Why You Need to Become an S-Corp (Business Structure)

Optimizing the business entity is the key strategy to reduce tax bills because your business structure decides how your tax is calculated. If you have not opted for the right one, you might be paying more taxes than necessary.

Whether you are self-employed or an LLC or corporation, electing S-Corp status could be beneficial. It opens up doors to tax strategies that could reduce your tax bills significantly.

In this article, we will discuss why you need to become an S-Corp and what benefits it offers. We will unveil some strategies that help you save thousands of dollars even if you're more profitable than ever before.

Pass-through Taxation

The primary benefit of electing S-Corp status is pass-through taxation.

Let's say you are taxed as a C-Corp. You have to pay double taxes: corporate taxes on profits and personal income taxes.

Once you elect to be taxed as an S-Corp, you only need to pay corporate income taxes at the personal income tax rate because S-Corps are not subjected to corporate income taxes.

The income or loss is passed through to shareholders, which is reported in personal income tax returns. Thus, if your personal rate is lower than the C-Corp, electing an S-Corp status would be extremely beneficial.

Reduced Self-employment Tax

S-Corp reduces self-employment taxes significantly.

How?

Owners/shareholders are eligible to draw a salary from the business as employees. If they do so, the income from the business is divided into two parts. One would be the salary, and the remaining would be the distribution.

When you pay self-employment taxes, you only have to pay on the salary you draw. The distribution is self-employment tax-free. The lower the salary, the lower will be the taxes. Thus, you have a certain control over the taxes you pay.

Suppose you make a profit of $120,000 from your S-Corp.

If you are self-employed, you pay self-employment tax on the whole profit. But as an employee, you draw a salary, let's say, $50,000 per annum. You have to pay 15.3% of the salary for Social Security and Medicare taxes. The remaining $70,000 will not be subjected to 15.3% taxes. Thus, you end up saving a massive amount as an S-Corp.

Keep in mind that you have to pay a reasonable salary/compensation to yourself according to the job you do for the business. Otherwise, you could face penalties and lose the eligibility to be elected as an S-Corp. Consulting a tax advisor is essential to do it the right way.

Health Insurance and Retirement Tax Savings

Tax bills can be further reduced by opting for health insurance and retirement savings.

Your S-Corp deducts a certain amount from the salary and pays for the health insurance coverage. The amount paid for health insurance can be deducted from the taxable salary. Moreover, you don't have to pay self-employment taxes like Social Security and Medicare taxes on this amount. Thus, you end up saving a certain amount from tax bills.

For instance, if you are drawing a salary of $50,000 and paying $10,000 for health insurance. $10,000 can be deducted from the income, and the tax will be applied to $40,000 only. You save 15.3% of $10,000.

Note: A proper record and documentation of health insurance is mandatory.

The contributions to the retirement plan as an employer or employee can be deducted, which lowers the taxable income.

Through SEP IRA (Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Arrangement), an S-Corp can contribute up to 25% of the employee's salary up to $225,000 (for 2024).

Sole owners and employees can go with Solo 401(k) to contribute up to $67,500 (for 2024).

All these contributions are tax-deductible, which reduces the tax bills. An S-Corp can take advantage of these retirement plans to lower taxable income and benefit their employees and owners.

Tax Deductions

Tax savings in an S-Corp can be maximized by deductions. You are allowed to deduct various amounts from the taxable income, which can greatly reduce tax bills.

Here are some of the legal deductions you can make:

Travel Expenses: All the travel expenses, including tickets, meals, hotel, and transportation, can be reimbursed. Whether the travel was for a meeting or a business trip, the amount you spend is a business expense. Therefore, the reimbursed amount is deductible.

Vehicle Expenses: If you are using your personal vehicle for business purposes, the amount you spend on gas, maintenance, and other things is also reimbursed. It is a great strategy to reduce the taxable income.

Rent: It is possible to rent a portion of your home to the business. The rent can be deducted from the taxable income. However, it is necessary that the portion is used specifically for business, and there is no other place from where the business is operated. There are some strict regulations; however, it can help in reducing tax bills if done the right way.

Cell Phone Expenses: If you use your personal phone for business, you can deduct a portion of the expense from the taxable income.

S-Corps can take benefits from tax deductions. However, there must be proper documents and records. For instance, there should be documents for travel expenses and a rental agreement if a portion of the property is being used by the business.

Secondly, these are a bit complicated. Therefore, taking advice from a tax professional is necessary.

Protection from Liability

As an S-Corp, the assets of the business owner are safe.

Suppose the company has debts; the shareholder is not responsible for paying it from its assets. The personal property, bank balance, and other assets can't be seized to pay the debt.

Thus, being an S-Crop safeguards you from the liabilities of the company.

Note: The protection of liability in an S-Corp is subject to state laws.

Want to Reduce Taxes as an S-Corp?

FCF Consulting Partners can help you become an S-Corp and reduce your taxes by a significant amount. We can create a custom tax plan for your businesses and implement strategies to help you legally reduce tax bills. We analyze your business from top to bottom and actively monitor it throughout the year to optimize your tax strategies. Contact us to book a free strategy session.

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