2022 Year-End Tax Planning for Businesses

Newburg | CPA News Brief

November 17, 2022

U.S. businesses are facing pressure to drive revenue, manage costs and increase shareholder value, all while surrounded by economic and political uncertainties. Disruptions to supply chains brought about by the pandemic have continued into 2022. Inflation and rising interest rates have made the cost of debt, goods and services more expensive and cooled consumer spending. The stock market has declined sharply, and the prospect of a recession is on the rise. What’s more, the outcomes of the November U.S. congressional elections — which as of the publication of this article are as yet unknown — will shape future tax policies. How do businesses thrive in uncertain times? By turning toward opportunity, which includes proactive tax planning. Tax planning is essential for U.S. businesses looking for ways to optimize cash flow while minimizing their total tax liability over the long term.

This article provides a checklist of areas where, with proper planning, businesses may be able to reduce or defer taxes over time. Unless otherwise noted, the information contained in this article is based on enacted tax laws and policies as of the publication date and is subject to change based on future legislative or tax policy changes. We will be reaching out in the coming months to discuss year end planning with you.

Recent legislative changes – the Inflation Reduction Act and the CHIPS Act

As the U.S. entered 2022, major proposed federal legislation that sought to raise taxes on large profitable corporations and high-income individuals (the Build Back Better Act) had died in the Senate. Although not nearly as broad in terms of tax increases, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) was enacted on August 16, 2022. Below are some items that were included in the legislation that passed:

Tax credits

The Inflation Reduction Act includes the largest-ever U.S. investment committed to combat climate change, providing energy security and clean energy programs over the next 10 years. Overall, the IRA modifies many of the current green energy credits and introduces significant new credits. Notably, the IRA also introduces new options for monetizing the credits, including the ability for taxable entities to elect a one-time transfer of all or a portion of certain tax credits to other taxpayers for cash.

The CHIPS Act, enacted on August 9, 2022, provides for a new 25% advanced manufacturing investment credit for investments in semiconductor manufacturing and for the manufacture of certain equipment required in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

For more information on the green energy credits and the advanced manufacturing investment credit, see Claim Available Tax Credits, below.

Generate cash savings through tax accounting method changes and strategic tax elections

Adopting or changing income tax accounting methods can provide taxpayers with valuable opportunities for timing the recognition of items of taxable income and expense, which determines when cash is needed to pay federal tax liabilities.

In general, accounting methods can either result in the acceleration or deferral of an item or items of taxable income or deductible expense, but they do not alter the total amount of income or expense that is recognized during the lifetime of a business. As interest rates continue to rise and debt becomes more expensive, many businesses want to preserve their cash, and one way to do this is to defer their tax liabilities through their choice of accounting methods.

Companies that want to reduce their 2022 tax liability should consider traditional tax accounting method changes, tax elections and other actions for 2022 to defer recognizing income to a later taxable year and accelerate tax deductions to an earlier taxable year, including the following:

Changing from recognizing certain advance payments (e.g., upfront payments for goods, services, gift cards, use of intellectual property, sale or license of software) in the year of receipt to recognizing a portion in the following taxable year
Changing from the overall accrual to the overall cash method of accounting (i.e., where accounts receivable exceeds accounts payable and accrued expenses)
Changing from capitalizing certain prepaid expenses (e.g., insurance premiums, warranty service contracts, taxes, government permits and licenses, software maintenance) to deducting when paid using the “12-month rule”
Deducting eligible accrued compensation liabilities (such as bonuses and severance payments) that are fixed and determinable by the end of the year and paid within 2.5 months of year end
Accelerating deductions of liabilities such as warranty costs, rebates, allowances and product returns, state income and franchise taxes, and real and personal property taxes under the “recurring item exception”
Purchasing qualifying property and equipment before the end of 2022 to take advantage of the 100% bonus depreciation provisions (before bonus depreciation begins to gradually phase out starting in 2023) and the Section 179 expensing rules
Deducting “catch-up” depreciation (including bonus depreciation, if previously missed) of personal property by changing to shorter recovery periods or changing from non-depreciable to depreciable
Optimizing inventory valuation methods. For example, adopting, or making changes within, the last-in, first-out (LIFO) method of valuing inventory generally will result in higher cost of goods sold deductions as costs are increasing.

Write-off bad debts and worthless stock

While the economy attempts to recover from the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation and rising interest rates, businesses should evaluate whether losses may be claimed on their 2022 returns related to worthless assets such as receivables, property, 80% owned subsidiaries or other investments.

Business bad debts can be wholly or partially written off for tax purposes. A partial write-off requires a conforming reduction of the debt on the books of the taxpayer; a complete write-off requires demonstration that the debt is wholly uncollectible as of the end of the year.
Losses related to worthless, damaged, or abandoned property can sometimes generate ordinary losses for specific assets.
Businesses should consider claiming losses for investments in insolvent subsidiaries that are at least 80% owned and for certain investments in insolvent entities taxed as partnerships (also see Partnerships and S corporations, below).

Maximize tax benefits of NOLs

Net operating losses (NOLs) are valuable assets that can reduce taxes owed during profitable years, thus generating a positive cash flow impact for taxpayers. Businesses should make sure they maximize the tax benefits of their NOLs.

For tax years beginning after 2020, NOL carryovers from tax years beginning after 2017 are limited to 80% of the excess of the corporation’s taxable income over the corporation’s NOL carryovers from tax years beginning before 2018 (which are not subject to this 80% limitation, but may be carried forward only 20 years). If the corporation does not have pre-2018 NOL carryovers, but does have post-2017 NOLs, the corporation’s NOL deduction can only negate up to 80% of the 2022 taxable income with the remaining subject to the 21% federal corporate income tax rate. Corporations should monitor their taxable income and submit appropriate quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid underpayment penalties.
Corporations should monitor their equity movements to avoid a Section 382 ownership change that could limit annual NOL deductions.
Losses from pass-throughs entities must meet certain requirements to be deductible at the partner or S corporation owner level (also see Partnerships and S corporations, below).

Defer tax on capital gains

Tax planning for capital gains should consider not only current and future tax rates, but also the potential deferral period, short and long-term cash needs, possible alternative uses of funds and other factors.

Noncorporate shareholders are eligible for exclusion of gain on dispositions of Qualified Small Business Stock. For other sales, businesses should consider potential long-term deferral strategies, including:

Reinvesting capital gains in Qualified Opportunity Zones
Reinvesting proceeds from sales of real property in other “like-kind” real property
Selling shares of a privately held company to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Claim available tax credits

The U.S. offers a variety of tax credits and other incentives to encourage employment and investment, often in targeted industries or areas such as innovation and technology, renewable energy and low-income or distressed communities. Many states and localities also offer tax incentives. Businesses should make sure they are claiming all available tax credits.

The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) is a refundable payroll tax credit for qualifying employers that were significantly impacted by COVID-19 in 2020 or 2021. For most employers, the compensation eligible for the credit had to be paid prior to October 1, 2021. However, the deadline for claiming the credit does not expire until the statute of limitations closes on Form 941. Therefore, employers generally have three years to claim the ERC for eligible quarters during 2020 and 2021 by filing an amended Form 941-X for the relevant quarter. Employers that received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan can claim the ERC, but the same wages cannot be used for both programs.
Businesses that incur expenses related to qualified research and development (R&D) activities are eligible for the federal R&D credit.
Small business start-ups are permitted to use up to $250,000 of their qualified R&D credits to offset the 6.2% employer portion of social security payroll tax. The IRA doubles this payroll tax offset limit to $500,000, providing an additional $250,000 that can be used to offset the 1.45% employer portion of Medicare payroll tax.
Taxpayers that reinvest capital gains in Qualified Opportunity Zones may be able to temporarily defer the federal tax due on the capital gains. The investment must be made within a certain period after the disposition giving rise to the gain. Post-reinvestment appreciation is exempt from tax if the investment is held for at least 10 years but sold by December 31, 2047.
The New Markets Tax Credit Program provides federally funded tax credits for approved investments in low-income communities that are made through certified “Community Development Entities.”
Other incentives for employers include the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, the Federal Empowerment Zone Credit, the Indian Employment Credit and credits for paid family and medical leave (FMLA).

Partnerships and S corporations

Partnerships, S corporations and their owners may want to consider the following tax planning opportunities:

Taxpayers with unused passive activity losses attributable to partnership or S corporation interests may want to consider disposing of the interest to utilize the loss in 2022.
Taxpayers other than corporations may be entitled to a deduction of up to 20% of their qualified business income (within certain limitations based on the taxpayer’s taxable income, whether the taxpayer is engaged in a service-type trade or business, the amount of W-2 wages paid by the business and the unadjusted basis of certain property held by the business). Planning opportunities may be available to maximize this deduction.
Certain tax basis, at-risk and active participation requirements must be met for losses of pass-through entities to be deductible by a partner or S corporation shareholder. In addition, an individual’s excess business losses are subject to overall limitations. There may be steps that pass-through owners can take before the end of 2022 to maximize their loss deductions. The Inflation Reduction Act extends the excess business loss limitation by two years (the limitation was scheduled to expire for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2027).
Under current rules, the abandonment or worthlessness of a partnership interest may generate an ordinary deduction (instead of a capital loss) in cases where no partnership liabilities are allocated to the interest. If business conditions are such that the interest does not have value or the partner is considering abandonment, important issues need to be considered.
Following enactment of the TCJA, deductibility of expenses incurred by investment funds are treated as “investment expenses”—and therefore are limited at the individual investor level— if the fund does not operate an active trade or business (i.e., if the fund’s only activities are investment activities). To avoid the investment expense limitation, consideration should be given as to whether a particular fund’s activities are so closely connected to the operations of its portfolio companies that the fund itself should be viewed as operating an active trade or business.
Under current rules, gains allocated to carried interests in investment funds are treated as long-term capital gains only if the investment property has been held for more than three years. Investment funds should consider holding the property for more than three years prior to sale to qualify for reduced long-term capital gains rates.

Considerations for employers

Employers should consider the following issues as they close out 2022 and enter 2023:

Employers have until the extended due date of their 2022 federal income tax return to retroactively establish a qualified retirement plan and to fund the new or an existing plan for 2022. However, employers cannot retroactively eliminate existing retirement plans (such as simplified employee pensions (SEPs) or SIMPLE plans) to make room for a retroactively adopted plan (such as an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) or cash balance plan).
Contributions made to a qualified retirement plan by the extended due date of the 2022 federal income tax return may be deductible for 2022; contributions made after this date are deductible for 2023.
Employers can reimburse employees tax-free for up to $5,250 per year in student loan debt, through Dec. 31, 2025, if the employer sets up a broad-based IRC Section 127 educational assistance plan.
Employers seeking to attract and retain employees may offer tuition assistance to future employees by providing forgivable loan agreements. When the loans are forgiven (typically after the student has become an employee for a specified period of time), the amount forgiven is taxable wages, subject to income and employment taxes (including the employer share of employment taxes).
The CARES Act permitted employers to defer payment of the employer portion of Social Security (6.2%) payroll tax liabilities that would have been due from March 27 through December 31, 2020. Employers are reminded that the remaining balance of the deferred amount must be paid by December 31, 2022. Notice CP256-V is not required to make the required payment.
Employers should ensure that common fringe benefits are properly included in employees’ and, if applicable, 2% S corporation shareholders’ taxable wages. Partners and LLC members (including owners of capital interests and profits interests) should not be issued W-2s.
Generally, for calendar year accrual basis taxpayers, accrued bonuses must be fixed and determinable by year end and paid within 2.5 months of year end (by March 15, 2023) for the bonus to be deductible in 2022.
Businesses should assess the tax impacts of their mobile workforce. Potential impacts include the establishment of a corporate tax presence in the state or foreign country where the employee works; dual tax residency for the employee; additional taxable compensation for remote workers’ travel to a work location that is determined to be personal commuting expense; and payroll tax, benefits, and transfer pricing issues.

State and local taxes

Businesses should monitor the tax laws and policies in the states in which they do business to understand their tax obligations, identify ways to minimize their state tax liabilities, and eliminate any state tax exposure. The following are some of the state-specific areas taxpayers should consider when planning for their tax liabilities in 2022 and 2023:

Nexus rules

Has the business reviewed the nexus rules in every state in which it has property, employees, or sales to determine whether it has a tax obligation? State nexus rules are complex and vary by state. Even minimal or temporary physical presence within a state can create nexus, e.g., temporary visits by employees for business purposes; presence of independent contractors making sales or performing services, especially warranty repair services; presence of mobile or moveable property; or presence of inventory at a third-party warehouse. In addition, many states have adopted a bright-line factor-presence nexus threshold for income tax purposes (e.g., $500,000 in sales). Also keep in mind that foreign entities that claim federal treaty protection are likely not protected from state income taxes, and those foreign entities that have nexus with a state may still be liable for state taxes.
Has the business considered the state income tax nexus consequences of its mobile or remote workforce, including the impacts on payroll factor and sales factor sourcing? Most states that provided temporary nexus and/or withholding relief relating to teleworking employees lifted those orders during 2021. (Also see Considerations for employers, above.)

Taxable income and tax calculation

Does the state conform to federal tax rules or decouple from them? Not all states follow federal tax rules. For example, many states have their own systems of depreciation, and may or may not allow federal bonus depreciation.
Has the business claimed all state NOL and state tax credit carrybacks and carryforwards? Most states apply their own NOL/credit computation and carryback/forward provisions.
Is the business claiming all available state and local tax credits? States offer various incentive credits including, e.g., for research activities, expanding or relocating operations, making capital investments, or increasing headcount.

Other issues

Has the business considered the state and local tax treatment of merger, acquisition and disposition transactions? Keep in mind that internal reorganizations of existing structures also have state tax impacts. There are many state-specific considerations when analyzing the tax effects of transactions.
Has the business amended any federal returns or settled an IRS audit? Businesses should make sure state amended returns are filed on a timely basis to report the federal changes. If a federal amended return is filed, amended state returns may still be required even when there is no change to state taxable income or deductions.

State pass-through entity elections

The TCJA introduced a $10,000 limit for individuals with respect to federal itemized deductions for state and local taxes paid during the year ($5,000 for married individuals filing separately). Nearly 30 states have enacted workarounds to this deduction limitation for owners of pass-through entities, by allowing a pass-through entity to make an election (PTE tax election) to be taxed at the entity level. For example, Massachusetts enacted their PTE opportunity in 2021. PTE tax elections present complex state and federal tax issues for partners and shareholders. Before making an election, care needs to be exercised to avoid state tax traps, especially for nonresident owners, that could exceed any federal tax savings.

Other state and local taxes

State and local property taxes, sales and use taxes and other indirect state and local taxes can be the largest piece of an organization’s state tax expenditures, even exceeding state and local income and franchise taxes. Just like state income taxes, businesses should understand and plan for their other state and local tax obligations. Some areas of consideration include:

Has the business reviewed its sales and use tax nexus footprint, the taxability of its products and services, and whether it is charging the appropriate sales and use tax rates? A comprehensive review of the sales and use tax function along with improving or automating processes may help businesses report and pay the appropriate amount of tax to the correct states and localities.
Remote retailers, marketplace sellers and marketplace facilitators (i.e., marketplace providers) should be sure they are in compliance with state sales and use tax laws and marketplace facilitator rules.
Assessed property tax values typically lag behind market values. Businesses should consider challenging their property tax assessments within the applicable appeal window.
Businesses should ensure they are properly reporting and remitting unclaimed property to state governments. All 50 states and the District of Columbia require holders to file unclaimed property returns.

Begin Planning for the Future

Businesses should consider actions that will put them on the best path forward for 2022 and beyond. Business can begin now to:

Establish or build upon a framework for total tax transparency to bring visibility to the company’s approach to tax and total tax contribution.
Reevaluate choice of entity decisions while considering alternative legal entity structures to minimize total tax liability and enterprise risk.
Evaluate global value chain and cross-border transactions to optimize transfer pricing and minimize global tax liabilities.
Review available tax credits and incentives for relevancy to leverage within applicable business lines.
Consider legal entity rationalization, which can reduce administrative costs and provide other benefits and efficiencies.
Proper tax planning around future potential merger and acquisition transactions can provide dramatic tax savings. Depreciation and amortization tax benefits provided in asset acquisition (or with integrating special elections under 336( e ) or 338(h)(10) ) can shelter significant income. If you plan on selling your business in the near future, structuring the transaction properly may also save you significant tax dollars.
Consider the benefits of an ESOP as an exit or liquidity strategy, which can provide tax benefits for both owners and the company.
Perform a cost segregation study with respect to investments in buildings or renovation of real property to accelerate taxable deductions, claim qualifying bonus depreciation and identify other discretionary incentives to reduce or defer various taxes.
Evaluate possible co-sourcing or outsourcing arrangements to assist with priority projects as part of an overall tax function transformation.