Archive for Business

Important Tax Changes In 2021: Individuals And Businesses

Keith Youngren: tax Changes For Individuals And Businesses

Every year, it’s a sure bet that there will be changes to current tax law and this year is no different. 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.

Individuals

In 2021, a number of tax provisions are affected by inflation adjustments, including Health Savings Accounts, retirement contribution limits, and the foreign earned income exclusion. The tax rate structure, which ranges from 10 to 37 percent, remains similar to 2020; however, the tax-bracket thresholds increase for each filing status. Standard deductions also rise, and as a reminder, personal exemptions have been eliminated through tax year 2025.

Standard Deduction
In 2021, the standard deduction increases to $12,550 for individuals (up from $12,400 in 2020) and to $25,100 for married couples (up from $24,800 in 2020).

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Written by | Posted in 2021 Tax Changes • Business • Individual • Tax Planning And Trusts

Your 20% Flow-Through Tax Deduction May Be Limited

Chuck Woodson, Specified Service Trades or Businesses, SSTBs, qualified trades or businesses, QTBs, Tax Deduction,

As part of its recent tax reform, Congress included a new 20% deduction of pass-through income for trades or businesses other than C-corporations. This pass-through income is referred to as qualified business income (QBI); for trades or businesses, it generally includes bottom-line profits, and for S-corporations and partnerships, it includes K-1 flow-through income. This new law was added as tax code section 199A, so the deduction is often referred to as the 199A deduction. Read More

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Rethinking Entity Choice In Light of Tax Cuts And Jobs Act

Until the inception of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, entity selection by businesses was a fairly easy decision.  In most cases, businesses chose a form of pass-through entity, given the high tax rate of thirty-five percent given to C corporations in the past.  With the new changes brought forth in TCJA, and the lower tax rate of twenty-one percent, change is in the air.  But what are the benefits of considering C corporation status?  Unless you are a very large company, determining if you should change from a pass-through structure to a C corporation will not be an easy one.  Read More

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Can You Deduct Business Travel When It’s Combined With Vacation?

At this time of year, a summer vacation is on many people’s minds. If you travel for business, combining a business trip with a vacation to offset some of the cost with a tax deduction can sound appealing. But tread carefully, or you might not be eligible for the deduction you’re expecting.

General Rules

Business travel expenses are potentially deductible if the travel is within the United States and the expenses are “ordinary and necessary” and directly related to the business. (Foreign travel expenses may also be deductible, but stricter rules apply than are discussed here.)

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Written by | Posted in Business • Deductibles • Tax Deductions

How Long Should You Keep Business Records For Tax Purposes?

If you own a small business, you need to keep business records. These can include digital or hard copies. They may contain financial information and licenses. Business record retention is necessary for your annual tax filings. It’s also necessary for potential audits.

What Are Business Records?

You know saving business documents is important. Now, you need to figure out what documents to save. The term “business documents” can refer to many things, including: Read More

Written by | Posted in Business • Tax Filing • Tax Forms • Tax Return • TaxConnections

Employee Business Expenses & Tax Reform

If you are an employee (i.e., a W-2 wage earner) with substantial work-related business expenses, the Act was not kind to you. It suspended (and effectively repealed), for 2018 through 2025, all miscellaneous itemized deductions, which were previously only subject to a floor of 2% of adjusted gross income (AGI). Employee business expenses are included in that category of miscellaneous itemized deductions.  Read More

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