Earnings from Self Employment and Your Retirement Plan

​The 2018 tax filing year is over for most, but many owners, partners, and members of pass through tax entities are still on extension as they try to make sense of all the tax changes that went into effect for 2018. Many partners and LLC members are still trying to understand what the Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 has done to their net income and taxes.  While there were a number of positive changes for high income earners there were also some caps, particularly in the areas of State and Local Taxes (“SALT”).

For those individuals who might be looking at a tax bill that is larger than what was expected, the question could be asked “what can we do now?”  The general answer is “not much”, but there is one area of planning that is still available post the close of the year, assuming you are on extension, and that includes making profit sharing contributions to your retirement plan.  Such contributions can have a meaningful impact, potentially, on Qualified Business Income (“QBI”) and the available 20% income deduction.  These situations are extremely fact dependent, obviously, and everyone’s situation does vary.

There are many ways to make contributions, but for partners and LLC members, the calculation is more than a little complex to say the least.  The IRS did create a 21 Step Process for calculating your earnings and your deduction in Publication 560 to help make it a little easier for you.  Suffice to say, however, it’s not that easy. But given the importance in getting this tax deduction contribution correct, you should consult an expert.

For those of you looking to explore your tax planning options with your retirement plan and to understand how those changes will impact your personal situation, please reach out to us for a free consultation.  We work collaboratively with your tax and legal advisors to get you the maximum deduction.

Pete Welsh aka 401kGuy