small business

November 29 2022

DO NOT MISS the Small Business Filing Deadline

Business Taxes, IRS Rules, Tax Law, Tax Planning small business

Form W-2s and most 1099-MISCs are Due Jan. 31

If you own your own business or have a side business in addition to your regular job, you may need to send out several IRS forms by Jan. 31 this year.

The deadline is for forms you issue to employees and others who were paid as part of your business activities throughout the year. Forms W-2s and 1099-MISC forms that contain non-employee compensation in box 7 will have to be postmarked or sent electronically to both the IRS and the person you did business with on or before Jan. 31, otherwise you may face fines for each late form.

Most businesses understand that a W-2 is required for each of your employees. But did you know that you also may need to issue a 1099-MISC to each contractor or vendor you’ve done business with during the year?

General rule

The general rule is to issue a 1099-MISC to each individual contractor or vendor you paid at least $600 over the course of the calendar year. This form requirement doesn’t usually apply to your expenditures on hobbies or personal items, just business activities. In most cases you do not have to issue 1099-MISCs to corporations – just other individuals and partnerships.

Example. Andrea has a side business as a model on nights and weekends in addition to her career as a medical device analyst. Over the course of 2018, she paid $600 to a hair and makeup stylist at Hair Art Inc., $800 to a freelance photographer for headshots and a promotional portfolio, and $2,000 in fees to Viva Talent LLC, a local modeling agency.

Andrea doesn’t need to issue a 1099-MISC to the stylist, because she works for a corporation, but she will have to send one to the photographer, who is an independent contractor. She needs to send one to the modeling agency as well, because it operates as a limited liability company (LLC) and files its taxes as a partnership rather than as a corporation.

Hint: Andrea can make her filing activities easier by issuing Form W-9 to each vendor to get their tax information at the beginning of the year. These forms should be kept on file.

Other examples of business activities that may require you to issue a 1099-MISC include:

Rents paid to a landlord for office space.
Expenses paid to a contractor to turn a room in your house into a home office.
Any payments made to an attorney.

Fraud and fines

In the past, while most forms were filed by the end of January, you had until as late as March 31 to get the government their copies. The unified Jan. 31 deadline for these forms was changed as part of the IRS’s larger effort to crack down on refund fraud. Fraudsters have been filing bogus returns early in the year in an effort to snag a refund check before W-2s and 1099s arrive that contradict their returns.

Unfortunately, the fines on the self-employed and small business owners for missing the Jan. 31 deadline can be steep. Form W-2s and 1099s filed up to 30 days late are fined $50 each; $100 each for more than 30 days late; and $270 each for those filed after Aug. 1 or not filed at all.

These deadlines are now important, as penalties are severe. Please call if you need assistance.

December 10 2019

Investigate before buying a business

Business Tips ask questions, business research, buying real estate, investment, small business

Buying a Business

If you are considering buying an existing business, take time to investigate the business thoroughly.

Don’t be too eager. Many people feel they should get into the business and then worry about the problems as they develop. An investigation of all the problem areas may indicate that you shouldn’t buy that particular business in the first place.

Make sure that the price is not too high. Many small businesses are not profitable enough to give an acceptable return on both the buyer’s time and money. If the buyer wants $90,000 per year for working 60 to 70 hours per week and wants a 12 percent return on his $100,000 investment, the business must net $102,000. Analyze the past performance of the business you’re thinking of buying to be sure it can satisfy your requirements.

If you are willing to take a reduced return on your time and money for the sake of self-employment, do so with your eyes open – know the facts.

Ask questions. Most buyers don’t ask enough questions or require enough financial history to make an informed decision. Any business worth buying should have kept adequate records. The inability or the unwillingness to provide the proper financial information is an indication that the business may be overpriced.

The need for professional assistance when buying a business cannot be overemphasized.

Gilliland & Associates, PC is a full-service CPA firm specializing in tax planning for individuals and businesses in the Northern Virginia area. We are based in Falls Church, VA and also service clients in McLean and Tysons Corner, VA. Gilliland & Associates is known for our superior knowledge and aggressive interpretation and application of tax laws. We help you keep more of your earnings by finding you the lowest possible tax on your business or personal tax return. You can connect with us on Google+, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

November 15 2019

Investigate before buying a business

Business Tips, Financial, Money Management Business Investments, Financial, small business

Buying a Business

If you are considering buying an existing business, take time to investigate the business thoroughly.

If you are willing to take a reduced return on your time and money for the sake of self-employment, do so with your eyes open – know the facts.

Ask questions. Most buyers don’t ask enough questions or require enough financial history to make an informed decision. Any business worth buying should have kept adequate records. The inability or the unwillingness to provide the proper financial information is an indication that the business may be overpriced.

The need for professional assistance when buying a business cannot be overemphasized.

April 25 2018

Update on the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA)

Business Tips, Credit, Individual Taxes, IRS, IRS Rules, Tax Law, Tax Planning, Tax Tips Credits, IRS, New Tax Rules, small business, TCJA, Updates

Image courtesy of jscreationzs at freedigitalphotos.net

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was passed by Congress in a hurry late last year, and the IRS and tax preparers have been working to digest some of the more thorny issues created by the tax overhaul. Here are the latest answers to some of the most common questions:

Is home equity interest still deductible?

The short answer is: Not unless you’ve used the money to buy, build or substantially improve your home.

Before the TCJA, homeowners were able to take out a home equity loan and spend it on things other than their residence, such as to pay off credit card debt or to finance large consumer purchases. Under the old tax code, they could deduct interest on up to $100,000 of such home equity debt.

The TCJA effectively writes the concept of home equity indebtedness out of the tax code. Now you can only deduct interest on “acquisition indebtedness,” meaning a loan secured by a qualified residence that is used to buy, build or substantially improve it. If you have taken out a home equity loan before 2018 and used it for any other purpose, interest on it is no longer deductible.

I’m a small business owner. How do I use the new 20 percent qualified business expense deduction?

Short answer: It’s complicated and you should get help.

Certain small businesses structured as sole proprietors, S corporations and partnerships can deduct up to 20 percent of their qualified business income. But that percentage can be reduced after your taxable income reaches $157,500 (or $315,000 as a married couple filing jointly).

The amount of the reduction depends partly on the amount of wages paid and property acquired by your business during the year. Another complicating factor is that certain service industries including health, law, consulting, athletics, financial services and accounting are treated slightly differently.

The IRS is expected to issue more clarification on how these rules are applied, such as when your business is a mix of one of those service industries and some other kind of business

What are the new rules about dependents and caregiving?

There are a few things that have changed regarding dependents and caregiving:

Deductions. Standard deductions are nearly doubled to $12,000 for single filers and $24,000 for married joint filers. The code still says dependents can claim a standard deduction limited to the greater of $1,050 or $350 plus unearned income.
Kiddie Tax. Unearned income of children under age 19 (or 24 for full-time students) above a threshold of $2,100 is now taxed at a special rate for estates and trusts, rather than the parents’ top tax rate.
Family credit. If you have dependents who aren’t children under age 17 (and thus eligible for the Child Tax Credit), you can now claim $500 for each qualified dependent member of your household for whom you provide more than half of their financial support.
Medical expenses. You can now deduct medical expenses higher than 7.5 percent of your adjusted gross income. You can claim this for medical expenses you pay for a relative even if they aren’t a dependent (i.e., they live outside your household) as long as you provide more than half of their financial support.

Stay tuned for more guidance from the IRS on the new tax laws, and reach out if you’d like to set up a tax planning consultation for your 2018 tax year.

September 17 2013

Factor new limits on deductions into your tax planning

Tax Tips deduction, deductions, income taxes, IRS, small business, taxes

As you begin your year-end tax planning review, keep in mind the return of the limitation on itemized deductions and personal exemptions for higher-income taxpayers. When you’re married filing jointly and your adjusted gross income is more than $300,000, the amount you can claim for these two items is reduced. The threshold is $250,000 if you file as a single.

Gilliland & Associates, PC is a full-service CPA firm specializing in tax planning for individuals and businesses in the Northern Virginia area. We are based in Falls Church, VA and also service clients in the McLean and Tysons Corner, VA. Gilliland & Associates specializes known for our superior knowledge and aggressive interpretation and application of tax laws, we help you keep more of your earnings by finding you the lowest possible tax on your business or personal tax return. You can connect with us on Google+ , LinkedIn , Facebook, and Twitter.

August 27 2013

“Basis” is important to an S corporation

IRS Rules Basis, deductions, IRS, S corporation, small business, Tax Filing, taxes

Losses can be hard to take – so if you think your S corporation will show a loss for 2013, now’s the time to plan to make sure you’ll get the full tax benefit.

The Problem. The amount of the business loss you can deduct on your individual income tax return is limited to your basis in your S corporation stock and certain corporate debt. This is true even though the loss reported to you on Schedule K-1 is greater than your basis.

Here’s how it works. Typically, stock basis in an S corporation begins with the capital contribution you make to get the company started. (When you receive stock as a gift, an inheritance, or in place of compensation, your initial basis is calculated differently.)

At the end of each taxable year, your stock basis is adjusted to reflect the business’s operating results. Taxable income increases your basis, while losses reduce it.

Basis is also increased by capital you put into your company and reduced by amounts you withdraw, such as distributions.

After your stock basis reaches zero, you may be able to deduct additional losses, up to the extent of your debt basis. That’s the basis you have in loans you make to your company.

Once your stock and debt basis are both reduced to zero, losses incurred are suspended, which means you get no current tax benefit. However, you can generally take suspended losses in future years, when you again have basis.

The Solution. You can increase your basis – and your ability to take losses – by adding capital or making loans to your business.

Please call to discuss how basis affects your individual income tax return. We can guide you through the rules to optimize available breaks.

July 30 2013

Avoid growing pains in your business

Business Taxes business, business tax services, Costs, deductions, employees, insurance, IRS, profit, small business, small business tax tips, Small businesses, tax returns, taxes

One way to kill your business is to grow it too fast. Many profitable small businesses have expanded at the wrong time and at the wrong level of increased costs. The result is that they never again make a profit. How does this happen?

A given amount of building, equipment, employees, and the associated maintenance, insurance, and taxes will allow your business to operate at a certain maximum sales volume. If you want to grow, say double or triple your current sales, you will need more of all the above items. When you commit to that new larger building with more equipment and employees, you have increased your “breakeven point” (the level of sales you need at which you make your first dollar of profit).

Take this example. Assume that you are a local carpet store. You occupy a 4,000 square foot building. You have a fairly fixed amount of inventory, equipment, and employees. Let’s say you are doing $1 million in sales, your gross profit is $300,000, and your fixed costs (building, etc.) are $250,000 with a net profit of $50,000. Since you have an established local customer base, you are convinced that a shop three times this size would make you even more money. Here is what to look out for.

Let’s assume that your new 12,000 square foot building and associated higher expenses have raised your fixed costs to $650,000. If you double your sales to $2 million, your gross profit will be $600,000. That leaves you $50,000 in the hole for the year. You would need sales of $2.3 million to get back to the same net profit you had before you tripled your floor space.

Before you go down a permanent road of no return, play a few games of “what if.”

Gilliland & Associates, PC is a full-service CPA firm specializing in tax planning for individuals and businesses in the Northern Virginia area. We are based in Falls Church, VA and also service clients in the McLean and Tysons Corner, VA. Gilliland & Associates specializes known for our superior knowledge and aggressive interpretation and application of tax laws, we help you keep more of your earnings by finding you the lowest possible tax on your business or personal tax return.

You can connect with us on Google+ , LinkedIn , Facebook, and Twitter.

September 28 2012

Have you considered a SIMPLE plan for your business?

401 K, IRAs, Retirement, retirement plan, Savings, Self-employed, small business, Sole Propietors, Sponsor, taxes

Many sole proprietors and small business owners agree on the following two issues: they pay too much in taxes and they have difficulty attracting and retaining good employees. One way to address both of these issues is to have your business sponsor a retirement savings plan. If you’re self-employed or own a small business and don’t currently have a retirement plan in place, consider setting up a SIMPLE plan.

SIMPLEs (Savings Incentive Match Plans for Employees) are available in two forms – SIMPLE IRAs and SIMPLE 401(k)s. SIMPLE plans are generally available only to small businesses that don’t maintain any other retirement plan. If your business has more than 100 employees, you won’t be eligible for a SIMPLE.

Most businesses will find the IRA version preferable to the 401(k) form of SIMPLE. Here’s how SIMPLE IRAs work. Eligible employees (including yourself) can elect to have a portion of their earnings withheld each pay period, limited to $11,500 in annual deferrals ($14,000 for those aged 50 or older). The employees then direct how the deferrals will be invested within their own SIMPLE IRAs. Amounts withheld for the SIMPLE IRA reduce the employee’s taxable income and grow tax-deferred.

The costs to set up and administer a SIMPLE IRA are minimal. However, as the employer, you’re required to make contributions into your employees’ SIMPLE IRAs on their behalf. You have the option of contributing either 2% of the wages of every eligible employee or making matching contributions up to 3% of the wages of those employees who participate in the plan.

Generally, the deadline for businesses to establish a SIMPLE plan for 2012 is October 1, 2012. To find out more about SIMPLE plans, give us a call.

April 22 2011

The IRS targets worker classification

employees, independent contractor, IRS rules, small business, worker classification

If you have people working for your business, you may have to decide how to classify them. Are they employees or independent contractors?

Classifying your workers as independent contractors generally saves you money. That’s because you avoid paying employment taxes and benefits on their behalf.

In most instances, however, very few of your workers actually qualify as independent contractors. If the IRS determines that you misclassified your employees as contractors, you could end up paying back all of the employment taxes and benefits that should have been paid over the years. Depending on the size of your workforce, the cost to you could be substantial, potentially bankrupting your business.

How can you ensure that you properly classify your workers? Start with the factors listed by the IRS to determine a worker’s classification. If you maintain control over your workers through hiring, training and supervision, scheduling the work to be done, and by providing them with tools and materials, your workers are most likely your employees. The same holds true if you pay your workers a set salary or an hourly wage and have the right to let them go at any time.

As a general rule, if you only have the right to control or direct the result of the work and not the means and methods of accomplishing the result, the individual may qualify as an independent contractor.

If your business employs independent contractors, take steps to protect yourself and your business. Be consistent with how you classify your workers, and follow how other businesses in your industry classify their workers. And don’t forget to send a Form 1099-MISC to contractors who earn $600 or more from you during the year.

The proper classification of workers has become a priority issue for the IRS. Make sure that your workers are classified correctly. For assistance, give us a call.

October 26 2010

Look into this new 2010 tax credit for your small business

2010 tax credit, new credit for small business, nonprofit organizations, small business, small business owner

When small business owners think about the recent health care reform, they may be thinking only of its long-term implications. But the legislation actually provides an immediate tax break for qualified small businesses and nonprofit organizations. Beginning this year, the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” offers a tax credit of up to 35% of employer-paid health care costs. Does your business qualify? The answer lies in a little math.

* First, you must have fewer than 25 full-time employees. Keep in mind that owners and their family members who draw a salary are not counted in the total. Neither are seasonal employees working 120 days or less per year. The term “full-time employee” is actually a bit of a misnomer; the IRS is really counting full-time equivalents, or FTEs. To figure your FTEs, add up the annual hours you paid to non-owner, nonseasonal employees (full-time or part-time) and divide by 2,080. If the result is less than 25, you’re ready to move to the next step.

* Next calculate your employees’ average wages. Just as in the calculation of full-time workers, you don’t count wages paid to owners, family members, or seasonal workers. After subtracting out the above pay, divide the net figure by the number of FTEs above, and if the result is less than $50,000, you are still in the running for the credit.

* To meet requirement number three, your business must cover at least 50% of the cost of employees’ health insurance. For 2010, you need only pay 50% or more of the single coverage premium even if the employee is enrolled in a family plan. Next year this special rule goes away.

From now through the year 2013, the maximum tax credit is 35% of the employer’s share of the premiums. But only businesses with 10 or fewer full-time employees and average wages of $25,000 or less actually get this rate. The percentage drops as the number of employees or the average pay increases. Another little wrinkle: Beginning in 2014, the maximum credit rises to 50%, but the tax break becomes available only to those businesses that purchase their health insurance through a state exchange. And even then, you can only claim the credit for two years.

Nonprofit organizations that meet the same qualifications mentioned above can receive a maximum credit this year of 25%.

If you’re a small business owner, look into this tax perk as soon as possible. For help in running the numbers, just give us a call.