Tax Planning for the New $142,800 Base for Self-Employment Taxes

What happens when lawmakers enact a new tax? It starts small. It looks easy. In 1935, the self-employment tax topped out at $60. Those 1935 lawmakers must be twirling in their graves with the new rules for 2021, which levy the following taxes: • A self-employment tax...

Deduct 100 Percent of Your Employee Recreation and Parties

When you know the rules, you can party with your employees and deduct 100 percent of the cost.  The IRS says that the following types of entertainment qualify for the 100 percent employee entertainment tax deduction: • Holiday parties, annual picnics, and summer...

Deduct 100 Percent of Your Business Meals under New Rules

Since 1986, lawmakers have limited business meal deductions: first to 80 percent, and then to 50 percent (unless an exception applies). But on December 27, 2020, in an effort to help the restaurant industry due to the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers enacted a new,...

Four Things to Know When Hiring Your Spouse

If you own your own business and operate as a proprietorship or partnership (wherein your spouse is not a partner), one of the smartest tax moves you can make is hiring your spouse to work as your employee.   But the tax savings may be a mirage if you don’t pay your...

2020 Last-Minute Section 199A Tax Reduction Strategies

Remember to consider your Section 199A deduction in your year-end tax planning. If you don’t, you could end up with a big fat $0 for your deduction amount. We’ll review three year-end moves that (a) reduce your income taxes and (b) boost your Section 199A deduction at...