It’s too late to do anything about 2015 taxes, but now is the best time to minimize Uncle Sam’s bite out of your income for 2016.
If you’re like many busy business owners, you don’t pay much attention to income taxes until the filing deadline looms.
“That can be a costly mistake,” said public accountant, Jay Blumenthal of Abington, Pennsylvania. “One of the most effective ways to pare your business as well as personal income taxes to the legal minimum is to make tax planning a year-long effort.”
CPA Genevia Gee Fulbright agreed.
“Proactive tax advisors suggest you take an active role in tax reduction strategies throughout the year,” Fulbright said. “Because tax laws change often, it’s best not to wait until the end of the year or after to decide whether you can take advantage of important tax deductions.”
While it’s only natural to devote the biggest share of your time to maximizing your income, it’s important to remember the draining effect taxes have on those before-tax dollars. Here are 10 easy tax planning tips to help maximize your net income in 2016 and all the years to come:
1. Organize Your Records Now
“If you scramble at tax time looking for receipts and other records to pass along to your accountant, you’re probably missing out on some healthy deductions,” Blumenthal said. “By keeping your records up-to-date and easy to understand, you’ll make your accountant’s job easier; and an easier job for your accountant means a savings on your tax preparation bill as well as your taxes.”
2. Look for Deductions You May Have Missed in 2015
Many taxpayers miss out on important deductions by waiting until the last minute, according to the pros.
“I’m willing to bet every taxpayer misses at least one deduction on their tax return each year,” said Roni Deutch, tax attorney and author of “The Tax Lady’s Guide to Beating the IRS.”
One way to make sure you don’t miss a thing is to file your receipts.
“Keep receipts for everything,” said Bridget Crawford, professor of Law and associate dean, Pace Law School. ”The cost of office supplies and Internet service are easy to track, but keep in mind those ‘minor’ expenses that keep your business going day-to-day.”
3. Purchases Financed By Loans or Credit Cards
Strategically using a credit card could benefit you in the long-run.
“Most of the time financing purchases on your credit card is a bad idea, but since the interest paid on business expenses is tax deductible, there are exceptions, especially toward the end of the year when you need to rack up a few more deductions,” Deutch said. “Simply pay some business expenses or purchase some office supplies on a business credit card just before December 31. You get the deduction on your tax return, but you don’t have to pay the bill until next year.”
4. Take Advantage of Section 179
Most new business equipment can be depreciated over its useful life or expensed immediately under Internal Revenue Code Section 179. This provision of the law permits you to deduct the full cost of capital assets in the year of purchase up to a maximum deduction of $25,000.
“If you’re not taking advantage of the Section 179 deduction, you’re missing out,” Deutch said.
Taking the 179 Deduction is easy for you or your accountant. Simply fill out part one of IRS form 4562, available free from the IRS, at www.irs.gov, and attach it to your tax return as you would any other additional form, such as a schedule C.
Consider making any capital expenditures you’ve been planning before year-end 2016 to lower that year’s tax bill. Purchases made right up to December 31, 2016, are eligible for the section 179 tax deduction.
5. Combine Pleasure Trips with Business
If you’re planning any pleasure trips next year, consider adding in a little business. Can you visit a lube business or trade association in your destination city to discuss business techniques that may help to improve your management skills?
When you travel away from home, you may deduct fares, meals, lodging and incidental expenses (as long as they are not extravagant). The definition of “away from home” is any trip that takes enough time that the traveler could reasonably be expected to need sleep or rest.
The definition of home is your regular place of business. When the primary purpose of the trip is business, you may deduct travel expenses even if you enjoyed some non-business extracurricular activities.
If more than 50 percent of the time you spend away from home is spent on pleasure, the cost of transportation will be disallowed. However, if more than 50 percent of your time is devoted to business, all travel expenses are deductible.
6. Maximize Your Tax-Deferred Retirement Account Early
Make the maximum allowable deposits into your 401k or IRA account as early in the year as possible. This is universally regarded by financial experts as one of the most important tax- savings techniques.
“When you’ve got a stack of bills, it’s easy to forget the person you should be paying first — yourself,” Crawford said. ”I don’t mean a salary. I mean contributions to your retirement account, even if you can only manage $50 to $100 each month. Don’t wait until next year hoping you’ll have extra cash; you want to ride that train of compounding interest as long as possible.”
7. Will You Make Charitable Contributions in 2016?
If you plan to make charitable contributions in 2016, consider donating long-term appreciated securities instead of cash. You’ll receive a full fair market value deduction and pay no capital gains tax on the securities. Or sell depreciated securities for the tax-deductible loss and then give the cash from the sale to charity.
8. Balance Investment Gains and Losses
Keep a close eye on your personal investments during the year. By selling appreciated assets and liquidating under-performing investments, you may match gains and losses to minimize your personal income taxes.
If you have sufficient losses to offset your gains, you may deduct the losses on sales completed by December 31. Note, the amount of capital losses you can use to offset ordinary income is limited to $3,000. If your net loss totals more than $3,000 you may carry losses over $3,000 forward every year until you use them up.
9. Adding to the Family?
If you’re expecting the stork to visit your house next year, remember to obtain a social security number for babies born any time during 2016, right up to December 31. Put the newcomer on your personal tax return to receive the benefits of claiming the child as a dependent or claiming head of household status.
10. Saving for College?
If you’re facing college tuition expenses in the years ahead, a 529 College Savings Plan can help to build your college fund and save on taxes while you’re doing it.
Offered by 49 states and the District of Columbia, 529 plans allow a lifetime contribution as much as $250,000 to pay for college. Contributions compound tax-free and withdrawals are tax-free as long as they are spent for higher education. There is no deduction on federal taxes for your contributions, but more than half the states offer a deduction on state income taxes. Check with your tax advisor.
Keeping your annual contribution to Uncle Sam to the legal minimum is the smart way to increase those valuable after-tax dollars. Getting an early start on the task and keeping tax reduction in your plans all year long is a basic requirement for skillful business management.
