Most of us will agree that our biggest investment is in our home. So, it shouldn’t surprise you that your house or condo is your first port-of-call whenever there’s a need to borrow money. And the easiest way to draw funds against the security of real estate is by arranging a Home Equity Loan.

Home Equity funding helps us in important ways:

• Number one, the interest rates payable on this type of loan are arguably the lowest available.
• Secondly, you can get the cash working for you quickly with the least bother, paperwork and tedious protocol.
• Then there’s the third big reason: help from Uncle Sam.

Up to now all interest payments on a Home Equity Loan were tax-deductible. It made borrowing almost a no-brainer! Who wouldn’t opt for already-low interest rates to be pulled even lower? Benefits like this are rear in our modern world where it seems like everything, including financing fees, are only going up.

Well, it’s time for a retake on the “Uncle Sam thing”: the new taxation laws as per the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, enacted in December of the same year, have removed some delectable treats from the traditional “Home Equity feast”.

Is it likely to change your borrowing behavior anytime soon? No, but it should give you pause. There’s a certain logic to it that really can’t be argued with. Here are the new Home Equity items to keep in mind:

• The amount you can borrow is tied to the value of the residence, be it a primary or secondary home. The I.R.S. has decided that your total loan value cannot be more than the assessed value of the asset as a start.
• And in combination with all other mortgages cannot exceed $750,000. So Home Equity lending is not the bottomless well some may believe it to be.
• Tax breaks haven’t disappeared but at the same time, they simply are not what they used to be. Any Home Equity draws you make from now on have to be used to build, renovate or essentially improve your residence to qualify the interest payable on them for a tax deduction.

So on this last point, for example: if you use your new funds to pay off student loans, reduce your credit card debt or splurge it on a vacation, nobody is going to stop you. What they are going to stop is anyone claiming tax relief for this type of expenditure for the foreseeable future.

TD Bank in a survey points out that 32% of Home Equity Lending fits the new definition for deductibility. Looking at it from the other side, 68% of the tax deductions we took for granted for so long now fall away. That said, we all know that there’s no substitute for smart thinking to make the most of new terms and conditions.

So don’t hesitate to consult with our professional tax team when it comes to making your Home Equity decisions, or to clarify your thinking on any tax matter. We often see benefits buried under the “strict letter of the law” – we could make a difference.

We offer financial management solutions for developers, property managers, realtors, brokers and other real estate businesses. Call us at 901-685-9411 today for more information or request a free consultation online now.

The new Section 199A provides self-employed taxpayers the ability to deduct up to 20% of their Qualified Business Income (QBI) on their tax returns. In general, QBI is net income that is received from a Qualified Trade or Business. However, there are some exclusions, the most common of which are capital gains, dividend and interest income. Additionally, any guaranteed payments or “reasonable compensation” paid to owners is excluded.

How Does the New Tax Law Define QBI?

Section 199A(c) defines QBI as, “the net amount of qualified items of income, gain, deduction, and loss with respect to any qualified trade or business of the taxpayer.” The section further states that qualified REIT dividends, qualified cooperative dividends, and qualified publicly traded partnership income are specifically excluded from the definition of QBI.

What are “Qualified Items of Income, Gain, Deduction, and Loss?”

Qualified items of income, gain, deduction, and loss are defined as items that are connected with a trade or business that is operated in the United States and are generally included or allowed when a business determines its taxable income for the year. However, there are items that are specifically excluded:

• Short-term capital gains and losses
• Long-term capital gains and losses
• Dividends
• Interest income
• Foreign personal holding income
• Income from an annuity if not received in connection with the business

These items may not be income or deductions for purposes of calculating QBI. A basic method of viewing QBI is “ordinary” income less “ordinary” expenses. In other words, investment gains and expenses are not QBI for Section 199A purposes.

Reasonable Compensation and Guaranteed Payments

In addition to the items discussed above, any reasonable compensation paid to the taxpayer by the business, including guaranteed payments, is not QBI. For example, if you receive $50,000 in wages from an LLC that you own and your share of income at the end of the year is $100,000 – only the $100,000 would be considered QBI.

Rikard & Neal CPAs, PLLC, a Memphis area CPA offers a FREE initial consultation to business owners. Email us or call us at 901-685-9411 today.

Increasing your profits requires selling more and/or spending less. While building up your sales may require an extended effort, business costs are often very ripe for a quick trimming. Here are some possibilities.

Supplies and Other Purchases

Usually in any business, relatively few items represent a very large share of all outlays. The first step in cutting expenses is, therefore, to identify your highest costs. You may be able to trim many of these costs by making sure you always bid out significant purchases or by more actively seeking less expensive alternatives.

For many companies, inventory carrying costs are a very significant expense. Focusing on matching your inventory quantities more closely to your short-term needs could result in significant savings.

Telecommunications and Other Services

The ongoing services you buy may also offer the potential for cost savings. Revisit your choice of telecommunications vendor and your usage.

Look carefully at your costs for financial services. If you borrow or maintain a line of credit, always compare the rates from more than one financing source before you commit. Make sure you are not paying higher-than-necessary fees for your company’s checking and deposit services.

Cash Management

To control cash outlays, take advantage of discounts for early payment whenever possible. And look to delay payments for as long as you can without giving up discounts.

On the receiving side, deposit all receipts daily. And always actively pursue collection of any invoices that are past due. To help control your working capital needs and, therefore, your credit costs, try to match any new liabilities to your anticipated cash flow.

Fixed Expenses

One other category worth examining is fixed expenses that are long-term commitments. While you usually can’t change these quickly, be aware of when a window for change will open and prepare well in advance by considering lower cost alternatives.

To learn more ways to control your business costs give Rickard & Neal CPAs a call today. Our trained staff of professionals are always available to answer any questions you may have.

Send us an e-mail or call us today at 901-685-9411 to discuss your business needs with an experienced CPA. Or, request a free consultation online.

Your income tax obligation needs to be on your mind year-round. It may feel like we just put the last tax season behind us, but it’s always good to think of ways to get a jump on your taxes. If you haven’t started thinking about how to minimize your income tax obligation for this year, there’s still time.

Whether you’re a small business or an individual taxpayer, year-round tax planning is more than just a way to make tax preparation an easier, faster process. By keeping taxes in mind as you go through every 12-month period, you’ll be able to see where you might take specific actions early that will have an impact on what you end up owing. Make it a habit, and you’ll find that it just comes naturally to consider the tax implications of purchase and sales decisions.

Create a System

Effective tax planning requires more than just saving receipts and organizing tax-related documents in physical or digital file folders – though that’s a good start. Create a system in early January that you can maintain throughout the year (of course, a lot of your information will be stored in your accounting or personal finance application, if you use one). But you should be saving statements, receipts, sales forms – anything related to your income and expenses that will eventually feed into IRS forms or schedules.

Evaluate Your Expense-Tracking

Businesses: How do you—and your employees, if you have them—keep track of daily expenses? You may have forms like purchase orders and bills for the big ones, but you probably buy things on occasion that are just documented by paper receipts. How do you categorize and organize these so you won’t miss any when it’s time to complete a Schedule C? Is there a better way?

Do any of your employees make trips on behalf of your business? You really should consider subscribing to an online service that automates the process of creating and approving expense reports. If you’re not aware of these options, ask us.

Know Your Tax Forms

Individuals and businesses file some of the same forms and schedules, but some, of course, are different. Your previous years’ tax returns can be good resources for you. Refer to them occasionally as you go through the year and do some comparing, especially if you must pay quarterly estimated taxes. You may not remember from year to year what’s deductible and what’s not. Revisiting your returns will jog your memory and remind you.

Consider Generosity

Are you having a good year? You’ll have an idea of how your financial health is if you’re keeping up with income and expenses. You don’t have to wait until the end of the year to do any charitable giving that you’re going to do (although it’s usually best to hold off until the fourth quarter).

Learn How Changes Will Affect Your Taxes

This is so important for individual taxpayers. Did you get married or divorced, or have a child? Did you move? Buy or sell a home? Get a raise or, conversely, lose regular income for some reason? Did you have educational expenses? All these life events—and more—can change your income tax obligation.

Businesses often experience major changes, too, and your financial state at the end of the year is way harder to predict than it is for an individual with W-2 income. Stay on top of the impact of deviations in income and expenses created by events like the introduction of new products (or the loss of existing ones), personnel fluctuations, and major acquisitions.

Comprehensive Planning

Tax planning should be an element of your overall financial planning. If you have a business or household budget, you’re way ahead of the game. You can compare your actual income and expenses every month to those you built into your budget. A budget can be a tremendous tool as you plan for the current year’s taxes. If you’ve never created one, or if you’ve never stuck to one successfully, we can help you with this.

We’d also be happy to work with you throughout the year on taxes. We can get you set up with financial software if you’re not already using it and advise you on ways to work toward minimizing your next year’s tax obligation now with our robust Memphis Tax Services. Call us today at 901-685-9411.