When you own a corporation, proper tax planning plays an essential role when it comes to making strategic decisions.
The main goal is to increase your business’s tax efficiency and remain competitive in your industry.
Incorporating proper tax planning into your regular operations ensures that your company is run legitimately. It also allows you to reduce your tax costs and benefit from higher earnings.
Unlike personal tax returns, which are relatively simple to prepare, corporate taxes are complex, and not planning them properly, or trying to do them yourself, could result in costly mistakes.
What is Corporate Tax Planning?
When it comes to planning your corporate taxes, it involves more than estimating your end-of-year tax liability to know how much you should budget to pay your taxes.
Proper planning involves looking at your entire financial situation so that you can pay the least amount of taxes possible.
It takes into account expense planning, the timing of purchases, and how you pay yourself as well as dedication and credit opportunities.
Corporate tax planning also helps you choose the best investment and retirement plans to complement your business’s financial strategy and filing status.
1. You Can Take Advantage of Grants and Subsidies
The government offers grants and subsidies to help corporations receive rebates when buying depreciable property. This allows you to subtract the amount of the grant or subsidy from your property’s capital costs.
For instance, there is the “input tax credit” which is a form of government assistance that allows you to deduct the amount of the credit from the cost of a company vehicle.
There are other incentives you can apply for from non-government agencies when it comes to purchasing a depreciable property.
You can always contact our team of professional accountants at Liu & Associates for more information about grants and subsidies for corporations.
2. You Can Save Money and Grow Your Company
As we mentioned above, one of the main objectives of corporate tax planning is to reduce the amount of tax your business pays by taking advantage of as many deductibles as possible.
When you know your tax liabilities, you can then reinvest your savings back into your business to facilitate its growth!
Corporate tax planning also provides insights into your business so you can assess the bigger picture such as whether or not the structure of your business needs to change and where your potential profit areas are.
3. How You Pay Yourself Can Save You On Taxes
When you own an incorporated business, you need to determine the optimal mix of dividends and salary to pay yourself.
In some cases, dividends may receive preferential tax treatments or allow you to pay yourself tax-free.
In others, it could be more beneficial to pay yourself a salary.
There are many factors that affect this decision that is based on your business’s unique operations. Again, an expert accountant can help guide you when making this decision.
4. There Are COVID-19 Relief Funds You Can Tap Into
While many COVID-19 relief programs offered by the government have ended, there are still others available that you can take advantage of when planning your corporate taxes:
- THRP (Tourism and Hospitality Recovery Program): This program provides support to businesses in the tourism industry when it comes to wages and rent.
- HBRP (Hardest Hit Business Recovery Program): The HBRP provides up to 50% of rent and wage support for eligible businesses.
- Lockdown Support: If your business has to close due to a public health lockdown and causes significant revenue loss, you can apply for this subsidy.
If you do take advantage of COVID-19 relief funds, keep in mind that some of these benefits are considered to be taxable income.
5. An Expert Accountant Can Make the Process Easier
The process of filing a corporate income tax return is significantly more complicated than filing a personal tax return. Hiring an accounting firm will give you peace of mind that the process is handled correctly.
Accountants do more than simply handle money. They are professionally trained in tax preparation and have a full understanding of tax laws and how to organize your corporate income.
Plus, accounting experts know what additional tax credits your business can take advantage of in order to secure you a larger return!
So when it comes to planning your corporate taxes, there are innumerable benefits to having a professional accountant organize your finances to help your business save and grow.
Plan Your Corporate Taxes With a Tax Professional
Investing in a professional accountant can help you save money and avoid costly mistakes including penalties and tax audits.
For more information on how you can get started with your corporate tax planning, contact our expert team at Liu & Associates.