Acuity Advisors

Boost your 2016 Deductions by Buying a Business Vehicle this Year

If you’re looking to boost your deductions — and reduce your 2016 tax bill — you may want to consider purchasing a business vehicle before year end. Business-related purchases of new or used vehicles may be eligible for Section 179 expensing, which allows you to immediately deduct, rather than depreciate over a period of years, some or all of the vehicle’s cost. But the size of your deduction will depend in part on the gross vehicle weight rating.

The limits

The normal Sec. 179 expensing limit generally applies to vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of more than 14,000 pounds. The limit for 2016 is $500,000, and the break begins to phase out dollar-for-dollar when total asset acquisitions for the tax year exceed $2.01 million.

But a $25,000 limit applies to SUVs rated at more than 6,000 pounds but no more than 14,000 pounds. Vehicles rated at 6,000 pounds or less are subject to the passenger automobile limits. For 2016 the depreciation limit is $3,160. The amount that may be deducted under the combination of Modified Accelerated Cost Recovery System (MACRS) depreciation and Sec. 179 for the first year is limited under the luxury auto rules to $11,160.

In addition, if a vehicle is used for business and personal purposes, the associated expenses, including depreciation, must be allocated between deductible business use and nondeductible personal use. The depreciation limit is reduced if the business use is less than 100%. If the business use is 50% or less, you can’t use Sec. 179 expensing or the accelerated regular MACRS; you must use the straight-line method.

Maximize your tax benefits

Many additional rules and limits apply to these breaks. So if you’re considering a business vehicle purchase, contact us to learn what tax benefits you might enjoy if you make the purchase by December 31.

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Fair value reporting: What it means to the FASB and You

In 2002, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), as part of its move toward international financial reporting convergence, began to transition from the principle of historic cost to fair value reporting. Fair value estimates are now used to report such assets as derivatives, nonpublic entity securities, certain long-lived assets, and acquired goodwill and other intangibles. But why does the FASB’s move toward fair value matter to you?

Defining fair value

Under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 820, fair value is “the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date.” Although it’s similar to the term “fair market value,” which is defined in IRS Revenue Ruling 59-60, the terms aren’t synonymous.

The FASB chose the term “fair value” to prevent companies from applying IRS regulations or guidance and U.S. Tax Court precedent when valuing assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes. The FASB’s use of the term “market participants” refers to buyers and sellers in the item’s principal market. This market is entity specific and may vary among companies.

Applying a hierarchy of inputs

The FASB recognizes three valuation approaches: cost, income and market. It also provides the following hierarchy for valuation inputs, listed in order from most important to least important:

Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities,
Observable inputs, including quoted market prices for similar items in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar items in active markets, and other market data, and
Unobservable inputs, such as cash-flow projections or other internal data.

Management can enlist the help of outside valuation specialists to estimate fair value, but ultimately it can’t outsource responsibility for fair value estimates. Management has an obligation to understand the valuator’s assumptions, methods and models. It also must implement adequate internal controls over fair value measurements, impairment charges and disclosures.

Finding help

Do your financial statements include fair value measurements? If so, are they reasonable? Many business owners are confused by the valuation process. We can help you evaluate subjective inputs and methods, as well as recommend additional controls over the process to ensure that you’re meeting your financial reporting responsibilities.

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Businesses can also be disrupted by tax identity theft

A great deal of attention is paid to individual tax identity theft — when a taxpayer’s personal information (including Social Security number) is used to fraudulently obtain a refund or commit other crimes. But businesses can also be victims of tax identity theft.

Significant consequences

Business tax identity theft occurs when a criminal uses the identifying information of a business, without permission, to obtain tax benefits or to enable individual identity theft schemes. For example, a thief could use an Employer Identification Number (EIN) and file a fraudulent business tax return to claim a refund or refundable tax credits. Or a fraudster may report income and withholding for fake employees on false W-2 forms. Then, he or she can file fraudulent individual tax returns for the “employees” to claim refunds.

In many cases, businesses don’t even know their information has been stolen until they’re contacted by the IRS. The consequences can include significant dollar amounts, lost time sorting out the mess and damage to your reputation.

Signs your business could be a victim

There are some red flags that indicate possible tax identity theft. For example, your business’s identity may have been compromised if you receive:

A notice from the IRS about fictitious employees.
An IRS letter stating that more than one tax return has been filed in your business name.
A notice from the IRS that you have a balance due when you haven’t yet filed a return.

Steps to take

If you receive a letter or notice from the IRS that leads you to believe someone fraudulently has used your business EIN, respond immediately to the contact information provided. Contact us for more information about how to proceed.

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Evaluating cyberthreats

How much does a data breach cost? The average total cost of a data breach has risen to roughly $4 million, according to a 2016 survey of IT security professionals by the Ponemon Institute (a research center dedicated to privacy, data protection and information security policy). That figure has grown 29% from 2013. The study also estimates that U.S. companies have a 24% probability of experiencing a material data breach within the next 24 months.

Auditors consider all kinds of risks when they prepare financial statements. Here’s how they specifically tackle the issue of IT security in an audit.

Audit scope

Auditing standards require an auditor to:

Learn how the business uses IT and the impact of IT on the financial statements,
Understand the extent of the company’s automated controls as they relate to financial reporting, and
Use his or her understanding of the business’s IT systems and controls in assessing the risks of material misstatement of financial statements, including IT risks resulting from unauthorized access.

The auditor’s role is limited to the audit of the financial statements and, if applicable, the internal control over financial reporting (ICFR).

Primary focus

An auditor’s primary focus is on controls and systems that are in closest proximity to the application data of interest to the audit. This includes enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, single purpose applications (such as fixed asset systems) and any connected systems that house data related to the financial statements.

The auditor’s responsibilities don’t encompass an evaluation of cybersecurity risks across a company’s entire IT platform. But, if an auditor learns of a material breach while performing audit procedures, he or she should consider its impact on financial reporting (including disclosures) and ICFR.

Bridging the gaps

Cyberthreats have become increasingly common and costly. So, it’s critical for companies to understand the scope of the external auditor’s responsibilities in this area and develop a cybersecurity program that bridges the gaps.

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Documentation is the key to business expense deductions

If you have incomplete or missing records and get audited by the IRS, your business will likely lose out on valuable deductions. Here are two recent U.S. Tax Court cases that help illustrate the rules for documenting deductions.

Case 1: Insufficient records

In the first case, the court found that a taxpayer with a consulting business provided no proof to substantiate more than $52,000 in advertising expenses and $12,000 in travel expenses for the two years in question.

The business owner said the travel expenses were incurred “caring for his business.” That isn’t enough. “The taxpayer bears the burden of proving that claimed business expenses were actually incurred and were ordinary and necessary,” the court stated. In addition, businesses must keep and produce “records sufficient to enable the IRS to determine the correct tax liability.” (TC Memo 2016-158)

Case 2: Documents destroyed

In another case, a taxpayer was denied many of the deductions claimed for his company. He traveled frequently for the business, which developed machine parts. In addition to travel, meals and entertainment, he also claimed printing and consulting deductions.

The taxpayer recorded expenses in a spiral notebook and day planner and kept his records in a leased storage unit. While on a business trip to China, his documents were destroyed after the city where the storage unit was located acquired it by eminent domain.

There’s a way for taxpayers to claim expenses if substantiating documents are lost through circumstances beyond their control (for example, in a fire or flood). However, the court noted that a taxpayer still has to “undertake a ‘reasonable reconstruction,’ which includes substantiation through secondary evidence.”

The court allowed 40% of the taxpayer’s travel, meals and entertainment expenses, but denied the remainder as well as the consulting and printing expenses. The reason? The taxpayer didn’t reconstruct those expenses through third-party sources or testimony from individuals whom he’d paid. (TC Memo 2016-135)

Be prepared

Keep detailed, accurate records to protect your business deductions. Record details about expenses as soon as possible after they’re incurred (for example, the date, place, business purpose, etc.). Keep more than just proof of payment. Also keep other documents, such as receipts, credit card slips and invoices. If you’re unsure of what you need, check with us.

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