OnTarget CPA Blog
14 Nov Installment sales offer both tax pluses and tax minuses
Whether you’re selling your business or acquiring another company, the tax consequences can have a major impact on the transaction’s success or failure. Consider installment sales, for example. The sale of a business might be structured as an installment sale if the buyer lacks sufficient cash...
14 Nov Are you coordinating your income tax planning with your estate plan?
Until recently, estate planning strategies typically focused on minimizing federal gift and estate taxes, such as by giving away assets during life to reduce the taxable estate. Today, however, the focus has moved toward income taxes, making the coordination of income tax planning and estate...
14 Nov Are you timing business income and expenses to your tax advantage?
Typically, it’s better to defer tax. One way is through controlling when your business recognizes income and incurs deductible expenses. Here are two timing strategies that can help businesses do this: Defer income to next year. If your business uses the cash method of accounting,...
14 Nov A quick look at the President-elect’s tax plan for businesses
The election of Donald Trump as President of the United States could result in major tax law changes in 2017. Proposed changes spelled out in Trump’s tax reform plan released earlier this year that would affect businesses include: • Reducing the top corporate income tax rate...
12 Nov The wrong life insurance beneficiary can wreak havoc with your estate plan
Life insurance can be a powerful financial and estate planning tool, but its benefits may be reduced or even eliminated if you designate the wrong beneficiary or fail to change beneficiaries when your circumstances change. Here are common pitfalls to avoid: Naming your estate as beneficiary. Doing...
12 Nov 3 ways to get started on next year’s budget
As the year winds down, business owners have a lot to think about. One item that you should keep top of mind is next year’s budget. A well-conceived budget can go a long way toward keeping expenses in line and cash flow strong. The question...
08 Nov It’s time to “harvest” investment losses
If you hold investments outside of tax-advantaged retirement plans, you may be able to take steps before year end to reduce your 2016 tax liability. Offsetting gains with losses Suppose you’ve sold investments at a loss this year but you have other investments in your portfolio that...
07 Nov Tips for efficient year-end physical inventory counts
Do you dread the year-end physical inventory count? Business owners and managers often view these procedures as time consuming and disruptive. But a well-executed inventory count is more than a matter of compliance. It can also provide valuable insight into improving operational efficiency. Here’s how...