Taxes

while taxes aren't the most exciting subject, business owners have a responsibility to to make sure they understand their tax liabilities and pay them on time or face interest charges and penalties with jumpstart, we work hard with experienced tax organizations to make the process as easy as possible for you so you can focus on what you do best your business we offer a few main tax packages that cover most businesses based on annual revenue all our packages are filed through https //greenbackbusinessservices com/ packages are based on annual revenue for c corporations & llcs <$5k $325 per tax return $5k $150k $550 per tax return $150k $500k+ $750 per tax return $500k+ contact us these packages are recommended, however, you're welcome to use your own accountant as well! https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#general tax overview most businesses are responsible for a few main types of taxes non residents can view our guide to u s taxation for non residents https //docs jumpstartfilings com/nonresidenttaxes https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#income taxes all businesses have to file an annual income tax return c corporations pay income tax at the corporate rate, while all other businesses are considered “pass through” entities and are taxed at the individual rate tax liabilty for "pass through" entities is dependent on income according to the following table for llcs, s corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships for c corporations c corporations pay a 21% flat tax rate on profits earned if the corporation pays dividends, shareholders pay taxes on those on their personal tax returns so, c corporation profits are taxed twice there are two types of dividends qualified and unqualified let’s take a look at those qualified if you’ve owned the stock for longer than 60 days, that dividend is qualified qualified dividends get favorable tax rates and are taxed at long term capital gain rates unqualified also known as ordinary dividends, these are taxed at the shareholder’s regular income tax rate (more on that below!) https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#self employment if you choose to employ yourself at your company you are responsible for self employment taxes the self employment tax rate is 15 3% for the first $128,400 of net income people who are self employed have to pay self employment taxes, which are social security and medicare taxes a common misconception among foreigners is that the first roughly $100,000 of income are completely tax free in the us under the foreign earned income exclusion (feie) this is however only partially true the feie lets you exclude income from income tax it does not get you out of paying self employment tax on foreign income when working as freelancer, independent contractor or sole proprietor abroad generally, self employed individuals pay income tax and self employment tax (se tax) if they qualify for the feie, they can exclude foreign earned income up to $104,100 (2018) from income tax (although the feie will be pro rated depending on the business expenses ) but they still have to pay self employment tax being self employed, you must pay se tax on your entire net profit, even the amount you can exclude from income tax you have to pay self employment taxes if your net earnings are $400 or more you work for a church or a qualified church controlled organization that elected an exemption from social security and medicare taxes, and you make $108 28 or more in wages this does not apply to ministers or members of a religious order (such as nuns) if you have employees, you have to pay employment taxes, which include social security and medicare taxes federal income tax withholdings (this is technically paid by your employee, but you’re responsible for making sure uncle sam gets it) federal unemployment (futa) tax there are also various excise taxes depending on the type of business this could be anything from taxes on trucks and impact to the environment or for things like sweepstakes giveaways or winnings from playing daily fantasy sports https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#independent contactors some clients who plan to only serve non u s customers and live outside the u s may be able to reduce their income tax burden by paying themselves as an indepdenent contractor however, if a us court or the irs determines a person your company hired as an independent contractor is, in fact, an employee, you can face liabilities for not meeting the requirements of employment so what are the criteria for being an indepdenent contactor? according to irs definition, people who are in an independent trade, business or profession offering their services to the general public, are generally independent contractors the payor for independent contractors has the right to control only the result of the work and not what will be done or how it will be done what are the differences between a contractor (1099) and an employee (w 2)? here are three types of questions to distinguish between the two behavioral does the company control or have the right to control what the worker does and how the worker does his or her job? if the answer is “yes,” s/he is likely a w2 if the worker is free to manage their own schedule and work process, they are more likely a 1099 financial does the employer control the business aspects of the worker’s job? this includes for example, how the worker is paid, whether expenses are reimbursed, and who provides tools or supplies if the company controls how the worker is paid and pays for expenses and supplies, s/he is likely a w2 if the worker has to send an invoice to get paid and/or cover their own expenses, they are more likely a 1099 type of relationship do you have a written employment contract (versus project or an independent contractor agreement) or employee type benefits, e g health insurance, vacation pay? will the working relationship continue for the foreseeable future if the work is done correctly and is the work performed a key aspect of the business? if the company provides an employee with benefits and believes the employee is there for the long term, s/he is likely a w2 only one of the questions has to be met for the employee to be considered a w2 employee https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#state local taxes https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#state taxes unless you live in one of the states that doesn’t have them, you will owe state income taxes want to see the specific tax rates by state? you can find them https //www thebalance com/state income tax rates 3193320 https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#sales taxes if you sell things, you’ll be responsible for collecting sales taxes if you sell things online, this can get complicated, because some states charge based on where the seller is located, while other states charge taxes based on where the buyer is located if you're an ecommerce seller, i recommend looking at avalara tax software or take a look https //www bigcommerce com/blog/ecommerce sales tax/ for state specific rates https //docs jumpstartfilings com/taxes#property taxes if you own commercial property, you will have to pay property taxes, which are typically assessed at the county or city level