The size of your company does not downsize the stress of tax planning to cause significant stress; indeed, it can be a major headache. Improper execution carries significant financial consequences, pushing you to pay unnecessary taxes or incur penalties due to non-compliant financial reporting – an outcome that could cost your business dearly.
Implementing savvy tax-planning tips and maintaining a robust bookkeeping and accounting system can simplify, reduce costs, and largely alleviate stress in business tax planning.
What does a tax planning strategy mean?
As a business owner, you might find the concept of tax planning strategy intimidating. Numerous details comprise business taxes, so understanding the basics of tax deductions and knowing how to pay freelancers and independent contractors is among them.
Nevertheless, conceptualizing a tax planning strategy reflects your approach toward filing personal taxes; it is more manageable than initially perceived. Generally, one activity alone does not save you money; instead, a combination of various tactics proves effective.
With tax preparation outsourcing services, you can deconstruct expense and income deductions to identify potential savings for your company. They also assist in understanding tax cuts, write-offs, pass-through taxation, and other related financial planning aspects at the year’s end to optimize your taxes.
How do you reduce tax liability with these tax planning tips or strategies?
Let’s explore advanced tax strategies; these will help reduce your tax burden and save you money during the taxing period.
- Seeks Ways to Reduce Your Adjusted Gross Income
Your adjusted gross income, or AGI, determines several taxes you pay. For instance, if your AGI falls below $200,000 – or $250,000 for those married and filing jointly – the additional 0.9% in Medicare taxes becomes unnecessary to contribute. By reducing your salary or engaging in certain activities, you have the potential to decrease your AGI:
- Invest in a tax-deferred retirement plan
- Itemize all the deductions if they exceed your standard deduction
- Contributing to a health savings plan
Consider tracking potential itemized deductions on a spreadsheet throughout the year. This proactive tax savings tip to eliminate the need to scramble and calculate them hastily during tax time.
- Be Tactical with Your Tax Elections
Implementing certain strategies in managing your business expenses can potentially reduce your taxable income. For instance, you can deduct upfront costs of up to $1 million under the 2018 tax law when acquiring new business equipment or machinery.
New businesses, or those that still need to profit, should consider depreciation as an alternative. This strategy enables you to deduct the value of your purchase over future tax years instead of all at once, which is a beneficial approach if increasing profits may escalate you into higher tax brackets.
Other tips include:
- Deduct home office expenses based on actual costs or use the IRS simplified rate: $5 per square foot, applicable to 300 square feet of space.
- Claiming the losses of your business on the prior year’s returns, instead of incurring them in the year when a disaster occurred, is an option available to you.
- There are two options for deducting vehicle expenses-either base it on your actual cost or utilize IRS’ mileage allowance set at $0.585 per mile.
You can deduct expenses for various types of business insurance, such as workers’ compensation insurance, liability insurance, commercial auto insurance, and even services related to business interruption coverage.
The IRS analyzes insurance deductions closely, so ask your accountant before taking deductions.
- Reconsider Your Exit Planning Strategy and Wealth Transfer
As we approach 2024, analyzing economic conditions and conceptualizing your business exit plans and wealth transfer strategies becomes crucial. Bloomberg News asserts that with a 100% probability that a recession is happening, this underscores the elevated significance of planning.
To minimize your tax burden and safeguard your business as we approach 2024, consider implementing the following strategies:
- Examine your projected net income
If you are falling below expectations, consider pursuing tax credits and other potential benefits that may not have been available to you in a higher income bracket. In case the figure exceeds anticipated, use a more assertive strategy with deductions. This could involve making donations or identifying alternative methods for reducing taxable income, thus capitalizing on your financial situation.
- Reevaluate your business structure:
As your company’s income escalates, it is a necessary step to take from a tax perspective. Incorporating into an LLC might be prudent if you operate as a sole proprietor. Furthermore, certain LLCs could consider applying for S corporation status to economize on costs.
- Optimize Your Retirement Plan:
By offering a retirement plan to your employees and strategically utilizing your contributions for tax reduction-you could potentially save thousands of dollars.
- Assess the efficacy of your business succession plan:
If you already possess one, concluding 2023 presents an opportunity to review and implement necessary adjustments. However, in the absence of such a strategy, it becomes imperative that you construct a comprehensive framework for handing over control to your heirs effectively.
- Acquire Assets at the End of the Year
Estimating your business taxes in certain tax years and subsequently acquiring new and used assets to minimize those taxes could yield benefits.
The 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permits a 100% bonus depreciation; seizing this opportunity might prove beneficial, especially during years of elevated profits. However, remember that any assets you acquire must be operational before the year concludes.
- Look for Tax-Free Loans for Your Business
Many business owners are unaware of their ability to secure a low- or no-interest loan for their own businesses. However, they must understand that if the loan interest falls below the Applicable Federal Rates, as established by the IRS reporting, this interest may become necessary.
- Don’t Neglect Carryover Deductions
You are already aware that certain deductions possess limitations. Conversely, you may not utilize tax credits fully within the current year; however, an interesting point to note is that some of these deductions permit a carryover into future years.
General business credits, home office deductions, capital losses, and net operating losses (limited to 80% of taxable income) are all examples that exemplify carryovers; furthermore – charitable contributions also fall under this category.
Avoid Stress and Maximize Savings with Effective Tax Planning Tips
Tax planning, calculating, filing, and paying your business taxes can be a time-consuming and expensive. The tax planning tips mentioned above can help you understand your taxes and minimize your burden efficiently.