turbotax icon
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
turbotax icon
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
turbotax icon
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
turbotax icon
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
Announcements
Close icon
Do you have a TurboTax Online account?

We'll help you get started or pick up where you left off.

SallieT
New Member

business owner salary

(Doing 2020 taxes)

I own a sole proprietorship that grossed 470,000. I don't pay myself a salary, just transfer $ to my personal account if I need something. I paid myself 100,000 on paper as a salary, but now I owe $$$ to the IRS. 

I am the owner, practice manager, etc.

I want to look good to banks because I want to buy a commercial property and make it into a vet hospital.

How do I enter my pay? Just what I've actually transferred? Do banks care ? A bunch of the gross income is in my checking account, the rest is in the safe. 

Also; how do I change the numbers in Turbo. Haven't filed yet. Can I go back and do all the business deductions over? Not having any luck editing my fictitious salary - can't get back to that page.

HELP

Connect with an expert
x
Do you have an Intuit account?

Do you have an Intuit account?

You'll need to sign in or create an account to connect with an expert.

4 Replies

business owner salary

If you are filing a Schedule C for self employment or as a Single Member LLC or Sole Proprietor, etc. you cannot take a withdrawal or salary and include it as an expense on your tax return. You are not an employee of the business. You don't pay yourself or enter a salary or withdrawal for yourself. All the business income and expenses are your personal income and expenses in the first place. You just fill out a Schedule C. The net profit or loss is your income. If you have a net profit of $400 or more on schedule C you will pay SE self employment tax on it in addition to your regular income tax. It's all included on your personal 1040 form.

 

You don't enter your withdraws.  Just show the banks your tax return and schedule C.    Looks like you have the Desktop Home & Business program.  You can go back and jump around and edit anything.  Or switch to Forms Mode to look at it.  

 

To edit Schedule C

Go to Business tab- then Continue
Choose Jump to Full List -or I'll choose what I work on

Then…..
Business Income and Expenses - Click the Start or Update button

Then click EDIT by the business name and the next screen should be a list of topics,
Business Profile, Income, Inventory/Cost of Goods Sold, Expenses, Assets, and Final Details last.

Under Business Expenses, Click Start or Update by Other common business expenses

 

business owner salary

Since a sole prop cannot "pay themselves" wages and issue a W-2  anything left over on the Sch C after the expenses is the profits  on which you pay SE taxes.   If you do not pay estimated taxes then you will owe on the federal/state returns and if you owe more than $1000 you will also incur penalties. 

 

Some banks will look at the Sch C from your return  but other may also want a YTD  P&L report so keeping accurate timely records is essential.  Many choose to use either an excel spreadsheet  or an accounting program like QuickBooks.

business owner salary

Is this your first year?   Here is some IRS reading material……
IRS information on Self Employment
https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/self-employed-individuals-tax-center


1040 Schedule C Instructions
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/i1040sc.pdf


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

 

You pay Self Employment tax on $400 or more of net profit from self-employment in addition to any regular income tax. You pay 15.3% 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.


Have you been sending in Estimated Payments to cover the tax?   If you end up owing too much on your tax return you will owe a penalty for not paying in during the year.

 

You may need to send in quarterly estimated payments to cover any self employment tax and increase in income.

 

You must make quarterly estimated tax payments for the current tax 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).

 

 

Turbo Tax will calculate the 1040ES estimated payments
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-payments/help/can-turbotax-calculate-next-year-s-federal-estim...


How to make the Estimated payments
https://ttlc.intuit.com/community/tax-payments/help/how-do-i-make-estimated-tax-payments/00/25875


Here are the 1040ES instructions and blank forms (where to mail is on page 4)
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f1040es.pdf


Or you can pay on the IRS website. Be sure to pick 2021 1040ES payment
https://www.irs.gov/payments

 

business owner salary

 

This is my mini version of  a tutorial  that should be in the downloaded program: 

 

 

What is Forms Mode?

Forms Mode lets you view and make changes to your tax forms "behind the scenes."

If you're adventurous, you can even prepare your return in Forms Mode, but we don't recommend it. You may miss obscure credits and deductions you qualify for, and you may forget to report things that will come back and haunt you later.

Forms Mode is exclusively available in the TurboTax CD/Download software. It is not available in TurboTax Online.

                  

Related Information:

                             

If you want to play around with different figures and tax scenarios without affecting your original return you can ….

  • >>>In the TurboTax CD/Download software by creating a test copy
  • 1.  Open your return in TurboTax. 
  • 2.  From the File menu, choose Save As. 
  • 3.  Give the copy a new name to distinguish it from the original (for example, by adding "Test" or "Example" to the file name). 
  • 4. Click  Save. You are now safely working in the test copy and anything you do here will not affect the original. 
  •  https://ttlc.intuit.com/questions/1900642-how-to-make-a-test-copy-of-your-return

 

  • >>  use the WHAT IF tool: 
  • - Click Forms Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 2 (forms view) 
  • - Click on the Open Form Icon 
  • - In the “Type a form name.” area type What-If (with the dash), click on the name of the worksheet - click on Open Form 
  • - You will see the worksheet on the right side of the screen; enter the information right into the form 
  • - To get back to interview mode - click on the Step-by-Step Icon (upper right of screen) or Ctrl 1

 

 

It's always a good idea to make a backup copy of your tax data file, in case your original gets lost or corrupted. Here's how:

  1. From the File menu in the upper-left corner of TurboTax, choose Save As (Windows) or Save (Mac).
  2. Browse to where you want to save your backup.
    • Tip: If you're saving to a portable device, save it to your computer first to prevent data corruption. Then, after completing Step 4, copy or move the backup file to your device.
  3. In the File name field, enter a name that will distinguish it from the original tax file (for example, add "Backup" or "Copy" to the file name)
  4. Click Save and then close TurboTax.
  5. Restart TurboTax and open the backup copy to make sure it's not corrupted. If you get an error, delete the backup and repeat these steps.

If you make changes to your original tax return file, repeat these steps to ensure your original and backup copies are in-synch.

Related Information:                             

 

AND save it as a PDF so you have access to a copy even if you don’t have the program still installed and operational :

AND protect the files :

 

 

message box icon

Get more help

Ask questions and learn more about your taxes and finances.

Post your Question
Manage cookies