Self-Employment Tax Reduction Strategies for Spouse-Owned Businesses
You're probably fed up with high self-employment (SE) tax bills if you own a profitable, unincorporated Maine business with your spouse. Typically, an unincorporated business in which both spouses are active is treated as a partnership that's owned 50/50 by the...
There’s Still Time to Set Up a SEP for 2016
Is a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) right for your Maine small business? SEPs are stripped-down retirement plans intended for self-employed individuals and small businesses. Consider establishing a SEP if you don't already have a tax-favored retirement plan set up...
Sound Valuation Report Keeps Expert Alive in Daubert Fight
MSKP Oak Grove, LLC v. Venuto, 2016 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 84950 (June 29, 2016) A recent fraud case illustrates how a thorough expert report can help an embattled valuator stay the course even in the tumult of litigation. The key is to document everything. Need for reverse...
Consider Section 179 Deductions for Real Estate Expenses
The Basics of Section 179 Deductions Under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, the Section 179 deduction for qualified real property expenses was made permanent. However, claiming this deduction isn't a no-brainer. This article will explain...
Republicans’ Policy Brief Explains Repeal-and-Replace Plan
As many Americans already know, President Trump and Republicans in Congress have vowed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). In its place, they plan to introduce a more market-based system of health coverage. Here is the one question many people have:...
Unilateral Partnership Dissolution Exacts Steep Price from Wrongdoer
Congel v Malfitano, 2016 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 3706 (May 18, 2016) What a difference a word makes. That’s the lesson from a recent New York appellate ruling in a dispute in which a minority shareholder was found liable of wrongfully breaching the partnership agreement...
How S Corporations Can Save on Federal Employment Taxes
If you own an unincorporated small business in Maine, one way to lower your self-employment (SE) tax liability is to convert your business to an S corporation. SE Tax Basics Incomes subject to SE tax include sole proprietorship income as well as partnership income...
Chancery Rejects Deal Price Based on Unquantifiable ‘Sales Process Mispricing’
In re Appraisal of Dell Inc., 2016 Del. Ch. LEXIS 81 (May 31, 2016) The Delaware Court of Chancery’s favoring the value derived from a post-merger discounted cash flow analysis over the deal price in the Dell statutory appraisal action stunned the world of high...
Factoring Uncertainty into the Value of Your Business
There are numerous uncertainties in the marketplace currently facing businesses. Tax laws could substantially change as President Trump and Republican congressional leaders work toward fulfilling their campaign promises. The estate tax could be repealed, and various...
Working Out a Tax-Free Perk
Does your Maine business offer health insurance and group-term life insurance, as well as an array of fringe benefits to its employees? While there are certain requirements, these fringe benefits are generally deductible by the company and tax-free to the employees as...