Can section 179 and bonus depreciation be used on a food truck?

[Ipmantravels]

I’d Iike to open a food truck as a sole owner of an LLC. The truck will be above 6000 gvwr, new and I’d like to send it off to get renovated.

I currently work at a hospital, so I’ll also have a W2. I know that my expenses will be above my net income, but I also know that you’re able to take a loss if you’re a sole proprietorship. 

I’d like to know if section 179 and the 100% bonus depreciation deduction can be used on a food truck and renovations. 

Should I choose one or both of them? 

Thank you

[Anonymous]

until you start the food truck business no expenses including depreciation will be allowed.    section 179 is limited to the net income before the 179 deduction so if you have a loss none will be allowed.    most likely, when you can take bonus that will expense 100% of the truck cost.   

there may be pre-opening costs  which are subject to section  195.   in the year the business starts you can write off   

(i)the amount of start-up expenditures with respect to the active trade or business, if $50,000 or less
(ii)$5,000, reduced (but not below zero) by the amount by which such start-up expenditures exceed $50,000, and the remainder of such start-up expenditures shall be allowed as a deduction ratably over the 180-month period beginning with the month in which the active trade or business begins.

The term “start-up expenditure” means any amount—
(A)paid or incurred in connection with—
(i)investigating the creation or acquisition of an active trade or business, or
(ii)creating an active trade or business, or
(iii)any activity engaged in for profit and for the production of income before the day on which the active trade or business begins, in anticipation of such activity becoming an active trade or business,

All businesses are different, but typically start up business expenses include some of the following:

Insurance
Rent
Computer costs
Legal fees
Logo design
Training
Marketing
Advertising
Licenses and fees
Insurance
Accounting fees
Bank fees
Permits
Utilities
Payroll expenses
Office supplies
Vehicle expenses
Telephone
Association fees
Website design

[Critter]

If you are new to being self employed and  acting as your own bookkeeper and tax preparer you need to get educated ....  

If you have net self employment income of $400 or more you have to file a schedule C in your personal 1040 return for self employment business income. You may get a 1099-Misc for some of your income but you need to report all your income.  So you need to keep your own good records. Here is some reading material……

IRS information on Self Employment….
http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Self-Employed-Individuals-Tax-Center 

Publication 334, Tax Guide for Small Business
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p334.pdf 

Publication 535 Business Expenses
http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p535.pdf 

Home Office Expenses … Business Use of the Home

https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/home-office-deduction

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p587.pdf

There is also QuickBooks Self Employment bundle you can check out which includes one Turbo Tax Self Employed return and will help you keep up in your bookkeeping all year along with calculating the estimated payments needed ....
http://quickbooks.intuit.com/self-employed

Self Employment tax (Scheduled SE) is generated if a person has $400 or more of net profit from self-employment on Schedule C.  You pay 15.3% for 2017 SE tax on 92.35% of your Net Profit greater than $400.  The 15.3% self employed SE Tax is to pay both the employer part and employee part of Social Security and Medicare.  So you get social security credit for it when you retire.  You do get to take off the 50% ER portion of the SE tax as an adjustment on line 27 of the 1040.  The SE tax is already included in your tax due or reduced your refund.  It is on the 1040 line 57.  The SE tax is in addition to your regular income tax on the net profit.
 


PAYING ESTIMATES
For SE self employment tax - if you have a net profit (after expenses) of $400 or more you will pay 15.3% for 2017  SE Tax on 92.35% of your net profit in addition to your regular income tax on it. So if you have other income like W2 income your extra business income might put you into a higher tax bracket.

You must make quarterly estimated tax payments for the current tax year (or next year) if both of the following apply:
- 1. You expect to owe at least $1,000 in tax for the current tax year, after subtracting your withholding and credits. 
 
- 2. You expect your withholding and credits to be less than the smaller of: 
    90% of the tax to be shown on your current year’s tax return, or 
  100% of the tax shown on your prior year’s tax return. (Your prior year tax return must cover all 12 months.)

To prepare estimates for next year, You can just type W4 in the search box at the top of your return , click on Find. Then Click on Jump To and it will take you to the estimated tax payments section. Say no to changing your W-4 and the next screen will start the estimated taxes section.

OR Go to….
Federal Taxes or Personal (H&B version)
Other Tax Situations
Other Tax Forms
Form W-4 and Estimated Taxes - Click the Start or Update button

How does my side job affect my taxes?

You’re considered self-employed—even if it’s just something you do on the side, like drive for Uber, babysit, or blog.

Your taxes are handled differently than when you’re an employee of a company.

As a self-employed individual you:

• will pay self-employment tax(because income tax and Social Security aren’t deducted from your pay)
• will get a 1099-MISC or 1099-K (unless you only accept cash or personal checks)
• file a Schedule C, Form 1040(this is how you report business expense or loss of income)
• can deduct money you spent on work-related expenses(like mileage, home office expenses, and cell phone use)
• can estimate the taxes that are due and make quarterly estimated tax paymentsduring the year

Get started by entering your income from self-employment. We’ll handle the rest, from creating the forms you need to reviewing work-related expenses that can help reduce your taxes.

Related Information:

• Where do I enter Schedule C?
• What self-employed expenses can I deduct?
• What is the self-employment tax?
• What is this new 20% business deduction?

[Ipmantravels]

I may have had the wrong idea about deductions. I assumed that you’d get BACK the money you spent on the item, but deductions simply prevent the amount you spent on the item from getting taxed. 
it doesn’t make sense to start a business in December and take a loss, when you can start it in January and apply those deductions to that year. 
I have another LLC, but I’ll wait till Jan to make profits above $400.