Self Employment

Self-employment (SE) tax can be a major expense for small business owners — and many self-employed individuals are surprised by this obligation when they file their first tax return that includes self-employment income. It’s separate from federal and state income tax, so a small business owner may owe both income tax and SE tax on the same earnings. Here’s a closer look at whether this tax applies to your business activities, how it’s calculated and possible ways to reduce

Some small business owners overlook Roth IRAs because they assume their income is too high for them to qualify to make Roth contributions. Others may think their current tax rate is higher than it will be in retirement, making current tax deductions more valuable than future tax-free distributions. However, if you don’t at least consider contributing to a Roth IRA, you may be missing a potentially valuable tax-saving opportunity. Rules and restrictions Roth IRA contributions aren’t

If you own an unincorporated small business, you may be frustrated with high self-employment (SE) tax bills. One way to lower your SE tax liability is to convert your business to an S corporation. SE tax basics Sole proprietorship income, as well as partnership income that flows through to partners (except certain limited partners), is subject to SE tax. These rules also apply to single-member LLCs that are treated as sole proprietorships for federal tax purposes and multi-member LLCs