to avoid expensive mistakes. A good method for doing this is to look at both the risks and the rewards of each possible action.

This blog will focus on some of the risks for “filing married”. In my next blog, I will discuss the difference between Married Filing Joint (MFJ) and Married Filing Separate (MFS).

Married Filing Joint (MFJ) requires that both spouses sign the tax return. Note that doing so can result in the following as per the 2012 1040 U.S. Individual Tax Return Instructions:

Joint and several tax liability. If you file a joint return, both you and your spouse are generally responsible for the tax and interest or penalties due on the return. This means that if one spouse does not pay the tax due, the other may have to. Or, if one spouse does not report the correct tax, both spouses may be responsible for any additional taxes assessed by the IRS.

You may want to file separately if:

You believe your spouse is not reporting all of his or her income, or

You do not want to be responsible for any taxes due if your spouse does not have enough tax withheld or does not pay enough estimated tax.

Relief from joint responsibility:  In some cases, one spouse may be relieved of joint responsibility for tax, interest, and penalties on a joint return for items of the other spouse that were incorrectly reported on the joint return. You can ask for relief no matter how small the liability.

There are three types of relief available:

Innocent spouse relief

Separation of liability (available only to joint filers who are divorced, widowed, legally separated, or who have not lived together for the 12 months ending on the date the election for this relief is filed).

Equitable relief

You must file Form 8857, Request for Innocent Spouse Relief, to request relief from joint responsibility. Publication 971, Innocent Spouse Relief, explains the kinds of relief and who may qualify for them.

On August 8, 2013, The IRS issued REG-132251-11. This proposes to expand from two to 10 years the amount of time that taxpayers could apply for Innocent Spouse Relief so they are no longer responsible for the tax debts of estranged spouses.

In closing, I understand that the “Joint & Several Liability” may come as a surprise to many and it should. Many are newly married for U.S. tax purposes. I chose to share the “risks” first because it will help keep the “rewards” in perspective.