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Charity Scams: A Small Business Perspective
Many businesses support their communities by donating to local charities. Although there are plenty of non-profits that deserve your support, some exist solely to facilitate fraud. How can you avoid the latter? Familiarize yourself with the deceptive tactics scammers use and carefully screen charities for legitimacy — before you write a check. Branding tricks Fraud [...]
Coordinating §179 Tax Deductions with Bonus Depreciation
Your business should generally maximize current year depreciation write-offs for newly acquired assets. Two federal tax breaks can be a big help in achieving this goal: first-year §179 depreciation deductions and first-year bonus depreciation deductions. These two deductions can potentially allow businesses to write off some or all of their qualifying asset expenses in Year [...]
How Renting Out a Vacation Property Will Affect Your Taxes
Are you dreaming of buying a vacation beach home, lakefront cottage or ski chalet? Or perhaps you’re fortunate enough to already own a vacation home. In either case, you may wonder about the tax implications of renting it out for part of the year. Count the days The tax treatment depends on how many days [...]
Using Business Valuation Pros for Fairness Opinions
Uncertainty about inflation, regulations and geopolitical risks abounds in today’s marketplace. A fairness opinion can protect against costly litigation if your company engages in a major transaction and the projected results subsequently fall short of expectations or insolvency becomes likely. Here’s how a fairness opinion from an independent business valuator can help protect against post-deal [...]
Bartering is a Taxable Transaction Even If No Cash is Exchanged
If your small business is strapped for cash (or likes to save money), you may find it beneficial to barter or trade for goods and services. Bartering isn’t new — it’s the oldest form of trade — but the internet has made it easier to engage in with other businesses. However, if your business begins [...]
Beware of a Stealth Tax on Social Security Benefits
Some people mistakenly believe that Social Security benefits are always free from federal income tax. Unfortunately, that’s often not the case. In fact, depending on how much overall income you have, up to 85% of your benefits could be hit with federal income tax. While the truth about the federal income tax bite on Social [...]
Maximize the QBI Deduction Before It’s Gone
The qualified business income (QBI) deduction is available to eligible businesses through 2025. After that, it’s scheduled to disappear. So if you’re eligible, you want to make the most of the deduction while it’s still on the books because it can potentially be a big tax saver. Deduction basics The QBI deduction is written off [...]
Tips for Investigating Employee Fraud Tips
Occupational fraud is a crime generally committed by employees against their employers. Ironically, employees also are most likely to notice or suspect occupational fraud schemes conducted by their coworkers or managers. Whether they report through an anonymous tipline or directly to management or HR, rank-and-file workers often are the first to raise the alarm. If [...]
A Job Loss is Bad But the Tax Implications Could Make it Worse
Unemployment has been holding steady recently at 3.7%. But there are still some people losing their jobs — particularly in certain industries including technology and media. If you’re laid off or terminated from employment, taxes are likely the last thing on your mind. However, there are tax implications due to your altered employment circumstances. Depending [...]
Employee Retention Tax Credit Penalty Relief
We are finding that, all too often, taxpayers that make Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) claims by engaging a so-called “ERTC Mill” are never told of their responsibility to amend their applicable prior year federal income tax return(s), and are shocked to learn that they owe additional taxes, penalties and interest. In order to offset [...]
Better Tax Break When Applying the Research Credit Against Payroll Taxes
The credit for increasing research activities, often referred to as the research and development (R&D) credit, is a valuable tax break available to certain eligible small businesses. Claiming the credit involves complex calculations, which we’ll take care of for you. But in addition to the credit itself, be aware that there are two additional features [...]
Use a Business Valuation Pro to Evaluate Solvency
Business bankruptcies increased 40.4%, from 13,481 to 18,926, from 2022 to 2023, according to statistics released by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. Solvency opinions may help creditors determine whether a liquidating debtor can meet repayment obligations. They also may come into play in fraudulent conveyance, bankruptcy alter ego and due diligence actions. When [...]
New Option for Unused Funds in a 529 College Savings Plan
With the high cost of college, many parents begin saving with 529 plans when their children are babies. Contributions to these plans aren’t tax deductible, but they grow tax deferred. Earnings used to pay qualified education expenses can be withdrawn tax-free. However, earnings used for other purposes may be subject to income tax plus a [...]
Preventing Fraud Losses Across Multiple Business Locations
If you operate your business in multiple locations (as with retail or restaurant chains), you face some extraordinary fraud-prevention challenges. After all, you can’t be everywhere at once. And the more locations you operate, the harder they are to monitor. Without the appropriate checks and balances in place, fraud losses in one store could threaten [...]
Tax-Wise Ways to Take Cash from your Corporation while Avoiding Dividend Treatment
If you want to withdraw cash from your closely held corporation at a low tax cost, the easiest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax efficient since it’s taxable to you to the extent of your corporation’s “earnings and profits,” but it’s not deductible by the corporation. 5 [...]
Disclaimer
This blog is designed to provide competent and reliable information regarding the subject matter covered. However, it is being provided with the understanding that the blogmaster is not engaged in rendering investment advice. Laws and practices often vary from state to state and if investment assistance is required, the services of a licensed investment professional should be sought. The blogmaster resolutely encourages the reader/viewer to do their own research and due diligence before acting on any information contained herein. As such, Roger Rossmeisl specifically disclaims any liability that is incurred from the use or application of the contents of this blog. It should also be noted that the views contained in this blog are not necessarily representative of the opinions/beliefs of the other owners, management and/or employees of Kho & Patel CPAs.
