Article Highlights:

Predicting Social Security Income
Planning for the Future
Employer Retirement Plans
Tax Incentive Retirement Savings Plans

Some folks have been tapping or suspending their retirement savings to make ends meet during this COVID-19 pandemic, and although understandable, it is important that they continue making contributions to their savings as quickly as financially possible. Still other people have simply been ignoring the need to save for their retirement, which can have an unpleasant result when it comes time to retire. That tends to be the case with younger individuals who perceive retirement to be far in the future and therefore believe they have plenty of time to save for it. Some will postpone the issue until late in life and then must scramble during their last few working years to fund their retirement. Other people ignore the issue altogether, thinking their Social Security income (assuming they qualify for it) will take care of their retirement needs. By current government standards, a single individual with $12,490 or a married couple with $16,910 of annual household income is at the 100% poverty level. If you compare those levels with potential Social Security benefits, you may find that expecting to retire on just Social Security income may result in a bleak retirement. You can predict your future Social Security income by visiting the Social Security Administration’s Retirement Estimator. With the Retirement Estimator, you can plug in some basic information to get an instant, personalized estimate of your future benefits. Different life choices can alter the course of your future, so try out different scenarios – such as higher and lower future earnings amounts and various retirement dates – to get a good idea of how these scenarios can change your future benefit amounts. Once you’ve done this, consider what your retirement would be like with only Social Security income. If you are fortunate enough to have an employer-, union-, or government-funded retirement plan, determine how much you can expect to receive when you retire. Add that amount to any Social Security benefits you are entitled to and then consider what retirement would be like with that combined income. If this result portends an austere retirement, know that you will be better off the sooner you start saving for retirement. With today’s low interest rates and up-and-down stock market, it is much more difficult to grow a retirement plan with earnings than it was 10 or 20 years ago. With current interest rates not even, or just barely, covering inflation rates, there is little or no effective growth. That means one must set aside more of one’s current earnings to prepare for a comfortable retirement. Because the government wants you to save and prepare for your own retirement, tax laws offer a variety of tax incentives for retirement savings plans, both for wage earners and for self-employed individuals and their employees. These plans include the following:

Traditional IRA – This plan allows up to $6,000 (or $7,000 for individuals aged 50 and over) of tax-deductible contributions each year. In the past, you could no longer make contributions after reaching age 70½. However, beginning in 2020 and for future years, contributions can be made at any age as long as you have work earnings for the year that the contribution applies. The amount that can be deducted phases out for higher-income taxpayers who also have retirement plans through their employers.
Roth IRA – This plan also allows up to $6,000 (or $7,000 for individuals aged 50 and over) of nondeductible contributions each year. The amount that can be contributed phases out for higher-income taxpayers; unlike the Traditional IRA, these amounts phase out even for those who do not have an employer-related retirement plan. Note the difference: the phaseout applies to the deductible amount for Traditional IRAs, whereas the contribution amount phases out for Roth IRAs.
Spousal IRAs – Spouses with no compensation for the year may contribute to their own IRA based upon their spouse’s compensation. If the unemployed spouse chooses a traditional IRA and the working spouse participates in an employer’s plan, the contribution’s deductibility phases out when adjusted gross income is between $196,000 and $206,000; if a Roth IRA is chosen, the contribution limit also phases out between $196,000 and $206,000, even if the working spouse isn’t covered by an employer’s plan
Employer 401(k) Plans – An employer’s 401(k) plan generally enables employees to contribute up to $19,500 per year, before taxes. In addition, taxpayers who are age 50 and over can contribute an extra $6,500 annually, for a total of $26,000. Many employers also match a percentage of the employee’s contribution, and this can amount to a significant sum for those who stay in the plan for many years.
Health Savings Accounts – Although established to help individuals with high-deductible health insurance plans pay their medical expenses, these accounts can also be used as supplemental retirement plans if an individual has already maxed out his or her contributions to other types of plans. Annual contributions for these plans can be as much as $3,550 for individuals and $7,100 for families.
Tax Sheltered Annuities – These retirement accounts are for employees of public schools and certain tax-exempt organizations; they enable employees to make annual tax-deferred contributions of up to $19,500 (or $26,000 for those aged 50 and over).
Self-Employed Retirement Plans – These plans, also referred to as Keogh plans, allow self-employed individuals to contribute 25% of their net business profits to their retirement plans. The contributions are pre-tax (which means that they reduce the individual’s taxable net profits), so the actual amount that can be contributed is 20% of the net profits.
Simplified Employee Pension Plan (SEP) – These are plans that are relatively easy for a self-employed individual to set up and can be established in the following year up to the due date of the tax return, including the extended due date if an extension is filed. They are quite commonly used by self-employed individuals without employees and may also be used by self-employed individuals who are willing to make contributions on behalf of their employees. The contribution limit for the self-employed individual is the lesser of 25% of their compensation (which equates to 20% of the net profits from self-employment, after deducting the SEP contribution) or $57,000 for 2020. Contributions made on behalf of employees are deductible as a business expense, while the contributions for the self-employed individual are deducted as an above-the-line deduction on the individual’s income tax return.

Multiple Plan Limitations – If individuals wish to maximize their retirement contributions, they may become involved in more than one plan and end up with a combination of plans. This is where some overall limitations apply and where individuals can unknowingly make excess contributions, resulting in penalties and requirements to make corrective distributions.

401(k)s – It is not uncommon for individuals to have multiple employers, each with a 401(k) plan. This can possibly create a situation in which the employee makes an excess elective-deferred compensation contribution. The annual maximum limit applies to all 401(k) contributions combined.
Combinations of Deferred Income Plans – There is also a $57,000 limit for 2020 on the aggregate amount of all elective deferrals made by an individual during the year. Plans affected by this limit include the following:
o 401(k) plans, o SEP plans, o SIMPLE plans, and o Tax-sheltered annuities (TSAs, also referred to as 403(b) plans)
However, Code Sec. 457 plans (government plans) are not included in the overall deferral limitations
IRAs – The IRA limits apply to the aggregate contributions to traditional and Roth IRAs. However, an individual can have both an IRA and deferred income plans.

Saver’s Credit – To help lower-income taxpayers save for retirement, Congress several years ago included a provision in the tax law that allows a 10%, 20%, or 50% tax credit on up to $2,000 of retirement plan and IRA contributions per year. The percentage of the credit depends on the taxpayer’s filing status and income (when the income is lower, the percentage is higher). For 2020, the maximum AGI at which a credit can be claimed is $64,000 for taxpayers filing a joint return, $48,000 for head-of-household filers, and $32,000 for all other filing statuses. For example, a single individual with an income of $30,000, who made an IRA contribution of $2,000 in 2020, would be eligible for a Saver’s Credit of $400 ($2,000 x 20%). Thus, their $2,000 IRA contribution would actually cost them only $1,600. Qualified 2020 Distributions – For 2020, the Congress did provide relief from the early 10% distribution penalty on up to $100,000 for distributions from IRAs and qualified retirement plans. Individuals who qualify for these distributions include the following:

Those diagnosed with the virus SARS-CoV-2 or coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) by a test approved by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention,
A spouse or dependent who is diagnosed with such virus or disease by such a test, or
An individual (or the individual’s spouse or household member) that experiences adverse financial consequences as a result of being quarantined, being furloughed/laid off or having work hours reduced due to such virus or disease, being unable to work due to lack of child care resulting from such virus or disease, or closing or reducing hours of a business owned or operated by the individual due to such virus or disease.

If you were eligible and took a distribution, you can either include the income all in 2020 or include one-third in each of the years 2020, 2021, and 2022. You also have the option to return the distribution to your retirement plan or IRA and restore your retirement savings. The recontribution would need to be made within three years of the date of the distribution. You don’t have to return all of the distribution, but what you can return will certainly help your retirement savings. Plus, the IRS will refund the taxes you paid on the amount you returned to your retirement plan. Each individual’s financial resources, family obligations, health, life expectancy, and retirement expectations will vary greatly, and there is no one-size-fits-all retirement savings strategy for everyone. Purchasing a home and putting children through college are exemplary events that can limit an individual’s or family’s ability to make retirement contributions; these events must be accounted for in any retirement planning. If you have questions about any of the retirement vehicles discussed above, please give this office a call.

If you are a small business owner, every penny of your income counts. This means that you not only want to optimize your revenue, but also minimize your expenses and your tax liability. Unfortunately, far too many entrepreneurs are not well-versed on the tricks and tools available to them and end up paying far more than they need to. You don’t need an accounting degree to take advantage of tax-cutting tips. Here are a few of our favorites. THINK ABOUT CHANGING TO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TAX STRUCTURE When you started your business, one of the first decisions you needed to make was whether you wanted to operate as a sole proprietor, partnership, LLC, S corporation or C corporation. But as more time goes by, the initial reasons for structuring your business the way that you did may no longer be applicable, or in your best interest from a tax perspective. There is no requirement that you stick with the business structure you initially chose. Ever since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) changed the highest corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, sole proprietorships, LLCs, partnerships and S corporations can realize significant tax savings by electing to be taxed as a C corporation. This simple change can make sense if the owner of these pass-through businesses is taxed at a high tax bracket. If so, all you need to do is fill out and file Form 8832. Before doing so, make sure that the tax savings you can realize are a reasonable tradeoff for the other reasons that you may have originally selected the structure you are currently in. PASS THROUGH BUSINESSES CAN GET A 20% TAX BREAK One of the most impactful changes that the TCJA made for pass-through businesses whose income is passed through for taxation as their owners’ personal income is a valuable tax break known as the qualified business income (QBI) deduction. For those that are eligible, this deduction is worth a maximum 20% tax break on the income they receive from the business – but determining whether or not you are eligible can be a challenge. There are several restrictions on taking advantage of the deduction, particularly with reference to specified service trade or businesses (SSTBs) whose owners either earn too much income or rely specifically on their employees’ or owners’ reputation or skill. Though architecture and engineering firms escape this limitation, other business models – including medical practices, law firms, professional athletes and performing artists, financial advisors, investment managers, consulting firms and accountants – fall into the category that lose out on the deduction if their income is too high. In 2019 single business owners of SSTBs began phasing out at $160,700 and are excluded once their income exceeds $210,700, while those who are married filing a joint return phase out at $321,400 and are excluded at $421,400. To calculate the deduction, use Part II of Form 8995-A. Businesses that are not SSTBs are eligible to take the deduction even when they pass the upper limits of the thresholds, but only for either half of the business owners’ share of the W-2 wages paid by the business or a quarter of those wages plus 2.5% of their share of qualified property. These limitations and specifications for what type of business is and is not eligible are head-spinning, and though it is tempting to simply take the deduction, it’s a good idea to confirm whether you qualify and how to claim it with our office before moving forward. KNOW HOW YOU’RE GOING TO PAY YOUR TAXES It is incredibly rewarding to live the dream of owning your own small business, but the hard work required to generate revenue makes paying taxes extra painful. This is especially true because of the “pay as you go” tax system that the United States uses, which asks business owners to make quarterly estimated payments. While employees pay their taxes ahead via payroll deductions withheld by their employers, there is no such automatic system set up for small business owners, and that leaves many with the temptation of delaying making payments in order to maintain liquidity. Unfortunately, failing to pay taxes quarterly can put you in the uncomfortable position of still having to pay at one point, with the additional burden of penalties and interest as a result of your delay. Though setting aside the money to pay taxes requires discipline, doing so will save you from the penalties charged by the IRS, which are calculated based on the amount you should have paid each quarter multiplied by both your shortfall and the effective interest rate during the specific quarter (established as 3 percent over the federal short-term rate – C corporations pay a different rate). Even if you don’t calculate your quarterly estimated rates correctly, the safe harbor rule allows small businesses to pay the lower amount of either 90% of the tax due on your current year return or 100% of the tax shown on your last filed tax return. For those whose AGI was over $150,000 in the previous tax year, the safe harbor percentage is 110% of the previous year’s taxes. While it is always a good idea to increase the amount you send in if you are having a higher-income year, by doing a simple calculation of your safe harbor number and dividing it by four, you have a reasonable quarterly payment that you can safely send in on the due dates (April 15th, June 15th, September 15th and January 15th of the following year). By setting aside the appropriate percentage that you will owe from each payment you receive, you can easily set aside the money you will need to pay and entirely avoid concerns about penalties or interest. Payment is most easily submitted using the online link for IRS Direct Pay, though many people opt for sending in the paper vouchers for IRS Form 1040-ES, along with a check. There is also an EFTPS system available for C Corporations’ use. CHOOSE YOUR ACCOUNTING METHOD CAREFULLY Each small business owner calculates their income and revenue differently, with many using a method of accounting that is based on when money is received rather than when an order is placed and counts expenses when they are paid rather than the item or service ordered. This is known as the cash method of accounting. Whatever method of accounting you use, smart business owners can strategically adjust their approach, reporting their annual income based on cash receipts in order to reduce their end-of-year revenues, especially if there is reason to believe that next year’s income will be lower or, for some other reason, they anticipate being in a lower tax bracket. An example of how this approach would be helpful can be seen in the case of a business that expects to add new employees in the new year. Between that expense and other improvements planned, it makes sense to anticipate that net income will be down and the tax bracket for the business will be lower, so any work done or orders placed towards the end of the current tax year should be accounted for when payments arrive so that the income can be taxed at a lower rate. The contrast to this is if you are anticipating your business revenue increasing and being forced into a higher tax bracket in the new year: in that case it makes sense to try to collect monies for work done in the current year early, so that you can take advantage of your current, lower tax rate. The same can be done for business expenses such as office supplies and equipment, which can be deferred and accelerated in the same way so that you can take advantage of tax deductions in the way that is most advantageous. ESTABLISH AND MAKE DEPOSITS INTO A 401K OR SEP One of the smartest ways to lower your taxable income is to contribute to a retirement account. Not only does doing so lower your business’ tax liability, but also ensures a more secure future. As a small business owner, either a 401(K) plan or a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan will do the trick while benefiting both you and those who work for you in the future. While a 401(k) that is established prior to year-end will let you deduct any contributions you make (with contributions limited to the lower of $57,000 or the employee’s total compensation), business owners who fail to set up this type of plan by December 31st can still turn to the SEP as an alternative. Though SEP contributions are restricted to 25% of the business owner’s net profit less the SEP contribution itself (technically 20%), a SEP can be established, and contributions made up until the extended due date of your return. If you obtain an extension for filing your tax return, you have until the end of that extension period to deposit the contribution, regardless of when you actually file the return. IF YOU TOOK OUT A PPP LOAN, PLAN ON IT BEING FORGIVEN Many small businesses took advantage of the PPP loans that were offered by the government in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. While these loans were attractive because they are forgivable and gave businesses a chance to survive the dire circumstances, in April of 2020 the IRS issued Notice 2020-32, which indicated that despite the fact that the forgivable loans can be excluded from gross income, the expenses associated with the moneys received cannot be deducted. This effectively erases the tax benefit initially offered because losing the employee and expense deduction increases the business’ income and profitability. There is some chance that this issue will be resolved by Congress, as it clearly contradicts the original intent of the tax benefit that accompanied the PPP funds, but that action has not yet been taken. It’s a good idea to talk to our office about this as soon as possible, as having to pay taxes on expenses incurred may be particularly challenging in the face of the difficulties the pandemic has imposed. Being financially prepared to pay more taxes than you originally intended may be a bitter pill to swallow but will still be better than having to pay penalties and interest if you fail to pay what the government says that you owe. Though all of these strategies can be helpful, they may not all be appropriate for your situation. Keep them in mind as you go into the end of the year and be prepared to ask questions to determine which apply to you when you speak with our office. Contact us to discuss tax planning for your business today.

December 1 – EmployersDuring December, ask employees whose withholding allowances will be different in 2021 to fill out a new Form W4 or Form W4(SP).December 15 – Social Security, Medicare and Withheld Income Tax If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in November.December 15 – Nonpayroll Withholding If the monthly deposit rule applies, deposit the tax for payments in November.December 15 – Corporations The fourth installment of estimated tax for 2020 calendar year corporations is due. December 31 – Last Day to Set Up a Keogh Account for 2020 If you are self-employed, December 31 is the last day to set up a Keogh Retirement Account if you plan to make a 2020 Contribution. If the institution where you plan to set up the account will not be open for business on the 31st, you will need to establish the plan before the 31st. Note: there are other options such as SEP plans that can be set up after the close of the year. Please call the office to discuss your options.December 31 – Caution! Last Day of the Year If the actions you wish to take cannot be completed on the 31st or a single day, you should consider taking action earlier than December 31st.

December 1 – Time for Year-End Tax Planning December is the month to take final actions that can affect your tax result for 2020. Taxpayers with substantial increases or decreases in income, changes in marital status or dependent status, and those who sold property during 2020 should call for a tax planning consultation appointment.December 10 – Report Tips to Employer If you are an employee who works for tips and received more than $20 in tips during November, you are required to report them to your employer on IRS Form 4070 no later than December 10. Your employer is required to withhold FICA taxes and income tax withholding for these tips from your regular wages. If your regular wages are insufficient to cover the FICA and tax withholding, the employer will report the amount of the uncollected withholding in box 12 of your W-2 for the year. You will be required to pay the uncollected withholding when your return for the year is filed.December 31 – Last Day to Make Mandatory IRA Withdrawals Last day to withdraw funds from a Traditional IRA Account and avoid a penalty if you turned age 70½ before 2020. If the institution holding your IRA will not be open on December 31, you will need to arrange for withdrawal before that date.December 31 – Last Day to Pay Deductible Expenses for 2020 Last day to pay deductible expenses for the 2020 return (doesn’t apply to IRA, SEP or Keogh contributions, all of which can be made after December 31, 2020). December 31 –  Caution! Last Day of the Year If the actions you wish to take cannot be completed on the 31st or a single day, you should consider taking action earlier than December 31st.

There are few things that can send a chill down your spine more than mail from the IRS. Just seeing the agency’s name on an envelope’s return address creates anxiety. If you find yourself in that position and open the mail to find a CP2000 notice inside, you don’t need to panic — but you do need to know what to do. What Is a CP2000 Notice? The Internal Revenue Service sends out CP2000 notices to taxpayers whose submitted tax returns do not reflect what’s been submitted by employers and others that provide the agency with information on the income you’ve received over the course of the tax year. Though these forms are not notifications that you’re subject to an audit, they do carry the full weight of an IRS inquiry, and as such you are required to respond fully and promptly by the indicated deadline. The CP2000 is not just a notice that something doesn’t look right. Also known as an underreporter inquiry, it is notification that the income information the agency has received about you via forms like your W-2 and any 1099s does not match the information you’ve provided on your tax return. It can also point to issues the agency has regarding credits or deductions that you’ve taken. In addition to detailing those discrepancies, it will also suggest the amount of tax that you owe based on the new information and the amount of penalty that the agency has calculated would be appropriate based on the information they have. A CP2000 notification is not the final word on monies owed or penalties. These notifications are computer-generated, and the system is not considered infallible. Taxpayers can file appeals arguing against both the determination and the penalties, and these appeals frequently address the situation completely or significantly reduce the amount owed. But they do need to be answered. What should you do if you receive a CP2000 Notice? The first thing to do is to take a deep breath. A CP2000 notice is no reason for panic, but it is definitely a reason to reach out to our tax office. That’s because there is a specific process that needs to be followed, and it must be completed within the time frame that the IRS dictates. At its core the process involves investigation and response, but the steps are more complicated than that. If you’re a current client, contact our office so we can help you with these steps. If you aren’t a client yet, it’s highly recommended that you contact us and don’t try to undergo this complex process alone:

Determine whether you do, in fact, owe the taxes that the IRS has indicated that you owe. To do that you’ll need to retrieve all of the documents and statements that you’ve received under your Social Security Number for the year to make sure that you included everything on your tax return.
If you find that you failed to include all income, you’ll need to recalculate your taxes, determining whether the missed information impacts deductions or credits that you’re owed or that you took. This calculation can then be compared to the number that the IRS provided for both the taxes you owe and the penalty that has been suggested.
If you believe that the IRS calculation is correct, respond using the form provided, including any monies owed. If the amount exceeds your ability to pay at the moment, the IRS provides the ability to ask for an installment agreement.
If you believe that the IRS calculation is wrong or only partially correct, you will need to provide documentation of why and submit that information to the agency. If some of their information is correct and your tax return needs to be modified, include the corrected return. Note that there is a difference between a corrected return – which is what you should use – and an amended return. Once the IRS reviews your corrections, they will either accept them and make the correction on your behalf or reject your response.
If you agree that errors existed and want to discuss the penalties proposed by the IRS, the underreporter notice response can be used for these purposes.
Await a response from the IRS. If you have not heard back in eight weeks, you can either call to determine the outcome of your case or check online to see whether a resolution has been noted. If the agency denies your response you are able to file an appeal.

Avoiding the same problem in the future It’s important to keep in mind that if you’ve left essential income information off of your tax return once, there may be a problem within your information-gathering process that needs to be fixed. Take care to avoid future mistakes by gathering all of your income information before submitting your return, and if you’re not sure whether you have all of your wage and income transcripts you can request copies from the agency (though they are not likely to be complete until late May, long after the filing deadline.) It’s also a good idea to go back and make sure that previously-filed returns are also error-free. If you find the same issue, quickly filing an amended return will save you from having to pay a hefty penalty. If you need professional help Receiving a CP2000 notice is intimidating, and seeking professional assistance with the process is a smart move. If you’d like our help with responding, start by gathering the following: a copy of the notice and the associated tax return; tax returns from the year before and after the return the notice was sent about; copies of any responses that you’ve submitted and any other CP2000 notices you’ve received in the past; and any documents associated with deductions or expenses related to the subject of the CP2000. With those things in hand, contact us and set up a time to discuss your situation.

A painful year is drawing to a close. We’ll still be dealing with COVID-19 and a struggling economy in early 2021, but there’s hope on the horizon. There’s a lot you can’t control about the difficulties facing our country, but you can take control of your corner of it, especially in terms of how you manage your finances. If you’re already using QuickBooks Online, you know how it’s solved the paperwork confusion of the past. But are you taking advantage of all of its capabilities? As you turn your digital calendar to January, consider expanding your use of the website to set yourself up for success in the new year. Here are five features to explore if you haven’t already. Practice Proactive Reconciliation: QuickBooks Online’s Banking screen display registers for the bank and credit card transactions that have been posted by your banks. Do you review these frequently? It’s easy, and it’s important. It will save time when you do your monthly reconciliations with your bank statements. Hover over Transactions in the toolbar and select Banking. You can see some of your transaction management options in the image below.
Once QuickBooks Online has downloaded a transaction from your bank, you have multiple options for dealing with it and clearing it.
When your statement comes and you’re ready to reconcile, you can use QuickBooks Online’s tools that take you step by step through the process. Hover over Accounting in the toolbar and select Reconcile. Let us know if you need help with reconciliation or with managing downloaded transactions. Start Accepting Online Payments: This is probably the #1 way to encourage customers to pay you faster. When you set up a merchant account through QuickBooks Payments, you’re be able to accept credit cards, debit cards, and ACH bank transfers. Your invoices will include a Pay Now button and will contain the information your customers need to pay electronically. Their funds will go into your bank account. There are other ways they can pay you directly. You can take their card numbers over the phone. You can also get a free card reader from Intuit and swipe their cards on your mobile device. And you can set up recurring payments that will occur automatically. There are no base fees – you just pay per transaction. Set Weekly and Monthly Report Schedules: You may just run reports in QuickBooks Online as you need them. Some reports, though, should be created every week at a minimum, like Accounts receivable aging (detail or summary), Accounts Payable Aging, Open invoices, and Unpaid Bills. There are many others, but you need to keep a close watch on what you owe and who owes you.
We can help you create and analyze the standard financial reports that should be produced regularly.
It’s important to run some other reports on a monthly (or, sometimes, quarterly) basis, including Balance Sheet, Profit and Loss, and Statement of Cash Flows. Rather than just providing snapshots of where you stand with money coming in and going out, they give you a more comprehensive view of your finances that can help you make better business decisions. They’re complex and often difficult to analyze, though, which is why QuickBooks Online categorizes them as For my accountant. We can create and interpret these for you. Expand QuickBooks Online’s Features by Using Apps: QuickBooks Online is generic enough that it can be used by a wide variety of small businesses. But that flexibility may mean that it’s not quite robust enough in one area or another, like inventory management or time tracking. There are hundreds of apps that you can integrate with QuickBooks Online to fill in the gaps. Some are free. Click on Apps in the toolbar. Again, we’re available to help if you need assistance. Evaluate the Cost-effectiveness of Your Vendors: It’s easy to stick with the same old suppliers because it’s a hassle to change. But so many companies are hurting because of the pandemic that you may find you can get what you need for less. To go over your whole list, hover over Expenses in the toolbar and click on Vendors. You might clean up your list while you’re at it. Click the down arrow at the end of each row and select Make inactive if you haven’t ordered from specific suppliers over the last year. As we said earlier, we’re available to meet with you and explain any of the concepts discussed here in more depth. It’s still a hard time for so many small businesses, and we want to be of help wherever we can.

Article Highlights:

De Minimis Fringe Benefits
Cash Gifts
Gift Certificates
Group Meals
FICA and Wage Withholding

It is common practice this time of year for employers to give their employees gifts. Where a gift is infrequently offered and has a fair market value so low that it is impractical and unreasonable to account for it, the gift’s value would be treated as a de minimis fringe benefit. As such, it would be tax-free to the employee, and its cost would be tax deductible by the employer. De Minimis Benefits – In general, a de minimis benefit is one that, considering its value and the frequency with which it is provided, is so minor as to make accounting for it unreasonable or impractical. De minimis benefits are excluded from income under Internal Revenue Code section 132(a)(4) and include items not specifically excluded under other sections of the Code. Examples of de minimis benefits include such items as:

Controlled, occasional employee use of a company photocopier.
Occasional snacks, coffee, doughnuts, etc., furnished to employees.
Occasional tickets for entertainment events given to employees.
Holiday gifts from the employer to the employees.
Occasional meal money or transportation expenses paid for by the employer for employees working overtime.
Group-term life insurance on the life of an employee’s spouse or dependent with a face value not more than $2,000.
Flowers, fruit, books, etc., provided to employees under special circumstances, such as a birthday or illness.
Personal use of a cell phone provided by an employer primarily for business purposes.

In determining whether a benefit is de minimis, you should always consider its frequency and value. An essential element of a de minimis benefit is that it is occasional or unusual in frequency. It also must not be a form of disguised compensation. Whether an item or service is de minimis depends on all the facts and circumstances. In addition, if a benefit is too large to be considered de minimis, the entire value of the benefit is taxable to the employee, not just the excess over a designated de minimis amount. The IRS has ruled previously that items with a value exceeding $100 cannot be considered de minimis, even under unusual circumstances. Holiday Gifts – A gift of cash, regardless of the amount, is considered additional wages and subject to employment taxes (FICA) and withholding taxes. Caution: If the gift recipient is a W-2 employee, the employer may not issue them a Form 1099-NEC or a 1099-MISC for a holiday gift of cash; the amount must be treated as W-2 income. When an employer gives gift certificates, debit cards or similar items that are convertible to cash, the value is considered additional wages regardless of the amount. However, if the gift is a coupon that is nontransferable and convertible only into a turkey, ham, gift basket or the like at a particular establishment, the gift coupon is not treated as a cash equivalent. Holiday group meals, cocktail parties, picnics or similar events for employees are also treated as de minimis fringe benefits. If you have questions about the tax treatment of holiday gifts to employees, please give this office a call.