rate Archives - Medical Association of the State of Alabama

How is Tax Reform Impacting Physician Practices?

Posted by admin on March 15, 2018

The biggest U.S. tax reform since 1986 consists of major tax law changes that will affect everyone. The most significant change for corporations is a move from the graduated corporate tax rate structure to a flat rate. Although President Trump was originally fighting for the corporate rate to be reduced to 15 percent, lawmakers settled by reducing the rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. Other aspects of the tax law are more complex, and many businesses are wondering how this new law will affect their particular industries.

Let’s dive a little deeper into how tax reform is affecting physician practices.

A significant amount of attention has been focused on the 20 percent pass-through income deduction (also known as the qualified business income “QBI” deduction). Unfortunately, physician practices are specifically excluded from QBI deduction eligibility. However, an exception is made for physicians with taxable income under $415,000 for joint filers and $207,500 for single filers. Physicians with taxable income below these thresholds may be eligible for the 20 percent QBI deduction. The QBI deduction calculation is complex and should be considered in conjunction with physician group compensation models and reasonable compensation guidelines.

Entertainment expenses need to be evaluated and minimized. Under the new law, deductions for business-related entertainment expenses are disallowed. Meal expenses incurred while traveling on business will remain 50 percent deductible. The 50 percent disallowance will now also apply to meals provided at an on-premises cafeteria or otherwise on the employer’s premises for the convenience of the employer. After 2025, the cost of meals provided through an on-premises cafeteria or otherwise on the employer’s premises will be nondeductible.

Physicians should also take into account the tax reform changes for individuals by evaluating their personal mortgage interest structure to maximize the interest deduction. This can be achieved by turning a home equity line of credit (HELOC) into a traditional mortgage, if applicable. The home mortgage interest deduction has been modified to reduce the limit on acquisition indebtedness to $750,000 for married filing jointly (MFJ), down from $1,000,000 under previous law. However, if the acquisition indebtedness occurred before Dec. 15, 2017, the limit remains $1,000,000.

Finally, tax reform limits the Federal tax deduction for state and local taxes to $10,000, beginning in 2018. Many physicians will far exceed the $10,000 state and local tax deduction cap. The limitation on state and local tax deduction encompasses both income taxes, sales tax and property taxes. Physicians can potentially minimize tax liabilities by strategically planning the payment of their individual state taxes and utilizing any state scholarship granting organizations, such as an Alabama Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) or Georgia Student Scholarship Organization (SSO). These programs allow taxpayers to receive a state tax credit in return for an eligible contribution. This contribution qualifies as a charitable contribution on a federal return. This turns a state tax payment into a charitable deduction for federal purposes, increasing itemized deductions.

Article contributed by Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors. Warren Averett CPAs and Advisors is an official Gold Partner with the Medical Association.

Tags: averett, corporate, cpa, deducation, flat, graduated, HELOC, income, pass-through, practice, QBI, rate, structure, tax, warren

Posted in: MVP

Tips for Preserving Tax Deductions in 2018

Posted by admin on February 16, 2018

Starting this year, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act limits an individual’s or a couple’s federal tax deduction for state and local taxes (SALT) to $10,000. SALT deductions include deductions on state and local income, sales and property taxes. High-income earners, such as physicians, frequently have a SALT deduction far exceeding the new $10,000 cap and will, therefore, be negatively impacted by this change.

To illustrate, if you paid $9,000 in property tax and $22,000 in State of Alabama income taxes in 2017, you would have received a $31,000 deduction on your Federal return. In 2018, that deduction would be capped at $10,000. Consequently, the taxpayer will lose $21,000 of deductions. Fortunately for Alabamians, there is a way to help mitigate this adverse tax change in 2018.

The Alabama Accountability Act (AAA) provides an opportunity to preserve your state tax deduction through donations to a Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO). This Act, passed by the Alabama Legislature in 2015, enables Alabama residents to use up to half of their state income tax burden (limited to $50,000) to support approved schools in our state which serve an economically disadvantaged student population. The AAA donation provides state income tax credits (a dollar for dollar reduction in Alabama tax liability) to donors who contribute to a state-approved SGO operating within Alabama. This payment is treated as if you paid Alabama taxes, but for federal purposes, your donation will be reported as a charitable contribution. Otherwise, as described above, the state tax payment would be reported on your federal return as a SALT deduction subject to the $10,000 cap and provide no tax benefit to you.

Let’s update the illustration above to demonstrate the AAA donation benefit. You pay one half of the $22,000 state of Alabama income tax directly to the state as usual. You pay the remaining half of the $22,000 state of Alabama tax liability with an AAA donation ($11,000). The $11,000 AAA donation counts as a state tax payment on the Alabama tax return. However, on the federal tax return, the $11,000 AAA donation is deducted as a charitable contribution and escapes the $10,000 SALT deduction cap. The AAA donation preserves an $11,000 tax deduction which, at top federal tax brackets, is roughly $4,000 in federal income tax dollars.

It is important to emphasize the state allocates $30,000,000 annually for the AAA tax credit program. We expect the 2018 allotment to be reserved quickly, given the significant tax benefit the AAA provides. Therefore, we encourage you to act quickly, if interested, before the opportunity is gone. Based on the current AAA usage rate, we anticipate the $30,000,000 allotment for 2018 could be exhausted by the end of April or earlier.

If you wish to take advantage of this program, there is a two-step process:

1) Reserve your credit on the Alabama Department of Revenue web portal, My Alabama Taxes (MAT); and

2) Write your check for that amount and send it to the Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) as noted below.

Have your 2016 Alabama 1040 with you since you will need your state adjusted gross income to set up your account with the Alabama Department of Revenue.
Follow the steps on this website https://myalabamataxes.alabama.gov to create your MAT account, if you do not already have an account.
Once that is completed, follow the steps online to reserve your tax credit with the state by clicking on “Report a donation to an SGO” on the right side of the web page.
Fill in your personal information and make a selection of an “SGO.”
Once you have filled in your personal information, you will then write a check for the amount you reserved to the SGO you selected.

This SGO contribution benefits deserving schools, counts as a payment of your Alabama personal income tax and enables you to gain federal tax deduction for a cost that will be otherwise non-deductible. We encourage immediate action on this mutually beneficial step. If you need help, contact one of our Warren Averett Healthcare Consulting team members.

Article contributed by Sae Evans, Maddox Casey and Jim Stroud, Members, Warren Averett Healthcare Consulting Group. Warren Averett is an official Gold Partner with the Medical Association.

Tags: credit, income, rate, SALT, tax

Posted in: Management