Sole Proprietorship - Schedule C
Cash method of accounting - inventory
Answer:
Most individuals and many sole proprietors with no inventory use the cash method because they find it easier to keep cash method records.
However, if an inventory is necessary to account for your income, you must generally use an accrual method of accounting for sales and purchases. Generally, if you produce, purchase, or sell merchandise in your business, you must keep an inventory and use the accrual method for purchases and sales of merchandise.
However, the following taxpayers can use the cash method of accounting even if they produce, purchase, or sell merchandise. These taxpayers can also account for inventorial items as materials and supplies that are not incidental . A qualifying taxpayer under Revenue Procedure 2001-10 in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2001-2. or A qualifying small business taxpayer under Revenue Procedure 2002-28 in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2002-18. You are a qualifying taxpayer if: Your average annual gross receipts for each prior tax year ending on or after December 17, 1998, is $1 million or less. (Your average annual gross receipts for a tax year is figured by adding the gross receipts for that tax year and the 2 preceding tax years and dividing by 3.)
Your business is not a tax shelter, as defined under section 448(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. You are a qualifying small business taxpayer if: Your average annual gross receipts for each prior tax year ending on or after December 31, 2000, is more than $1 million but not more than $10 million. (Your average annual gross receipts for a tax year is figured by adding the gross receipts for that tax year and the 2 preceding tax years and dividing the total by 3.) You are not prohibited from using the cash method under section 448 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Your principal business activity is an eligible business (described in Publication 538 and Revenue Procedure 2002-28) Business not owned or not in existence for 3 years. If you did not own your business for all of the 3-tax-year period used in figuring your average annual gross receipts, include the period of any predecessor.
If your business has not been in existence for the 3-tax-year period, base your average on the period it has existed including any short tax years, annualizing the short tax year's gross receipts.
However, if an inventory is necessary to account for your income, you must generally use an accrual method of accounting for sales and purchases. Generally, if you produce, purchase, or sell merchandise in your business, you must keep an inventory and use the accrual method for purchases and sales of merchandise.
However, the following taxpayers can use the cash method of accounting even if they produce, purchase, or sell merchandise. These taxpayers can also account for inventorial items as materials and supplies that are not incidental . A qualifying taxpayer under Revenue Procedure 2001-10 in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2001-2. or A qualifying small business taxpayer under Revenue Procedure 2002-28 in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2002-18. You are a qualifying taxpayer if: Your average annual gross receipts for each prior tax year ending on or after December 17, 1998, is $1 million or less. (Your average annual gross receipts for a tax year is figured by adding the gross receipts for that tax year and the 2 preceding tax years and dividing by 3.)
Your business is not a tax shelter, as defined under section 448(d)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. You are a qualifying small business taxpayer if: Your average annual gross receipts for each prior tax year ending on or after December 31, 2000, is more than $1 million but not more than $10 million. (Your average annual gross receipts for a tax year is figured by adding the gross receipts for that tax year and the 2 preceding tax years and dividing the total by 3.) You are not prohibited from using the cash method under section 448 of the Internal Revenue Code.
Your principal business activity is an eligible business (described in Publication 538 and Revenue Procedure 2002-28) Business not owned or not in existence for 3 years. If you did not own your business for all of the 3-tax-year period used in figuring your average annual gross receipts, include the period of any predecessor.
If your business has not been in existence for the 3-tax-year period, base your average on the period it has existed including any short tax years, annualizing the short tax year's gross receipts.
