BUSINESS TERMS AND FORMS Flashcards
The term for the owners of an LLC
Members
How an LLC is referred as when it’s taxed as part of the owner’s individual tax return.
Disregarded Entity
Form 8832
Form 8832 is filed by an LLC to elect a tax treatment as a Corporation.
Form 2553
An LLC files Form 2553 to elect the tax treatment as an S Corporation. (The S Corp requirements must be met)
What is the Direct Charge-Off Method of Accounting?
The DIRECT CHARGE-OFF METHOD is an accounting method for uncollectible accounts that directly debits, or charges, an expense account when a bad debt is discovered.
This eliminates from the books the revenue recorded as well as the outstanding balance owed to the business.
For corporations that are NOT financial institutions, the direct charge-off method for bad debts MUST be used.
Contrasts with the ALLOWANCE METHOD, which accounts for uncollectible accounts by expensing estimates of uncollectible accounts in the period when the related sales take place.
What is the “Constant Yield Method”
The Constant Yield Method is a method of accretion (a.k.a the increase) of Bond Discounts, which translates to a gradual increase over time, given that the value of a Discount Bond increases over time until it equals the Face Value. The first step in the Constant Yield Method is determining the Yield To Maturity (YTM)
Yield To Maturity (YTM)
Yield to maturity (YTM) is the total return anticipated on a bond if the bond is held until it matures. Yield to maturity is considered a long-term bond yield but is expressed as an annual rate.
Accretion
the process of growth or increase, typically by the gradual accumulation of additional layers or matter.
Coupon Rate
The Coupon Rate is the ANNUAL INTEREST that the owner of the bond will receive.
To complicate things the coupon rate may also be referred to as the YIELD from the bond.
Uniform Capitalization Rules
The Uniform Capitalization (UNICAP) Rules requires the costs of construction of real or tangible personal property, used in the course of business, to be capitalized. (Rather than being deducted).
This includes inventory, and the costs to be capitalized are the costs necessary to prepare the item for its intended use.
Manufacturers of tangible personal property, and Retailers of personal property must use these rules if the annual gross receipts for the preceding three three years exceed $26 million.
Personal Service Corporations
A personal service corporation is a type of a C CORP that is created to provide PERSONAL SERVICES to individuals or groups.
Often made up of PROFESSIONALs in a specific fields like:
- accounting,
- engineering,
- architecture,
- consulting,
- actuarial science,
- law,
- performing arts and
- health (including veterinary services)
Marginal Tax Rate
The marginal tax rate is the incremental tax paid on incremental income.
As income rises, each dollar of income above the previous level is taxed at a higher rate.
EXAMPLE:
If a household were to earn an additional $10,000 in wages on which they paid $1,530 of payroll tax and $1,500 of income tax, the household’s marginal tax rate would be 30.3 percent.
Ratable
Capable of being rated, estimated, or appraised: ratable income.
UNICAP Rules
Uniform Capitalization Rules
What fields (industries) are exempt from UNICAP Rules? (List of 4)
(F.A.O.R.)
- Farming
- Arts - Freelance writing, photography, or art
- Oil and gas wells development
- Research and experimentation
Treasury Stock
Treasury Stock is shares of Corporate Stock that a company previously sold to investors and since bought back.
- Treasury stock is formerly outstanding stock that has been repurchased and is being held by the issuing company.
- Treasury stock reduces total shareholder’s equity on a company’s balance sheet, and it is therefore a CONTRA EQUITY Account.
- There are two methods to record treasury stock: the cost method and the par value method.
What is the BOOK VALUE of a purchased bond?
The Book Value is the amount paid for it.
What is the FACE VALUE of a purchased bond?
The Face Value is the amount of money promised to the bondholder upon the bond’s maturity.
Premium Bond
A Premium Bond is a bond trading above its face value.
Closely Held C Corporation
Generally, a closely held corporation is a corporation that:
Has more than 50% of the value of its outstanding stock owned (directly or indirectly) by 5 or fewer individuals at any time during the last half of the tax year, and
Is NOT a Personal Service Corporation (PSC).
Corporation
A form of business enterprise that is set up as a legal entity.
Its existence is distinct and separate from those who own and control it.
Corporation Tax Classifications
C Corp
S Corp
Other Types of Corporations
Domestic Corporation
Foreign Corporation
Closely-held Corporation
Publicly-held Corporation
Public Corporation (Municipal Corporation)
Domestic Corporation
A Domestic Corporation is a corporation that does business in the state it is incorporated in.
Foreign Corporation
A Foreign Corporation is a corporation that does business in a state other than the state it was incorporated in.
Closely-held Corporation
The ownership is held by a small group of shareholders
The stock is not traded in primary or secondary markets.
The general GAAP standards are about the same.
Publicly-held Corporation
A Publicly-held Corporation is a corporation where the stock is actively traded in a primary or secondary stock market.
Public Corporation (Municipal Corporation)
A Public Corporation is an entity created to administer the business affairs of a municipality (a town, county, or a Federal unit).
Most Public Corporation’s are also not-for-profit entities.
Advantages of Corporate Structure rather than being a Partnership or a Sole Proprietorship. (List of 8)
Separate legal entity
Limited liability
Free transferability of ownership interests (Stock)
Ease of capital assembly (Shareholders)
Single taxation on undistributed corporate income
Centralized Management
No mutual agency
On-going life
Advantages of being a Separate Legal Entity as a Corporation. A Corporation can: (List of 4)
(M.O.B.S.)
The Corp is considered like a person (entity) under the law and therefore it has rights and responsibilities that exist separate from the owners.
A Corp can:
- Enter into contracts
- Own property
- Can have legal action brought against it (shielding members)
- Bring legal action
A.K.A. M- Make Deals O- Own Stuff B- Be Sued S- Sue
Advantages of being a Limited Liability as a Corporation
Generally the owners (shareholders) are only at risk for what they invested in the Corp.
Advantages of “Free Transferability of Ownership Interests” as a Corporation
Shareholders are able to share stock to anyone they want to at any time.
Advantages of the Ongoing Life of a Corporation
The existence of a Corp doesn’t terminate when an owner (shareholder) dies. It has an unlimited life.
Advantages of the Centralized Management of a Corporation
Shareholders ownership without direct involvement in management.
Shareholders elect the Board Of Directors and this board in turn hires Officers and Management.
NOTE:
Shareholders CAN be on the Board, and Officers, or in management.
When Single Taxation in play for Corp Income?
When a Corporation has a profit, they pay Single Taxation on Undistributed Income.
Key word: UNDISTRIBUTED
Advantages of having No Mutual Agency as a Corporation
The shareholders are not individually able to enter into a contract for the Corporation. They can’t therefore cause liability.
Advantages of having Ease of Capital Assembly as a Corporation
It’s easier to raise money as a Corporation because you aren’t needing to rely on relatives and friends.
There’s a broader pool of potential investors.
Disadvantages of Incorporating
Formal incorporation process, and ongoing reporting.
Governmental regulation - this differs from state to state.
Double taxation on distributed corporate income
Double Taxation on Distributed Income from a Corporation Explained
The Corp makes profit, and pays taxes on that profit.
The after-tax profit that is then distributed to shareholders who are taxed again on the dividends received, at the shareholder level.
Promoter
An individual who performs the activities necessary to form a corporation.
Fiduciary Duty of a Corporation’s Promoter
They must act in the best interest of the would-be Corporation’s owners
And they can not have any secret profits. If they do, they need to be surrendered to the Corporation.
Novation
Novation takes the name of the PROMOTER out of contracts made on behalf of the Corporation and replaces him with the Corporation’s Name.
This transfers liability from the Promoter to the Corporation prior to the Corporation becoming an official entity.
Incorporators
The individuals who sign the Articles of Incorporation.
The Incorporators elect the directors if the directors are not named in the articles.
The incorporators then resign.
De Jure Corporation
A Corporation that has SUBSTANTIALLY complied with all the formalities required.
In this situation, the Corp exists and even the State Govt can cancel it.
Once articles are filed a company is considered a De Jure Corp.
Corporation by Estoppel
If a 3rd party enters into a contract with an entity they believe to be a Corp, the courts will recognize it as such.
This then protects shareholders from any liability related to the performance of the contract.
De Facto Corporation
Or otherwise substance-over-form.
This is an attempted Corp that has NOT substantially complied, BUT they have made a good-faith-effort to comply. They’ve operated like a Corp. They are not trying to skirt the rules.
This will be treated as a Corp, but will need to fix what needs fixing.
Debenture Bond
A bond that is UNSECURED by collateral.
They rely solely on the creditworthiness and reputation of the issuer.
Frequently used.
DEFENITION:
Debenture: an unsecured loan certificate issued by a company, backed by general credit rather than by specified assets.
Secured Bonds
Bonds that have collateral to decrease the risk to investors.
If the issuer defaults on the bond, the title to the asset is transferred to the bondholders.
Convertible Bonds
A fixed-income Corporate Debt Security that yields interest payments.
Able to be converted from debt into equity, aka from bond to stock.
NOTE:
The conversion of the Bond to Stock can be done at certain times of the Bond’s life and is usually at the discretion of the bondholder.
Subscriber
A Subscriber is the purchaser of Subscription Agreements, A.K.A. contracts for future purchases of shares of corporate stock at specified prices.
There are Pre-incorporation subscribers
There are Post-incorporation subscribers
And there are Conditional Subscriptions
Authorized Stock
Stock that is authorized to be issued in the Articles of Incorporation.
This is the total number of shares that exist, the total number of shares that can be sold.
Issued Stock
Issued Stock the portion of authorized stock that has actually been issued to shareholders.
Outstanding Stock
Outstanding Stock is the portion of authorized stock that has actually been issued to and is still owned by outside shareholders.
The difference between Outstanding Stock and Issued Stock are TREASURY SHARES.
Treasury Shares
Shares that were issued, and are outstanding, but were bought back by the Corp. Not currently held by outside shareholders.
This is the difference between Outstanding Stock and Issued Stock
The Doctrine of Respondeat Superior
A Corp is held liable for the acts of tort that it’s employees commit and cause, if the acts are committed within the course and scope of their employment.
Example:
When a truck driver’s negligence results in a truck accident, a person injured in the accident may be able to bring the truck driver’s employer, usually a trucking company, into the lawsuit.
Tort
a wrongful act or an infringement of a right (other than under contract) leading to civil legal liability.
Ultra Vires Doctrine
A Corp can not act or enter into a contract (expressly or impliedly) in any way that is not authorized by either State Statue, the Articles of Incorporation, or it’s bylaws.
If the Corp does enter into contracts outside the scope they are supposed they are called Ultra Vires Contracts. They are not illegal but they are void (unenforceable) under common law.
Piercing The Corp Veil
If a corporation is used as a vehicle to perpetrate fraud or commit some other act of malfeasance, then the courts can disregard (ignore) the corporation as a separate entity and instead hold individual shareholders or corporate officers liable for wrongdoing perpetrated by the corporation.
CE&P
Current Earnings and Profit.
Similar to Taxable Income, but with some adjustments.
AE&P
Accumulated Earnings and Profit.
All the undistributed E & P from all previous years. This is calculated on the first day of each Year.
The dividends that are distributed from CEP or AEP are taxable.
Dividends that are not from E & P are considered a Return Of Capital, and is therefore not taxable and reduces the basis of the shareholder.
ROC
Return of Capital
As opposed to receiving a Dividend. An ROC reduces the basis of an investor’s position.
ACB
Adjusted Cost Basis
FOB
“Free Onboard” Destination designates the seller will pay shipping costs, and remain responsible for the goods until the buyer takes possession.
Therefore, during transit, the items belong to the seller and are included in their inventory.
Tax Home
A Tax Home is the entire city or general area where the main place of business or work is located, regardless of where the individual maintains a family home.
Therefore, if you travel to work every week, which is in a city away from your home residence, you are NOT allowed to deduct travel expenses.
Form 1065
Form 1065 is filed as an INFO ONLY Tax Return for a Partnership.
Even though Partnership’s don’t pay taxes, the IRS requires it to know what the Individual Partners must pay for taxes.
Syndication Costs
Syndication Costs are the costs associated with selling the partnership interests to partners.
Syndication Costs are NOT deductible for federal income tax purposes.
Schedule K
Schedule K is attached to the Partnership return.
The Schedule K includes the summary of how the partnership reports its taxable items of income, deduction, credit, etc.
Schedule K is then divided into “baby” schedules known as K-1s.
Cold Assets
Capital Assets are called Cold assets.
The sale of cold assets leads to a capital gain or loss.