19 Small Business Tax Planning Strategies to Slash Your Tax Bill [2023]

January 04, 2023 By Ashlyn Rodeback

This post was originally published on February 24, 2022, and extensively updated on January 4, 2023.

As a business owner, it’s your job to take care of a host of obligations. One moment, you may be managing a human resources issue, and the next, you are coping with a customer complaint. Wearing so many different hats can make it difficult to stay on top of other, less frequent aspects of running a business, such as taxes.

19 Small Business Tax Planning Strategies to Slash Your Tax Bill [2023]

At CMP, we’re familiar with the tax challenges that businesses face. One of the most frequently asked questions we hear from our business clients is this:

What’s the best tax strategy to use for my business?

Having a tax strategy is essential because it governs everything you do and provides a framework that allows you to fulfill your tax obligations without overpaying. In this post, we will review some business tax basics and reveal 19 of the best tax strategies for business owners.

Reduce Tax Liability with These Tax Planning Strategies for Your Small Business

Now that we’ve covered some of the basics, here are 19 tax strategies to help you minimize your tax burden and save money at tax time.

1. Look for Ways to Reduce Your Adjusted Gross Income

Many of the taxes you pay are tied to your adjusted gross income or AGI. For example, if your AGI doesn’t exceed $200,000 or $250,000 if married and filing a joint return, you won’t be required to pay the additional 0.9% in Medicare taxes. You can lower your AGI by reducing your salary or doing one of the following things:

  • Contributing to a tax-deferred retirement plan
  • Itemizing deductions if they exceed your standard deduction
  • Contributing to a health savings plan

If you think you might want to itemize deductions, consider tracking them on a spreadsheet throughout the year. That way, you won’t need to scramble to calculate them at tax time.

2. Be Strategic with Your Tax Elections

Applying some strategies to your business expenses can help you reduce your taxable income. For example, if you acquire new business equipment or machinery, you can deduct the cost upfront up to $1 million under the 2018 tax law.

However, for new businesses or those that aren’t yet turning a profit, you may want to consider depreciation as an alternative. Depreciation allows you to deduct the value of your purchase in future tax years instead of all at once. That’s beneficial if you expect your profits to increase and push you into a higher tax bracket.

Other tips include:

  • Deducting home office expenses based on actual costs or the IRS simplified rate, which is $5 per square foot up to 300 square feet of space.
  • If your business has been impacted by a disaster, you can claim the losses on your prior year’s returns instead of the year when the disaster occurred.
  • You can choose between deducting vehicle expenses based on the actual cost or the IRS mileage allowance of 58.5 cents per mile from 1/1/22-6/30/2022, then at 62.5 cents per mile from 7/1/22-12/31/2022
  • Deduct business insurance expenses, including liability, workers’ compensation, commercial auto, and business interruption services insurance.

The IRS scrutinizes insurance deductions closely, so ask your accountant before taking deductions.

As a small business, it can be tough to compete with the ups and downs that come with inflation. Check out our  9 Smart Business Strategies for Dealing with Inflation for tips on keeping your small business afloat as we head in this direction.

3. Rethink Your Exit Planning Strategy and Wealth Transfer Strategies

As 2022 draws to a close, it’s essential to look at economic conditions and rethink your business exit plan and wealth transfer strategies. According to Bloomberg News, there is a 100% probability of a recession sometime in 2023, which increases the importance of planning.

Here are some things you can do to minimize your tax burden and protect your business going into 2023.

  • Review your estimated net income. If your income is lower than expected, you may want to seek out tax credits and other tax benefits that you may not have qualified for at a higher income level. If it’s higher than expected, then you can get aggressive with deductions by making donations and finding other ways to reduce your taxable income.
  • Reassess your business entity. As your business income increases, it may become necessary to reconsider your business structure from a tax perspective. If you’re a sole proprietor, you may want to incorporate it as an LLC, and some LLCs may wish to apply to file as an S corporation to save money.
  • Optimize Your Retirement Plan. It’s possible to save thousands of dollars by offering your employees a retirement plan and using your contributions to lower your tax burden.
  • Evaluate Your Business Succession Plan. If you already have a business succession plan, the end of 2022 is a good time to review and make changes as needed. If you don’t have one, then you’ll need to create one to prepare your heirs for what will happen when you’re preparing to hand over the reins to them.

Working with a tax professional can help you evaluate your strategies and make the most of any opportunities to secure your business succession plan and wealth transfer strategies.

4. Acquire Assets at the End of the Year

In some tax years, it may be beneficial to estimate your business taxes and then acquire new and used assets to reduce your taxes.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018 allows a 100% bonus depreciation. It may be worthwhile to take advantage of it, particularly in years when your profits have been high. It is important to remember that assets you purchase must be placed in service before the end of the year.

5. Help an Employee with Student Loans

The CARES Act, which was signed into law by then-President Trump in 2020, included a provision that allows employers to assist employees with student loans. It used to be that if an employer repaid part of an employee’s student loans, the employee had to pay taxes because the payments were seen as income.

Discover how different types of income are taxed in our blog post: "Breaking Down Income Types: How Each Is Taxed." Understanding how your income is taxed is crucial for proper financial planning. Our article comprehensively summarizes various income sources, including wages, investments, rental earnings, and more. Gain valuable insights into the tax implications of different income types, helping you confidently navigate the complex world of taxation.

The CARES Act included an exception that allows employers to get a payroll tax exemption for repaying employees’ student loans and excludes the repayments from employees’ income, meaning that they don’t have to pay taxes.

This provision will remain in effect through 2025 and presents an opportunity for employers to earn some goodwill with employees while also saving money on payroll taxes.

6. Establish Fringe Benefit Plans for Employees

When you increase employees’ wages, you also trigger higher employment tax costs. One way to get around that is to offer fringe benefits as part of employees’ compensation.

Some of the tax-exempt benefits you may want to consider include the following:

  • Medical and dental insurance
  • Long-term care insurance
  • Disability insurance
  • Group term life insurance
  • Childcare assistance
  • Tuition reimbursement
  • Transportation
  • Employee meals
  • Student loan payments (see above)

You can find more information about eligible fringe benefits here.

Learn More  8 Ways to Minimize Capital Gains Tax Liability

7. Take a Tax-Free Loan from Your Business

A lot of business owners don’t know that they can take out a low- or no-interest loan from their business. If the loan interest is below the Applicable Federal Rates set by the IRS, you may need to report the interest.

You can check out the current IRS set rates here. Of course, you should ask your accountant before implementing this strategy.

8. Don’t Ignore Carryover Deductions

You already know that some deductions have limitations. The same is true of tax credits, which means that you may not be able to use them fully in the current year. However, you may not be aware that some of these deductions allow a carryover to future years.

Examples of carryovers include capital losses, general business credits, home office deductions, net operating losses (up to 80% of taxable income), and charitable contributions.

9. Use Accountable Plans

Do you reimburse your employees for things like entertainment, travel, and other costs? If you do, you may want to use an accountable plan. Using an accountable plan allows you to deduct the expenses without reporting the reimbursements as employee income. In other words, it can reduce both your employment taxes and your overall taxable income.

As a bonus, using an accountable plan can also save your employees money on taxes. That’s because, under the new tax law, employees can no longer deduct miscellaneous unreimbursed employee expenses.

10. Abandon Property Instead of Reporting it as a Capital Loss

If your business owns property that has no value, you might be tempted to sell it and report it as a capital loss on your taxes. However, there are some benefits to abandoning it instead.

Abandonment of property allows you to take an ordinary loss, which is fully deductible, instead of a capital loss, which is subject to limitations. Keep in mind that a Section 1231 property may be ordinary or capital, depending on other Section 1231 losses for the year and prior losses.

11. Defer Taxable Income

Are you using cash-method accounting for your business? If you are, you can take advantage of that by carefully managing your business taxable income to minimize your taxes. If you anticipate that your business income will be taxed at the same (or lower) rate in 2023, here are a few tips to help you defer some of your income:

  • Put recurring expenses on your credit card. You can deduct them in the current year even though you won’t pay the credit card bill until next year.
  • Mail checks a few days before the end of the year. You can deduct the expenses in the year you mail the checks. If you’re mailing a big check, use registered mail so you can prove the mailing date.
  • Prepay expenses at the end of the year, provided that the benefit does not exceed IRS limitations (the earlier of 12 months before the first date on which your business realizes the benefit or the end of the next tax year). For example, you could prepay your office rent or prepay some of your insurance premiums.
  • Delay sending invoices until the last few days of the year. That way, you’ll receive payment in the new year and can report the income in the new year as well.

You’ll need to be cautious with the last strategy. Don’t delay sending invoices to customers who pay slowly.

12. Hire Your Spouse or Children

If your spouse or children can contribute to your business, then put them on the payroll. Kids can work tax-free if their income is below the IRS threshold. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2018 nearly doubled the exemption amount for dependent minors.

As a bonus, you can take the money you pay your kids and put it into an education savings account or Roth IRA. You also won’t need to withhold payroll taxes.

Are payroll taxes confusing you? Uncertain about what you owe as an employer or what needs to be withheld from your employees' paychecks? Our blog, A Small Business Owner's Guide to Payroll Taxes: Everything You Need to Know, breaks it down for you. Learn about your obligations for Social Security, Medicare, unemployment, and more. We provide clear explanations for both employer and employee taxes so that you know exactly what you need to pay and withhold to avoid IRS fines.

13. Evaluate Your Business Entity Type

The business entity type you choose significantly impacts your tax liability. As we mentioned earlier, people who are sole proprietors, have Limited Partnerships, or certain Limited Liability Companies are on the hook to pay self-employment taxes. Depending on how much you earn as a sole proprietor or as an employee of any pass-through entity, you may also have to pay the additional 0.9% Medicare tax.

If your estimated business taxes are high, then you may want to consider taking a step back and reorganizing your business as a different type of entity. For example, reorganizing an LLC as a C corporation has some tax benefits. Navigating the ins and outs of different business entity types can be confusing, so it’s beneficial to work with a tax professional to determine the appropriate structure for your business.

14. Write Off Bad Debts

As a business owner, you may sell products or services to customers on credit. For example, many companies invoice clients and give them 15 or 30 days to pay. When you have delivered goods and services, your instinct may be to continually try to collect them, but that’s not always the most advantageous approach for taxes.

As the end of the tax year approaches, you should review your accounts, including past due invoices and loans you may have made to employees or vendors, and consider whether they should be written off as bad debt. Writing these debts off can help you to offset what you owe on your taxes and reduce your overall tax obligation. It is important to note that this applies to accrual basis taxpayers only (see below).

15. Review Your Accounting Method

There are several accounting methods you may use as a business owner, and in some cases, you may have a choice about which method to use. The two most common methods are the cash method and the accrual method.

With the cash method, you must report any money you receive and any business expenses you incur in the year you pay them. This method is available to many small businesses, but businesses that have average receipts of more than $25 million for the past three years are not eligible.

The other option is the accrual method, which allows you to report income in the year it is earned and expenses in the year they are incurred. There are benefits to both methods, and you should consult with your accountant to determine which method best suits your business needs.

16. Check If You’re Eligible for Penalty Relief

Sometimes, despite their best efforts, business owners incur a penalty from the IRS. The penalty could be because they missed a tax filing deadline or underpaid their taxes, and in some cases, the penalties can be significant.

If you incur a penalty, it is worthwhile to see if you are eligible for penalty relief. Some circumstances that may be eligible for penalty relief include:

  • Failing to file a tax return
  • Failing to pay on time
  • Failing to deposit taxes as required

You can check with the IRS or your accountant to find out if you are eligible for penalty relief. Often the IRS will remove the first penalty assessed to you.

17. Pay Down Your Debt

Payments you make for business expenses are not tax-deductible in most cases, but there is one exception: loan interest. If you have an outstanding business loan and cash on hand, you may want to make extra payments or even pay off the loan entirely so that you can deduct the interest when you file your tax return.

Keep in mind that the IRS does not allow an interest deduction for personal expenses paid with a credit card. You can view IRS Publication 334 for information about non-farm business interest deductions and IRS Publication 225 for information about interest deductions for farms.

18. Stay Updated on the Latest Small Business Tax Law Changes

In August of 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law by President Joseph Biden. The law included some of the provisions that were originally part of Biden’s Build Back Better bill, which was negotiated and renegotiated throughout 2021 and into 2022.

For businesses, the most important part of that legislation is that there is now a 15% corporate minimum tax. Wall Street experts have evaluated the provision and concluded that the impact of it would be minimal since very few companies were paying less before the act’s passage.

It’s important to note that the 15% minimum tax applies only to the adjusted financial statement income of companies that pay more than $1 billion in profits to shareholders.

The Inflation Reduction Act also included a 1% excise tax to be imposed upon shares repurchased by companies after December 31, 2021. Earlier proposed changes to the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax (BEAT) and Global Intangible Low-Tax Income (GILTI) were not included in the final bill. We are always watching to see what happens with pending tax legislation, and as a business owner, you should be too.

19. Consult a Tax Advisor

One of the best things you can do as a small business owner to minimize the amount of tax you are required to pay is to consult a tax advisor. Even if you are someone who keeps a close eye on business news and stays up to date on tax law changes, you still need professional advice to help you file your taxes.

Business tax filings can be complex, and the penalties for mistakes or oversights can be high. Ultimately, paying for a tax advisor will be less expensive than trying to clean up the aftermath of a mistake with your taxes.

The AMT credit can help you avoid paying a higher tax rate by offering a dollar-to-dollar reduction on previous years' taxes. Check our blog post, Alternative Minimum Tax Explained to find out how this works.

Small Business Tax Planning FAQ

Here are a couple of questions that we often hear from clients about small business tax planning.

How Much Does a Small Business Pay in Taxes?

This is a frequently asked question because people want to know how much they will need to pay, so they can prepare and be sure to have the money they need to meet their tax obligations.

The short answer is that every small business is unique, but we can still give you some idea of what to expect. The Small Business Administration released figures that showed an average of 19.8% as the effective tax rate for small businesses. The percentages can vary depending on your business structure and other factors.

There are five basic types of taxes that business owners may need to pay. They are as follows:

  • Income tax
  • Self-employment tax
  • Estimated tax
  • Employer tax
  • Excise tax

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 changed the tax code for corporations. As of January 1, 2018, C corporations have a flat corporate income tax rate of 21%. This rate does not apply to other business structures. You should keep in mind that if you have a sole proprietorship or partnership—and in some cases, an LLC—you may need to pay self-employment tax.

Why is Tax Planning Important for Small Businesses?

As a business owner, paying taxes is your obligation, but the amount you owe should never be a surprise. It’s essential to understand how business taxes work and estimate the amount you need to pay each quarter or year to ensure that you have the appropriate amount of money.

Tax planning is something that can help you make accurate tax estimates, make all tax filings and reports on time, and avoid the potential repercussions of not doing so. As business taxes can be complicated, we recommend working with an experienced tax professional to help you with tax planning. You should also know that tax planning is often the best way to find tax savings.

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Final Thoughts on Small Business Tax Strategies

Calculating, filing, and paying your business taxes can be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor. The 19 tax strategies we have reviewed here can help you understand your tax obligations and minimize your tax burden as you head into 2023.

Do you need assistance planning your income tax strategy? CMP can help create an excellent tax plan for you and your business.

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