Tax Deductions for Small Business Owners

>Cost segregation produces tax deductions and
Regarding Tax Deductions for Small Business Ownersreduces federal income taxes across the country and
Tax Deductions for Small Business Ownersin every size market. Below are just a few examples
Tax tips and tax help to assist taxpayers byof cities where cost segregation generates
describing optionsfor tax reduction and tax cutsmeaningful tax deductions.
through lawful tax deductions.City:
Small business owners need all the tax help which is- Memphis, TN
available. Tax deductions allow small business owners- Baltimore, MD
to keep more of what they earn. With a 35%- Las Vegas, NV
marginal tax rate, the government is a silent partner- Boston, MA
who takes no risk and over one-third of the profits.- Miami, FL
Tax deductions are neither simple, straight forward,- New Orleans, LA
or intuitive. However, the effort to increase tax- Atlanta, GA
deductions is well worth the effort.- Washington, DC
Tax Help Tip 1: Tax deductions reduce taxable- Phoenix, AZ
income for small business owners but do not directly- Houston, TX
reduce federal income taxes. (Tax credits, such as- Albuquerque, NM
low income housing investment tax credits, directly- Sacramento, CA
reduce federal income taxes) Both cash and non-cash- Sarasota, FL
tax deductions merit review.- Salt Lake City, UT
Tax Help Tip 2: Cash disbursements can be expensed- Albany, NY
(used as a tax deduction in the current year) or- Virginia Beach, VA
depreciated (capitalized and depreciated or amortized- Oxnard, CA
over a period of years). Due to the judgment- New Haven, CT
required to determine what should be capitalized,- Chicago, IL
there is some discretion. For example, a local gang- Kansas City, MO
paints graffiti on a portion of the side of your building.- Buffalo, NY
You decide to repaint the entire side of the building- Jackson, MS
instead of just the portion with graffiti. Is this a repair- Tucson, AZ
(can be used as a tax deduction) or should it be- Raleigh, NC
capitalized (and depreciated over time)? Some- Dayton, OH
owners would elect to expense repainting the entire- Pittsburgh, PA
building. Business owners should seek counsel from- Scranton, PA
their advisor regarding discretionary tax deductions.- Jacksonville, TN
Tax Help Tip 3: Real estate provides bountiful tax- Portland, OR
deductions for small business owners. Most real- Birmingham, AL Cost segregation produces tax
estate owners inadvertently understate depreciationdeductions for virtually all property types, including
and thus forego available tax deductions. Thethe following:
common practice is to simply separate land andProperty Type:
long-life property (depreciated over 39 years for- Veterinary clinic
commercial property and 27.5 years for rental- Single-tenant retail
residential property). Real estate owners can- Auto dealer
typically increase depreciation by 50-100% in the first- Amusement park
5-7 years of ownership by utilizing cost segregation.- Community shopping center
Cost segregation can separate up to 130 items that- Convenience store
can be depreciated over 5, 7, or 15 years (instead of- Airplane hangar
27.5-39 years). These short-life items typically- Research and development
comprise about 20-40% of the improvement cost- Shopping mall
basis. The increased depreciation increases tax- Office warehouse Almost every industry, including
deductions.the following, can generate cost-efficient tax
Cost segregation can be utilized for recentlydeductions by using cost segregation.
purchased or built properties and for propertiesIndustry:
owned for a period of years (1/1/87 or later).- Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation
Long-term real estate owners can claim a one-time- Frozen food manufacturing
tax deduction windfall using catch-up depreciation.- Real estate lesser
Tax Help Tip 4: After a cost segregation study is- Plastic and rubber products manufacturing
prepared, the owner can “catch-up” previously- Warehousing and storage
under-reported depreciation (without filing any- Building supply dealers
amended tax returns).- Electronic and appliance stores
Tax Help Tip 5: Another source of “hidden” tax- Food and beverage stores
deductions is a careful review of your fixed asset- Durable good wholesalers
schedule. Many fixed asset schedule include items- Electrical component manufacturing
which should have been expensed or which haveO’Connor & Associates is a national provider
been discarded (or should be thrown away).of commercial real estate consulting services including
Misclassified items are another source of additionalcost segregation studies, due diligence, commercial
tax deduction. In some cases the depreciation life forreal estate appraisal, Lease Abstraction-,tax
an asset has been overstated through clerical error. Adeduction, cost segregation, property tax, market
fixed asset audit typically generates meaningful taxresearch, estate taxes, Collin central appraisal district,
deductions.Tips and Tricks for Appealing Your Property Taxes in
Other Tax Help Articles: Other non-cash sources ofDento, denton county appraisal and Federal tax
tax deductions are amortization, casualty losses, andreduction. O’Connor appraisers have appraised
charitable contributions, which are addressed inover 100 types of real estate including auto service
separate articles. Planning tax deductions requires agarages, service center warehouses, student housing,
modest effort but the rewards are worth the effort.shopping malls, subsidized housing, commercial
You work hard to serve your clients and earn abuildings, drugstores, office warehouses, racket clubs,
profit; don’t give more than is legally requiredoffice buildings, cold storage facilities, shopping
to your silent partner.centers, regional malls, strip shopping centers, used
Click here for a FREE preliminary analysis of incomecar lots, health spas, auto salvage yards and banks.
tax savings for your property.