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Business Planning: Tricks And Treats

Business Planning: Tricks And Treats

Author: Brandon Jordan, CFP®, CHFC®, CEPA®, CVGA®, CLU®, MSA, EA | CEO of Impact Advisors Group

While we’re more familiar with “trick or treat” in the context of children and Halloween, it can also be applicable for business owners.

The Trick: Rent your home to your business to host functions (e.g. employee appreciation events, holiday parties, leadership off-site events). The rent must be at “market” rates.

The Treat: The expense is 100% tax deductible to your business and 0% taxable to you personally. This is due to IRC 208(a) which is also known as the “Augusta Rule” and can happen no more than 14 times per calendar year.

The Trick: Hire your minor aged children to work in your business. They can be paid up to $14,600 (the standard deduction) without owing any federal income tax.

The Treat: This child payroll expense is 100% tax deductible to your business and 0% taxable to your child (or family) personally. These tax savings can be used to cover the costs of other expenses related to your child (e.g. camp, sports, education, etc.).

The Trick: Commit to improving your business’ accounting practices. Accuracy, completeness, AND timeliness matters.

The Treat: Providing your tax advisor(s) with accurate AND timely financials (personal and business) will better equip him/her to proactively pursue tax planning strategies vs tax compliance. These two items are VERY different and have VERY different outcomes for your business and/or family. Providing tax information/documentation to your tax advisor the week before the return is due quite literally prevents them from considering long term tax planning strategies and requires them to only focus on tax compliance. Jerry Maguire said it best…

Remember, these tricks (think Halloween) require proper utilization and compliance with the Internal Revenue Code (“IRC”) as well as state level tax regulations. Your tax advisor(s) SHOULD sign off on any of tax strategies you desire to implement.

Even small steps, when taken consistently and in the right direction, can be quite IMPACTful.

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