As the driving force in today’s economy, small businesses benefit from numerous tax breaks in the tax code. One of these, the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS), was made permanent by the PATH Act (Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015). If you’re a small business investor, here’s what you need to know about this often-overlooked tax break. Continue reading
Starting January 1, 2019, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck are as follows: Continue reading
As the New Year rolls around, it’s always a sure bet that there will be changes to current tax law and 2019 is no different, now that the tax provisions under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) are in full effect. From standard deductions to health savings accounts and tax rate schedules, here’s a checklist of tax changes to help you plan the year ahead. Continue reading
While similar to FSAs (Flexible Savings Plans) in that both allow pre-tax contributions, Health Savings Accounts or HSAs offer taxpayers several additional tax benefits such as contributions that roll over from year to year (i.e., no “use it or lose it”), tax-free interest on earnings, and when used for qualified medical expenses, tax-free distributions. Continue reading
Starting a new business is an exciting, but busy time with so much to be done and so little time to do it. Also, if you expect to have employees, there are a variety of federal and state forms and applications that will need to be completed to get your business up and running. That’s where a tax professional can help.
1. Business Structure
The first decision you will need to make is determining which business structure you will use. The most common types are a sole proprietor, partnership and corporation. The type of business you choose will determine which tax forms you file. Continue reading
Tax withholding can be complicated, and with the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) legislation, it’s even more so since a number of tax provisions have changed. As such, it’s important to make sure the right amount of tax is withheld for your particular tax situation. Continue reading
If you want to save money on your tax bill next year, consider using one or more of these tax-saving strategies that reduce your income, lower your tax bracket, and minimize your tax bill. Continue reading
Selecting your business successor is a fundamental objective of planning an exit strategy, but it requires a careful assessment of what you want from the sale of your business and who can best give it to you.
There are four ways to leave your business: transfer ownership to family members, Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP), sale to a third party, and liquidation. The more you understand about each one, the better the chance is that you will leave your business on your terms and under the conditions you want. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about each one. Continue reading
Small employer HRAs or QSEHRAs (Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangements) allow small businesses without group health plans to set aside money, tax-free, for employees to use toward medical expenses–including the cost of buying health insurance. Here’s what you need to know about QSEHRAs. Continue reading
At some point, most small businesses owners will visit a bank or other lending institution to borrow money. Understanding what your bank wants, and how to properly approach them, can mean the difference between getting your money for expansion and having to scrape through finding cash from other sources. Unfortunately, many business owners fall victim to several common, but potentially destructive myths regarding financing, such as: Continue reading
