Reducing a Business Owner Client's Exposure to Social Security and Self-Employment Taxes

Overview

This course qualifies for EA/IRS and CFP credit. If you need EA/IRS credit, please contact Tyler Dion (tdion@masscpas.org) after you have registered and provide him your PTIN number.

Many business owner clients wish to minimize their Social Security and self-employment tax liabilities. This course provides tax practitioners with the background to understand what kinds of income constitute self-employment income and earned income. It covers strategies that can be used to reduce clients' exposure to the self-employment tax and Social Security tax.

This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. As of April 7, 2025, the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund suspended reimbursements for training costs to Massachusetts businesses. While we don’t have a confirmed timeline for the program to resume, it will likely be sometime this summer. We will continue to monitor this closely and encourage you to visit the state’s Workforce Training website for the most current updates and guidance.

This course qualifies for reimbursement through the state’s Workforce Training Express Fund. Firms/companies with fewer than 50 staff can be reimbursed up to 100% of the cost of training and firms/companies with 50-100 employees can be reimbursed up to 50% of the cost of training. You must register for the course and apply for reimbursement through the Workforce Training Express Fund website a minimum of three weeks prior to the start of the course. The course code for this program is C-13043. To learn more, click here or contact Julia Ekelund at jekelund@masscpas.org.

Highlights

Section 1402(a)(1) exclusions from the definition of self-employment income Application of the SE tax to members of limited liability companies Taking a self-employed owner’s health insurance deductions against self-employment tax How using the S corporation and the MMLLC treated as a partnership can help reduce an individual’s exposure to self-employment tax How hiring a spouse and/or child helps reduce self-employment tax Differentiating between income treated as self- employment income and income that is not self-employment income

Prerequisites

Basic knowledge of individual income tax

Designed For

Tax practitioners who advise clients with regard to their self-employment tax liability

Objectives

Determine when avoiding earned income/SE income works favorably for the client Understand how hiring a spouse and/or child helps reduce self-employment tax Differentiate between income treated as self- employment income and income that is not self-employment income