Timing is everything when it comes to accounting software upgrades
“Well, it still works, and everyone knows how to use it, but….”
Do these words sound familiar? Many businesses stick with their accounting software far too long for these very reasons. What’s important to find out and consider is everything that comes after the word “but.”
Managers and employees often struggle with systems that don’t provide all the functionality they need, such as being able to generate certain types of reports that could help the company better analyze its financials. Older software might constantly freeze up or crash. In some cases, the product may even be so old that support is no longer provided.
When it comes to accounting software upgrades, timing is everything. You don’t want to spend money unnecessarily if your system is fully functional and secure. But you also don’t want to wait too long and risk losing a competitive edge, suffering data loss or corruption, or incurring a security breach.
Building a knowledge base
The first question to ask yourself is: When was the last time we meaningfully upgraded our accounting software?
Many more products may have hit the market since you bought yours — including some that were developed specifically for your industry. Although most accounting software has the same essential features, it’s these specialized functions that hold the most potential value for certain types of companies.
To make an educated choice, business owners and their leadership teams need to gain a detailed understanding of their specific needs and the technological savvy of their employees. You can go about this knowledge-building effort in various ways, including conducting a user survey and putting together a comprehensive, detailed comparison of three or four accounting software products that appear best-suited to your business.
If it appears highly likely that a new accounting system would markedly improve your financial tracking and reporting, you’ll be able to make a confident and well-advised purchasing decision.
Preparing for the transition
Bear in mind that buying the software will be the easy part. Transitioning to the new system will probably be much more challenging. When changing or significantly upgrading their accounting software, companies have to walk a fine line between:
- Rushing the timeline, potentially mishandling setup issues and not providing sufficient training, and
- Dragging their feet, potentially falling behind on financial reporting.
You might need to engage an IT consultant to help oversee the data transfer from the old system to the new, catch and clean up errors, and ensure strong cybersecurity measures are in place.
It’s a big decision
Moving onward and upward from a long-used accounting system is a big decision. Let us help you determine what software features would be most beneficial to your business, identify which current products would best fulfill your needs, and develop a sensible budget for the purchase.
2023 Q1 tax calendar: Key deadlines for businesses and other employers
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the first quarter of 2023. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. If you have questions about filing requirements, contact us. We can ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines.
January 17 (The usual deadline of January 15 is on a Sunday and January 16 is a federal holiday)
- Pay the final installment of 2022 estimated tax.
- Farmers and fishermen: Pay estimated tax for 2022. If you don’t pay your estimated tax by January 17, you must file your 2022 return and pay all tax due by March 1, 2023, to avoid an estimated tax penalty.
January 31
- File 2022 Forms W-2, “Wage and Tax Statement,” with the Social Security Administration and provide copies to your employees.
- Provide copies of 2022 Forms 1099-NEC, “Nonemployee Compensation,” to recipients of income from your business where required.
- File 2022 Forms 1099-MISC, “Miscellaneous Income,” reporting nonemployee compensation payments in Box 7, with the IRS.
- File Form 940, “Employer’s Annual Federal Unemployment (FUTA) Tax Return,” for 2022. If your undeposited tax is $500 or less, you can either pay it with your return or deposit it. If it’s more than $500, you must deposit it. However, if you deposited the tax for the year in full and on time, you have until February 10 to file the return.
- File Form 941, “Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return,” to report Medicare, Social Security and income taxes withheld in the fourth quarter of 2022. If your tax liability is less than $2,500, you can pay it in full with a timely filed return. If you deposited the tax for the quarter in full and on time, you have until February 10 to file the return. (Employers that have an estimated annual employment tax liability of $1,000 or less may be eligible to file Form 944, “Employer’s Annual Federal Tax Return.”)
- File Form 945, “Annual Return of Withheld Federal Income Tax,” for 2022 to report income tax withheld on all nonpayroll items, including backup withholding and withholding on accounts such as pensions, annuities and IRAs. If your tax liability is less than $2,500, you can pay it in full with a timely filed return. If you deposited the tax for the year in full and on time, you have until February 10 to file the return.
February 15
Give annual information statements to recipients of certain payments you made during 2022. You can use the appropriate version of Form 1099 or other information return. Form 1099 can be issued electronically with the consent of the recipient. This due date applies only to the following types of payments:
- All payments reported on Form 1099-B.
- All payments reported on Form 1099-S.
- Substitute payments reported in box 8 or gross proceeds paid to an attorney reported in box 10 of Form 1099-MISC.
February 28
- File 2022 Forms 1099-MISC with the IRS if: 1) they’re not required to be filed earlier and 2) you’re filing paper copies. (Otherwise, the filing deadline is March 31.)
March 15
- If a calendar-year partnership or S corporation, file or extend your 2022 tax return and pay any tax due. If the return isn’t extended, this is also the last day to make 2022 contributions to pension and profit-sharing plans.
Save for retirement by getting the most out of your 401(k) plan
Socking away money in a tax-advantaged retirement plan can help you reduce taxes and help secure a comfortable retirement. If your employer offers a 401(k) or Roth 401(k), contributing to the plan is a smart way to build a substantial nest egg.
If you’re not already contributing the maximum allowed, consider increasing your contribution. Because of tax-deferred compounding (tax-free in the case of Roth accounts), boosting contributions can have a major impact on the amount of money you’ll have in retirement.
With a 401(k), an employee makes an election to have a certain amount of pay deferred and contributed by an employer on his or her behalf to the plan. The amounts are indexed for inflation each year and not surprisingly, they’re going up quite a bit. The contribution limit in 2023 is $22,500 (up from $20,500 in 2022). Employees age 50 or older by year end are also permitted to make additional “catch-up” contributions of $7,500 in 2023 (up from $6,500 in 2022). This means those 50 and older can save a total of $30,000 in 2023 (up from $27,000 in 2022).
Contributing to a traditional 401(k)
A traditional 401(k) offers many benefits, including:
- Contributions are pretax, reducing your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI), which can also help you reduce or avoid exposure to the 3.8% net investment income tax.
- Plan assets can grow tax-deferred — meaning you pay no income tax until you take distributions.
- Your employer may match some or all of your contributions pretax.
If you already have a 401(k) plan, take a look at your contributions. In 2023, you may want to try and increase your contribution rate to get as close to the $22,500 limit (with an extra $7,500 if you’re age 50 or older) as you can afford. Keep in mind that your paycheck will be reduced by the amount of the contribution only, because the contributions are pretax — so, income tax isn’t withheld.
Contributing to a Roth 401(k)
Employers may also include a Roth option in their 401(k) plans. If your employer offers this, you can designate some or all of your contributions as Roth contributions. While such amounts don’t reduce your current MAGI, qualified distributions will be tax-free.
Roth 401(k) contributions may be especially beneficial for higher-income earners, because they don’t have the option to contribute to a Roth IRA. That’s because your ability to make a Roth IRA contribution is reduced or eliminated if your adjusted gross income exceeds certain amounts.
Looking ahead
Contact us if you have questions about how much to contribute or the best mix between traditional and Roth 401(k) contributions. We can also discuss other tax and retirement-saving strategies in your situation.
Inbound vs. outbound: Balancing your company’s sales strategies
It might sound like the lingo of air traffic controllers — inbound vs. outbound. But businesses of all types must grapple with these concepts and their associated challenges when developing sales strategies.
Inbound sales originate when someone contacts your company to inquire about buying a product or service, whereas outbound sales arise from members of your sales team reaching out to customers and prospects.
Like many businesses, yours may not have the luxury of choosing one approach over the other. You probably have to find the right balance.
Inbound sales: Marketing your brand
Inbound sales are all about marketing your brand. Customers and prospects need to know who you are and what you offer, otherwise they won’t be in touch.
Thus, you’ll need to invest in a strong brand-based, content-driven marketing strategy that establishes and maintains your reputation as a “destination business” in your industry. Interested parties who encounter your marketing materials should wind up thinking, “I want to go there.”
If you can accomplish that, you’ll need a well-trained, patient inside sales team who are experts on your products or services. The word “patient” is key. One of the downsides to inbound sales is that they can take longer to close than outbound sales. They’re also less targeted. You have to deal with whoever contacts you. Some prospects might show up with unrealistic expectations or turn out to be difficult customers.
On the plus side, inbound sales are typically less labor-intensive and expensive because the buyer is coming to you and your customer base is generally more concentrated. What’s more, inside sales teams may incur less turnover because of lower rejection rates and a greater emphasis on technical know-how over a traditional “make your numbers or else” mindset.
Outbound sales: Lots of work, big potential
Outbound sales are largely based on intensive market research. You need to know the demographics and other key data points of those most likely to buy from you — and then you’ve got to go out and get ’em.
The downside to outbound sales is they tend to entail much more work (cold calls, follow-up, virtual and/or in-person meetings) and typically incur a higher rejection rate. In addition, this approach is often more expensive. You’ll need to cast a much wider net in terms of marketing and advertising. Outside salespeople tend to work longer hours, and they may incur substantial travel expenses and have a higher turnover rate. You might need more of them to cover your sales territories, too.
All that said, under the right circumstances and when properly executed, outbound sales can generate more revenue than inbound sales. You can target a large number of precisely the types of customers who will most likely buy from you, and sales are often quicker and easier to close.
Assess your position
Has your company been running on autopilot when it comes to balancing inbound vs. outbound sales? Now’s a good time to address the issue as we head into the new year.
If, for example, you’re waiting around for inbound sales that aren’t showing up, maybe it’s time to pivot to an outbound sales strategy. On the other hand, if you’ve emerged as a major player in your market, perhaps you can cut back on the outreach, beef up your brand and rely more on inbound sales. Contact us for help evaluating your sales numbers, as well as identifying the costs and forecasting the potential revenue of both approaches.
How to minimize the S corporation LIFO recapture tax
If you’re considering converting your C corporation to an S corporation, be aware that there may be tax implications if you’ve been using the last in, first out (LIFO) inventory method. That’s because of the LIFO recapture income that will be triggered by converting to S corporation status. We can meet to compute what the tax on this recapture would be and to see what planning steps might be taken to minimize it.
Inventory reporting
As you’re aware, your corporation has been reporting a lower amount of taxable income under LIFO than it would have under the first in, first out (FIFO) method. The reason: The inventory taken into account in calculating the cost of goods sold under LIFO reflects current costs, which are usually higher.
This benefit of LIFO over FIFO is equal to the difference between the LIFO value of inventory and the higher value it would have had if the FIFO method had been used. In effect, the tax law treats this difference as though it were profit earned while the corporation was a C corporation. To make sure there’s a corporate-level tax on this amount, it must be “recaptured” into income when the corporation converts from a C corporation to an S corporation. Also, the recapture amount will increase the corporation’s earnings and profits, which can have adverse tax consequences down the road.
Soften the blow
There are a couple of rules that soften the blow of this recapture tax to some degree.
- The increase in tax imposed on the C corporation in its final tax year because of the LIFO recapture may be paid over a four-year period.
- The basis of the corporation’s inventory will be increased by the amount of income recognized. So, the net effect may be one primarily of timing — because of the basis increase, the corporation may realize less income in later years, though only if there are decrements in the adjusted LIFO layer.
We can help you gauge your exposure to the LIFO recapture tax and can suggest strategies for reducing it. Contact us to discuss these issues in detail.
Look forward to next year by revisiting your business plan
Businesses of all stripes are about to embark upon a new calendar year. Whether you’ve done a lot of strategic planning or just a little, a good way to double-check your objectives and expectations is to revisit your business plan.
Remember your business plan? If you created one recently, or keep yours updated, it might be fresh in your mind. But many business owners file theirs away and bust them out only when asked to by lenders or other interested parties.
Reviewing and revising your business plan can enable you and your leadership team to ensure everyone is on the same page strategically as you move forward into the new year.
6 traditional sections
Comprehensive business plans traditionally comprise six sections:
- Executive summary,
- Business description,
- Industry and marketing analysis,
- Management team description,
- Implementation plan, and
- Financials.
Business plans are a must for start-ups. And, as mentioned, they’re sometimes part of the commercial lending process. Yet business plans are often overlooked when leadership teams engage in strategic planning.
The best ones can be quite simple. In fact, long-winded business plans can wind up confusing everyone involved or simply go ignored. For a small business, the executive summary shouldn’t exceed one page, and the maximum number of pages of the entire plan should generally be fewer than 40.
Spotlight on financials
The executive summary is usually the first thing anyone looks at when reading a business plan, but it’s the last section you should write. Start with your company’s historic financial results, assuming it’s not a start-up. Then, identify key benchmarks that you want to achieve in the coming year — as well perhaps longer periods, such as three, five or even 10 years out.
Next, generate financial projections that support your strategic goals. For example, suppose your company has $10 million in sales in 2022 and expects to double that figure over a three-year period. How will you get from Point A ($10 million in 2023) to Point B ($20 million in 2025)?
Let’s say you and your leadership team decide to double sales by hiring four new salespeople and acquiring the assets of a bankrupt competitor. These strategic objectives will drive the projected income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement included in your business plan.
Be particularly sure you’ve discussed how you’ll fund any cash shortfalls that take place as the company grows. Cash flow projections are critical for fruitful strategic planning, as well as for applying for a loan.
Blueprint for the future
One could say that integrating your strategic planning objectives into your business plan is a way to make your strategic plan “official.” By putting it in writing, and including the necessary financial documentation, you’ll have a blueprint of how to build the future of the business. Contact us for help.
Renting to a relative? Watch out for tax traps
If you own a home and rent it to a relative, you may be surprised to find out there could be tax consequences.
Quick rundown of the rules
Renting out a home or apartment that you own may result in a tax loss for you, even if the rental income is more than your operating costs. You’ll be entitled to a depreciation deduction for your cost of the house or apartment (except for the portion allocated to the land). However, if your tenant is related to you, special rules and limitations may apply. For this purpose, “related” means a spouse, child, grandchild, parent, grandparent or sibling.
No limitations apply if:
- You rent a home to a relative who uses it as his or her principal residence (that is, not just as a second or vacation home) for the year, and
- The home is rented at a fair market rent amount (not at a discount).
In these cases, you can deduct all the normal rental expenses, even if they result in a rental loss for the year. (If you have a loss, however, it’s a “passive” loss, which may be subject to a different set of limitations.)
Below fair market rent
Problems arise if you set the rent below the fair market rental value. The reason is this then becomes a rental property that you’re treated as using personally. So you’d have to allocate the expenses between the personal and rental portions of the year. Even more seriously, however, since all of the rental days (at a bargain rate to a relative) are treated as personal days, the rental portion would be zero. Thus, you’d have to report all of the rent you receive in income, but none of your expenses for the home would be deductible. (You’d still be able to deduct the mortgage interest, assuming it otherwise qualifies as deductible, and property taxes. These items are deductible even for nonrental homes.)
Given the above problems, it’s important to set the rent at a fair rate. Factors to look at include comparable rentals in the area and whether you made any “side” gifts to your relative (to help pay the rent) that could reasonably be interpreted to be a bargain element.
Contact us if you have any questions or would like to discuss any of these matters in more detail.
Computer software costs: How does your business deduct them?
These days, most businesses buy or lease computer software to use in their operations. Or perhaps your business develops computer software to use in your products or services or sells or leases software to others. In any of these situations, you should be aware of the complex rules that determine the tax treatment of the expenses of buying, leasing or developing computer software. Software you buy
Some software costs are deemed to be costs of “purchased” software, meaning it’s either:
- Non-customized software available to the general public under a nonexclusive license, or
- Acquired from a contractor who is at economic risk should the software not perform.
The entire cost of purchased software can be deducted in the year that it’s placed into service. The cases in which the costs are ineligible for this immediate write-off are the few instances in which 100% bonus depreciation or Section 179 small business expensing isn’t allowed, or when a taxpayer has elected out of 100% bonus depreciation and hasn’t made the election to apply Sec. 179 expensing. In those cases, the costs are amortized over the three-year period beginning with the month in which the software is placed in service. Note that the bonus depreciation rate will begin to be phased down for property placed in service after calendar year 2022.
If you buy the software as part of a hardware purchase in which the price of the software isn’t separately stated, you must treat the software cost as part of the hardware cost. Therefore, you must depreciate the software under the same method and over the same period of years that you depreciate the hardware. Additionally, if you buy the software as part of your purchase of all or a substantial part of a business, the software must generally be amortized over 15 years.
Software that’s leased
You must deduct amounts you pay to rent leased software in the tax year they’re paid, if you’re a cash-method taxpayer, or the tax year for which the rentals are accrued, if you’re an accrual-method taxpayer. However, deductions aren’t generally permitted before the years to which the rentals are allocable. Also, if a lease involves total rentals of more than $250,000, special rules may apply.
Software that’s developed
Some software is deemed to be “developed” (designed in-house or by a contractor who isn’t at risk if the software doesn’t perform). For tax years beginning before calendar year 2022, bonus depreciation applies to developed software to the extent described above. If bonus depreciation doesn’t apply, the taxpayer can either deduct the development costs in the year paid or incurred, or choose one of several alternative amortization periods over which to deduct the costs. For tax years beginning after calendar year 2021, generally the only allowable treatment is to amortize the costs over the five-year period beginning with the midpoint of the tax year in which the expenditures are paid or incurred.
If following any of the above rules requires you to change your treatment of software costs, it will usually be necessary for you to obtain IRS consent to the change.
We can help
Contact us with questions or for assistance in applying the tax rules for treating computer software costs in the way that is most advantageous for you.
Adopting a child? Bring home a tax break too
Two tax benefits are available to offset the expenses of adopting a child. In 2022, adoptive parents may be able to claim a credit against their federal tax for up to $14,890 of “qualified adoption expenses” for each child. This will increase to $15,950 in 2023. That’s a dollar-for-dollar reduction of tax.
Also, adoptive parents may be able to exclude from gross income up to $14,890 in 2022 ($15,950 in 2023) of qualified expenses paid by an employer under an adoption assistance program. Both the credit and the exclusion are phased out if the parents’ income exceeds certain limits.
Parents can claim both a credit and an exclusion for expenses of adopting a child. But they can’t claim both a credit and an exclusion for the same expenses.
Qualified expenses
To qualify for the credit or the exclusion, the expenses must be “qualified adoption expenses.” These are the reasonable and necessary adoption fees, court costs, attorney fees, travel expenses (including meals and lodging), and other expenses directly related to the legal adoption of an “eligible child.”
Qualified expenses don’t include those connected with the adoption of a child of a spouse, a surrogate parenting arrangement, expenses that violate state or federal law or expenses paid using funds received from a government program. Expenses reimbursed by an employer don’t qualify for the credit, but benefits provided by an employer under an adoption assistance program may qualify for the exclusion.
Expenses related to an unsuccessful attempt to adopt a child may qualify. Expenses connected with a foreign adoption (the child isn’t a U.S. citizen or resident) qualify only if the child is actually adopted.
Taxpayers who adopt a child with special needs are deemed to have qualified adoption expenses in the tax year in which the adoption becomes final, in an amount sufficient to bring their total aggregate expenses for the adoption up to $14,890 for 2022 ($15,950 for 2023). They can take the adoption credit or exclude employer adoption assistance up to that amount, whether or not they had those amounts of actual expenses.
Eligible child
An eligible child is under age 18 at the time a qualified expense is paid. A child who turns 18 during the year is eligible for the part of the year he or she is under age 18. A person who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for him- or herself is eligible, regardless of age.
A special needs child refers to one who the state has determined can’t or shouldn’t be returned to his or her parents and who can’t be reasonably placed with adoptive parents without assistance because of a specific factor or condition. Only a child who is a citizen or resident of the U.S. is included in this category.
Phase-out amounts
The credit allowed for 2022 is phased out for taxpayers with adjusted gross income (AGI) over $223,410 ($239,230 for 2023) and is eliminated when AGI reaches $263,410 ($279,230 for 2023).
Note: The adoption credit isn’t “refundable.” So, if the sum of your refundable credits (including any adoption credit) for the year exceeds your tax liability, the excess amount isn’t refunded to you. In other words, the credit can be claimed only up to your tax liability.
Get the full benefit
Contact us with any questions. We can help ensure you get the full benefit of the tax savings available to adoptive parents.
2023 limits for businesses that have HSAs — or want to establish them
No one needs to remind business owners that the cost of employee health care benefits keeps going up. One way to provide some of these benefits is through an employer-sponsored Health Savings Account (HSA). For eligible individuals, an HSA offers a tax-advantaged way to set aside funds (or have their employers do so) to meet future medical needs. Here are the key tax benefits:
- Contributions that participants make to an HSA are deductible, within limits.
- Contributions that employers make aren’t taxed to participants.
- Earnings on the funds in an HSA aren’t taxed, so the money can accumulate tax-free year after year.
- Distributions from HSAs to cover qualified medical expenses aren’t taxed.
- Employers don’t have to pay payroll taxes on HSA contributions made by employees through payroll deductions.
Eligibility and 2023 contribution limits
To be eligible for an HSA, an individual must be covered by a “high deductible health plan.” For 2023, a “high deductible health plan” will be one with an annual deductible of at least $1,500 for self-only coverage, or at least $3,000 for family coverage. (These amounts in 2022 were $1,400 and $2,800, respectively.) For self-only coverage, the 2023 limit on deductible contributions will be $3,850 (up from $3,650 in 2022). For family coverage, the 2023 limit on deductible contributions will be $7,750 (up from $7,300 in 2022). Additionally, annual out-of-pocket expenses required to be paid (other than for premiums) for covered benefits for 2023 will not be able to exceed $7,500 for self-only coverage or $15,000 for family coverage (up from $7,050 and $14,100, respectively, in 2022).
An individual (and the individual’s covered spouse, as well) who has reached age 55 before the close of the tax year (and is an eligible HSA contributor) may make additional “catch-up” contributions for 2023 of up to $1,000 (unchanged from the 2022 amount).
Employer contributions
If an employer contributes to the HSA of an eligible individual, the employer’s contribution is treated as employer-provided coverage for medical expenses under an accident or health plan. It’s also excludable from an employee’s gross income up to the deduction limitation. Funds can be built up for years because there’s no “use-it-or-lose-it” provision. An employer that decides to make contributions on its employees’ behalf must generally make comparable contributions to the HSAs of all comparable participating employees for that calendar year. If the employer doesn’t make comparable contributions, the employer is subject to a 35% tax on the aggregate amount contributed by the employer to HSAs for that period.
Making withdrawals
HSA withdrawals (or distributions) can be made to pay for qualified medical expenses, which generally means expenses that would qualify for the medical expense itemized deduction. Among these expenses are doctors’ visits, prescriptions, chiropractic care and premiums for long-term care insurance.
If funds are withdrawn from the HSA for other reasons, the withdrawal is taxable. Additionally, an extra 20% tax will apply to the withdrawal, unless it’s made after reaching age 65, or in the event of death or disability.
HSAs offer a flexible option for providing health care coverage and they may be an attractive benefit for your business. But the rules are somewhat complex. Contact us if you have questions or would like to discuss offering HSAs to your employees.