The end of the year is almost here and there is still time to do some tax planning for your small business. These tips will help you save in taxes and help keep more of your hard-earned money in your pocket.
Bonus Depreciation
Do you need computers, equipment, furniture, or other assets to keep your business running? If so, you can take advantage of the bonus depreciation. Typically, the tax code requires you to depreciate the items over their useful life. However, with the bonus depreciation, you can write off 100 percent of the costs on your 2021 tax return.
With this in mind, if you have any plans to purchase new equipment, do so now! Just keep in mind that the only way you can use the bonus depreciation is if the items purchased are also used in 2021.
Income and Expenses
When thinking about your income and expenses at the end of the year, you may want to consider posting some income while accelerating some expenses. Doing this can help lower your tax bill. Here’s how it works…if you have the ability to push some of this year’s income into 2022, then you won’t need to claim it on your 2021 tax return. In the same aspect, if you know you’re going to have certain expenses in 2022 and you can pay for them in 2021, consider doing so because they will then be able to be claimed as deductions for 2021.
One benefit with lowering your business income is it will then reduce the amount of income that is subject to the self-employment tax, which is assessed at a rate of 15.9%. By lowering your income, you’re lowering how much you have to pay for this tax.
Donate
One great tax deduction is to donate to a charity. This not only provides you with a tax deduction, but it also shows your support for the community. For small business owners to fully benefit from this, you must claim through itemized deductions. If you are below the standard deduction, then you can still deduct up to $600 in charitable contributions.
These are just a couple tips for end-of-the-year tax planning in helping you to reduce your 2021 tax bill. If you’re interested in some more ideas, or would like to have a review of your income and expenses to see if there is anything you should do before December 31st, contact us today. Whether it’s the end of the year or middle of your busy season, Ryder can help you handle your tax planning in Berks, Chester, and Montgomery County.