Vol 01 chapter 06 2015

© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part.

Individual Income Taxes

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Chapter 6

Deductions and Losses: In General

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The Big Picture (slide 1 of 2)

• Dr. Cliff Payne determines that his deductible expenses associated with his dental practice are as follows:Salaries including FICA (unpaid at year-end of $5,000) $120,000Building rent 24,000Depreciation of dental equipment and office furnishings and equipment 52,000Insurance (malpractice and of dental equipment and office furnishings and equipment) 22,000Dental supplies 16,000Office supplies 3,000Investigation expenses 6,000Contribution to U.S. Senate campaign fund of Tom Smith 1,000Contribution to U.S. Senate campaign fund of Virginia White 1,000Legal expenses associated with patient lawsuit (jury decision fordefendant) 4,000Fine imposed by city for improper disposal of medical waste 3,000Draw by Dr. Payne for living expenses ($5,000 monthly) 60,000

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The Big Picture (slide 2 of 2)

• Has Dr. Payne correctly calculated the business expenses for his dental practice?– Read the chapter and formulate your response.

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Deductions

• Exclusive definition of deductions– Deductions are allowed based on legislative grace

and defined narrowly– Substantiation requirements

• Taxpayer has burden of proof for substantiating all expenses deducted on return

• Thus, adequate records of expenses must be maintained

5

Deductions for and from AGI (slide 1 of 3)

• Deductions for AGI– Can be claimed even if taxpayer does not itemize– Important in determining the amount of certain

itemized deductions • Certain itemized deductions are limited to amounts in

excess of specified percentages of AGI– e.g., Medial expenses (7.5% or 10% of AGI), misc. itemized

deductions ( 2% of AGI)

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• Deductions from AGI:– In total, must exceed the standard deduction to

provide any tax benefit– Called “below the line” or itemized deductions

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• Comparison of deductions for and from AGI (2013 tax year)– Single taxpayer has gross income of $45,000 and

a $6,500 deduction For AGIFrom AGI

Gross income $45,000 $45,000Less: for AGI ded. 6,500 0 AGI $38,500 $45,000Less: from AGI ded. 6,100 6,500Less: personal exempt. 3,900 3,900Taxable income $28,500 $34,600

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Deductions for AGI (slide 1 of 3)

• Partial list includes:– Trade or business expenses– Reimbursed employee business expenses– Deductions from losses on sale or exchange of

property – Deductions from rental and royalty property – Alimony– One-half of self-employment tax paid

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• Partial list includes:– 100% of health insurance premiums paid by a self-

employed individual– Contributions to pension, profit sharing, annuity

plans, IRAs, etc.– Penalty on premature withdrawals from time

savings accounts or deposits– Moving expenses

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• Partial list includes:– Interest on student loans– Qualified tuition and related expenses under § 222– Up to $250 for teacher supplies for elementary and

secondary school teachers (if extended to 2014 by Congress)

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Deductions from AGI

• Itemized deductions include:– Medical expenses (in excess of 7.5% or 10% of AGI)

– Certain state and local taxes

– Contributions to qualified charitable organizations

– Personal casualty losses (in excess of 10 % of AGI and a $100 floor per casualty)

– Certain personal interest expense (e.g., mortgage interest on a personal residence)

– Miscellaneous itemized deductions (in excess of 2% of AGI)

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Trade or Business Deductions (slide 1 of 2)

• Section 162(a) permits a deduction for all ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred in carrying on a trade or business including:– Reasonable salaries paid for services– Expenses for the use of business property– One-half of self-employment taxes paid

• Such expenses are deducted for AGI

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Trade or Business Deductions (slide 2 of 2)

• In order for expenses to be deductible, they must be:– Ordinary: normal, usual, or customary for others in

similar business, and not capital in nature– Necessary: prudent businessperson would incur

same expense– Reasonable: question of fact– Incurred in conduct of business

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Section 212 Expenses (slide 1 of 2)

• Section 212 allows deductions for ordinary and necessary expenses paid or incurred for the following:– The production or collection of income– The management, conservation, or maintenance of

property held for the production of income– Expenses paid in connection with the

determination, collection, or refund of any tax

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Section 212 Expenses (slide 2 of 2)

• § 212 expenses that are deductions for AGI include:– Expenses related to rent and royalty income

– Expenses paid in connection with the determination, collection, or refund of taxes related to the income of sole proprietorships, rents and royalties, or farming operations

• All other § 212 expenses are itemized deductions (deductions from AGI)– For example, investment-related expenses (e.g., safe

deposit box rentals) are deductible as itemized deductions attributable to the production of investment income

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Business And Nonbusiness Losses

• Deductible losses of individual taxpayers are limited to those:– Incurred in a trade or business,– Incurred in a transaction entered into for profit

• Individuals may also deduct casualty losses from fire, storm, shipwreck, and theft

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Methods of Accounting

• The method of accounting affects when deductions are taken– Cash: expenses are deductible only when paid– Accrual: expenses are deductible when incurred

• Apply the all events test and the economic performance test

– Exception to the economic performance test for recurring items

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Disallowance Possibilities

• The tax law disallows the deduction of certain types of expenses for a variety of reasons– e.g., May restrict taxpayer attempts to deduct certain items

that, in reality, are personal expenditures

• Certain disallowance provisions are a codification or extension of prior court decisions– e.g., After courts denied deductions for payments in

violation of public policy, tax law was changed to provide specific authority for the disallowance

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Expenditures Contrary To Public Policy

• Deductions are disallowed for certain specific types of expenditures that are considered contrary to public policy– Examples: penalties, fines, illegal bribes or

kickbacks, two-thirds of treble damage payments for violation of anti-trust law

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The Big Picture - Example 13

Nondeductible Fines• Return to the facts of The Big Picture on p. 6-1. • Dr. Payne had not instituted proper procedures for

disposing of medical waste from his laboratory.– During the current tax year, he was fined $3,000

by the city. – Dr. Payne believes the fine should be deducted as

an ordinary business expense.

• However, because the fine was due to a violation of public policy, the $3,000 is not deductible.

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Legal Expenses Incurred In Defense Of Civil Or Criminal Penalties

• To deduct legal expenses– Must be directly related to a trade or business, an

income producing activity, or the determination, collection, or refund of a tax

• e.g., Corporate officer’s legal fees in defending against price-fixing charges

• e.g., Landlord’s legal fees associated with eviction of tenant

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Expenses Relating To An Illegal Business

• Usual expenses of operating an illegal business are deductible– However, deduction for fines, bribes to public

officials, illegal kickbacks, and other illegal payments are disallowed

• Trafficking in controlled substances: only cost of goods sold can reduce gross income

23

Political Contributions And Lobbying Activities

• Generally, no business deduction is allowed for payments made for political purposes or for lobbying– Exceptions are allowed for lobbying:

• To influence local legislation,

• To monitor legislation, and

• De minimis in-house expenses (limited to $2,000)– If greater than $2,000, none can be deducted

24


Political Contributions• Return to the facts of The Big Picture on p. 6-1.

• Dr. Payne made political contributions to the State Senate campaigns of Tom Smith and Virginia White.

– Dr. Payne made these contributions to encourage these senators to support a new bill that is beneficial to the state’s dental profession.

– Therefore, he assumed that these would be deductible business expenses.

• However, political contributions are not deductible, so he will receive no tax benefit from them.

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Excessive Executive Compensation (slide 1 of 2)

• For publicly held corporations: – Deduction for compensation of CEO and four

other highest compensated officers is limited to $1 million each

– Does not include:• Certain performance-based compensation

• Payments to qualified retirement plans

• Payments excludible from gross income

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Excessive Executive Compensation

(slide 2 of 2)

• An additional limitation applies only to covered executives of companies receiving Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) assistance– The deduction for compensation paid to a covered

executive is limited to $500,000– Covered employees include the CEO, the CFO,

and the three other most highly compensated officers

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Investigation Of A Business(slide 1 of 3)

• Investigation expenses - incurred to determine the feasibility of entering a new business or expanding an existing business– Include costs such as travel, engineering, architectural

surveys, marketing reports, various legal and accounting services

• Tax treatment of these expenses depends on: – The current business, if any, of the taxpayer– The nature of the business being investigated– The extent to which the investigation has proceeded– Whether or not the acquisition actually takes place

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• If the taxpayer is in a business the same as or similar to that being investigated– Investigation expenses are deductible in the year

paid or incurred• The tax result is the same whether or not the taxpayer

acquires the business being investigated

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• When the taxpayer is not in a business the same as or similar to that being investigated – Tax result depends on whether new business is acquired

• If not acquired– All investigation expenses generally are nondeductible

• If acquired– Investigation expenses must be capitalized– May elect to deduct the first $5,000 of expenses currently – Any excess expenses can be amortized over a period of not less than

180 months (15 years)– In arriving at the $5,000 immediate deduction allowed, a dollar-for-

dollar reduction must be made for those expenses in excess of $50,000

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Investigation Of A Business (slide 1 of 2)

• Return to the facts of The Big Picture on p. 6-1. • Dr. Payne believes that his administrative and

business skills can be used to turn around dental practices whose revenues have been declining. – He investigates Teeth Restoration, LLC, a local dental

practice that is for sale. – Expenses paid to consultants and accountants as

part of this investigation totaled $6,000.– He determined that Teeth Restoration would not be

a good investment, so he did not buy it.

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Investigation Of A Business (slide 2 of 2)

• Return to the facts of The Big Picture on p. 6-1. • The $6,000 spent to investigate this business is

deductible as a business expense because Dr. Payne is already in the dental business.– Investigating new business opportunities in one’s current

trade or business is an ordinary and necessary business expense.

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Hobby Losses (slide 1 of 8)

• Hobby defined– Activity not entered into for profit

• Personal pleasure associated with activity

• Examples: raising horses, fishing boat charter

• If an activity is not engaged in for profit, the hobby loss rules apply– Hobby expenses are deductible only to the extent

of hobby income

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• Profit activity– If activity is entered into for profit, taxpayer can

deduct expenses for AGI even in excess of income from the activity

• At-risk and passive loss rules may apply

• Often it is difficult to determine if an activity is profit motivated or a hobby

• Regulations provide nine factors to consider in making this determination

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• Presumptive rule of § 183– If activity shows profit 3 out of 5 years (2 out of 7

years for horses), the activity is presumed to be a trade or business rather than a personal hobby

– Rebuttable presumption, shifts burden of proof to IRS

– Otherwise, taxpayer has burden to prove profit motive

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Year Income (loss) Hobby?

2008 $500 Yes

2009 (1,500) Yes

2010 700 Yes

2011 (1,000) Yes

2012 900 No, profit 3 of 5 years

2013 (500) Yes, profit only 2 of 5 years

2014 1,200 No, profit 3 of 5 years

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• If an activity is deemed to be a hobby– Can only deduct expenses to extent of income

from activity (i.e., cannot deduct hobby losses)

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• If an activity is a hobby:– Expenses are deductible from AGI

• Treated as miscellaneous itemized deductions subject to the 2% of AGI limitation

• Exception: expenses that are deductible without regard to profit motive are deductible in full, such as

– Home mortgage interest

– Property taxes

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• Order in which hobby expenses are deductible:– First: Those otherwise deductible: e.g., home

mortgage interest and property taxes – Then: Expenses that do not affect adjusted basis:

e.g., maintenance, utilities– Then: Expenses that affect adjusted basis: e.g.,

depreciation (or cost recovery)

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• Example of hobby expenses: Taxpayer sells horses raised as a hobby for $15,500

Amount Order Amount

Income $15,500

Interest 6,000 1 $ 6,000

Taxes 3,000 1 3,000

Vet Bills 2,000 2 2,000

Feed 4,000 2 4,000

Depreciation 1,000 3 Ltd. to 500

Total 15,500

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Rental Vacation Homes(slide 1 of 9)

• May have both personal and rental use of a vacation home

• Deduction of rental expenses may be limited to rental income if primarily used for personal purposes

• Determination of vacation home treatment is dependent on personal use vs. rental use

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• Rental days– Less than 15 days: No gross income recognized

from rentals and no deductible rental expenses• Mortgage interest and property taxes treated as if on

personal residence (generally deductible in full)

– More than 14 days: Treatment depends on amount of personal use

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• Primarily rental use– If rented for 15 days or more and personal use

days NOT more than the greater of 14 days or 10 percent of fair rental days

– Can deduct all expenses allocated to rental use even if loss results

• Rental loss subject to at-risk and passive loss rules

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• Personal/rental use– If rented for 15 days or more and personal use

days exceed the greater of 14 days or 10% of fair rental days

– Treated similar to hobby• Rental expenses deducted in three step process

• No rental loss allowed

• Carryforward of disallowed rental expenses

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• Example of personal use

Rental days: 200 (10% = 20)

Personal use Not Significant Significant 7 days X 18 days X 25 days X

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• Example of personal use

Rental days: 100 (10% = 10)

Personal Use Not Significant Significant 7 days X14 days X18 days X

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• Allocation of expenses between personal and rental– Mortgage interest and real estate taxes

• IRS requires allocation based on total days used

• Courts have allowed allocation based on days in year

– Other expenses are allocated based on total days used

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• Tax treatment of income and expenses of a primarily rental vacation home– Rental income included in gross income– Rental expenses deductible for AGI– Rental income and expenses reported on Sch. E

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• Treatment of allocated personal portion of vacation home expenses– Primarily rental use: taxes deductible from AGI,

mortgage interest nondeductible (personal interest)– Personal/rental use: mortgage interest and taxes

deductible from AGI– Personal portion of other expenses (e.g., insurance,

maintenance) nondeductible

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Expenditures Incurred for Taxpayer’s Benefit or Obligation

• No deduction is allowed for payment of another taxpayer’s expenses– Must be incurred for taxpayer’s benefit or arise

from taxpayer’s obligation– Exception: Payment of medical expenses for a

dependent

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Personal Expenditures

• Unless otherwise provided in the Code, personal expenses are not deductible

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Capital Expenditures

• Amounts are capitalized

• Asset may be subject to depreciation (or cost recovery), amortization, or depletion

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Transactions Between Related Parties

(slide 1 of 2)

• Section 267 disallows losses from direct or indirect sales or exchanges of property between related parties– Family and entity relationships apply– Constructive ownership rules apply– Loss disallowed may reduce gain on subsequent

disposition to unrelated third party

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Transactions Between Related Parties (slide 2 of 2)

• Section 267 also requires the matching principle be applied for unpaid expenses and interest when different accounting methods used– Example: An accrual basis, closely held

corporation, cannot deduct accrued, but unpaid, salary to cash basis related party employee/shareholder until it is actually paid

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Expenses and Interest Relating to Tax-Exempt Income

• Expenses relating to production of tax-exempt income are nondeductible– Example: interest expense on loan where funds

used to acquire municipal bonds

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The Big Picture - Example 42Tax Planning - Shifting Deductions

• Referring to the facts of The Big Picture on p. 6-1,

• Assume that Dr. Payne’s marginal tax rate in 2014 is 25% but that he estimates his rate in 2015 to be 40%.

• In this case, he should consider deferring the charitable contribution to UNA College until 2015. – His tax benefit in 2015 will be $2,000.

• (40% X $5,000)

– His tax benefit in 2014 would only be $1,250.

• (25% $5,000)

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Refocus On The Big Picture (slide 1 of 2)

• Of the expenses incurred by Dr. Payne, several comments need to be made. – Being personal in nature, none of the $5,000 monthly draw

is deductible and the amount involved is not subject to the reasonableness test (see Example 6).

• Dr. Payne is a sole proprietor and not in an employment relationship.

– The fine paid for violating waste control rules comes under the public policy limitations (see Example 13) and is specifically made nondeductible by Code § 162(f).

– Along the same line are the political contributions (Example 17) made nondeductible by § 162(e).

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Refocus On The Big Picture (slide 2 of 2)

• However, Dr. Payne’s investigation of the practice of another dental firm (Example 19) appears reasonable and the expense incurred deductible.

• Although not specifically discussed in the text, Dr. Payne’s legal fees incurred in connection with a lawsuit filed by a patient appear related to his practice (Example 15). – As such, they are ordinary and necessary to his

trade or business.

© 2015 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be scanned, copied or duplicated, or posted to a publicly accessible website, in whole or in part. 58

If you have any comments or suggestions concerning this PowerPoint Presentation for South-Western Federal Taxation, please contact:

Dr. Donald R. Trippeer, CPA [email protected]

SUNY Oneonta

Vol 01 chapter 06 2015

Business

Transcript of Vol 01 chapter 06 2015