Tax filing time can be, well, a taxing time for small business owners. But it doesn't have to be. We'll help guide you on the key forms you'll need, filing processes, and important resources.
Self-employed individuals generally must pay self-employment (SE) tax as well as income tax. You must report your business income on Schedule SE if you have more than $400 of taxable business income for the year, even if you are already receiving Social Security or Medicare benefits.
All businesses except partnerships must file an annual income tax return. Partnerships file an information return. The form you use depends on how your business is organized. Many small business owners operate as sole proprietorships, allowing them to report all of their business income and expenses using a Schedule C attachment to their personal income tax return. If you operate as a single-member LLC and are the sole owner, the IRS also allows you to use the Schedule C attachment.
Unless your business entity is a corporation, you generally must file your business and personal taxes together. Sole proprietors, for example, must report their business income on their personal tax returns. However, if you operate as a limited liability company (LLC) as a corporation, you can file separate taxes using IRS Form 1120.
Most businesses must file and pay federal taxes on any income earned or received during the year. However, individuals who are self-employed must typically pay the IRS money toward self-employment tax every month in the form of estimated tax payments. Technically, these estimated payments are referred to as "quarterly estimated payments." Estimated tax is the method used to pay taxes on income that is not subject to withholding. This includes income from self-employment, interest, and dividends.
Business entity categories refer to the type or structure of a business, not what it does. How it's structured affects how taxes are paid and how liabilities are determined. Business entities are usually created at the state level, often by filing documents with a state agency such as the secretary of state.
E-File is the term for electronic filing or sending your income tax return from tax software via the Internet to the IRS or state tax authority. It's simple and efficient and has become increasingly popular since it was introduced nationally in 1990. In 2019, more than 90% of federal taxes were filed electronically.
The home office deduction is a way for self-employed business owners, including sole proprietors, limited liability company (LLC) owners, or partners in partnerships, to deduct from their business tax bill certain expenses for the use of a part of their home for business purposes.
Tax depreciation allows business owners to deduct the declining value of assets used in income-generating activities from their federal taxes. It is considered by the IRS to be an allowance for wear and tear, and it can also be applied to obsolete items that are no longer usable.
Payroll taxes are amounts of pay withheld from an employee’s paycheck during the payroll process, and employers must usually match these amounts. Payroll taxes contribute to a major part of the U.S. federal budget, particularly for social insurance programs.
The qualified business income (QBI) deduction, which is also known as the section 199A deduction, was introduced in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). This deduction allows for small business owners, sole proprietors, and other owners of pass-through businesses to deduct up to 20% on their qualified business income if they meet certain guidelines.
Miscellaneous expenses are defined as “other” expenses. These expenses are not specific but are still considered ordinary and necessary. Therefore, they are deductions that can be included on your Schedule C. You can list your miscellaneous expenses in broad categories such as bank fees, advertising, education, damages recovered, and credit card convenience fees.
Each type of 1099 form is an informational return meant to notify the IRS of any income outside of W-2 earnings. Since payments reported on a 1099 form do not encompass employee compensation, they typically do not include tax withholding.
Self-employed people earn a living by working for themselves, not as employees of someone else or as owners (shareholders) of a corporation. But there are various definitions of "self-employed" that vary slightly. One example of a self-employed person is someone who carries on a trade or business as a sole proprietor or independent contractor,
The self-employment tax is calculated on Form 1040 Schedule SE, and it's a significant 15.3% of your net business profit. It represents the Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes that you would otherwise share with your employer, each of you paying half.