CPA Blog

Why making annual exclusion gifts before year end can still be a good idea

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Published: Monday, 19 December 2016 08:55

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

A tried-and-true estate planning strategy is to make tax-free gifts to loved ones during life, because it reduces potential estate tax at death. There are many ways to make tax-free gifts, but one of the simplest is to take advantage of the annual gift tax exclusion with direct gifts. Even in a potentially changing estate tax environment, making annual exclusion gifts before year end can still be a good idea.

What is the annual exclusion?

The 2016 gift tax annual exclusion allows you to give up to $14,000 per recipient tax-free without using up any of your $5.45 million lifetime gift tax exemption. If you and your spouse “split” the gift, you can give $28,000 per recipient. The gifts are also generally excluded from the generation-skipping transfer tax, which typically applies to transfers to grandchildren and others more than one generation below you.

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Your company’s balance sheet makes great reading this time of year

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Published: Monday, 19 December 2016 08:49

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

Year end is just about here. You know what that means, right? It’s a great time to settle in by a roaring fire and catch up on reading … your company’s financial statements. One chapter worth a careful perusal is the balance sheet. Therein may lie some important lessons.

3 ratios to consider

In a nutshell, a balance sheet summarizes a company’s assets, liabilities and shareholders’ equity at a specific point in time. Its objective: To provide an accurate snapshot of the financial standing of the business.

Yet a balance sheet can do so much more. There are a number of ratios you can draw from this report, which can help you lay out strategic plans for next year. Here are three to consider:

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Year-end tax strategies for accrual-basis taxpayers

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Published: Monday, 12 December 2016 10:37

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

The last month or so of the year offers accrual-basis taxpayers an opportunity to make some timely moves that might enable them to save money on their 2016 tax bill.

Record and recognize

The key to saving tax as an accrual-basis taxpayer is to properly record and recognize expenses that were incurred this year but won’t be paid until 2017. This will enable you to deduct those expenses on your 2016 federal tax return. Common examples of such expenses include:

• Commissions, salaries and wages,
• Payroll taxes,
• Advertising,
• Interest,
• Utilities,
• Insurance, and
• Property taxes.

You can also accelerate deductions into 2016 without actually paying for the expenses in 2016 by charging them on a credit card. (This works for cash-basis taxpayers, too.) Accelerating deductible expenses into 2016 may be especially beneficial if tax rates go down for 2017, which could happen based on the outcome of the November election. Deductions save more tax when tax rates are higher.

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Keeping your family business in the family

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Published: Monday, 12 December 2016 10:31

Written by Phillip Strickler, CPA.CITP

A successful family business can provide long-term financial security for you as its owner, as well as for your loved ones. To improve the chances that your company will continue to benefit your heirs after you’re gone, take steps now to keep it in the family.

Staying in-house

Careful estate planning can ensure that a business continues to benefit family members and that ownership of the business isn’t diluted — at least until the business is ready to accept outside investors.

For example, a well-designed buy-sell agreement can prevent owners from transferring their shares outside the family, while providing the liquidity they need to exit the business. And prenuptial agreements can prevent married owners from losing a portion of their shares in a divorce.

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