IRS Update: Changes to Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

Since 2010, the Small Business Health Care tax credit has been available to eligible small businesses that offer health insurance and have 25 or fewer employees. The purpose of this credit is to help small businesses pay for the premiums on health insurance for their employees.

The following changes have been made to this credit for tax years beginning in 2014:

• The maximum credit has increased to 50% of health insurance premiums paid.
• To be eligible for the credit, the small employer must purchase their health insurance through a Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) offered through a health insurance exchange (marketplace).
• Read more

The credit will work with the new changes as follows:

• Credit is available to employers with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees whose average annual salaries are not more than $50,000.
• Credit is calculated on a sliding scale with a maximum credit of 50% of the employer's contribution toward their employees' health insurance premiums.
• Read more

An eligible employer claims the credit by completing Form 8941 (Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums) and including it with their federal return.

Click here to read the entire CrossLink Tax Update that includes further information on changes to the Small Business Health Care tax credit.

Small Business Tax and Health Care Reminders for the 2014 Tax Season

As we head into the home stretch of the 2014 filing season, here are a couple of reminders related to returns that include Schedule C or other small business income tax returns.

Simplified Home Office Deduction
Beginning with Tax Year 2013 returns, a taxpayer may choose to calculate their home office expense by using the new simplified method thus removing the requirement to file Form 8829 (Expenses for Business Use of Your Home).

By using the new simplified method, the taxpayer may use a flat deduction amount of $5 per square foot for up to 300 square feet of their home for business purposes.

If this method is used, then the entire allowable home mortgage interest and property taxes may be claimed on Schedule A.

It is important to note that the criteria for claiming an office in home deduction does not change if the taxpayer chooses to use the simplified method.

For more details see the Simplified Option for Home Office Deduction page on IRS.gov and/or the 2014 Schedule C instructions for Line 30.

Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit is available to businesses with fewer than 25 full time employees with average wages of less than $50,000. To be eligible, a qualifying employer must provide health insurance that covers at least 50 percent of the cost of single health care coverage for their employees.

Eligible small employers may claim this credit by completing Form 8941 (Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums) and including it with their 2013 federal tax return.

Credit is calculated on a sliding scale with a maximum credit of 35% of the employer's contribution that is made for their employees' health insurance premiums.

Maximum credit is available to employers with 10 or fewer full time employees and average wages of no more than $25,000. The credit is then reduced based on each additional employee and for each $1,000 increase in the average wages until the limits are reached.

For more information on the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit see the following:

• 2013 Form 8941 instructions
• What You Need to Know about the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit page on IRS.gov.
• IRS news article of March 10, 2014 encouraging small employers to take advantage of the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.

IRS Update: Small Business Health Care Tax Credit

This is a reminder that the small business health care tax credit is available to businesses with 25 or fewer employees and who offer health insurance to their employees. Eligible small employers may claim this credit when they file their 2012 Federal return using Form 8941 (Credit for Small Employer Health Insurance Premiums).

This credit has been available since 2010 and its purpose is to help eligible small businesses pay for their health insurance premiums for their employees.

Here is how the credit works:

• The credit is available to employers with 25 or fewer full-time equivalent employees whose average annual salaries are not more than $50,000.
• The credit is calculated on a sliding scale with a maximum credit of 35% of the employer’s contribution toward their employees’ health insurance premiums.
• Read more

Click here to read the entire CrossLink Tax Update that includes further information on the Small Business Health Care Tax Credit.