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Using QuickBooks to prepare 2024 budgets and forecasts

As year end nears, many businesses and nonprofits are planning for 2024. QuickBooks® provides budget and forecast features to help management make financial predictions, as well as assess “what if” scenarios to help make more-informed business decisions. Here’s how you can use these tools for your year-end financial planning.

Budgets vs. forecasts

The budget function in QuickBooks is typically used to manage expenditures during the year to ensure that departments and locations spend according to authorized levels. QuickBooks allows you to create a new budget from scratch. However, budgeted amounts often are based on the prior year with adjustments for new projects and expected growth.

For example, your marketing department’s salaries might be based on the prior year with adjustments for raises (if any). Suppose the department hired a new team member in October 2023. When preparing the department’s 2024 budget, you’d make an adjustment for that individual’s full-year salary based on the prorated amount from the prior year.

The forecast function is used to make projections and perform “what if” analysis. To illustrate, you might run worst, most-likely and best-case scenarios for revenue and expenses for the coming year.

For example, suppose your company plans to build a new facility in the third quarter of 2024, and you plan to finance a significant portion of the cost. Because it’s unclear whether the Federal Reserve Bank will raise or lower interest rates in the coming months, you might run multiple financing scenarios with varying interest rates. You also might vary other inputs, such as expected construction costs and revenue and expenses related to opening the new facility, when you perform your scenario analysis.

How QuickBooks features work

To access these tools in QuickBooks, select “planning & budgeting” from the company menu. A budget or forecast can be created for both the profit and loss statement (also known as the income statement) and the balance sheet. You can increase the detail of a budget or forecast by adding figures at the customer/job or class level (or both).

Each budget and forecast created is saved in a unique file and managed separately. If your organization has multiple departments or locations, you can budget and forecast using QuickBooks classes. If you track job costs, you can even prepare forecasts and budgets for individual jobs.

QuickBooks also allows you to view different sets of reports for budgets and forecasts. You can use these reports to review your entries. In addition, you can view comparisons of how the company’s budget or forecast compares to actual results for income and expenses, classes, jobs or balance sheet account balances.

There are two advanced options to consider when using QuickBooks. One is the cash flow projector; this tool also allows you to determine sources and uses of cash to plan ways to avert projected shortfalls in cash. The second is the business plan tool, which allows you to develop a complete master plan for your business.

Planning in uncertain times

Many businesses are currently facing rising costs, uncertain demand and labor shortages. In today’s volatile marketplace, preparing reports that plan for the financial future is critical to survival. It’s also important to monitor progress throughout the year — not just at year end. The hard part is creating the underlying assumptions that will drive your budget or forecast. The easy part is entering the information into QuickBooks. Contact us to help you plan for 2024 and beyond.

© 2023
TopLine Content Marketing Team

Don’t forget to empty out your flexible spending account

If you have a tax-saving flexible spending account (FSA) with your employer to help pay for health or dependent care expenses, there’s an important date coming up. You may have to use the money in the account by year-end or you’ll lose it (unless your employer has a grace period).

As the end of 2023 gets closer, here are some rules and reminders to keep in mind.

Health FSA 

A pre-tax contribution of $3,050 to a health FSA is permitted in 2023. This amount will be increasing to $3,200 in 2024. You save taxes in these accounts because you use pre-tax dollars to pay for medical expenses that might not be deductible. For example, expenses won’t be deductible if you don’t itemize deductions on your tax return. Even if you do itemize, medical expenses must exceed a certain percentage of your adjusted gross income in order to be deductible. Additionally, the amounts that you contribute to a health FSA aren’t subject to FICA taxes.

Your employer’s plan should have a list of qualifying items and any documentation from a medical provider that may be needed to get reimbursed for these expenses.

FSAs generally have a “use-it-or-lose-it” rule, which means you must incur qualifying medical expenditures by the last day of the plan year (December 31 for a calendar year plan) — unless the plan allows an optional grace period. A grace period can’t extend beyond the 15th day of the third month following the close of the plan year (March 15 for a calendar year plan).

What if you don’t spend the money before the last day allowed? You forfeit it.

Take a look at your year-to-date expenditures now. It will show you what you still need to spend. What are some ways to use up the money? Before year end (or the extended date, if permitted), schedule certain elective medical procedures, visit the dentist or buy new eyeglasses.

Dependent care FSA 

Some employers also allow employees to set aside funds on a pre-tax basis in dependent care FSAs. A $5,000 maximum annual contribution is permitted ($2,500 for a married couple filing separately).

FSAs are for:

  • A child who qualifies as your dependent and who is under age 13, or
  • A dependent or spouse who is physically or mentally incapable of self-care and who has the same principal place of abode as you for more than half of the tax year.

Like health FSAs, dependent care FSAs are subject to a use-it-or-lose-it rule, but the grace period relief may apply. Therefore, it’s a good time to review your expenses to date.

Other rules and exceptions may apply. Your HR department can answer any questions about your specific plan. Contact us with any questions you have about the tax implications.

© 2023
TopLine Content Marketing Team

There still may be time to reduce your small business 2023 tax bill

In the midst of holiday parties and shopping for gifts, don’t forget to consider steps to cut the 2023 tax liability for your business. You still have time to take advantage of a few opportunities.

Time deductions and income

If your business operates on a cash basis, you can significantly affect your amount of taxable income by accelerating your deductions into 2023 and deferring income into 2024 (assuming you expect to be taxed at the same or a lower rate next year).

For example, you could put recurring expenses normally paid early in the year on your credit card before January 1 — that way, you can claim the deduction for 2023 even though you don’t pay the credit card bill until 2024. In certain circumstances, you also can prepay some expenses, such as rent or insurance and claim them in 2023.

As for deferring income, wait until close to year-end to send out invoices to customers with reliable payment histories. Accrual-basis businesses can take a similar approach, holding off on the delivery of goods and services until next year.

Buy assets

If you’re thinking about purchasing new or used equipment, machinery or office equipment in the new year, it might be time to act now. Buy the assets and place them in service by December 31, and you can deduct 80% of the cost as bonus depreciation in 2023. This is down from 100% for 2022 and it will drop to 60% for assets placed in service in 2024. Contact us for details on the 80% bonus depreciation break and exactly what types of assets qualify.

Bonus depreciation is also available for certain building improvements.

Fortunately, the first-year Section 179 depreciation deduction will allow many small and medium-sized businesses to write off the entire cost of some or all of their 2023 asset additions on this year’s federal income tax return. There may also be state tax benefits.

However, keep in mind there are limitations on the deduction. For tax years beginning in 2023, the maximum Sec. 179 deduction is $1.16 million and a phaseout rule kicks in if you put more than $2.89 million of qualifying assets into service in the year.

Purchase a heavy vehicle

The 80% bonus depreciation deduction may have a major tax-saving impact on first-year depreciation deductions for new or used heavy vehicles used over 50% for business. That’s because heavy SUVs, pickups and vans are treated for federal income tax purposes as transportation equipment. In turn, that means they qualify for 100% bonus depreciation.

Specifically, 100% bonus depreciation is available when the SUV, pickup or van has a manufacturer’s gross vehicle weight rating above 6,000 pounds. You can verify a vehicle’s weight by looking at the manufacturer’s label, which is usually found on the inside edge of the driver’s side door. If you’re considering buying an eligible vehicle, placing one in service before year end could deliver a significant write-off on this year’s return.

Think through tax-saving strategies

Keep in mind that some of these tactics could adversely impact other aspects of your tax liability, such as the qualified business income deduction. Contact us to make the most of your tax planning opportunities.

© 2023
TopLine Content Marketing Team

Could your organization do more to educate employees about retirement?

Most employers today are expected to provide a retirement savings plan for their employees. For many years, this expectation involved little more than offering up the plan itself. However, today’s employees appear to want a little more — and there could be real advantages to employers that provide it.

What employees want

Some employees want, and more than likely need, education. They’re interested in knowing more about how their retirement plans work, what more they can do to save for retirement and how to better manage their finances overall.

Evidence of this can be found in the 2023 Retirement Trends Report published by cloud-based recordkeeping platform Vestwell. The report’s data is based on a survey of almost 1,300 individuals regarding their “saving behaviors, long-term goals, and the value of different saving-related benefits.”

For employers, the most eye-popping statistic generated by the report may be that almost nine in 10 employees want their employers involved in their retirement education. What’s more, the survey found that employers named “employee financial literacy” and “employee investment recommendations” as the top issues they wished their financial advisors would help them address.

So, on both sides of the coin, there seems to be a desire to build employees’ knowledge bases about retirement planning. And let’s face it, employers are in a unique position to do this as you presumably have the ear of your workforce and know how to communicate with them.

Content and strategy

So, what can you do to educate employees about retirement planning? A good place to start is to teach them about the general concepts of investing. Many employees are unfamiliar or at least not entirely comfortable with how investing works. You might teach them about things such as compounding growth, the tax implications of different types of savings plans, and how much they’ll likely need to save to reach a certain sum at retirement.

Naturally, you should also explain in plain language how your retirement plan functions. For instance, do participants need to enroll in the plan, or are they automatically enrolled? Once enrolled, how do they decide how much to contribute and how to allocate their money among different investments?

As you put together a retirement planning education strategy, be prepared to provide information in various formats. Email blasts or other online communication methods will resonate with some employees, while others will prefer printed material. By offering a mix of options, you’ll increase the odds of reaching different segments of your workforce.

Strongly consider in-person or virtual learning sessions, too. Even if your business offers printed and electronic materials, also offering seminars or “lunch and learns” can go a long way toward helping employees understand both your plan and the key concepts of saving for retirement. These sessions also provide an opportunity to reinforce the value of your retirement plan as part of each employee’s overall compensation package.

Last, be sure to offer educational opportunities regularly. Obviously, open enrollment is a major event, but be sure to touch base on retirement planning throughout the year. This is also a great way to remind employees of your plan’s value.

Everyone can win

Employees aren’t the only ones who stand to benefit from retirement savings education. Your organization may enjoy a boost in plan participation, which could in turn reduce fees. Plus, strong retirement savings may help with employee retention. Contact us for help assessing the costs of not only your retirement plan, but also of an initiative to educate your staff about saving for retirement.

© 2023
TopLine Content Marketing Team

Key 2024 inflation-adjusted tax amounts for individuals

The IRS recently announced various 2024 inflation-adjusted federal tax amounts that affect individual taxpayers.

Most of the federal income tax rate bracket thresholds are about 5.4% higher than for 2023. That means that you can generally have about 5.4% more income next year without owing more to the federal government.

Standard deduction 

Here are the inflation-adjusted standard deduction numbers for 2024 for those who don’t itemize:

  • $14,600 if you’re single or use married filing separate status (up from $13,850 in 2023).
  • $29,200 if you’re married and file jointly (up from $27,700).
  • $21,900 if you’re a head of household (up from $20,800).

Older taxpayers and those who are blind are entitled to additional standard deduction allowances. In 2024 for those age 65 or older or blind, the amounts will be: $1,550 for a married taxpayer (up from $1,500 in 2023) and $1,950 for a single filer or head of household (up from $1,850 for 2023).

For an individual who can be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer’s return, the 2024 standard deduction will be the greater of: 1) $1,300 (up from $1,250 for 2023) or 2) $450 (up from $400 for 2023) plus the individual’s earned income, not to exceed $14,600 (up from $13,850 for 2023).

Ordinary income and short-term capital gains

Here are the 2024 inflation-adjusted bracket thresholds for ordinary income and net short-term capital gains:

  • 10% tax bracket: $0 to $11,600 for singles, $0 to $23,200 for married joint filers, $0 to $16,550 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 12% bracket: $11,601 for singles, $23,201 for married joint filers, $16,551 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 22% bracket: $47,151 for singles, $94,301 for married joint filers, $63,101 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 24% bracket: $100,526 for singles, $201,051 for married joint filers, $100,501 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 32% bracket: $191,951 for singles, $383,901 for married joint filers, $191,951 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 35% bracket: $243,726 for singles, $487,451 for married joint filers and $243,701 for heads of household; and
  • Beginning of 37% bracket: $609,351 for singles, $731,201 for married joint filers and $609,351 for heads of household.

Long-term capital gains and dividends

Here are the 2024 inflation-adjusted bracket thresholds for net long-term capital gains and qualified dividends:

  • 0% tax bracket: $0 to $47,025 for singles, $0 to $94,050 for married joint filers, and $0 to $63,000 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 15% bracket: $47,026 for singles, $94,051 for married joint filers, and $63,001 for heads of household; and
  • Beginning of 20% bracket: $518,901 for singles, $583,751 for married joint filers and $551,351 for heads of household.

Gift and estate tax

The annual exclusion for gifts made in 2024 will be $18,000 (up from $17,000 for 2023). That means you can give away up to $18,000 to as many individuals as you wish without incurring gift tax or using up any of your unified federal gift and estate tax exemption.

In 2024, the unified federal gift and estate tax exemption will be $13,610,000 (up from $12,920,000 for 2023).

For gifts made in 2024, the annual exclusion for gifts to a noncitizen spouse will be $185,000 (up from $175,000 in 2023).

Conclusion

This article only covers some of the inflation-adjusted tax amounts. There are others that may potentially apply, including: alternative minimum tax parameters, kiddie tax amounts, limits on the refundable amount of the Child Tax Credit, limits on the adoption credit, IRA contribution amounts, contributions to your company’s retirement plan and health savings account amounts. Various other inflation-adjusted amounts may affect your tax situation if you own an interest in a sole proprietorship or a pass-through business. Contact us with questions.

© 2023
TopLine Content Marketing Team

Key 2024 inflation-adjusted tax parameters for small businesses and their owners

The IRS recently announced various inflation-adjusted federal income tax amounts. Here’s a rundown of the amounts that are most likely to affect small businesses and their owners.

Rates and brackets

If you run your business as a sole proprietorship or pass-through business entity (LLC, partnership or S corporation), the business’s net ordinary income from operations is passed through to you and reported on your personal Form 1040. You then pay the individual federal income tax rates on that income.

Here are the 2024 inflation adjusted bracket thresholds.

  • 10% tax bracket: $0 to $11,600 for singles, $0 to $23,200 for married joint filers, $0 to $16,550 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 12% bracket: $11,601 for singles, $23,201 for married joint filers, $16,551 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 22% bracket: $47,151 for singles, $94,301 for married joint filers, $63,101 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 24% bracket: $100,526 for singles, $201,051 for married joint filers, $100,501 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 32% bracket: $191,951 for singles, $383,901 for married joint filers, $191,951 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 35% bracket: $243,726 for singles, $487,451 for married joint filers and $243,701 for heads of household; and
  • Beginning of 37% bracket: $609,351 for singles, $731,201 for married joint filers and $609,351 for heads of household.

Key Point: These thresholds are about 5.4% higher than for 2023. That means that, other things being equal, you can have about 5.4% more ordinary business income next year without owing more to Uncle Sam.

Section 1231 gains and qualified dividends

If you run your business as a sole proprietorship or a pass-through entity, and the business sells assets, you may have Section 1231 gains that passed through to you to be included on your personal Form 1040. Sec. 1231 gains are long-term gains from selling business assets that were held for more than one year, and they’re generally taxed at the same lower federal rates that apply to garden-variety long-term capital gains (LTCGs), such as stock sale gains. Here are the 2024 inflation-adjusted bracket thresholds that will generally apply to Sec. 1231 gains recognized by individual taxpayers.

  • 0% tax bracket: $0 to $47,025 for singles, $0 to $94,050 for married joint filers and $0 to $63,000 for heads of household;
  • Beginning of 15% bracket: $47,026 for singles, $94,051 for joint filers, $63,001 for heads of household; and
  • Beginning of 20% bracket: $518,901 for singles, $583,751 for married joint filers and $551,351 for heads of household.

If you run your business as a C corporation, and the company pays you qualified dividends, they’re taxed at the lower LTCG rates. So, the 2024 rate brackets for qualified dividends paid to individual taxpayers will be the same as above.

Self-employment tax

If you operate your business as a sole proprietorship or as a pass-through entity, you probably have net self-employment (SE) income that must be reported on your personal Form 1040 to calculate your SE tax liability. For 2024, the maximum 15.3% SE tax rate will apply to the first $166,800 of net SE income (up from $160,200 for 2023).

Section 179 deductions

For tax years beginning in 2024, small businesses can potentially write off up to $1,220,000 of qualified asset additions in year one (up from $1,160,000 for 2023). However, the maximum deduction amount begins to be phased out once qualified asset additions exceed $3,050,000 (up from $2,890,000 for 2023). Various limitations apply to Sec. 179 deductions.

Side Note: Under the first-year bonus depreciation break, you can deduct up to 60% of the cost of qualified asset additions placed in service in calendar year 2024. For 2023, you could deduct up to 80%.

Just the beginning

These are only the 2024 inflation-adjusted amounts that are most likely to affect small businesses and their owners. There are others that may potentially apply, including: limits on qualified business income deductions and business loss deductions, income limits on various favorable exceptions such as the right to use cash-method accounting, limits on how much you can contribute to your self-employed or company-sponsored tax-favored retirement account, limits on tax-free transportation allowances for employees, and limits on tax-free adoption assistance for employees. Contact us with questions about your situation.

© 2023
TopLine Content Marketing Team