Category Archives: Business Accounting

Articles and tips related to business accounting by James E. George, CPA

Tax Reform Doubles Down on S Corporation Reasonable Compensation

December, 2024

From 2018 to 2025, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is offering a 20 percent deduction on pass-through business income, with specific eligibility criteria. This deduction impacts the choice of entity. For instance, should you operate as a sole proprietorship or an S corporation?

The Importance of Reasonable Compensation

When operating your business as an S corporation, you must pay yourself “reasonable compensation.” Failing to do so can result in penalties, increased taxes, and missed deductions.

Lowering salary. While reducing your salary might seem attractive to increase pass-through income and the Section 199A deduction, it risks IRS penalties and reduced benefits.

Increasing salary. Conversely, a higher salary increases payroll taxes and potentially reduces your Section 199A deduction.

S Corporation versus Sole Proprietorship

Choosing between an S corporation and a sole proprietorship is a nuanced decision, impacted by the Section 199A deduction, payroll taxes, and reasonable compensation requirements. While S corporations can offer Social Security and Medicare tax savings, sole proprietorships benefit from a more straightforward tax structure and potentially higher Section 199A deductions under certain conditions.

Just Some of the Many Tax Changes for the 2024 Tax Year

August, 2024 For 2024 it is difficult to track of what’s new and changed from last year, and there are lots of tax law changes and updates for 2024 that you need to know. To help, we put together a list of the most important tax law changes for 2024.  Pay attention to these changes… Continue Reading

Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)

July, 2024 An Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN) is a six-digit number that prevents someone else from filing a tax return using your Social Security number or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number.  The IP PIN is known only to you and the IRS.  It helps us verify your identity when you file your electronic or paper… Continue Reading

Key Insights into Depreciation

June, 2024 Here are some crucial insights into depreciation, particularly regarding business or rental assets. When Does Depreciation Start? Technically, depreciation begins not when you use an asset but when it’s ready and available for its intended purpose. For instance: A rental property begins depreciating when it’s available to rent, even if it hasn’t been… Continue Reading

New FinCen Filings Go into Effect on January 1

May, 2024 For existing businesses, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) goes into effect on January 1, 2024, and imposes a brand-new federal filing requirement on most corporations, limited liability companies, and limited partnerships and on certain other business entities. No later than December 31, 2024, all non-exempt business entities must file a beneficial owner information… Continue Reading

2024 Special Tax Season Edition

From the desk of James E. George March, 2024 Tax season is here! My staff and I recently met and discussed this upcoming tax season. We reviewed last year’s notes regarding what worked well and what we wanted to improve. We also read and discussed the responses we received to our last newsletter asking your… Continue Reading

IRS delays are a HUGE problem!

The IRS is backlogged in many of their processing functions, and it is causing serious problems for many of our clients. Some taxpayers still have not received their 2020 refunds for returns they filed back in April. Others are having their 2020 refunds reduced but getting no explanation why. An even bigger problem is the… Continue Reading

New Tax Laws for 2019!

New Tax Laws for 2019!

This week I attended a two-day seminar on the new tax laws taking effect for 2019. The sheer number of changes is a little overwhelming. There are new reporting requirements for anyone who files Head of Household status. There is also an expanded due diligence checklist for any taxpayer that claims college expenses, the child… Continue Reading

Recording Donated Assets on your Books

Recording Donated Assets on your Books

Business owners record the cost of their physical assets on their books for a variety of reasons. The cost is important for income tax reasons since it is depreciated or deducted over a period of years. In Maryland, the assets of a business, and their costs or values, are reported annually on a Personal Property… Continue Reading

A Lack of Documentation can Cost You!

A Lack of Documentation can Cost You!

I met with a number of clients in the last couple of months who are very tech savvy and utilize a lot of the current technology available in running their businesses. Some deposit their customer checks by taking pictures of them with their phones. Others track their auto mileage by using the GPS app on… Continue Reading

Employing your child could be a win-win strategy

Employing your child could be a win-win strategy

I met with one of my higher income clients this morning to discuss tax saving ideas. She operates a business out of her home to keep the overhead low. This year her income has increased about 20 percent and it looks like the growth will continue for the foreseeable future. We discussed a number of… Continue Reading

The Balance Sheet: The Unappreciated Statement

The Balance Sheet: The Unappreciated Statement

I have prepared financial statements for business owners throughout my entire career. A standard set of financial statements can be a wealth of information when it comes to operating a successful business. Too often the value of these tools is unappreciated by the business owner. Many times, their attention goes straight to the bottom line… Continue Reading

Don’t be Afraid to Raise your Prices!

Don’t be Afraid to Raise your Prices!

This morning I met with a small contractor to review his year to date results of operations and compute the income tax he should submit by Sept. 15th. During the meeting he mentioned how busy he has been and that he is turning down offers to look at more work because he is already scheduled… Continue Reading

Tax-Related Telephone Scams

Tax-Related Telephone Scams

This week our area has been hit with an increased number of tax-related scam telephone calls. They are starting to sound much more realistic than similar scams in prior years. Usually the caller will identify themselves as a member of an enforcement division of either the IRS or Maryland State Police. They will inform you… Continue Reading

We can’t do it all…well

We can’t do it all…well

As business owners, we do our best to minimize our expenses while trying to maximize our revenues. Too often we become revenue-focused and pour the majority of our time and energy in to producing more revenue. This naturally leads to a decline in the aspects of our business that don’t directly produce the revenue. We… Continue Reading

IRS to Audit More Small Businesses!

IRS to Audit More Small Businesses!

The 2018 IRS Forum was a valuable source of information regarding the upcoming tax filing season. Among the many tidbits I gleaned were issues of IRS concern relating to small businesses. The IRS has announced they are going to scrutinize such things as: personal use of the business assets such as cell phones and laptops,… Continue Reading

Many New Tax Law Changes are Just Around the Corner!

Many New Tax Law Changes are Just Around the Corner!

Last week I spent three fantastic days at the IRS Nationwide Tax Forum! Many new tax laws and changes to the tax forms are slated for the next filing season. The amount of new information, procedural changes and tax form modifications discussed was at times, overwhelming. The increasing number and types of new tax scams… Continue Reading

New Tax Warning to Employees

New Tax Warning to Employees

Employees beware! The new withholding tax tables that have been published may cause your employers to under withhold the federal tax from your paychecks. If your employer utilizes these new tables, they are doing nothing wrong. However, the tables incorporate the tax cuts under the new law by lowering the withholding amounts. While this gives… Continue Reading

Hired Guns

Hired Guns

When you operate a seasonal business, your workload is concentrated into a few months out of the year. The very nature of this beast makes it difficult to assemble a talented workforce. Most experienced employees desire year-round income. This limits the business to finding seasonal help. Every year we experience a backlog at the review… Continue Reading