Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/1410806
35 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | SEPTEBER 20, 2021 Opinion & Commentary EXPERTS CORNER Year-end tax strategies should be planned for now By Ralph Formica and William Slattery Most companies have a rhythm to their tax planning that often involves making key projections and determinations just prior to the end of their calendar or fiscal year. With supply chain and labor shortages due to the pandemic, as well as new legislation on the books, waiting until just before your year end for year-end tax planning this year could significantly limit your options. It may still only be September, but pretend it's just before your year end and get started now. Here's how. More money, more problems If your business is profitable, you may be considering offsetting those profits by investing in new equipment or vehicles through the use of the Section 179 depreciation deduction (the expensing election) or bonus depreciation. Thriving businesses should start keeping an eye out for any year-end purchases leveraged for cutting year-end tax bills. In the past, most small businesses would do a substantial amount of their tax planning in the last month of the year based on the profitability of the current year. Strategies include delaying customer billing, paying all outstanding accounts and a variety of other tax-saving approaches. This year, with the disruption in the supply chain of most capital investment purchases, the time is now to start your year-end tax planning. Supply chain issues may severely affect your lead time to obtain those needed asset purchases. The ripple effect of the microchip shortage has been felt by manufacturers that produce everything from smartphones to vehicles to wind turbines. Don't expect to stroll into the local auto dealer in December and have a new work truck waiting for you with a pretty red bow on it. Certain machines that are crucial to manufacturers are already on backorder until 2022. Prices are going up, and that trajectory is expected to continue. Contact your vendors for pricing verification and potential delivery dates for large equipment and vehicle purchases. Things to do Make sure your accounting records are balanced and up to date as of the end of August. Prepare a quick projection of your expected results from September through December. Be sure to use the current year's trends (upward or downward) as some earlier budgets have been drastically underestimating the impact of the current business climate. Prepare a list of potential capital expenditures you plan to make during the next 12 months. Be sure to prioritize the items you will need before the items you want, and assign estimated prices. List any large supply purchases you will need in anticipation of 2022 business you may have on the books already. Things to remember If you incurred losses in the previous business year, there is a limitation on net operating losses to offset future profits, both federally and for most states. Another thing to consider is if your business utilized the Paycheck Protection Program with the funds being forgiven, or partially forgiven, and how that affects your bottom line. Federally it is nontaxable, but in some states these funds are taxable. You might also qualify for the Employee Retention Credit. These funds obtained from the federal government through payroll tax filings are also a taxable source of funds. Good help is hard to find A common complaint across the landscape these days is how difficult it is to find qualified, motivated workers. The pandemic was the catalyst for numerous retirements, but it also caused many employees who are not close to retirement age to move on from their jobs in search of something else. Combine that with rising costs and rising wages, an increase in government assistance and a shortage of help, and hiring may prove to be harder than ever. If you're short-handed right now — and many are — that can alter your projections and may end up leaving you with more tax liability than expected. With so many unusual factors out of your control this year, plan ahead for your year end, don't wait. Ralph Formica and William Slattery are CPAs in the tax services practice at Connecticut accounting and advisory firm FML. OTHER VOICES Federal infrastructure bill will drive New England's recovery, growth By James T. Brett With billions of dollars in federal relief money authorized over the past 18 months, and more Americans receiving vaccinations each day, our economy is gradually inching closer to recovery. However, there is more left to do. The New England Council believes that passing a robust infrastructure package will help meet numerous and often long-standing unmet demands, and help our region's businesses remain competitive and allow our residents to thrive. As New Englanders, we know all too well the infrastructure challenges that our region faces. Too many of our bridges are structurally deficient and yearly increases in the number of vehicles and drivers has put more stress on our roadways. A growing number of residents across our region are looking to transit to provide a safe, affordable and reliable means of transportation. Besides the need to meet new requirements for a growing region, our aging water systems — some approaching or surpassing a century old — need attention. And the pandemic has shown that broadband is a critical need for New England to expand telework, telehealth and remote-learning options. These and many other needs must be addressed. Just months ago, a bipartisan group of senators and President Joe Biden agreed on a bold infrastructure framework. This five-year deal would fund so-called "traditional" infrastructure — roads, bridges, rail, transit, ports, airports and water systems. In addition, the deal called for new infrastructure spending, which would be allocated toward those traditional infrastructure items along with an expanded list of core infrastructure such as broadband, resiliency and electric vehicle infrastructure. As for financing the new spending, the agreement called for more than a dozen ways to do so, including: redirecting unused unemployment insurance payments; repurposing certain unspent COVID-19 relief funds; extending customs fees; reinstating certain Superfund fees; and selling off telecom spectrum, to name a few. In late July, senators reached a final deal on legislation to enact the bipartisan agreement. Besides baseline funding, some $550 billion in new spending over the next five years was included, representing a compromise backed by members of both parties. The bill included a number of the "pay-fors" from the original agreement as well as new funding sources designed to maximize support among the members of the Senate. The Senate legislation also included other crucial infrastructure priorities for our region, like addressing PFAS contamination. The hard work of the U.S. Senate paid off: on Aug. 10, this legislation — the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act — was adopted by a bipartisan vote of 69 to 30. Every senator from New England voted in favor. Now, the bill is before the U.S. House of Representatives, and a vote on the proposal is slated to be held before the end of this month. Not since the Eisenhower administration has Congress had such an opportunity to advance a package that will so boldly affect infrastructure in a manner that will benefit virtually every individual in New England and across the nation. The New England Council believes this landmark legislation would have a tremendous impact on our region by addressing many of the challenges we face, while also creating new jobs and spurring economic growth. We are grateful to the Senate for taking quick action on the bill, and we urge the House to follow suit as soon as possible. James T. Brett is the president and CEO of The New England Council, a regional alliance of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and health and educational institutions in New England.