Tax Compliance and Regulations You Need To Know As an Entrepreneur

Tax Compliance and Regulations

Businesses are the fuel that runs the engine of the economy. All businesses must follow a set of tax statutes and regulations applied by the government regardless of the types. These regulations and rules come from all government levels, including state, local, and federal bodies. While most of these laws apply to all businesses, some have designs to address specific industries and sectors. If you plan to become an entrepreneur, you need to abide by all the rules from federal, state, or local bodies. The structure of a business creates an environment of tax and operation in which it has to function. Entrepreneurs need a clear understanding of their business plans to operate successfully. Being an entrepreneur is not easy. One thing that needs consideration is standard tax compliance and regulations that could affect a business. Entrepreneurs need a thousand reasons to establish their business’s legality and face any challenge to avoid any failure that may arise.

Tax Compliances and Regulations Businesses Need to Follow

Given the complexities present between an entrepreneur and taxes, the following are the regulations businesses have to follow:

  • Income Tax on Business

All businesses have to pay taxes on income or, in other words, the profit they make. The method of paying the tax depends on the type of business. Most entrepreneurs pass the tax through their tax returns. Sole proprietors have to pay according to the net income of their business. Partnerships or multiple owner businesses have to file a partnership business tax return. Every partner has to pay the tax according to individual income on his or her shares. Those who take the principle as a study understand the benefits of masters in taxation in understanding the prospect.

  • Labor Taxation

While some entrepreneurs employ themselves in their companies, they seldom set a higher pay grade. It usually happens during early phases where liquidity has limited value, and the business needs a constant push. Labor taxation is the mandatory contribution on labor paid by a company, and it varies from country to country. An increase in the tax rate for an entrepreneur reduces labor incentives to either extensive or intensive level. An entrepreneur can work a few hours or limit the effort depending on the expected return rate on labor. Sometimes, an entrepreneur sustains damage before realizing the full potential of their business. Entrepreneurs can use an intervening time to launch a new product or increase market share to capture maximum return.

Practically, entrepreneurs have limited options for deducting net operating losses from their future tax liabilities.

  • Corporate Taxation

Corporations pay income tax based on separate entities from their owners. The corporation can hire CPA with the help of filing the tax return on IRS Form 1120 for the fiscal year. The net income of the corporation does not come under tax until its shareholders receive their share. Usually, in the form of dividends, these profits classify as retained earnings in corporations’ accounts. The remaining net income then comes under the tax bracket once shareholders have received their profit. 

  • Self-Employment Tax

Self-employment tax is paid by sole owners, partners, or LLC owners for social security and Medicare. The amount of tax relies on the net income of a business. It does not apply to owners of corporations as they are shareholders rather than self-employed. No net earnings for a year mean there is no self-employment tax to pay, and you do not receive Medicare or Social Security credits. Businesses use Schedule SF to calculate self-employment taxes and add that tax to their personal tax return for the year.

  • Estimated Business Owner Tax

An entrepreneur is the owner of a business, so no one withholds the income and self-employment tax from the money they take out of the business. It is because an entrepreneur is not an employee, so they do not receive a paycheck. The IRS requires that an owner pays these taxes throughout the year that means the owner’s estimated tax in each quarter. The first payment happens on April 15, then on July 15, September 15, and then January 15 of the following year. The estimates owner tax combines the business and personal income and taxes, including self-employed taxes also.

  • Taxes on Products/Services

Businesses do not pay the sales tax directly on the products or services they sell. But suppose your business operates in a state where sales tax implications apply. In that case, the system collects sales tax from customers. The system then reports and pays the collected tax to the state. In most states, merchants collect sales tax and then deliver it to the department of revenue. Depending on state laws, most products/services are sales-tax eligible, on which regular collection is necessary. Sales tax criteria apply to online sales, too, and business owners need to collect and pay the tax according to state rules.

  • Property Taxes on Business

Property taxes serve as local taxes that a business has to pay while operating on an owned real estate as the base of operations. The business pays property tax to a local taxation authority situated in the state or country of business. The assessment of property tax on business is the same as that of payment for a house.

Final Word

Besides the above-mentioned taxation regulations, several other rules also apply to entrepreneurs. These include taxes on employee salary, excise taxes, gross receipts tax, shareholder taxes, and many others. Entrepreneurs have to abide by these regulations or face charges according to policies regulated by IRS.

The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of The World Financial Review.