Tax Deductibles for Internet Marketers

Just like any group of freelancers or workers who run their own businesses, one of the advantages of being an internet marketer is that there are quite a number of expenses and deductions that you can claim when it comes to filling in your tax return. There are of course a number of items specific to your particular business that you will be able to claim and these should be discussed with your accountant. But there are certain areas that every one who works freelance and online will equally be able to claim as a legitimate part of their business expense and some of the more common areas will be outlined here in this article.

The first and most important thing to note is that no matter what it is you are going to claim for you will need to keep records of each and every transaction and keep hold of all your receipts. If it is for a piece of online software or a hosting account, print it off and file it for later. This will save you a massive effort and printing session when it comes time to do your taxes!

Secondly, no matter if your entire business is online, the first place to look for expenses is the physical space of your home or office.  If you work from home, add up what percentage of your home is dedicated to conducting your business. You will then be able to claim this back as a percentage of your rental or mortgage payments. In addition, any expense related to the running of that premises for the purposes of business will also be deductible This includes the cost of utilities such as electricity and phone, as well as anything to do with the maintenance of the property for business purposes. Your computer is essential business equipment so this should be deducted too. This also applies to the furniture surrounding that computer, so keep receipts for the desk, chair, monitors and printers and anything else you use in the office.

Once you have taken care of the physical space of your business, you should look at deductions for the virtual space. Obviously, just like electricity and phone, you can claim for your broadband service. Your website (or for most internet marketers your multiple websites) are also rented space so you can claim for their domain name purchase, their hosting accounts and any maintenance or site add-on’s you might get from your hosting provider. Any support calls will also be deductible. After that, think about any plugins or scripts, software or ebooks you might have purchased for the business – most of them will be deductible. Most importantly, think about any outsourcing you might have done, from backlinks to paid articles, design work to a virtual assistant. All of these expenses can be reclaimed.

Lastly, think about your advertising. Did you spend any money on adwords or Facebook ads, or even put an advert in a trade publication or website? All of these can be fully reclaimed.

Remember, there’s no point in not claiming. Through use of a good accountant and a bit of discipline each time you make a payment through the year, you could find that when it comes time to pay your taxes, you have significantly reduced your arrears.

Alex Simmonds is a journalist and blogger. He currently writes a blog about the contracting sector covering everything from contractor mortgages to payday loans.

Common Tax Deductions That Are Overlooked For Small Businesses

Having a successful tax season involves proper planning throughout the year to maximize on the deductions that relate directly to your business and its income level.

Starting up Expenses

Capital expenses are one of the expenses that are constantly overlooked when looking for ways to reduce your tax expenses. They usually include marketing, overheads and other related expenses needed to start off your business. You can only deduct them for the first five years after your business opens and cash starts flowing into the business.

Education and training expenses

These are some of the other expenses that most businesses tend to overlook as deductions. Any training and education carried out to improve the skills of your workers and the business in general can be used to reduce the tax liability. However the training and education needs to be related to the business and this rule has to be strictly followed for the expenses to qualify as deductions.

Fees for Professional Services

Some of the professional services sought by the business such as accounting and architect fees qualify as deductible expenses. The only rule that one has to consider is that the services need to relate to the current year. If they relate to the future, the expenses then need to be distributed over the years.

Bad Debts Expense

Debts that you never recover from your customers qualify as deductible expenses. However this only applies to businesses that sell goods and not those that provide services.

Other Expenses that Qualify

Businesses differ and hence there may be other expenses that may qualify as deductibles in your business. IRC and 162 can help you identify some of the unique expenses to your business. In case you find them too confusing, refer the matter to your tax accountant with some of the codes that you think fit in with your business. He or she will be in a position to guide you to identify the respective expenses.

This is one thing that you should be very sure about in your small business. Your tax accountant can help you ensure that you take advantage of the tax deductible expenses.

Finding Time to Sell Your Privately Held Business

In preparation for selling your privately held business, it is essential to determine which category the business falls within. The classification of a company will determine several important strategic decisions. Like, how the market for the company for sale, how to be valued, and the commercial brokerage firm should carry out the assistance and the type of buyer might be interested.

Determine the best time for privately held business sales depend on a number of factors, both internal and external. Eventually, the assessment is influenced by the time the causes behind the sale, particularly given the verity that, not all business sales are programmed in advance. While the maximization of value is, historically, in the top of the wish list when looking at the sale, it is often balanced with the owners’ personal objectives and lifestyle needs.

For a business owner, it is essential to identify that something is always on sale at the right cost and conditions. The business vendor must distinguish trigger points, both negative and positive, and should set up a plan to act on them.

The best time to sell is when a vendor does not have to. Few owners consider selling the company when the business is growing rapidly and the company is clicking on all cylinders. When times are lean and income have been removed, owners also dare to sell assuming the feeling that the specific dollar value they have in mind for your business may not be realistic in today’s market.

Moreover, while employers in general, indicate that maximizing the value of agreement is the 1st priority in process of business mergers. This objective is balanced with a series of personal life issues. The variables needed to determine the perfect time to sell a privately owned business are numerous, but often this decision is due to the reason that the sale is being pursued.

Free Online Taxes

It is quite a harrowing situation when you are trying to prepare 2009 taxes, sitting with the tax booklet and form, and all your pay stubs and receipts. At the same time hiring a tax professional is quite costly for just preparing returns. However a good tax service can prove to be both beneficial and economical.

A good tax service has lot to offer and includes services like online submissions for all states, lab testing of possible mistakes and deductions, sales applications which are linked to proper import information, IRS text publications and ability to talk directly with the experts who are preparing the taxes. Such services also offer monetary advice covering topics like preparation of pension, info on rentals and ownership of homes, advice on small business and so on.

A good tax service will offer much more than free online taxes 2009 and will include the basic preparation of taxes and a conscientious strategy and planning of your taxes and finances.

Tax programs are indeed a boon, as a good one is simple to use and will relieve you of the stress and anxiety of preparing your returns.

The tax application if any should be easy to install and set-up, so as to access the online tax service speedily and effectively.

Online software for taxes should provide all the tools and features needed for filing an accurate and complete tax return. Apart from providing the relevant state forms for taxes, a good service will also provide publications from IRS, other program imports, error rectification and deductions, and a suitable audit defense.

The program should be logical and provide proper drop-down menus, relevant icons and the relevant definitions for an effective work flow.

The interface has to be extremely user-friendly as there are many who have never availed a tax service online. The databases should be up to date providing the current tax laws in an easy to understand form without using the complicated tax jargon. The program should also be proof to errors which are likely to be made by the novice tax preparer.

The online tax service should have a proper help system with contextual help menus and in-depth explanation for each step. Apart from this the service should also offer tax advice the other support through online chat, email or phone.