Tax season has begun. This week, I examine a new section to the Internal Revenue Code that intends to give some degree of parity to certain types of small businesses—you can find the details below.
The New Section 199A Deduction
Congress added a new section to the Internal Revenue Code. Section 199A is intended to give some degree of parity to small businesses that operate as partnerships, S corporations, sole proprietorships, trusts, publicly traded partnerships, and REITS. Since C corporations are now taxed at 21%, Congress decided to give small flow-through businesses taxed at the higher individual level a break. The deduction is limited to the lower of 20% of Qualified Business Income or 20% of the individual’s taxable income.
If you are a Service Trade or Business, i.e. health, law, accounting, actuarial services, performing arts, consulting, athletics, financial services, brokerage services, or any other trade or business that relies on the reputation or skill of one or more of its employees, then your deduction is only allowed if your taxable income is below $315,000 if filing MFJ and $157,500 for all others.
For businesses other than service—businesses whose owners have taxable income above the phase out limit of $415,000 for MFJ and $207,500 for all others—there are deduction limitations based on W-2 wages and depreciable assets. It is a little complicated, but it is a great deduction.
Tax Season Has Begun
The IRS has begun accepting 2018 tax returns and is issuing refunds. Now is the time to begin gathering your tax data and making an appointment with your tax preparer. If you need a tax preparer and would like to use our firm, then do not hesitate to give me a call and we will set an appointment for you.
That is all today. I look forward to visiting with you next week. In the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out if you have a question—you can call my office at (713) 785-8939 or leave a comment on this post. I’d love to hear from you.
Robert T. Stevenson, P.C., CPA 