Maximize your bottom line with the nation's most trusted small business tax guide
J.K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes 2020 is the small business owner's ultimate guide to a money-saving, stress-free tax season. Providing straightforward advice from the nation's most trusted tax expert on small business taxes, this book gives you the answers you need quickly, with clear, concise guidance. Updated to cover changes from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and other legislation, this edition also includes an e-supplement covering additional developments from Congress and the IRS to keep you fully up-to-date.
A complete listing of all available business deductions and credits helps you identify those you qualify for, and includes critical information on dollar limits, recordkeeping requirements, and how to actually take the write-off--all the way down to the IRS form to use. Organizational and planning strategies help you get through the process quickly and with fewer headaches, and this year's changes to the tax laws are explained in terms of how they affect your filing.
Keeping up with the intricacies of tax law and filing is a full-time job--but it's not your full-time job. You have a business to run. This book gives you the guidance you need in the time that you have so you can get taxes out of the way and get back to work.
* Learn which expenses qualify for deductions--and which ones don't
* Adopt a more organized recordkeeping system to streamline the filing process
* Explore small-business-specific strategies for starting or closing a business, running a sideline business, and operating in multiple businesses
* Decode the various forms and worksheets correctly with step-by-step guidance
* Audit-proof your return
* Review obligations for the "other taxes," including payroll and excise taxes
Every year, millions of small business owners overpay their taxes because they lack the time and expertise to make tax-sensitive business decisions throughout the year only to learn that it's too late to act when it comes to tax time. Now you can put your money back where it belongs--in your business. J.K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes 2020 helps you take wise actions during the year and tells you how to file completely and accurately while maximizing your bottom line.
J.K. Lasser's Small Business Taxes 2020: Your Complete Guide to a Better Bottom Line
Table of contents
Preface vii
Introduction xi
Part 1 Organization 1
1. Business Organization 3
2. Tax Year and Accounting Methods 42
3. Recordkeeping for Business Income and Deductions 60
Part 2 Business Income and Losses 73
4. Income or Loss from Business Operations 75
5. Capital Gains and Losses 113
6. Gains and Losses from Sales of Business Property 135
Part 3 Business Deductions and Credits 149
7. Employee Compensation: Salary, Wages, and Employee Benefits 151
8. Travel, Meals, and Gift Expenses 192
9. Car and Truck Expenses 220
10. Repairs, Maintenance, and Energy Improvements 248
11. Bad Debts 268
12. Rents 282
13. Taxes and Interest 294
14. First-Year Expensing, Depreciation, Amortization, and Depletion 311
15. Advertising Expenses 351
16. Retirement Plans 359
17. Casualty and Theft Losses 404
18. Home Office Deductions 420
19. Medical Coverage 440
20. Deductions and Tax Credits for Farmers 464
21. Qualified Business Income Deduction 477
22. Miscellaneous Business Deductions 492
23. Roundup of Tax Credits 534
Part 4 Tax Planning for Your Small Business 549
24. Income and Deduction Strategies 551
25. Tax Strategies for Opening or Closing a Business 568
26. Tax Strategies for a Sideline Business 583
27. Tax Strategies for Multiple Businesses 588
28. Alternative Minimum Tax 595
29. Other Taxes 601
30. Filing Tax Returns and Paying Taxes 622
31. Retirement and Succession Planning 636
32. Working with CPAs and Other Tax Professionals 644
33. Handling Audits with the IRS 649
Appendix A. Information Returns 654
Appendix B. Tax Penalties 663
Appendix C. Checklist of Tax-Related Corporate Resolutions 670
Appendix D. List of Dollar Limits and Amounts Adjusted for Inflation 673