There Are Other Taxes Besides Income Taxes
Businesses pay more than just income taxes. They include the following:
- Employment taxes on wages paid to employees and the owner (you).
- Social Security
- Medicare tax
- Federal unemployment tax (FUTA)
Social Security tax is 12.4 percent of all wages paid up to $137,700, with half paid by the employee and half paid by the employer. Medicare is equal to 2.9 percent of wages paid (3.8% on wages over2020 was indeed $200,000 ($250,000 for joint returns, $125,000 for married taxpayers filing a separate return), half paid by the employee, and half paid by the employer. FUTA is generally equal to 6 percent of the first $7,000 of each employee’s wages and is paid by the employer. Self Employed owners will have to pay a total amount of Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes since there is not a separate employer to pay it for you.
Solution
Small businesses should take advantage of the many business deductions available to small businesses to counteract this tax burden.
These include:
- Travel by airplane, train, bus, or car between your home and your business destination. (If you’re provided with a ticket or you’re riding free as a result of a frequent traveler or similar program, your cost is zero.)
- Fares for taxis or other types of transportation between the airport or train station and your hotel, the hotel, and the work location, and from one customer to another, or from one place of business to another.
- Shipping of baggage, and sample or display material between your regular and temporary work locations.
- Using your car while at your business destination. You can deduct actual expenses or the standard mileage rate, as well as business-related tolls and parking fees. If you rent a car, you can deduct only the business-use portion for the expenses.
- Meals and lodging.
- Dry cleaning and laundry.
- Business calls while on your business trip. (This includes business communications by fax machine or other communication devices.)
- Tips you pay for services related to any of these expenses.
- Other similar ordinary and necessary expenses related to your business travel. (These expenses might include transportation to and from a business meal, public
Just make sure that you follow guidelines and do not over-deduct.
Business Structure
One of the most important things you can do is be aware of the different types of legal structures that exist and how that affects your overall tax and liability burden. You should be fully aware of the different types of business entities and what that means for your business.
What is a business entity?
One or more natural persons create a business entity to carry on a trade or business. Business owners often favor corporations and LLCs because they offer several layers of protection for their owners.
The following are types of business entities:
- Limited liability company: A registered business with limited liability for all members
- Professional limited liability company: An LLC structure for professionals, such as doctors and accountants
- C-corporation: An incorporated business composed of shareholders, directors, and officers
- S-corporation: An incorporated business that is taxed as a pass-through entity
- Professional corporation: A corporate structure for professionals, such as doctors and accountants
- B-corporation: A for-profit corporation that is certified for meeting social and environmental standards
- Nonprofit: Corporations: A formed primarily to benefit the public interest rather than earn a profit.
It Is Never Too Early To Plan For Taxes
It is true that 2020 was a year that had a lot of personal challenges for small businesses. However, understanding your tax liability for the coming year is always a good idea and it is never too early to start. There is no reason that taxes need to be a mystery and you can forecast what you will owe in the coming year.
Net Profit
Do you properly understand how to handle your cash flow? Are you going to pay taxes purely based on
What is available in your checking account? Many business owners do not realize that their available cash is not the same as the company’s net profit.
Remember The Quarterlies
Since self-employed owners do not get taxes withheld from their paycheck, it is a good idea to withhold the correct amount and send the Internal Revenue Service quarterly payments. This is particularly important if your tax liability is over $1.000. Ignoring quarterly payments could result in costly interest payments or penalties.
Is Your Business a Pass-Through Entity?
A pass-through entity is when the tax liability of the business actually passes through to the owner.
Pass-through entities include:
- Sole Proprietorships
- Limited Liability Companies
- S Corporations
A business that has not filed any paperwork is automatically considered a sole proprietorship by the Internal Revenue Service.
If you are a pass-through entity then you could owe less in taxes. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allows a 20 percent tax deduction on qualified business income from pass-through businesses. Generally, the deduction is available to eligible taxpayers whose taxable income is below $315,000 for joint returns and $157,500 for individual filers, according to the IRS. Some types of pass-through businesses may not qualify for this deduction: The IRS regulations detail the limitations.
Getting A Tax Resale Certification Is One Of The Best Things You Can Do As An Entrepreneur
If you decide to start a business, a tax resale certificate can save you money on taxes.
In short, a tax retail certificate allows you not to pay sales tax on items that you plan to resell. This can also apply to supplies that are going to be used in products that you will resell, such as wood for a cabinet.
However, the process can be difficult and the rules are different for each state. That is why TaxResaleCertificate should do all the hard work for you. We can make sure that you get all the advantages of a tax resale certificate without having to deal with the hassle of government red tape. Let us handle the hard stuff so you can proceed to run your business with confidence. Make sure you check out our second blog in this series so you can learn even more valuable information about tax resale certificates.