Double Your Deductions and Slash Your Taxes Now


Copyright 2003 Wayne M. Davies Inc.

 

How To Instantly Double Your Deductions

And Slash Your Taxes to the Bone . . .

 

. . . After Tax Season Is Over,

During the Lazy, Hazy Days of Summer,

and When The Autumn Leaves Fall

 

 

The Easiest Way for Any Small Business

(including Home-Based & Part-Time Businesses)

to Immediately and Legally Pay Less Tax NOW

 

(oh, this includes Self-Employed People, too!)

 

By

Wayne M. Davies

 

 

Compliments of:

Ken Engle, CPA

1600 SE 1st Street, Mineral Wells, TX 76067

Tel: (940) 325-6800  /   Fax: (940) 325-6803

Email: kengle@cfohelp.com

http://www.cfohelp.com

 

 

 

 


Copyright 2003 Wayne M. Davies Inc.

 

ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED.  No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in whole or in part, in any form or by any means (mechanical, electronic,  photocopying, recording, or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the Publisher.

 

 

 

Published by:

Wayne M. Davies Inc.

 

 

DISCLAIMER AND/OR LEGAL NOTICES:

 

While all attempts have been made to verify information provided in this publication, neither the Author nor the Publisher assumes any responsibility for errors, inaccuracies or omissions.  Any slights of people or organizations are unintentional.

 

Neither the Publisher nor the Author are rendering tax, legal, accounting, or other professional advice.  Tax strategies and techniques depend on an individual's facts and circumstances; accordingly, the information presented in this book must be correlated with the individual's tax situation to establish applicability.  Moreover, because of the complexity of the tax laws, the constant changes resulting from new developments, and the necessity of determining appropriateness to a particular taxpayer or business entity, it is important that professional advice be sought before implementing the tax ideas presented in this book.

 

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

 

 


Table of Contents

 

Forward

 

Introduction

 

PART ONE:

Timely Tax Tidbits Guaranteed to Tickle Your Tastebuds

 

Tax Tidbit #1:

How To Turn Non-Deductible Commuting Mileage Into A

Legitimate Business Expense

 

Tax Tidbit #2:

How To Get A $1,000 Refund By Filing An Amended Tax Return

 

Tax Tidbit #3:

Carpe Diem -- Seize The Per Diem Method (and Throw Away Your Receipts)

 

Tax Tidbit #4:

How to Let the IRS Pay for Your Kids' Summer Camp

 

Tax Tidbit #5:

How to Deduct Your Next Vacation

 

 

PART TWO:

New Tax Law Turns Small Biz Loophole Into A Crater!

 

 

PART THREE:

The Biggest Tax Mistake You Can Ever Make (and How To Avoid It)

 

 

PART FOUR:

Why the Most Important Business Decision You Probably Never Made is the Key to Paying Thousands Less in Taxes

 

 

Forward – It’s action that matters.


Introduction

 

 

As you probably already know, taxes is the largest expense you have.

 

Period.

 

So, what is the easiest way for you to increase your cashflow and put more money in your pocket? The answer is obvious: Reduce your taxes.

 

Period.

 

And that's the purpose of this eBook. To give you, the typical Small Business Owner or Self-Employed Person, easy-to-understand and easy-to-implement tax reduction strategies.

 

By the way, if you are not a Small Biz Owner or Self-Employed Person, you probably won't find much to help you here. Sorry!

 

And by "Small Business", I'm including the Part-Time Business Owner as well as the Home-Based Business Owner. Maybe you've got a regular full-time "day job" and have aspirations to some day tell your boss to take this job and . . . .

 

Ooops! Sorry there. I didn't mean to get you all worked up. Let's stay focused on paying less tax, shall we?

 

As I was saying, even if your business is very small and you only devote a few hours a week to it, you can still take advantage of every deduction in this ebook. Honest!

 

I've done my best to keep this stuff simple. Let's get started!

 

 

 

 

PART ONE:

Timely Tax Tidbits Guaranteed to Tickle Your Tastebuds

 

 

Taxes is an incredibly complicated subject. Do you ever feel like it's just not worth trying to understand our crazy tax system? If so, you are not alone. That's how most small biz owners feel.

 

That's why I've written this ebook -- to explain some of the best tax-saving strategies in true "plain English".

 

If you'll take a few minutes to master the content of this ebook, you can easily put several thousand dollars in your pocket instantly!

 

So let's start with a few short but sweet "tax nuggets" for the Small Biz Owner and/or Self-Employed Person, each morsel serving up a specific tax reduction strategy guaranteed to tickle your monetary tastebuds.

 

The U.S. Tax Code is so big, there's only one way to digest it: one little nibble at a time.

 

Just like a piece of candy, one small bite of tax knowledge can give you one very delicious deduction!

 

 

 

 

 

Tax Tidbit #1:

 

How To Turn Non-Deductible Commuting Mileage Into A

Legitimate Business Expense

 

 

For most folks, commuting mileage is a non-deductible expense -- unless you know the little tax trick I'm about to reveal.

 

The non-deductibility of commuter miles is painfully true for the employee who fights rush hour traffic every day, twice a day, for 5 to 10 hours a week.

 

All that hassle, and what does he have to show for it?

 

Just gas money down the drain, not to mention the wear and tear on both his vehicle and his stress-o-meter.

 

You can deduct virtually all your mileage, including the miles you log from your home to the office or other place of  business, if you meet the following two criteria:

 

1. You are a small business owner or self-employed person, and

 

2. You have two offices or work locations: one outside the home (Office #1) and one inside the home (Office #2).

 

Having two offices is very common for today's self-employed professional. The store owner, the shopkeeper, the salesman, the plumber, the consultant -- all these folks are typically self-employed and have two offices: one where they meet with the public (Office #1), the other at home, where they get their paperwork done (Office #2).

 

Here's how it works:

 

Every day you get up and "go to work." But you don't  get in the car and drive to Office #1 right away. If you did that, even as a self-employed person, you would be racking up non-deductible commuting miles, just like the employee.

 

Instead, you grab a cup of coffee and head to Office #2 first, which takes all of 30 seconds.

 

After working in Office #2 for awhile, then you hop in the car and head to Office #1, where you work for the bulk of the day.

 

Then, when you're done at Office #1, you get back in the car and go "home" -- except when you get inside your house, you don't head for the living room, you go straight to Office #2, where you finish up your daily routine with a few final minutes of paperwork.

 

What have you just done?

 

You daily round-trip "commute" is now a business deduction, due to a simple tax loophole that says: Any miles driven between two business locations are deductible business miles.

 

The fact that one of those two locations just happens to be your Home Office is fine and dandy with the IRS.

 

By following this route each day, you can save hundreds, even thousands of dollars in taxes.

 

The proof is in the pudding:

 

Let's say your round-trip "commute" is 20 miles per day.

20 miles X 5 days = 100 miles per week.

100 miles per week X 50 weeks = 5,000 miles per year.

5,000 business miles X .36 cents = $1,800 deduction

 

So, you just got yourself a nice $1,800 deduction -- a deduction that you've probably been entitled to for years but didn't know it.

 

$1,800 deduction X 32% income tax rate = $576 in actual

tax savings (27% federal income tax + 5% state income tax)

 

Five-hundred and seventy-six bucks. . . every year. . .

 

. . . Hmm, mmm, good! Now that's a tasty little morsel!

 

  

Tax Tidbit #2:

 

How To Get A $1,000 Refund By Filing An Amended Tax Return

 

 

Aren't you glad another Tax Season is over?

 

Ah, yes -- another tax return filed, another tax return "in the books."

 

Well, I've got a pleasant surprise for you.

 

Did you know you can actually get a refund for a return that you already filed?

 

Yep, it's true.

 

If you think you forgot a deduction on a previously filed return, you have three years to tell the IRS about it and receive a refund.

 

Here's how it works: You can file an amended return up to three years after the due date of the return in question.

 

So, for Year 2002 returns due April 15, 2003 -- you have until April 15, 2006 to file a correction.

 

For Year 2001 returns due April 15, 2002 -- you have until April 15, 2005 to file a correction.

 

And for Year 2000 returns due April 15, 2001 -- you have until April 15, 2004 to file a correction.

 

Now the question becomes: Is it worth it? I mean, do you really want to spend the time and energy doing tax paperwork -- and it's not even Tax Season!

 

I know, I know -- you've got better things to do with your time.

 

So here's an incentive to make it worth your time: If I offered you a little part-time job that paid about $140 per hour, would you be interested?  I think so.

 

Well, that's how you should look at the task of filing an amended tax return.  Do the math:

 

You discover $1,000 of unreported deductions on your return from Year 2000, 2001 or 2002. So you do the research, prepare the proper forms (or have your accountant do it), and send them off to the IRS.

 

If you are in the 35% tax bracket (say, 30% federal plus 5% state), you will get a $350 refund for your efforts. And even if it took you 2.5 hours of paperwork drudgery, Uncle Same just paid you a cool $140/hour. Not bad, eh?

 

To file an amended federal income tax return, here are the links to the necessary forms:

 

Form 1040X -- in pdf format:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040x.pdf

 

 

Form 1040X -- in "fill-in" pdf format:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-fill/f1040x.pdf

 

 

IRS instructions for Form 1040X:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040x.pdf

 

 

You should also file an amended state return (assuming your state has an income tax). For a link to a database of all state income tax forms, check out:

http://taxes.yahoo.com/stateforms.html

 

 

Don't forget: if you're able to find $1,000 worth of unreported deductions on one previously filed return (resulting in tax savings of $350), there's a good chance

the same situation exists for the other 2 "open" years.

 

End result: $350 x 3 = $1,050 in total tax savings . . .

 

. . .Hmm, mmm, good! Now that's a tasty little morsel!

 

 

 

Tax Tidbit #3:

 

Carpe Diem -- Seize The Per Diem Method

(and Throw Away Your Receipts)

 

 

The mantra of tax record-keeping has remained relentlessly burdensome for decades:

 

"No Receipt, No Deduction".

 

But fear not, you who loathe the never-ending climb up the mountain of paperwork required by the U.S. tax code.

 

Many of our most beloved tax rules have exceptions, and such is the case with this one.

 

Believe it or not, there are actually expenses you can legally deduct without a receipt. Here's one for self-employed folks who travel out-of-town on business.

 

When it comes to deducting your meals while on an overnight business trip, you have two options with regard to record-keeping.

 

OPTION #1:

 

You keep your receipt from each meal and simply deduct the cost of the meal times 50%, a la the "No Receipt, No Deduction" rule.

 

OPTION #2:

 

You use The Per Diem Method to determine your meal deduction. For each day of the trip, you are allowed a daily meal allowance, depending on what part of the

country you were visiting.

 

For example, the per diem meal rate for Birmingham, AL is $42. For San Francisco, it's $50.

 

Like Option #1, your actual deduction is 50% of the per diem amount -- $21 in Birmingham and $25 in San Fran.

 

To find the per diem allowances, go to:

 

http://www.policyworks.gov/perdiem. If a particular area is not listed, then the allowance is $30 per day.

 

Take note: There are two very nice advantages to The Per Diem Method.

 

Benefit #1: You don't have to keep receipts for your meals. Yep, you can pitch 'em. Scouts honor.

 

Benefit #2: It doesn't matter how much you actually spend on meals, you still get to deduct 50% of the per diem amount. This can result in hundreds of dollars in tax savings for you.

 

Example:

You regularly go to several major cities for overnight business trips, traveling about five days each month. These cities all have a per diem rate of $50.

 

You are frugal. To save both time and money, you prefer to eat at fast food restaurants three times a day. On average, you spend only $20/day on meals.

 

But the per diem rate is $50/day. If you used Option #1, your actual deduction would be $20 x 50%, or $10/day.

 

With Option #2, you get to deduct $50 x 50%, or $25/day.

 

The difference between Option #1 and #2 is $15/day.

 

Over the course of the year, this adds up to an extra $900 in deductible meal expenses ($15/day x 60 days) -- even though you didn't actually spend the extra $900!

 

End result: you save $315 in taxes (assuming your combined federal and state income tax rate is 35%).

 

And you can throw away 60 days worth of meal receipts.

 

Whoa . . . $315 in tax savings without spending a dime.

 

. . . Now that's a tasty little morsel!

 

One final note: The per diem method is available to Sole Proprietors, Partners and LLC Members. If your business is a Corporation and you own more then 10% of the company stock, you can't use the per diem method for yourself. Sorry! That's taxes for ya.

 

 

Tax Tidbit #4:

 

How to Let the IRS Pay for Your Kids' Summer Camp

 

 

With summer day-camp season upon us, here's a way to let Uncle Sam pick up the tab for your children's fun.

 

Many parents take advantage of the child daycare credit. Well, this same credit can also be used for summer day-camp expenses.

 

The child-care credit applies to expenses you incur for the care of children under age 13 while the parents are working. And "working" applies to both an employee job as well as self-employment.

 

Sending your child to a day-camp during the summer counts as a qualified expense for purposes of the child-care credit.

 

And by "day-camp", don't limit yourself to the traditional YMCA-type scenario. There are plenty of other programs that qualify, such as:

 

1. Sports camps: Soccer camp, baseball camp, basketball camp, football camp, volleyball. These all count.

 

2. Academic camps like computer camp or other scholarly pursuits.

 

3. Fine arts camps for music, drama, and art.

 

Kids (and parents!) sure have a lot of choices these days.

 

The key requirement for getting the day-care credit is that the camp not be a sleep-over camp. The child must only spend time there during the day.

 

You take the credit on Form 2441, Child and Dependent Care Expenses. The amount of your credit depends on your income. Take a peak at Form 2441 to calculate your credit:

 

First, find your adjusted gross income from Line 36 of Form 1040. If your income is greater than $28,000, your credit is likely to be 20% of the day-camp expense.

 

(If your income is less than $28,000, the percentage is greater than 20% -- so be sure to check Form 2441 if you happen to be at that income level).

 

Next, you multiply the day-camp expense by 20%, and that's the potential tax credit amount. I say "potential" because there's one more step to complete the calculation -- if your income is greater than $28,000, your maximum

childcare credit is $480 if you have one child and $960 if you have two or more children with daycare expenses.

 

So, if you have $1,000 of day-camp expense this summer, you get a $200 tax credit on your personal income tax return.

 

Two-hundred bucks . . . now there's a tasty little morsel!

 

To access Form 2441, visit:

http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f2441.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

Tax Tidbit #5:

 

How to Deduct Your Next Vacation

 

 

It is perfectly legal to deduct your next vacation. Here's how to do it.

 

To qualify for this deduction, you must meet the following two criteria:

 

1. You are self-employed or own a small business

2. On your next trip, you combine business with pleasure.

 

The first requirement is pretty cut and dried.

 

The second requirement is somewhat trickier and will be the focus of this section.

 

To deduct any U.S. trip, you can combine business and pleasure, but the primary purpose of the trip must be business.

 

And here's how the IRS defines a trip taken primarily for business purposes: the number of "business days" must be greater than the number of "personal days". To complete the definition, travel days are considered "business days".

 

Here's an example to clarify the rules:

 

You take a 10-day "vacation" to Orlando. You spend one day getting there and one day getting back. You spend 4 days attending a seminar. The other 4 days are spent with Mickey Mouse & Company.

 

Let's tally up the days:

 

Business Days = 6 (2 travel days + 4 seminar days)

Personal Days = 4 (doing theme parks)

 

So, are the number of business days greater than 50% of the total days? Yes. So here's what you get to deduct:

 

-- 100% of your transportation expenses (even though 40% of your days were personal days)

 

-- 100% of your "on-the-road" expenses for the 6 business days, including hotel bills, cab fares, rental car, seminar fees, dry cleaning, laundry and meals. (Although the meal expenses are still subject to the 50% rule.)

 

The on-the-road expenses for the 4 personal days are not deductible. But you're still getting a great tax break here.

 

Assuming you spend $1,000 for transportation and the 6 business day expenses, a sole proprietor in the 35% tax bracket (15% federal tax + 15% self-employment tax + 5% state tax) saves $350.

 

Three hundred and fifty bucks!

 

Hmmmm . . . now that's a tasty little morsel!

 

 

 

 

 

 

PART TWO:

New Tax Law Turns Small Biz Loophole Into A Crater!

 

 

In case you were too busy over Memorial Day to notice, our beloved politicians just passed another tax bill designed to put more dollars in your pocket.

 

President Bush signed the new tax law on May 28, 2003 -- and there is truly something for everyone in this package, a veritable smorgasbord of tax savings.

 

If you are a Small Business Owner or Self-Employed Person, there's one especially lucrative tax break.

 

It's actually an expansion of a tax rule that's been on the books for years. Known as the Section 179 deduction, the new legislation takes this loophole and turns it into a deduction big enough to drive a fleet of SUV's through.

 

The Section 179 deduction enables the Small Business Owner to deduct 100% of the cost of most business equipment, in lieu of depreciation over several years.

 

What's so great about that?

 

Think about it like this: I've got a dollar and I'd like to give it to you. You have two choices -- I give it to you now, or I give it to you 5 years from now.

 

Which do you prefer?

 

Obviously, you'd rather have it now, right?

 

And why is that?

 

Because of what you learned way back in Finance 101: something your banker calls "the time value of money."

 

I'll spare you a boring textbook definition. Instead, let's just assume we agree on this simple point:  Is a dollar worth more today or 5 years from today?

 

It's worth more today, right?

 

And that's why the Section 179 deduction is so valuable.

 

Huh?

 

Let's use an example to bring all this financial theory into reality.

 

You buy $5,000 worth of office equipment in 2003. Under normal depreciation rules, you wouldn't get to take a  deduction for $5,000 in 2003. Instead, you'd write off the $5,000 over 6 years -- part in 2003, part in 2004, etc.

 

If you're in the 35% tax bracket, you get your $1,750 in tax savings over 6 years. Yawn. That's a long time!

 

You'd get your deduction, and the resulting tax savings, but you'd have to wait 6 years to realize all the benefits.

 

Section 179 says that if you meet certain requirements, you can deduct the full $5,000 in 2003. You reduce your taxes by $1,750 in Year 2003.

 

So let me repeat my rhetorical question:  Uncle Sam has $1,750 he'd like to give you. When do you want it? All at once, or spread out over 6 years?

 

That's the beauty of Section 179.

 

But you have to meet certain requirements to benefit from Section 179. One requirement concerns the total amount of equipment you can deduct rather than depreciate. In 2002, the amount was $24,000. And for 2003, the amount was originally set at $25,000.

 

Until Congress and the President passed the new tax bill in late May 2003 that raised that amount to a whopping $100,000.

 

Never liked depreciation? Well, you can pretty much kiss it good-bye now. If your business buys more than $100,000 of equipment in a single year, it ain't so

"small" any more! So this new law should cover all small businesses. Enjoy!

 

One final note: A few other requirements must be met to claim the Section 179 deduction. Here's a brief overview:

 

1. Most personal property used in a trade or business can be deducted via Section 179. Real property cannot. Typical examples of personal property include: office equipment such as computers, monitors, printers and scanners; office furniture; machinery and tools. Real property means buildings and their improvements.

 

2. Your total Section 179 deduction is limited to the business' annual profit. In other words, you cannot use the Section 179 to create or increase a loss.

 

This is known as the "taxable income limitation." For "C" Corporations, this limitation is very cut and dried. But if your business is an "S" Corporation, Partnership, LLC, or Sole Proprietorship, it may not be as limiting as it seems. For these non-"C" Corp businesses, the Section 179 deduction can be used to offset both business and non-business income. 

 

And if you're married filing jointly, the Section 179 deduction can offset your spouse's income, including W-2 income.

 

Example: You start a new business in 2003 that ends up with a loss for the year of $5,000 (before taking the Section 179 deduction). Your spouse has W-2 income of $60,000. Even though your business is unprofitable, you can still take the full Section 179 deduction of $5,000 (again, assuming your business is an entity other than a "C" Corporation).

 

(Be sure to consult with your tax professional to get the scoop on all the Section 179 rules.)

 

Now that you're done celebrating Memorial Day, be sure to take advantage of this new loophole. A very nice deduction just got expanded to monstrous proportions!

 

Take advantage of it.

 

 

 

 

 

PART THREE:

The Biggest Tax Mistake You Can Ever Make

(and How To Avoid It)

 

Ah, April 15 has come and gone. And American taxpayers everywhere breathe a collective sigh of relief.

 

Whew, aren't you glad another Tax Season is over? What a relief -- unless you filed an extension, you've got your tax return done and now you can forget about taxes for another year.

 

Yep, that has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?

 

It sounds so good, I think I'll say it again:

 

"Now you can forget about taxes for another year."

 

If you found yourself agreeing with me there, guess what?

 

I gotcha!

 

I just caught you making the biggest tax mistake you can possibly make -- the incredibly short-sighted attitude that taxes is a "once-a-year" thing, something you do only because you are forced to deal with it every spring, and then you are so fed up with the whole mess that you gladly forget about it until next spring, and then, only because you are forced to deal with it again!

 

If this is the way you approach taxes, you are doomed to overpay your taxes forever!

 

(Oh, pardon me for just a second while I climb up on my soapbox, turn up the volume, and let it rip. I'm goin' to preach this message till the cows come home!)

 

And what message is that, you ask?

 

My message today is a simple one, but unfortunately, one that often falls on deaf ears. So please, I really do hope you are listening (I mean, reading) with

your ears (and eyes) wide open.

 

Here it is, my Post-Tax Season Message:

 

If you only pay attention to your tax bill during Tax Season, then I guarantee you are paying too much tax.

 

Our tax system is unbelievably confusing, incredibly convoluted, and increasingly chaotic. In a word, it's crazy. And it's only going to get worse.

 

Even as I write this, Congress and the President are going round and round about the next round of tax law changes. So what else is new?

 

But even with all its mind-numbing complexity, our tax code has many legal loopholes you can drive a truck through.

 

Here's a startling statistic to drive home the point: It is conservatively estimated that small business owners and self-employed people are overpaying their taxes by 160 billion dollars every year.

 

And the biggest cause of this situation is the simple fact that small biz owners and the self-employed are not using all the tax loopholes they are entitled to.

 

But you'll never figure out what those loopholes are by only spending a few hours, once a year, to the task of filling out the forms.

 

It's gotta be a year-round task. And you need to realize that some of the best tax-reduction strategies require some research on your part. You've got to do

your homework, check things out, maybe even consult with a professional to make sure you're not missing something and that all your ducks are in a row.

 

Like any worthwhile goal, it takes time and energy.

 

In my experience, there is one small biz tax-reduction strategy that stands head and shoulders above all the rest: Choice of Entity.

 

Bear with me here, as I explain what I mean.

 

By "Choice of Entity", I'm referring to what type of business you own, from a legal standpoint.

 

Here are your choices:

 

Sole Proprietorship

Partnership

Corporation

Limited Liability Company

 

(Note: If you are self-employed and don't view yourself as owning a business, guess what: from a tax standpoint, as a self-employed person, you do own a business. It's called a Sole Proprietorship.)

 

The purpose of this article is not to tell you which entity is best for you and exactly how much money you can save in taxes by picking one of these entity choices.

 

I can't do that in a thousand words.

 

But what I can tell you right now is this:

 

Your Choice of Entity is the single-most important factor in determining your annual tax bill.

 

I can also tell you this: every year, thousands of small biz owners and self-employed people save literally thousands of dollars in taxes because they made a simple one-time change in their Choice of Entity.

 

Obviously, there are many factors that determine how much tax you pay: the accuracy of your record-keeping, how organized you are, your knowledge

of all the many available tax deductions, etc.

 

But the most important factor of all is this: What entity type are you?

 

So, now that Tax Season is a distant memory and your mind turns to other, supposedly more important matters, my question to you is this:

 

How do you know that your current Choice of Entity is the best one for you?

 

Have you done an analysis of the pros and cons of each entity? Do you know what the tax consequences would be if your changed your Choice of Entity? Do you know what it takes to make a change from one entity type to another?

 

Let's say you are a Sole Proprietor: do you know how much tax you would have paid last year if your business had been a Corporation, a Partnership, or a Limited Liability Company?

 

These are not the kinds of questions you have time to address while frantically looking for lost receipts and filling out the tax forms on April 14th.

 

Now that Tax Season is over, you can now turn your attention to the most important tax issue of all: Choice of Entity.

 

How do you get started researching the best Choice of Entity for your particular situation? Read on to find out.

 

 

 

PART FOUR:

Why the Most Important Business Decision You Probably Never Made is the Key to Paying Thousands Less in Taxes

 

Let's summarize what we've covered so far.

 

First, you can reduce your taxes immediately by putting those Tax Tidbits to use. Each one of these strategies is easy to implement and doesn't require any additional out-of-pocket expenses. You just have to do a little planning and a little record-keeping and presto, you've got several hundred or even several thousand dollars in your pocket:

 

                                    Estimated Tax Savings

Tax Tidbit #1:             $576

Tax Tidbit #2:             $1,050

Tax Tidbit #3:             $315

Tax Tidbit #4:             $200

Tax Tidbit #5:             $350

 

TOTAL                                    $2,491

 

Whoa -- two thousand, four hundred and ninety-one dollars in tax savings! That's a lot of pizza in my house. (Obviously, your particular tax situation may result in a different amount of tax savings then the numbers cited in each Tax Tidbit; I'm just using these as conservative examples of the type of tax savings possible when these strategies are implemented. You could get more or less than this.)

 

Then, if we add to that the immediately tax savings of $1,750 from Section 179, now were up to $4,241. (I realize that the $1,750 would be saved even if you depreciate your equipment over 6 years, but then you have to wait 6 years to get the tax savings. How inconvenient is that?)

 

So, you've just saved over $2,000 or even $4,000 in taxes. How does that make you feel? Not bad, eh?

 

Well, I'm here to tell you that this is just the tip of the iceberg.

 

Saving $2,000 or $3,000 or even $4,000 per year in taxes is awesome -- but it's just the beginning.  The five Tax Tidbits and the Section 179 Deduction are great -- they are perfectly legal ways for the average small business owner or self-employed person to put some "easy money" in your pocket.

 

But of all the tax reduction strategies available to you, they really are "small potatoes" when compared to the tax savings available to you when you make a change in your Choice of Entity, as explained in Part Three.

This is so important, let me say it again: Your biggest potential tax savings will result from doing a serious analysis of your Choice of Entity.

 

Let's review the possibilities:

 

Scenario #1: You are a Sole Proprietor.

This is probably the most common scenario for the new small business owner or self-employed person. And my experience is that most likely, you are a Sole Proprietor "by default", i.e. because you really didn't know any other way to run a small business.

 

And that's OK. You have to start somewhere, and if that's where you are, that's where you are.

 

But you've got to take a serious look at this: how much less tax would you pay if you formed a corporation, partnership or limited liability company? Do you have any idea? Probably not.

 

Scenarios #2, #3, and #4 are really just variations of Scenario #1.

 

Scenario #2: You are a Partner in a Partnership. How do you know that this is the best Choice of Entity for you? Would you pay less tax if you were a corporation, LLC, or Sole Proprietor?

 

Scenario #3: You are a C Corporation. What would happen if you converted to one of the other entities?

 

Scenario #4: You are an S Corporation. What would happen if you switched to a C Corporation, LLC or Partnership?

 

Scenario #5: You are a LLC? How do you know that this is the best scenario for you?

 

I think you get the picture. You've got to do an analysis of the pros and cons of each entity.

 

And when I say that these other tax strategies, like the Tax Tidbits, are just the tip of the iceberg, here's an example to illustrate what I mean.

 

I have a client, let's call him Donald, who started a business about 4 years ago as a Sole Proprietorship. Like many new business owners, he didn't really know any other way to do it. His brother-in-law told Donald, "Just keep it simple. Don't even think about anything complicated like a corporation. You have to pay a high-priced lawyer, fill out mountains of confusing paperwork, and you'll just end up spending money unnecessarily."

 

(Donald's brother-in-law, by the way, is a self-employed painting contractor, and of course, the "family authority" on the subject.)

 

Well, Donald had enough sense to come to me for help with his income tax return that first year in business. He ran a low-overhead service-oriented business and was immediately profitable.  In fact, he was so profitable, he had to pay several thousands in taxes with his tax return.

 

I suggested to Donald that he form an S Corporation.  After factoring in the additional legal and accounting fees needed to run a corporation properly, Donald would still save over $4,000 per year by operating as an S Corporation rather than as a Sole Proprietorship.

 

Now, what do you think Donald said to me when I told him about the four grand in tax savings?

 

"Well, that's a no-brainer. Let's do it." And I helped him set up his corporation. (Sure, there is some extra paperwork. But again, he still saved over $4,000 after paying the additional expenses required of a corporation.)

 

Now, there is no way I can sit here and tell you that you are going to save $4,000 every year if you form a corporation. I have no way of knowing that what is true for Donald is true for you.

 

But I can tell you that I've talked to enough small business owners like Donald to know that it would certainly be worth your while to check into it. Even if the tax savings was $3,000 or $2,000 or $1,000 -- wouldn't that be worth it?

 

Because once you've made a change in your Choice of Entity, and that change results in, say, $3,000 of tax savings in Year One, chances are that you will get that same tax savings in Year Two and Year Three and Year Four, and so on.

 

After five years, we're talking $15,000 here!  Whoa --- see what I mean about "small potatoes" and "the tip of the iceberg"?

 

To begin your Choice of Entity analysis, you need to take action. Here's a simple 3-Step Plan to get started:

 

1. Contact me immediately.

 

Please go to the phone right now and make an appointment to discuss this your tax situation with Ken Engle, CPA,  Phone (940) 325-6800, email: kengle@cfohelp.com.  You can use the complementary tax consulting certificate ($197.00 Value) that is included at the end of this report to save even more on this valuable service.

 

At the appointment, tell Ken exactly what you want: You want help determining the best Choice of Entity for your situation.

 

You want to know how much tax you would pay if your business existed as each possible Choice of Entity.  Example: You were a Sole Proprietorship in 2002. You know how much tax you paid in 2002 as a Sole Proprietor. Now you want to know how much tax you would have paid in 2002 if your business had been a C Corporation, an S Corporation, and a Limited Liability Company.

 

If any of these other entities would have paid less tax than the Sole Proprietorship, what would it take to make a change? What are the legal and tax requirements for making such a change? What would it cost to hire an accountant or an attorney to help you make the change?

 

 

2. Do some research.

 

Go to the Report on 9 Legal Loopholes  and review the tax savings ideas for business owners and self-employed individuals.

 

Several of these "legal loopholes" deal with the tax advantages of the S Corporation, which is often times the best Choice of Entity for the small business owner/self-employed person.

 

Again, I can't guarantee that the S Corporation is the best entity for you, but it is for many, so I highly recommend that you check into it. The Tax Reduction Analysis do will reduce your taxes by many thousands of dollars but I will guarantee that we'll give you a full analysis with ideas on how to save taxes in the future.

 

For the grand sum of $49, Ken will perform a Tax Reduction Analysis valued at $395 worth of tax consulting, so you can get some professional input on your particular situation without spending an arm and an leg (unless you think spending $49 is an arm and a leg; I sure don't).

 

This analysis entitle you to do the following:

 

a) Send me up to four (4) previously filed tax returns (business or personal) for my review. When I analyze these returns, I'll be looking for ways to reduce your taxes, including the tax benefits of a change in your Choice of Entity.

 

b) Talk to me on the phone for 60 minutes about your tax situation.

 

After I've reviewed your tax returns, we can talk on the phone for an hour and I'll let you know whether you are better off running your business as a different entity.

 

Sound fair enough? Hey, you've got to start somewhere -- so why not start your research with many of the tax savings ideas included on this website just click here  and select the area most applicable to you and your business.

 

Oh -- I almost forget to mention that if I am unable to offer specific suggestions that reduce your taxable income by at least $2,000 (Thats a $700 savings if you're in the 35% tax bracket) -- then I will refund your $49. Fair enough?

 

 

3. Make a decision and implement it.

 

After consulting with me, make a commitment and go with it.

 

If you see the need to form a corporation or an LLC, do it! Don't put it off. Do it now. There is no better time than the present to dramatically improve your tax situation.

 

I have many great clients. And I truly enjoy working with them. And I've helped many small business owners and self-employed people go through this Choice of Entity decision. Those that take the time to do it never regret it.  Most end up with thousands of dollars in tax savings for many years to come.

 

But occasionally I get a client like Tony, the typical small business owner who is just "too busy" running his business to deal with any extra paperwork. Tony came to me five years ago and I persuaded him to let me do the Choice of Entity analysis. He just shrugged his shoulders and said, "Sure. Whatever you say."

 

So I did the analysis and called him with the results.  Tony could save over $3,600 per year by converting from a Sole Proprietorship to a Corporation.  He liked the sound of that, and so made an appointment to get started with the paperwork.

 

But making the appointment is all Tony ever did.  On the day of the appointment, Tony cancelled. Something came up.

 

A month later, he called to reschedule. And on the day of that second appointment, Tony cancelled. Something came up.

 

And on three more occasions, Tony has made an appointment to get his corporation started, and each time, he either cancelled or just didn't even show up.

 

I still do his tax return each year, and each year I remind him of the simple fact that he overpaid his taxes by $3,600 each year -- for the past four years! So now Tony has paid $14,400 more than necessary, just because he's too lazy to follow through on a simple one-time change in his Choice of Entity.

 

Which small business owner do you want to be: Donald or Tony? The choice is yours.

 

  


Special Limited Time Offer to Holder of This Report

 

MANY TAXPAYERS, INCLUDING SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, END UP MAKING CRITICAL, COSTLY MISTAKES WHEN IT COMES TO TAXES.  After reading this Report, you'll be able to avoid many of the most common mistakes that Small Business Owners make on their tax returns.

 

            But that's not all you get when you make an appointment with me to discuss your tax situation.  I don't want to leave you "hanging out to dry" when it comes to knowing how to implement every tax-saving strategy you are entitled to use.  When you meet with me for your FREE one-hour NO OBLIGATION initial consultation, you will also receive:

 

TWO (2) INCOME TAX RETURN CRITIQUE CERTIFICATES (a $150.00 value)

I want to show you exactly how to implement as many of the "Legal Loopholes" as possible.  So these Income Tax Return Critique Certificates allow you to send me any 2 recent income tax returns, which I will then analyze with my "fine-tooth (tax-savings) comb".  I will then send you a written evaluation of each return, detailing any changes that can be made to these returns that will reduce your taxes.

 

            IMPORTANT NOTE: In case you didn't know it, you have up to 3 years to make changes to your income tax returns after they've been filed.  So if I discover a tax-saving strategy that was overlooked on your return, you may be able to file an amended return which implements the tax-saving strategy I recommend, and you'll get a refund!

           

            For example, you could send me your most recently filed Business Income Tax Return (regardless of what type of business you own -- Sole Proprietorship, Corporation, Partnership, or Limited Liability Company) and your most recently filed Personal Income Tax Return -- say, for the year 2000.  I'll critique both returns and send you my list of ways to reduce your taxes, and I'll let you know whether it will be worthwhile to file an amended return. Here's how to contact me:

 

 

By Phone. My number is (940) 325-6800.  You can phone me any time, day or night -- my phone system has voice mail which operates 24/7.  If you get my voice mail, please leave a message. If you live outside of Mineral Wells, please call me TOLL FREE at 1-888-236-6468.

 

By Mail.  Enclosed is a "Special NO RISK Response Form."  Just complete the form and mail it back.

 

By Fax.  Fax the "Special NO RISK Response Form" to me at (940) 325-6803.

 

By Email.  Email me at kengle@cfohelp.com with your name and phone number.


Special NO RISK Response Form

(This Is A Limited Time Offer!)

 

 

 YES! Ken Engle, CPA, please contact me to schedule my free, one-hour, no-obligation, initial consultation to discuss my business tax situation.  I understand that there will be no charge for this first meeting, nor am I under any obligation to utilize your tax services as a result of this meeting. 

 

q YES! Ken Engle, CPA, enclosed please find my check for $49 to cover a comprehensive Tax Reduction Analysis of up to 4 prior years tax returns.  I understand the $49 is fully refundable if you do not find at least a $2,000 reduction in taxable income.  Furthermore, I understand that I am under no obligation to utilize your tax services to obtain any refunds that you may find. 

 

 

 

Name___________________________________________________________________

 

Business________________________________________________________________

Address (street) ________________________________________________________________________

 

City __________________________________________________  State ___________  Zip ____________________

 

Phone (day ) ________________________  Fax _______________________ 

Email _____________________________

 

 

PHONE: (940) 325-6800           FAX: (940) 325-6803

 

EMAIL:    kengle@cfohelp.com

http://www.cfohelp.com

 

        MAIL:       Ken Engle, CPA

                        1600 SE 1st Street, Mineral Wells, TX 76067

 

 


Ken Engle, CPA

Fort Worth (817) 698-9988
Carter Burgess Plaza
777 Main Street Suite 600
Fort Worth, TX 76102
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Weatherford (817) 596-8887
Currently Seeking Office Space
Presently Serviced From Fort Worth or Mineral Wells
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Mineral Wells (940) 325-6800
1600 SE 1st Street
Mineral Wells, TX 76067
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Toll Free: (888) CFO-MGMT
kengle@cfohelp.com

 

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