Year-End Tax-Planning Moves for Businesses & Business Owners

We have compiled a checklist of actions based on current tax rules that may help you save tax dollars if you act before year-end. Regardless of what Congress does late this year or early next, solid tax savings can  be realized by taking advantage of tax breaks that are on the books for 2011. For individuals, these include:

• the option to deduct state and local sales and use taxes instead of state and local income taxes;
• the above-the-line deduction for qualified higher education expenses; and
• tax-free distributions by those age 70-1/2 or older from IRAs for charitable purposes.

For businesses, tax breaks available through the end of this year that may not be around next year unless Congress acts include:

• 100% bonus first-year depreciation for most new machinery, equipment and software;
• an extraordinarily high $500,000 Section 179 expensing limitation (and within that dollar limit, $250,000 of expensing for qualified real property); and
• the research tax credit.

Not all actions will apply to your particular situation, but you will likely benefit from many of them. There also may be additional strategies that will apply to your particular tax situation. We can narrow down the specific actions that you can take once we meet with you. In the meantime, please review this list and contact us at your earliest convenience so we can advise you on which tax-saving moves to make.

 

Year-End Tax-Planning Moves for Businesses & Business Owners

Expensing Allowance (Sec 179 Deduction) – Businesses should consider making expenditures that qualify for the business property expensing option. For tax years beginning in 2011, the expensing limit is $500,000, and the investment ceiling limit is $2,000,000. Without Congressional intervention, these limits are scheduled for a significant drop in 2012. That means that businesses that make timely purchases will be able to currently deduct most, if not all, of the outlays for machinery and equipment. Additionally, for 2011, the expensing deduction applies to certain qualified real property such as leasehold improvements, restaurant, and retail property.

100% First-year Depreciation – Businesses also should consider making expenditures that qualify for 100% bonus first-year depreciation if the property is bought and placed in service this year. This 100% first-year write-off rate drops to 50% next year unless Congress acts to extend it. Thus, enterprises planning to purchase new depreciable property this year or next should try to accelerate their buying plans if doing so makes sound business sense.

Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) – Take advantage of the WOTC by hiring qualifying workers, such as qualifying veterans, before the end of 2011. Unless extended by Congress, the WOTC won’t be available for workers hired after this year.

Research Credit – Make qualified research expenses before the end of 2011 to claim a research credit, which won’t be available for post-2011 expenditures unless Congress extends the credit.

Self-employed Retirement Plans – If you are self-employed and haven’t done so yet, you may wish to establish a self-employed retirement plan. Certain types of plans must be established before the end of the year to make you eligible to deduct contributions made to the plan for 2011, even if the contributions aren’t made until 2012. You may also qualify for the pension start-up credit.

Increase Basis – If you own an interest in a partnership or S corporation that is going to show a loss in 2011, you may need to increase your basis in the entity so you can deduct the loss, which is limited to your basis in the entity.

These are just some of the year-end steps that can be taken to save taxes. You are encouraged to contact this office so a plan can be tailored to meet your specific tax and financial circumstances.