IRA charitable donations are an alternative to taxable required distributions
Are you charitably minded and have a significant amount of money in an IRA? If you’re age 70-1/2 or older, and don’t need the money from required minimum distributions, you may benefit by giving these amounts to charity. A popular way to transfer IRA assets to charity is through a tax provision that allows IRA owners who are 70-1/2 or older to give up to $100,000 per year of their IRA distributions to charity. These distributions are called qualified charitable distributions, or QCDs. The money given to charity counts toward the donor’s required minimum distributions (RMDs) but doesn’t increase the donor’s adjusted gross income or generate a tax bill. Contact us for more information.
Thinking about converting from a C corporation to an S corporation?
The right entity choice can make a difference in the taxes you owe for your business. Although S corporations can provide substantial tax advantages over C corporations in some situations, there are potential tax problems you should assess before deciding to convert from C to S status. One of the issues to consider is last-in, first-out (LIFO) inventory. A C corporation that uses LIFO inventory must pay tax on the benefits it derived by using LIFO if it converts to an S corporation. Other issues to understand are the built-in gains tax, passive income tax and unused net operating losses. We can explain how these factors will affect your company and develop strategies to minimize taxes.
At the very least, update the financials in your business plan
If your company’s size, shape and objectives don’t change all that much, you may not need to rewrite your business plan every year. But the one section you should always revise is your financials. Lenders, investors and others need these numbers to add up and contain realistic projections in today’s dollars. For example, when projecting the income statement, you need to make accurate assumptions about variable and fixed costs. Balance sheet items (receivables, inventory, payables and so on) should generally grow in tandem with revenues. Will they? We can help you review your financials, arrive at reasonable assumptions, and express your objectives and projections clearly.
Selling securities by year end? Avoid the wash sale rule
If you’re planning to sell assets at a loss to offset gains that have been realized during the year, it’s important to be aware of the “wash sale” rule. Under this rule, if you sell stock or securities for a loss and buy substantially identical stock or securities back within the 30-day period before or after the sale date, the loss can’t be claimed for tax purposes. The rule is designed to prevent taxpayers from using the tax benefit of a loss without parting with ownership in a significant way. Note that the rule applies to a 30-day period before or after the sale date to prevent “buying the stock back” before it’s even sold. Contact us if you have any questions.
Accelerate depreciation deductions with a cost segregation study
Is your business depreciating over 30 years the entire cost of constructing the building that houses your operation? If so, consider a cost segregation study. It may allow you to accelerate depreciation deductions on certain items, thereby reducing taxes and boosting cash flow. And under current law, the potential benefits are now even greater than they were a few years ago due to enhancements to certain depreciation tax breaks. You may even be able to get the benefit of speedier depreciation for items that were incorrectly claimed. Cost segregation studies can yield substantial benefits, but they’re not right for every business. To find out whether this would be worthwhile, contact us.
Deciding whether a merger or acquisition is the right move
Merging with or acquiring another company is one of the best ways to grow rapidly. But you’ve got to weigh the potential advantages against the risks of such a move. An acquisition might enable your business to expand into new geographic areas or seize new customer segments. But it’s a costly process that can even spell doom for a company that overextends itself financially. To reduce risk, you’ll need to perform thorough due diligence on your merger partner or acquisition target. Doing so includes a careful examination of its financial statements. We can help you with the exploratory process and identify the tax implications of any prospective deal.
Use a Coverdell ESA to help pay college, elementary and secondary school costs
You may be able to save for your child’s or grandchild’s education with a Coverdell Education Savings Account (ESA). There’s no upfront federal tax deduction for contributions, but the earnings grow tax-free. No tax is due when the account funds are withdrawn, to the extent the amounts don’t exceed the child’s qualified education expenses. Qualified expenses include college tuition, fees, books and room, as well as elementary and secondary school expenses. The annual contribution limit is $2,000 a year from all contributors for all ESAs for the same child. The amount you can contribute is phased out if your modified adjusted gross income exceeds $95,000 ($190,000 for married joint filers).
Setting up a Health Savings Account for your small business
Given the escalating cost of employee health care benefits, your business may be interested in setting up an employer-sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA). For eligible individuals, HSAs offer a tax-advantaged way to set aside funds (or have their employers do so) to meet future medical needs. To be eligible, an individual must be covered by a “high deductible health plan.” For 2019, a “high deductible health plan” is one with an annual deductible of at least $1,350 for self-only coverage, or at least $2,700 for family coverage. An HSA provides a number of tax benefits for your business and its employees. Contact us if you have questions or you’re interested in setting one up.
Understanding and controlling the unemployment tax costs of your business
Employers must pay federal unemployment tax on amounts up to $7,000 paid to each employee as wages during the year. The tax rate is 6% but it can be reduced by a credit for contributions paid into state unemployment funds. Typically, the more claims made against a business, the higher the unemployment tax bill. But there may be ways to control costs. Don’t hire employees to fill short-term jobs. To avoid layoffs, use temps. If you must hire, do so carefully to increase the chance that employees will work out. And if you terminate someone, provide severance and outplacement services, which may delay the start of unemployment benefits and cause them to end sooner. Contact us for more ideas.
6 ways to ensure your marketing plan drives sales
Even the best sales staffs will struggle if not supported by a well-researched, carefully executed marketing plan. There are various ways to ensure your marketing plan drives strong sales. Keep customers aware of all your products or services, not just a few popular ones. Distinguish your offerings from those of competitors, putting salespeople in a better position to succeed. Benchmark your marketing/advertising budgets to determine whether you’re being outspent. Search for new markets to give salespeople fresh territory to explore. Track new leads generated through marketing and update your marketing plan based on both data and feedback from sales staff. Contact us for help.