If you’re a business owner, you know that every decision affects your business in myriad ways. With tax season in full swing, these aspects are likely (or should be) on the forefront of business owners’ minds. So, how will taxes affect your business strategy this year?
Informed Decisions
For example, finance and business strategies often fail to consider the role of taxes during the decision-making process. This is especially true of plans for small businesses. Effective business planning means accounting for every possible impact of a transaction on the overall health of a business. Owners must factor in all tax and non-tax costs into final decisions by reviewing their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Anyone familiar with SWOT analyses knows that the entries that populate the classic project planning quadrant for decisions have far-reaching, and often unexpected implications.
At least partly, taxes affect your business strategy because of the implications of a move. Whether forming a business, raising capital, expanding or divesting business, taxes have a direct impact on cash flow. Taxes can divert as much as 40 percent of a business’s pretax cash flow to the government. Planning accordingly for these implications can prevent a business owner from being caught “flat-footed” and finding themselves deep in the red with the IRS.
Whole fields devote study to taxes and business strategy. Every business school worth its weight in saIt offers a full program on considering the taxes, accounting and financial trade-offs involved in strategic planning. I won’t attempt to surpass thought leaders like Scholes, Wolfson and company (google them); however, there’s a reason their classic text, Taxes and Business Strategy, and others after have been so popular. The complexity of the tax code, coupled with how it can impact a business’s future plans, requires expert eyes. A true analysis takes a holistic approach to decision-making.
Tax Structure
Business owners need to consider both explicit taxes (tax dollars paid directly to taxing authorities) and implicit taxes (taxes paid indirectly as lower before-tax rates for overall return on investments). I cannot stress how important it is to have a team of experts review any business deals before finalizing them. Experts in these fields can potentially save your business tens of thousands of dollars in the long run.
Let’s say you receive the green light for moving forward with a proposition. Your next goal should be to minimize the amount of tax revenue the IRS makes off your transaction. Certain structuring can help you lower your tax bill while staying in compliance.
If you’re considering more complex maneuvers, you need a tax attorney to help you navigate processes. This includes converting ordinary income into capital gains that are subject to lower tax rates or completing legal moves that shift transactions and tax consequences.
With extensive experience in tax preparation and tax law, we’ve helped our clients save thousands of dollars in federal taxes. We can help you pay the minimum amount of taxes possible while still being in compliance with federal tax law. If you have questions or would like to schedule a consultation discuss your specific needs, call our office at 724-216-5180 or use our online form.
