Writing Off Your Business Start-Up Expenses

Unfortunately, due to the COVID pandemic, many small firms have gone out of business. However, with the help of vaccines and waning lethality of the latest versions of the virus, new businesses will be opening as the economy returns to near normal.

New business owners, especially those operating small businesses, may be helped by a tax provision allowing them to deduct up to $5,000 of the start-up expenses and $5,000 of organizational costs in the first year of the business's operation. These expenses not deductible in the company's first year must be amortized (deducted) over 15 years. Suppose a taxpayer who incurred start-up expenses does not make the election. In that case, the start-up costs must be capitalized, meaning the expenses can only be recovered upon the termination or disposition of the business.

Generally, start-up expenses include all expenses incurred to investigate the formation or acquisition or engage in a for-profit activity in anticipation of that activity becoming an active business. An expense must also be one that would be deductible if it were incurred after the business began to be eligible for the election. An example of a start-up expense is the cost of analyzing the potential market for a new product.

• Qualifying Start-Up Costs – A qualifying start-up cost would be deductible if it were paid or incurred to operate an existing active business in the same field as the new business, and the cost is paid or incurred before the day the active trade or business begins. Not included are taxes, interest, and research and experimental costs. Examples of qualified start-up costs include:

  • Surveys/analyses of potential markets, labor supply, products, transportation facilities, etc.;

  • Wages paid to employees and their instructors while they are being trained;

  • Advertisements related to opening the business;

  • Fees and salaries paid to consultants or others for professional services; and

  • Travel and other related costs to secure prospective customers, distributors, and suppliers.

When purchasing an active trade or business, only the investigative costs are incurred while conducting a general search for, or preliminary investigation of, the business (i.e., costs that help the taxpayer decide whether to purchase a new business and which one to purchase) are qualified start-up costs. Costs incurred attempting to buy a specific business are capital expenses that aren't considered start-up costs.

• Qualifying Organizational Cost - include fees for legal services, such as drafting LLC documents, partnership agreements, corporate charter, and by-laws; incorporation fees; temporary directors' fees; and organizational meeting costs.

• Phaseout - As with most tax benefits, there is always a catch. Congress put a cap on expenses that can be claimed as a deduction under this particular election. Here's how to determine the deduction: If the expenses are $50,000 or less, you can deduct up to $5,000 in the first year, plus you can amortize the balance over 180 months.

Example: Eligible start-up expenses are $6,000 and the business began on July 1, 2022. On the business’s 2022 tax return, the deduction for start-up expenses will be $5,033 ($5,000 + ($1,000/180 x 6 months)).

If the expenses are more than $50,000, then the $5,000 first-year write-off is reduced dollar-for-dollar for every dollar in start-up expenses that exceed $50,000.

For example, if start-up costs were $54,000, the first-year write-off would be limited to $1,000 ($5,000 – ($54,000 – $50,000)), plus the remaining $53,000 of costs would be amortizable over 180 months. These limits are applied separately for the start-up and organizational costs.

The election to deduct start-up and organizational costs is made by claiming the deduction on the return for the year the active trade or business begins, and the return must be filed by the extended due date.

The decision to write off these expenses should consider other tax benefits available in the first year of the business, including bonus deprecation and Sec 179 expensing the Sec 199A deduction and the overall result in the first year of the business.

If you are starting a business, it may be appropriate to formulate a business plan in advance. If you have questions or would like an appointment to discuss how to establish your business and the types of business structures available, please give our office a call.