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The best tax minimization strategies for businesses are claiming tax credits, claiming business deductions, retirement plans, etc. to minimize the tax burden.

Income is taxed at state, local and federal level and the earned income by the business is subject to additional levies to fund social security and medicare. 

There are different tax bracket management that helps the individuals and businesses 

to reduce tax deductions, credits and exemptions to minimize tax burden. 

Understanding the Tax Legislation 2024

Federal Tax Bracket

The percentage of taxable income you owe to the IRS in each tier is your federal tax bracket.   

Federal Tax Brackets 2024
Tax Rate Taxable Income (single)Taxable Income ( married filing jointly )
10%$0 – $11,600$0 – $23,200
12%$11,601 – $47,150$24,201 – $94,300
22%$47,151 – $100,525$94,301 – $201,050
24%$100,526 – $191,950$201,051 – $383,900
32%$191,951 – $243,725 $383,901 – $487,450 
35%$243,726 – $609,350$487,451 – $731,200
37%Over $609,350Over $731,200

Tax rates on capital gains and dividends

Tax rates on Long-term Capital Gains and Dividends for 2024
Filing Status0% Rate15% Rate 20% Rate
MFJ< $94,050$94,051 – $583,750>$583,750
Single < $47,025$47,026 – $518,900>$518,900
Estates / Trusts< $3,150$3,151 – $15,450>$15,450

Best tax minimization strategies for Individual Taxpayers

Reducing adjusted gross income (AGI) – Items above the Line Deductions

Reducing adjusted gross income (AGI) - Items above the Line Deductions

Adjusted gross income is basically the individual’s total gross income minus above-the-line deductions allowed by the IRS.

The taxpayer’s adjusted gross income gets reduced by above-the-line deductions and is allowed whether you itemize or take the standard deductions.

The high-income earners should consider the below mentioned “above the line deductions”:

  1. Qualified retirement plan contributions

Most employees get qualified retirement savings plans, such as 457, 401(k), and 403(b) plans. The contribution limit for this plan is $23,000, along with an additional $7,500 catch-up contribution allowed for those 50 and older for the year 2024.

The income stated on Internal Revenue Service Form 1040 is net of any pre-tax retirement plan contributions.

  1. Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs)

The Internal Revenue Service allows taxpayers to donate an amount of upto $100,000 annually to qualified charities. The Qualified Charitable Distributions is from an IRA and helps the taxpayers in saving thousands in taxes.

  1. Deductible Traditional IRA contributions

The Deductible Traditional IRA contributions may be deductible, with different income thresholds based on access to an employer-sponsored retirement plan. The contribution limit for 2024 is mentioned below:

  • There is no income limit for taking deductions if neither you nor your spouse have access to the employer plan.
  • The MAGI limit to deduct contributions is $230,000 – $240,000 for married couples with one spouse having access to an employer plan.
  • The MAGI limit to deduct contributions is $123,000 – $143,000 if both spouses have access to an employer plan.
  • The MAGI limit to deduct contributions is $77,000 – $87,000 for single filers with access to an employer plan.
  1. Health Savings Account (HSA) contributions

The Health Savings Account contributions are tax-deductible. It offers triple tax advantages. So, here, the money grows, and withdrawals are tax-free.

The contribution limit for 2024 is mentioned below:

  • $4,150 for individuals
  • $8,300 for families

For those 55 or older, there is an extra $1,000 catch-up contribution. 

Deductions after Adjusting Gross Income- Items before the Line Deductions

Below-the-line deductions, such as the standard deduction and itemized deductions, are calculated after determining your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI).

The standard deduction amounts are as follows:

  • $14,600 for individuals
  • $21,900 for heads of household
  • $29,200 for married couples filing jointly

Those who are blind or age 65 or over get a higher standard deduction amount. 

Taxpayers should consider the below-mentioned tax reduction strategies:

  1. Medical Expenses

For the tax year 2024, medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of the AGI can be deducted as an ‘itemized expense,’ a term that refers to specific costs that can be subtracted from your taxable income.

So, always keep detailed records of your medical expenses, as they can significantly impact deductions and potentially save you money.

  1. Charitable Contributions

The high-income earners can minimize their income tax by making charitable contributions. They can do it by:

  • Contributing to a donor-advised fund.
  • Donating securities or stocks.
  • Combining multiple-year donations into a single year in order to increase the standard deduction.
  1. State and Local Taxes (SALT)

The deduction for state and local taxes remains limited to $10,000 for both married couples and single filers filing jointly. This cap is set to expire after 2025 unless extended by new legislation.

  1. Mortgage Interest Expenses

Those who are renting, purchasing a house, doing a cash-out refinance, or have a consumer credit card get the benefit of deducting mortgage interest. 

Top Best Tax Minimization Strategies for Small Businesses

Top Best Tax Minimization Strategies for Small Businesses

1. Claim Tax Credits

Businesses can take advantage of deductions to maximize their revenue. For the self-employed individuals and small business owners, there are deductions such as the Qualified Business Income Deduction, which offers tax benefits.

Some of the tax deductions for small businesses that can be claimed are mentioned below:

  • Office Supplies
  • Tax preparation resources
  • Business books and educational materials
  • Home office, if you operate out of your home
  • Necessary business travel, meals, entertainment, and tips
  • Office equipment
  • Office coffee service
  • Insurance premiums
  • Car, if you use your vehicle for business purposes

You can look at the IRS Tax Guide for Small Businesses to know more about the items that are included for deductions or can contact a tax professional for further assistance in your business expenses.

2. Proceed with retirement plans 

Businesses have several options for employer-sponsored retirement savings plans. It includes SEP IRA, 401(k), SIMPLE IRA, and profit-sharing plans.

These contribution or retirement plans have different amounts associated with them for employers and also provide different investment options to employers to contribute further.

Some of the retirement plans that can help businesses and employees save on taxes are mentioned below:

  • Payroll taxes: A matching contribution to a retirement plan doesn’t require you to pay payroll taxes on the amount your employer contributes. This makes it a cost-efficient way to compensate employees.
  • Retirement Plans Startup Costs Tax Credit: Businesses may qualify for a tax credit when they set up a new qualified plan such as a SEP-IRA, 401(k), or SIMPLE IRA.
  • Personal taxable income: These contributions to a traditional 401(k) or other qualified retirement account can be deducted from your personal taxable income as it helps in lowering the tax bill.If you are over 50, you are eligible to contribute up to $18,500 per person, per year, as well as a $6,000 annual catch up. All of this comes under tax deduction, minimizing your taxable income. In case your net-worth is high, then minimizing your taxable income can be beneficial for your profile.
  •  Corporate tax bill. In order to manage the retirement plan for tax bills, you may be able to deduct tax-deductible employer contributions.

Small businesses may be eligible for a tax credit to help cover the cost of starting certain retirement plans. For calendar years, taxpayers have until the due date, including extensions, of the small business’s tax return to contribute funds to a retirement plan.

3. Invest in Municipal Bonds

Investing in municipal bonds is one of the best tax minimization strategies. Along with the growth of municipal bonds being lower than value over a period of time, interest from these bonds is tax-free. Assume you make 3.5% from a municipal bond and 6% from a value-based mutual fund.

These are not as far as they seem after taxes and value down the line. Suppose in a year, municipal bonds work as a stable source to your profile and ought to be a part of any worthy asset issuance.

In case you are thinking of pursuing a worthwhile investment with bonds anyway, then it is better to invest in municipal bonds. This indeed makes a difference in tax saving.

4. Contribute to 529 Plans

If you are with kids, you can contribute to their 529 plans. These plans mature tax-free and can be spent on education. The newly revised tax law expanded this to include K-12 education at religious and private schools as well and not just college.

Contributing to 529 plans can play a worthy role in tax minimization strategy. You can do the same for your grandkids and kids. But make sure of the deduction, as they may be non-deductible on your federal income tax, but they are in most states.

5. Convert 401k to a Roth

Roth comes with contribution limits, and individuals with high net-worth are mainly excluded from utilizing them. But as Roth investments mature tax-free, the essence of getting your money into them drives the motivating factor for other ways to do it. Converting your authentic IRA and 401k into a Roth may come as the best option.

Start as early as possible for the rollout as the year of the rollover; you will pay your taxes on the same amount you convert into your Roth.

So, as soon as you convert your funds in, you will get more years to mature taxes for free. Get highly creative with the timing for the conversion so that you can optimize tax-free growth. This is one of the best tax minimizing strategies if done along with the purchase of a solar panel, can grant you a hefty solar tax credit that can be used in the one-time bill from the conversion.

6. Review business structure 

Every business should be clear about its structure, as it has a big impact on taxes. Each structure has its tax implications.

  • Partnerships

Partnership businesses don’t pay income tax. It is also known as pass-through entities.  

Partnerships are known as pass-through entities, meaning the business itself doesn’t pay income tax.

  • Sole Proprietorships

If the business operates as a sole proprietorship, then the business income will be reported on your tax return.

This happens because sole proprietorships are not separate legal entities, so you need to file a Schedule C (Form 1040) to report profits and losses from your business as well as a Schedule SE (Form 1040 or Form 1040-SR) to report your Social Security and Medicare taxes.

  • Limited Liability Company (LLC)

A limited liability company (LLC) is a separate legal entity with flexibility when filing taxes. The IRS allows qualifying LLCs to file as a sole proprietorship or partnership, which means the business income is included in the owners’ tax return. Alternatively, LLCs can choose to file as an S corporation or C corporation if they have elected to be taxed. 

7. Start a Donor Advised Fund

You can set up a fund that grows free of taxes and contribute your own profit and income to it. After some time, you can give this money to a non-profit organization of your preference. The pros of donor advised funds. you get to claim the tax deduction the day itself you contribute to it and not the day you give your fund to charity.

If you are a senior citizen, you can also pair it up with RMDs (Required Minimum Distributions). Remember, the tax minimizing strategies can get tricky, best to consult with a financial advisor.

8. A Flexible Real Estate Strategy

The newly revised tax law states the reduction on the maximum mortgage value for which you can decrease your payments up to $750,000 plus the interest in other properties is no longer diminishable at all.

Nowadays, the days are past when we used to have huge tax write-offs. From a taxation point of view, you ought to consider being a little flexible with your real-estate planning to focus on revenue and expenses rather than minimizing taxes.

9. Purchase Solar Panels (Solar Investment Tax Credit)

If you are open to solar panels, they come with some terrific benefits to take a massive portion out of your tax bill in a single year.

If you have multiple properties, panels might make even more sense. And if you have an office, the expense of cutting on electricity counts too. This will not only save on taxes but even tends to save a lot on other bills as well. These energy-efficient methods enable tax savings.

10. Contribute to Health Savings Accounts

You can put a small amount of your profit and income into your health savings account every year. This amount is not that huge, but in the end, the same amount adds up to the more sizable number. The perks of a health savings account are that it gets mature tax-free and can be utilized for medical expenses. This amount not only helps in tax saving but also is used in the time of emergency.

11. Increase Your Giving

The newly revised tax law raised the conventional deduction to $24,000 for couples. Being an individual with a high net-worth, you ought to have no hassle surpassing the same plus; you can claim the tax deductions up to 60% on donations of your gross income to non-profit organizations. 

By opting to provide for causes, you will cut the number of your funds the government utilizes for causes that concern them. This will help tax planning for high-income individuals and tax minimization.

12. Donate Worthy Items

You can contribute more than just money in the form of donations. Land, property, stocks, antiques, valuable dresses, cars, airline miles, and other notable items can be given to various non-profits as a charity.

You can donate stuff that can be of excellent market value to the organizations that can re-sell and use the fund for betterment. The best part of the donation is you do not even touch your accounts and still benefit from taxation. So getting hold of things for a donation that you eventually would not sell anyway is like getting a tax-free deduction. This is an excellent tax minimization strategy.

How can small businesses pay the least amount of tax or legally reduce your tax income? 

  • You can maximize contributions to retirement accounts like 401(k)s or IRAs to reduce taxable income.
  • You can contribute to an HSA for tax-deductible savings on medical expenses.
  • You can utilize FSAs to pay for eligible health expenses with pre-tax dollars.
  • You can invest in IRA accounts in order to reduce the taxable income.
  • Make sure to deduct eligible business expenses from your side income to lower your taxable income.
  • If you work from home, you may be eligible to deduct expenses related to your home office.
  • You can rent out a portion of your home for business purposes to claim rental income deductions.
  • Make sure to deduct business-related travel expenses, including those incurred during vacations if they are business-related.
  • You can use accelerated depreciation methods to deduct more from business equipment purchases.
  • You can claim educational credits like the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit for qualifying expenses.
  • You can invest in a 529 college savings plan for potential state tax benefits.
  • You can donate to eligible charities and deduct the contributions to reduce taxable income.
  • You can donate appreciated stock directly to charity to avoid paying capital gains tax and claim a charitable deduction.

Conclusion

Tax minimization is an integral part of cutting costs and achieving financial tranquility. To an individual with high net-worth, you can not just simply aim for high performance. In fact, you are required to take strategized steps that can support you in achieving your financial goals. These tax minimization strategies will maximize your tax savings and grow your business financially.

If you’re looking for solid ways to minimize your taxes, discover our quality taxation services or dial our toll-free number +1-802-778-9005.

FAQs:

How can I reduce my taxable income?

Taxpayers can reduce their taxable income by either contributing to health savings accounts, contributing to an employee contribution plan, or contributing to a traditional IRA or a flexible spending account (FSA).

How can I avoid underpaying taxes?

To avoid underpaying taxes and fines, make sure to update the W-4 Form in order to increase withholding. You can use the IRS withholding calculator or contact a tax accountant for further assistance. If you are a side hustler, then make the estimated payments based on last year’s tax liability.

What does the IRS allow you to deduct if you’re self-employed?

The IRS allows you to deduct various business-related expenses such as cell phone bills, vehicle expenses, home office costs, self-employed retirement plan contributions, and self-employed health insurance premiums.

What is one way that you can minimize taxes owed?

Taxpayers can contribute to their retirement accounts as they are withdrawn from the paycheck before the taxes are deducted. This lowers the taxable income.