How to pay yourself as a member of the LLC

As a member of a Limited Liability Company (LLC) your taxable income is determined by your percentage of the LLC's net income at the end of the year. In most circumstances each member of the LLC is self-employed and not an employee. Checks written to LLC members only affects their investment in the LLC and are not a wages. The LLC member can invest or draw as much money as they wish without tax consequence (until the business is sold). You could think of these draws and investments in the LLC as savings accounts. They should be tracked for each member.

This scenario is the same for self-employed individuals operating as sole-proprietors or single-member LLCs.

Filing an Extension

The extension beyond April 15th is automatic if requested. No reason is necessary. However, the extension is only for the tax return, not the amount due. We will need estimate if you have paid adequate amounts of estimated tax payments and withholding to cover the actual tax due. If your payments are not adequate (and you make no other payments before April 15) interest and penalties will be charged. In some cases we can successfully request the waiver of penalties, but interest would be due in any case.

If you need help with estimating your liability or filing an extension give us a call.

Business Use of Autos

Generally, there are two methods of deducting business use of a vehicle. The “actual expenses” method involves keeping records of all expenses related to your vehicle such as gas, maintenance, and depreciation. The “standard mileage rate” method involves multiplying your business miles by a rate determined by the IRS. This is supposed to provide a deduction that, on average, is equal to the actual expenses of running an auto, including depreciation. Remember to keep a log of your business mileage. Even if you use the “actual expenses” method, you should have documentation of your business use. Mileage logs also provide a method of allocation of expenses between business and personal use . Remember to keep track of tolls, parking, town tax and interest on your auto loan. These are deductible (for the business portion) under either method. This is a troublesome issue for many small businesses. See Business Use of Autos for further information.

Estate Planning

Estate planning continues to be an issue for anyone with significant assets. Estate tax will probably not go away. Without planning, your estate may pay hundreds of thousands of dollars more than necessary. Estate planning can be inexpensive and can provide your heirs with huge benefits. Estate planning can also serve many other purposes besides minimizing estate tax. Other purposes include succession planning for businesses, control of assets passed to beneficiaries, and providing for loved ones that may be less than capable.

Expensing Certain Assets

Typically business assets with a life of more than 1 year must be depreciated (expensed over time). Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code allows you to expense all or part of the cost in the year the asset was purchased. Vehicles may be expensed as well. In some situations it is possible to deduct the entire cost of a vehicle in the first year. For more information see Expensing Vehicles.