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“Last minute” year-end tax-saving moves for corporations
As year-end approaches, it would be worthwhile for corporate owners to consider if they could benefit from the following “last minute” tax-saving moves, including adjustments to income to preserve favorable estimated tax rules for 2012, deferral of certain advance payments to next year, and fine-tuning bonuses to make the most of the Code Sec. 199 domestic production activities deduction.
Accelerating or deferring income can preserve estimated tax break. Certain small corporations can avoid being penalized for underpaying estimated taxes if they pay installments based on 100% of the tax shown on the return for the preceding year. Otherwise, they must pay estimated taxes based on 100% of the current year's tax. However, the 100%-of-last-year's-tax safe harbor isn't available unless the corporation filed a return for the preceding year that showed a liability for tax. A return showing a zero tax liability doesn't satisfy this requirement. Only a return that shows a positive tax liability for the preceding year makes the safe harbor available.
Corporate clients may want to consider showing small taxable profits to minimize the estimated tax payments for 2012.
Accrual basis business can take a 2011 deduction for some bonuses not paid till 2012. An accrual basis corporation can take a deduction for its current tax year for a bonus not actually paid to its employee until the following tax year if (1) the employee doesn't own more than 50% in value of the corporation's stock, (2) the bonus is properly accrued on its books before the end of the current tax year, and (3) the bonus is actually paid within the first 2 1/2 months of the following tax year (for a calendar year taxpayer, within the first 2 1/2 months of 2012).
For employees, who are on the cash basis, the bonus won't be taxable income until the following year. The 2011 deduction won't be allowed, however, if the bonus is paid by a personal service corporation to an employee-owner, or by an S corporation to any employee-shareholder, or by a C corporation to a direct or indirect majority owner.
Accrual-basis taxpayers can defer inclusion of certain advance payments. Accrual taxpayers generally may defer including in gross income advance payments for goods until the tax year in which they are properly accruable for tax purposes if the income inclusion for tax purposes isn't later than it is under the taxpayer's accounting method for financial reporting purposes. An advance payment is also eligible for deferral—but only until the year following its receipt—if:
- including the payment in income for the year of receipt is a permissible method of accounting for tax purposes;
- the taxpayer recognizes all or part of it in its financial statement for a later year; and
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the payment is for (a) services, (b) goods (other than goods for which the deferral method discussed above is used), (c) the use of intellectual property (including by lease or license), (d) the occupancy or use of property ancillary to the provision of services, (e) the sale, lease, or license of computer software, (f) guaranty or warranty contracts ancillary to the preceding items, (g) subscriptions in tangible or intangible format, (h) organization membership, and (i) any combination of the preceding items.
The deferral method generally cannot be used for (1) rent, (2) insurance premiums, (3) payments on financial instruments, (4) payments for certain service warranty contracts, (5) payments for warranty and guaranty contracts where a third party is the primary obligor, (6) payments subject to certain foreign withholding rules, and (7) payments in property to which Code Sec. 83 applies.
If an advance payment is only partially attributable to an eligible item, it may be allocated among its various parts, and the deferral rule may be used for the eligible part.
Taxpayers wishing to change to the above method may use automatic consent provisions (with certain modifications). Advance consent procedures apply in certain cases, e.g., where advance payments are allocated.
Making the most of the domestic production activities deduction. Businesses taxpayers can claim a domestic production activities deduction under Code Sec. 199 to offset income from domestic manufacturing and other domestic production activities.
The Code Sec. 199 deduction equals 9% of the smaller of—
(a) the taxpayer's “qualified production activities income” or QPAI, for the tax year, or
(b) the taxpayer's taxable income (modified adjusted gross income, for individual taxpayers), without regard to the Code Sec. 199 deduction, for the tax year.
Qualified production activities eligible for the deduction include items such as: the manufacture, production, growth or extraction of qualifying production property (i.e., tangible personal property such as clothing, goods, or food as well as computer software or music recordings) by a taxpayer either in whole or in significant part within the U.S.; construction or substantial renovation of real property in the U.S., including residential and commercial buildings and infrastructure such as roads, power lines, water systems, and communications facilities; and engineering and architectural services performed in the U.S. and relating to the construction of real property.
However, the Code Sec. 199 deduction can't exceed 50% of the W-2 wages of the employer for the tax year. Generally, these wages are the sum of the aggregate amounts that must be included on the Forms W-2 of employees (i.e., wages subject to withholding). The wages must be allocable to the taxpayer's domestic production activities, and they include tips and other compensation as well as elective deferrals to 401(k) and other plans.
It is important for businesses to calculate the tentative Code Sec. 199 deduction and the W-2 deduction cap before year-end. If the deduction cap will limit the otherwise available deduction—for example, in the case of a closely held business whose owners do not draw substantial salaries—the business may want to bonus out additional compensation to maximize the Code Sec. 199 deduction. Bear in mind that in some cases, an accrual basis corporation can deduct a bonus that is declared before year-end but not paid until the following year (see discussion above).
Taxpayers also need to factor the Code Sec. 199 deduction into other year-end tax planning strategies. For example, when determining whether to defer or accelerate income, a taxpayer must determine the marginal tax rate for each year. For this purpose, the Code Sec. 199 deduction will have the effect of decreasing the taxpayer's marginal rate.
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New Payment Card Reporting Requirements
If your business accepts payment on a "payment card", be it a debit or credit card, gift card, or even through PayPal or another payment service provider, be on the lookout for a new Form 1099-K.
Section 6050W was added by section 3091 of the Housing Assistance Tax Act of 2008 and requires information returns (Form 1099-K) to be made by certain payors with respect to payments made in settlement of payment card (merchant card) transactions and third party payment network transactions.
This is to be effective for payments made in 2011 to your business, and you should receive a 1099-K in early 2012. Please contact our office if you have any questions related to this new Form.
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Business Tax Breaks Retroactively Reinstated and Extended by the 2010 Tax Relief Act
Here is a short listing of the business portions of the recent tax law change that may impact your business. Please call us if you want more information on any of these topics. Unless otherwise noted, these are extended through the 2011 tax year.
Research Credit Reinstated and Extended; Indian Employment Credit Reinstated and Extended; New Market Tax Credit Reinstated and Extended; Differential Wage Payment Credit for Employers Reinstated and Extended; 15-Year Writeoff for Qualified Leasehold and Retail Improvements and Restaurant Property Reinstated and Extended; Enhanced Deduction for Food Inventory Reinstated and Extended; Enhanced Deductions for Corporate Contributions of Books Reinstated and Extended; Enhanced Deductions for Corporate Contributions of Computer Equipment Reinstated and Extended; 7-Year Writeoff for Motorsport Racing Track Facilities Extended; Expensing Election for Costs of Film and TV Production Extended; Expensing of Environmental Remediation Costs Reinstated and Extended; Domestic Production Activities Deduction Available for Puerto Rico; Work Opportunity Tax Credit Extended; Extension for Subpart F Exception for Active Financing Income; Look-Through Rule for Payments Between Related CFCs under Foreign Personal Holding Company Income Rules Extended; Extension for Rule Providing That S Corporation Contributions Result in Lower Shareholder Basis Adjustments; Special Rule for Payments to a Charity From a Controlled Entity Reinstated and Extended; Qualified Zone Academy Bond Limitation Extended, and Refundable Credit Repealed; Empowerment Zone Tax Breaks Extended; Extension for District of Columbia Tax Breaks; Exemption for RIC Interest-Related Dividends and Short-Term Capital Gains Dividends Extended; Treatment of RIC As Qualified Investment Entity Reinstated and Extended
Miscellaneous Other Provisions Extended
The 2010 Tax Relief Act retroactively extends the railroad track maintenance credit ; the mine rescue team training credit; accelerated depreciation for qualified Indian reservation property; the election to expense 50% of the cost of advanced mine safety equipment; the increase in the limit on cover over of rum excise taxes to Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; and the American Samoa economic development credit.
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