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The Launch Blog: Expert Advice from the CorpNet Team
S Corporation vs. LLC
Limited liability companies (LLCs) and S Corporations are business structures that provide liability protection for business owners and allow for pass-through tax treatment. While they have those things (and some others) in common, they differ in several ways, too. If you’re starting a business or considering changing a sole proprietorship or general partnership to an S Corporation or LLC, it’s critical to understand the similarities and differences. Every business and business owner’s needs are unique in some respects, so I encourage entrepreneurs to do research on their own and enlist the expertise of an [...]
What You Need to Know About the Qualified Business Income Deduction
Tax considerations are a significant factor in how entrepreneurs structure their businesses. The qualified business income deduction (or QBI tax deduction) is an important tax deduction that allows eligible businesses to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income from their taxes. As a provision of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the QBI deduction was intended to help business owners of companies with pass-through tax elections lower their taxable income and receive additional tax benefits. In today's post, we'll cover all the essential details you need to know about the [...]
What You Need to Know About Work From Home Tax Deductions
According to Global Workplace Analytics, 25-30% of the workforce will be working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021. Already a trend before the pandemic, remote working became the “new normal” for businesses of all sizes struggling to stay afloat during safer-at-home directives. Today, both employers and employees have found the positives that remote working offers. However, only employers can claim work from home tax deductions on their income taxes. Let's review who can claim work from home tax deductions, what expenses qualify, and how you should calculation those deductions. [...]
12 Steps for Closing a Corporation by Year End
As difficult it may be to make the decision to close a business, things can become even more challenging if a business’s owners don’t tie up all the loose ends. If you’re thinking of closing your corporation by year-end, realize that there’s more to the process than halting the sale of products and services. Merely stopping business activities doesn’t officially close a company, there are steps that must be taken to legally end the business entity’s existence. The exact actions a corporation’s owners must take will depend on where the business is located, whether [...]
Filing Annual Meeting Minutes Before Year End
Depending on a business’s entity type and the state it’s registered in, its owners may be required to hold annual meetings and record minutes from those meetings. But how do you know if that requirement applies to your company? In this article, I'm going to explain what annual meetings and annual meeting minutes are to help you get on the path to determining if you must fulfill those important business compliance tasks. If you're a professional services provider that coaches or gives direction to business owners, this information may be helpful to your clients, [...]
Business Closures, Dissolutions, and Withdrawals
It has been a rough few years for businesses across the country, but especially so for small businesses. According to Yelp data, an estimated 60% of business closures due to the coronavirus pandemic are permanent. Companies of all sizes have had to close some or many of their locations. Whether you’ve had to close down entirely or shutter locations in other states, it’s crucial you legally close your business so there are no repercussions down the road. In many cases, this means you need to take action before we close out the 2021 calendar [...]
Where to Form an LLC for an Online Business
When a limited liability company (LLC) has a physical location, owners usually register their business in their home state because that’s typically where they conduct most of their business. But what about forming an LLC for an online business? Having an online company provides some flexibility when selecting a domicile (home) state. Of course, that freedom of choice brings many questions! States’ LLC laws vary, so it’s important to consider how a state’s rules, regulations, fees, and taxes will affect the business and its owners’ liability risks, financial situation, business opportunities, and more. Entrepreneurs [...]
Maintain Business Compliance to End the Year in Good Standing
As we move into the fall and winter months it's time to begin thinking of year-end compliance responsibilities and business activities. We'd like to help you prepare for the year-end and we want to help you get all your legal ducks in a row. To assist in these efforts, we’ve put together a year-end compliance checklist to set you on the right path. And to make the entire year-end compliance process as easy as possible, we've also created an annual compliance checklist you can download in a PDF. Business [...]
How to Proactively Manage Small Business Compliance
Besides going through all the proper steps to set up a business, understanding and following through with ongoing compliance requirements is immensely important. I regularly address small business compliance considerations in my writings on the CorpNet blog and webinars that I present to accounting and tax professionals. Compliance is mission-critical to entrepreneurial success, so in today's post, I am sharing a comprehensive list of many of the requirements business owners should be aware of. Realize that business compliance requirements vary depending on where a company is located, the legal business structure, type of business [...]
Independent Contractor vs. Employee
Before the pandemic (and all the havoc it created), small business owners were in an ongoing pursuit of sourcing the best workers for their company. Deciding between independent contractors and employees was a frequent question and this debate grew as some states considered enacting laws like California’s 2020 AB5 law. In 2021 "The Great Resignation" arrived and millions of employees have since quit their jobs in pursuit of more flexibility and happiness. This mass exodus has intensified the employee vs. independent contractor debate. With businesses settling into the “new normal” of hiring, entrepreneurs are [...]
How to Remove a Member from an LLC
Some limited liability companies undergo ownership changes as their businesses evolve. Members may come or go — either voluntarily or involuntarily — for a variety of reasons. So how do you remove a member of an LLC? Well, that depends! Different circumstances can affect the process and the outcomes for what happens to a member’s ownership interests in the company. Whether an LLC’s members want one of their members gone, a member wants to withdraw voluntarily, or a member passes away, the company must carry out the process lawfully. Ideally, an LLC’s organizational documents [...]
Hiring Family Members in a Small Business
I'm often asked if it is advantageous for a small business to hire family members. Some entrepreneurs have asked if hiring relatives presents legal issues, while others have asked if it is ethical. Whether you believe this practice is good business or nepotism, there are a lot of companies hiring relatives in full-time and contract positions. In the U.S. today, there are 5.5 million family-owned businesses, employing 63% of the American workforce. That adds up to many family business owners working with family members. These scenarios could be fraught with angst or, if done [...]
How to Reinstate a Revoked 501(c)(3) Status
As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, an organization does not have to pay federal income tax on its profits related to its business purpose. That’s an important advantage as it allows organizations to keep more of their profits and use them to further their causes. However, if a nonprofit organization fails to file the required reports and 990 series returns to the IRS, the IRS will revoke 501(c)(3) status. This revocation will negatively impact the nonprofit in multiple ways. Fortunately, the IRS does provide a path for nonprofit organizers to reinstate their revoked 501(c)(3) status. In [...]
CorpNet Named to Inc. 5000 List for 2021
CorpNet is proud to announce that it has made Inc. Magazine’s prestigious “Inc. 5000” list for 2021. As an Inc. 5000 honoree, we have been recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in America. During a stretch when the economy experienced limited growth, CorpNet achieved 120% revenue growth over the past three years. “I am beyond thrilled about the growth of our company despite the economic uncertainties that have arose recently due to the pandemic.” shared CorpNet CEO Nellie Akalp. “As an entrepreneur, revenue growth is a top priority and I am proud [...]
What Is an Annual Franchise Tax Report?
Not all, but some states require business entities to file an annual report and pay a franchise tax each year. While the name suggests that a franchise tax report might only apply to businesses that are franchises, that’s not the case! A franchise tax is a fee that companies pay for the privilege of being registered or organized in the state. As a registered business entity, a company gains personal liability protection for its owners, certain tax deductions, business name protection, and possibly other benefits. In exchange for this protection, the state serves a [...]