Masters & Jorgensen, Inc.

Do you have an excess business loss?

March 3, 2025

If an individual taxpayer has substantial business losses, unfavorable federal income tax rules can potentially come into play. Here’s what you need to know as you assess your 2024 tax situation. Disallowance rule The tax rules can get complicated if your business or rental activity throws off a tax loss — and many do during […]

Drive down your business taxes with local transportation cost deductions

February 24, 2025

Understanding how to deduct transportation costs could significantly reduce the tax burden on your small business. You and your employees likely incur various local transportation expenses each year, and they have tax implications. Let’s start by defining “local transportation.” It refers to travel when you aren’t away from your tax home long enough to require […]

The amount you and your employees can save for retirement is going up slightly in 2025

February 17, 2025

How much can you and your employees contribute to your 401(k)s or other retirement plans next year? In Notice 2024-80, the IRS recently announced cost-of-living adjustments that apply to the dollar limitations for retirement plans, as well as other qualified plans, for 2025. With inflation easing, the amounts aren’t increasing as much as in recent […]

How can you build a golden nest egg if you’re self-employed?

February 10, 2025

If you own a small business with no employees (other than your spouse) and want to set up a retirement plan, consider a solo 401(k) plan. This is also an option for self-employed individuals or business owners who wish to upgrade from a SIMPLE IRA or Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan. A solo 401(k), also […]

From flights to meals: A guide to business travel tax deductions

February 3, 2025

As a business owner, you may travel to visit customers, attend conferences, check on vendors and for other purposes. Understanding which travel expenses are tax deductible can significantly affect your bottom line. Properly managing travel costs can help ensure compliance and maximize your tax savings. Your tax home Eligible taxpayers can deduct the ordinary and […]

Self-employment tax: A refresher on how it works

January 27, 2025

If you own a growing, unincorporated small business, you may be concerned about high self-employment (SE) tax bills. The SE tax is how Social Security and Medicare taxes are collected from self-employed individuals like you. SE tax basics The maximum 15.3% SE tax rate hits the first $168,600 of your 2024 net SE income. The […]

The tax treatment of intangible assets

January 20, 2025

Intangible assets, such as patents, trademarks, copyrights and goodwill, play a crucial role in today’s businesses. The tax treatment of these assets can be complex, but businesses need to understand the issues involved. Here are some answers to frequently asked questions. What are intangible assets? The term “intangibles” covers many items. Determining whether an acquired […]

How your business can prepare for and respond to an IRS audit

January 13, 2025

The IRS has been increasing its audit efforts, focusing on large businesses and high-income individuals. By 2026, it plans to nearly triple its audit rates for large corporations with assets exceeding $250 million. Under these plans, partnerships with assets over $10 million will also see audit rates increase tenfold by 2026. This ramp-up in audits is part […]

Healthy savings: How tax-smart HSAs can benefit your small business and employees

January 6, 2025

As a small business owner, managing health care costs for yourself and your employees can be challenging. One effective tool to consider adding is a Health Savings Account (HSA). HSAs offer a range of benefits that can help you save on health care expenses while providing valuable tax advantages. You may already have an HSA. […]