deductions - Linkenheimer LLP CPAs & Advisors

Boost Your Tax Savings by Donating Appreciated Stock Instead of Cash

Saving taxes probably isn’t your primary reason for supporting your favorite charities. But tax deductions can be a valuable added benefit. If you donate long-term appreciated stock, you potentially can save even more.

Not just a deduction

Appreciated publicly traded stock you’ve held more than one year is long-term capital gains property. If you donate it to a qualified charity, you may be able to enjoy two tax benefits.

First, if you itemize deductions, you can claim a charitable deduction equal to the stock’s fair market value. Second, you won’t be subject to the capital gains tax you’d owe if you sold the stock.

Donating appreciated stock can be especially beneficial to taxpayers facing the 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) or the top 20% long-term capital gains rate this year.

The strategy in action

Let’s say you donate $15,000 of stock that you paid $5,000 for, your ordinary-income tax rate is 37% and your long-term capital gains rate is 20%. Let’s also say you itemize deductions.

If you sold the stock, you’d pay $2,000 in tax on the $10,000 gain. If you were also subject to the 3.8% NIIT, you’d pay another $380 in NIIT.

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By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-10-14T15:37:56+00:00October 14th, 2025|capital gains, charity, deductions, tax planning|0 Comments

A Closer Look: The QBI Deduction and What’s New in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act

The qualified business income (QBI) deduction, which became effective in 2018, is a significant tax benefit for many business owners. It allows eligible taxpayers to deduct up to 20% of QBI, not to exceed 20% of taxable income. It can also be claimed for up to 20% of income from qualified real estate investment trust dividends.

With recent changes under the One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), this powerful deduction is becoming more accessible and beneficial. Most important, the OBBBA makes the QBI deduction permanent. It had been scheduled to end on December 31, 2025.

A closer look

QBI is generally defined as the net amount of qualified income, gain, deduction and loss from a qualified U.S. trade or business. Taxpayers eligible for the deduction include sole proprietors and owners of pass-through entities, such as partnerships, S corporations and limited liability companies that are treated as sole proprietorships, partnerships or S corporations for tax purposes. C corporations aren’t eligible.

Additional limits on the deduction gradually phase in if 2025 taxable income exceeds the applicable threshold — $197,300 or $394,600 for married couples filing joint tax returns. The limits fully apply when 2025 taxable income exceeds $247,300 […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-08-05T14:15:17+00:00August 5th, 2025|business, deduction, deductions, New Tax Laws, News|0 Comments

Tax Court Denies Charitable Contribution Deduction for Lack of Substantiation

Why Your Charitable Receipts Need More Than Just a Signature

When was the last time you actually read the receipt from that donation drop-off? If you’re like most folks, you probably grabbed it and called it a day. Well, John Henry Besaw’s recent Tax Court case (TC Summary Opinion 2025-7) might make you think twice about that approach.

Besaw claimed $6,760 in noncash charitable contributions on his 2019 return, attaching Form 8283 with donee names and general descriptions – but crucially, no dates or values for the donated items. When the IRS disallowed the deduction for insufficient substantiation, Besaw scrambled. He provided receipts, but they were blank regarding specific item descriptions and values. He even submitted non-contemporaneous “reconstructed” documents detailing his donations. Special Trial Judge Leyden wasn’t impressed, noting that Treasury Regulation 1.170A-13 mandates receipts must include “a reasonably sufficient description of the donated property.” The Court ruled in favor of the IRS, upholding the disallowance of the entire deduction (though Besaw dodged accuracy-related penalties under IRC Section 6662(a) – small victories, right?).

How to Stay Out of Trouble

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By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-07-29T16:12:52+00:00July 29th, 2025|charity, deduction, deductions|0 Comments

Can You Turn Business Losses Into Tax Relief?

Even well-run companies experience down years. The federal tax code may allow a bright strategy to lighten the impact. Certain losses, within limits, may be used to reduce taxable income in later years.

Who qualifies?

The net operating loss (NOL) deduction levels the playing field between businesses with steady income and those with income that rises and falls. It lets businesses with fluctuating income to average their income and losses over the years and pay tax accordingly.

You may be eligible for the NOL deduction if your deductions for the tax year are greater than your income. The loss generally must be caused by deductions related to your:

Business (Schedules C and F losses, or Schedule K-1 losses from partnerships or S corporations),
Casualty and theft losses from a federally declared disaster, or
Rental property (Schedule E).

The following generally aren’t allowed when determining your NOL:

Capital losses that exceed capital gains,
The exclusion for gains from the sale or exchange of qualified small business stock,
Nonbusiness deductions that exceed nonbusiness income,
The NOL deduction itself, and
The Section 199A qualified business income deduction.

Individuals and C corporations are eligible to claim the NOL deduction. Partnerships […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-05-16T18:39:33+00:00May 16th, 2025|business, deductions|0 Comments

Ways to Manage the Limit on the Business Interest Expense Deduction

Prior to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), businesses were able to claim a tax deduction for most business-related interest expense. The TCJA created Section 163(j), which generally limits deductions of business interest, with certain exceptions.

If your business has significant interest expense, it’s important to understand the impact of the deduction limit on your tax bill. The good news is there may be ways to soften the tax bite in 2025.

The nuts and bolts

Unless your company is exempt from Sec. 163(j), your maximum business interest deduction for the tax year equals the sum of:

30% of your company’s adjusted taxable income (ATI),
Your company’s business interest income, if any, and
Your company’s floor plan financing interest, if any.

Assuming your company doesn’t have significant business interest income or floor plan financing interest expense, the deduction limitation is roughly equal to 30% of ATI.

Your company’s ATI is its taxable income, excluding:

Nonbusiness income, gain, deduction or loss,
Business interest income or expense,
Net operating loss deductions, and
The 20% qualified business income deduction for pass-through entities.

When Sec. 163(j) first became law, ATI was computed without regard to depreciation, amortization […]

By Linkenheimer LLP|2025-03-10T15:52:43+00:00March 10th, 2025|business, deduction, deductions|0 Comments