Q: I have started a small business. How do I report (tax purposes) payments to me as the owner? Is that considered income for self-employment or is the net profit from the business used for self-employment taxes?
A: For tax purposes, if you are a sole proprietor, the net profit of the business is used to figure out your self – employment taxes. Other types of organizations have different rules, but most use the amount actually paid to you to figure self-employment tax upon. This can vary from one geographic area to another.
However, no matter what business structure you have, corporation, LLC, partnership, or sole proprietorship, you should accurately track amounts that the business pays directly to you or to others for your personal items as these are paid out. Create an equity type account, use your name & the word “draws” as the account name (example: “Joyce Washington – Draws”), record these payments in this account.
In the long run, it helps to keep better track of how your business is performing if you input the payments as they are paid. Then when it comes time to figuring out your self-employment tax, you will have everything you need to determine the tax amount in one easy location.
