There are some tax breaks out there that may be available to small business owners. However, business owners may only qualify if their adjusted gross income is under a certain amount. If a small business owners could qualify, but their income was a little too high, they might lose access to tax breaks like higher  Continue Reading »

When the owners of a C corporation sell their business’ stock for a large profit, usually they are taxed at a maximum federal rate of 20 percent, as long as they’ve had the shares for more than a year. Relatively speaking, this tax rate isn’t too bad. However, a tax-free sale to an ESOP would  Continue Reading »

As a Maine-based small business owners know that they need to be mindful of the tax implications of any decision they make, regardless of the time of year. Here are just five of the tax-smart decisions to make during the year that could significantly reduce tax liability if handled properly: If the small business needs new vehicles,  Continue Reading »

Paying employees involves more than just issuing checks. Sometimes small business owners don’t realize how many specific records must be kept. For each employee there has to be records including details such as name, address, and Social Security number, but also information about pay rate, tips, payroll taxes, fringe benefits, and any other pertinent payment  Continue Reading »

Small business owners want their companies to grow. An efficient way to do this may be to acquire and merge with another company. But it’s not a sure thing, and usually when it doesn’t pay off, it’s because of management issues, and not market conditions. Read these eight key strategies that could make the difference  Continue Reading »

As a Maine-based small business owner, it’s important to plan all year long to make the most of the tax law. Here are just five of the tax-smart decisions to make during the year that could, if handled properly, significantly reduce tax liability: Should vehicles, equipment, and buildings be purchased or leased? If a major business purchase  Continue Reading »

Did you know there are certain tax breaks available to small businesses when they accommodate disabled individuals? This is a brief summation of three of those tax breaks: The disabled access credit A small business might be eligible for a nonrefundable credit when it has expenses for providing access to individuals with disabilities. The company can’t have more  Continue Reading »

If you operate your Maine-based business as a sole proprietorship, a single-member LLC (which is treated as a sole proprietorship for tax purposes), or a husband-wife partnership, here’s a great family tax planning deal: Hire your under-age-18 children as legitimate employees of the business. It doesn’t matter if they work part-time or full-time. This idea  Continue Reading »

Fall is just beginning, but it’s not too early to think about year-end tax planning. As the end of the year approaches, it’s time to identify moves small business owners can make before December 31st. The first thing to do is to make a projection of this year’s income, expected tax deductions, and tax credits.  Continue Reading »

If you use part of your home as an office for your Maine-based small business, and deduct related expenses on your tax return, you may wonder if you can claim a valuable federal tax break when you sell. This tax benefit is the home sale gain exclusion, of up to $250,000 for single taxpayers. In  Continue Reading »