Small Business

HI Kevin!

I always recommend starting off as an LLC because the default tax status for a single member LLC is a sole proprietorship. An LLC is a legal entity, then tax status is secondary. The reason to start off as an LLC is ease of transition to partnership or S Corp should your needs change.

Hi Sirish-

Generally states do not tax non-resident business revenues unless your sales values exceed a certain amount or your transaction value exceeds a certain amount. Each state will vary in their filing requirements. If you would like to do some consulting with me on this, let me know and I can advise you on next steps! Thanks, Jackie

Technically you cant combine years like that. As a practical matter though, the $8000 of revenue probably results in a much lower number for taxable income after accounting for expenses so if the income is immaterial for that year, adding it to 2020 might not be a real problem. Also keep in mind if there were an audit, showing the income, even though its in the wrong period could help with negating any sort of under reporting penalty.

Of course you really should consider amending 2019 to report everything in the correct year, but if you decide not to do that, be sure everything from here on out is reported in the correct period. Combining revenue is not proper.

You both can be right. In my opinion, the answer depends how the practice purchase/sale is structured. If you are buying the assets of the practice, then you are right, you need to get a new EIN for your LLC that is buying the practice. On the other hand, if you are buying the seller’s LLC, then you can keep the same EIN that currently belongs to the seller.

Just to let you know, if you are investing the big bucks to purchase a practice, you need to have an attorney and a CPA in your corner, to look out for your best interests. If you don’t, you could easily find yourself in a situation where you are saving a few dollars by not paying professional fees, but you could be losing much, much more because you didn’t do things right or overlooked something.

As a certified public accountant (CPA), I am available to help on a consulting basis now and an ongoing basis going forward for taxes, bookkeeping, etc.

if you found this free advice helpful, please leave me a review, either through Google (search for Adam Dickreiter or by using the following link https://g.page/adam-dickreiter-cpa-pllc/review?gm) or through this website (CPAdirectory).

As a CPA, I came across this website and joined just last week, and I just came across your question.

To provide a complete and accurate answer, one would need to know more details about your situation.

First, how many owners have there been for the LLC from 2017 to 2020? Second, if this a situation where the LLC is owned by a married couple? Third, did you ever make any election to determine how the LLC would be taxed for federal income tax purposes? Its classification (disregarded entity, partnership, C corporation, S corporation) for federal income tax purposes would determine whether or not you should have been filing separate federal income tax returns for this LLC.

Besides considering federal income tax returns, you would need to consider state income tax returns or annual reports (depending on the state in which the LLC was created, as you did not provide that detail). It is often the case that returns or reports need to be filed with a state each year, even if it was inactive and even if you are required to file a federal income tax return.

So, yes, there very well could be penalties involved for not filing. However, more needs to be known to make that determination.

Feel free to contact me if you wish to engage me to help you.

As a CPA, I came across this website and joined just last week, and I just came across your question.

Unfortunately, no, you will not be able to avoid the tax on capital gains. As you know, as long as you own the stock, you don’t pay any tax on unrealized gains. When you sell stock, you realize gains and pay tax. There is not an exception to that rule, just because you’re using the proceeds to purchase assets for a business.

Trying to think outside the box, even if you could contribute the stock to a business of yours and manage to get tax-free treatment on the contribution of the stock to the business, you’d still run into the same problem when the business tried to sell the stock to get the money to purchase assets. In that case, the business would have to either pay tax itself (at its marginal tax rate) on the capital gains or pass the gains to you and you’d have to pay the tax (depending on how the business was structured for federal income tax purposes).

It’s great that you’re trying to be proactive and find a way to save taxes, but I don’t think it’s a go this time.

Even though you cannot avoid the tax on the capital gains, you should consider depreciation on the assets your purchase for the business. That might help offset some of the tax on your gains. Just a thought.

I wish you the best in your endeavors.

As a CPA, I came across this website and joined just last week, and I just came across your question.

If you are limiting your choices to either a dba or an LLC, then I would recommend an LLC, for three reasons.

First, an LLC gives you some legal liability protection if you are ever sued. A dba does not give you any legal liability protection.

Second, from a tax perspective, both a dba and an LLC would be taxed the same (for federal income tax purposes), assuming that you did not make any election to treat the LLC differently. However, having an LLC gives you the option to elect to treat the company as an S corporation. You don’t have that optionality with a dba. Keep in mind that making the S election for the LLC would require that you file a separate federal income tax return for the business each year. However, the tax savings that an S corporation election can afford could make it worthwhile, especially because it sounds like you intend to grow the business.

Finally, the LLC probably gives your business a little more legitimacy and professionalism, in the public’s eye.

Consider that you could choose the LLC and have the LLC get the dba – the best of both worlds. So you don’t necessarily have to treat this decision as one where you must choose one or the other.

I congratulate you on planning for the future. If you wish to engage me to help, please feel free to reach out to me.