NYC CPA Accountant – Garment District
Why Your Business Needs an Exit Strategy
If you are like most entrepreneurs, the last thing you are thinking about is how to exit your business. You are more concerned about growth, expansion and sometimes just making ends meet. Well, the truth is, all successful business people have a clear exit strategy as part of their overall business plan. Just what is an exit strategy? An exit strategy is a plan on how you and your partners will leave the business. This leaving can be the sale of the business, an IPO, or transferring ownership to your heirs. Whatever your exit plan, building the business with this final goal in mind, will make things much easier when the time finally comes. If you are still not convinced of the necessity of an exit strategy, here are 7 reasons your business needs one.
1. Allows for retirement
An exit strategy allows for the business owner to retire comfortably. If you’re like most owners, most of your net worth is tied up in your business. Having a clear cut exit strategy will enable you to turn this net worth into cash permitting a comfortable and worry free retirement.
2. Provides for the future
If you are operating a successful business, its important that the business can carry on without you. Your employees and family depend on the business thus having an exit strategy planned can allow your business to continue to provide for your family and loyal employees.
3. Cashing out to invest
Even if you are not ready to retire, many entrepreneurs have the goal of starting other businesses or becoming a venture capitalist to help other business people with good ideas but limited funds. An exit strategy can provide the liquidity you need to obtain these goals.
4. Be appealing to investors
If you are seeking outside investment for your business, having a clear exit strategy is a must. Investors want to know how they are going to make money. An exit strategy will put this in black and white so that potential investors can see how you plan to earn them a return.
5. When to quit
Finally, an exit strategy creates a time frame for when to throw in the towel. It’s important not to keep throwing good money after bad in business ventures that simply are not working. Going into the business with an exit strategy will provide guidelines on how to end the business, regardless of its success.
If you are searching for outside guidance on your business, call 212-631-0320 and ask for Mark. Our initial consultation is free for business owners seeking to hire an accountant.
Mark Feinsot CPA is a New York City accounting firm with offices on West 57th Street (Garment District) and West 32nd Street (Broadway area).
Defined Benefit Plan – Small Businesses
Simply put, a defined benefit plan is a pension plan that uses a formula to promise a predetermined monthly benefit to an employee at their retirement. However, the specifics that go into a defined benefit plan are less simple, and it is important for all involved to understand the ramifications of the plan before it is entered into.
The Formula for Defined Benefit Plans
Most plans use a formula that includes the employee’s earnings, years of employment, and age at retirement. As of 2014, the IRS caps this type of retirement benefit at $210,000.
The final salary plan takes into consideration the employee’s number of years worked and then multiplies that by the current salary at the time of retirement, and then finally, multiplies it by an accrual rate. The accrued amount is then available to the employee as either monthly payments or a lump sum.
Types of Defined Benefit Plans
Defined benefit plans can be either funded or unfunded. An unfunded plan means that the company does not set aside any assets to ensure benefits can be paid when the plan goes into effect. This is known as a Pay-as-you-go plan. In the United States, these plans are only allowed in the public sector.
The second type of plan is a funded plan. In this case, the employer, and sometimes the employee make contributions to the plan, so future benefit obligations can be met. These contributions are then examined by an actuary at certain intervals to ensure that the contribution level, as well as the investment of the contributions, will equal or surpass the benefit obligations.
Disadvantage and Advantages of Defined Benefit Plans
The disadvantage of the defined benefit plan is that it is less portable than other pension plans. The advantage, however, is that most plans will pay the benefit to the employee as an annuity, so there is less chance that the employee will out live their retirement benefits.
Mark Feinsot, CPA is a New York City CPA Accounting firm with offices on West 57th Street (Garment District near 5th Avenue) and West 32nd Street (Broadway, near Empire State Building). Our firm works with all types of businesses and high net worth individuals. If you are searching for a new accountant, call us at 212-631-8320 and ask for Mark.
Vacation Home Rentals – Tax Rules
If you have ever considered renting out your vacation home, before you do there are several tax rules you will need to keep in mind to help you stay on the right side of the IRS. Luckily, they aren’t too complex, but they will guide you in determining how you want to use your vacation home.
Number of Rental Day’s Per Year
It is important to understand that the number of days you rent your vacation home has a direct impact on how the IRS views the property. For example, if you rent your vacation home for 14 or fewer days, you will not need to report the income on your taxes.
If, however, you decide to rent your home for more than 14 days, you become a landlord, and all rental income will need to be reported. You can also deduct rental expenses, but keep in mind, the expenses will need to be allocated between when the home is used as a rental property and when the home is used for personal vacations.
Finally, if you use the home more than 10% of the number of days it is rented, or more than 14 days for personal use, it is still considered personal property, but you are allowed to take a deduction for rental expenses up to the amount of rental income received; although, losses cannot be taken as a deduction.
The Definition of Personal Use Days
What becomes most important, besides the number of days you rent the home, is the number of personal use days. Even when a family member is occupying the home, instead of yourself, the IRS considers those days personal use, regardless of whether or not the family member is paying rent. This is also true of days you donate the home to a charity auction.
The advantage to keeping your personal days to 14 days or less or 10% of the rental days is that the home is then considered a business. As such, you can deduct expenses and take up to a $25,000 loss each year you rent the property depending on your income. It’s important to know that the days you spend maintaining the property are not included in personal use days.
Mark Feinsot, CPA is a New York City CPA Accounting firm with offices on West 57th Street (Midtown West in Garment District) and West 32nd Street (Broadway, near Empire State Building). Our firm works with all types of businesses and high net worth individuals. If you are searching for a new accountant, call us at 212-631-8320 and ask for Mark.
