Create an S Corp Comparison plan
The S Corp Comparison plan is a one-year, two-alternative plan that you can use to compare the tax results of operating a business as a Subchapter S Corporation in one column, and as a different entity, such as a sole proprietorship or partnership, in the other column. You’ll view the results of the analysis on the S Corp Comparison tab, which showcases the specific differences pertaining to each entity.
You can alternate between an S Corp Comparison plan and a regular tax plan by marking or clearing the S Corp Comparison checkbox in the
Plan Information
window. When you convert one plan to the other, your data and tax calculations remain the same—the S Corp Comparison plan simply presents the results in a different way.Create a new S Corp Comparison plan
Use the following procedure to create a new S Corp Comparison plan.
- ChooseFile, thenNew. Create a new S Corp Comparison plan when importing data from UltraTax/1040 by selecting theNew Planoption in theImport Client Datawindow.
- Mark theS Corp Comparisoncheckbox in theOptionsgroup box and selectOK.noteA green border appears after you mark the checkbox. Planner CS guides you through the process of creating an S Corp Comparison plan.
- Enter aPlan Yearin theRequired Informationgroup box.
- Complete any other necessary information, and selectOK.
- When the new plan opens, theS Corp Comparison Diagnosticswindow displays. Complete the following steps for each of the data-entry items displayed in this window.note
- Once you complete the data-entry for each item,Yesdisplays in the Completed column.
- Each time you select theMainbutton, Planner CS automatically displays theS Corp Comparisontab and theS Corp Comparison Diagnosticswindow.
- To reopen this window if closed, chooseView,Diagnostics, thenS Corpcomparison, or right-click in a field and chooseS Corp Diagnostics.
Step 1: An activity must be selected as the S Corp activity.- Select theGo to Activitiesbutton.
- In theBusiness Activitieswindow, create a new activity, and mark theSch E – Ptnrshp/S Corpcheckbox to designate it as an S Corporation.
- Mark theS Corp for comparisoncheckbox in theS Corp Comparison Plangroup box.
- Select theData Entrybutton, and enter the income and expenses of the business in the S Corp alternative.note
- Include wages paid to the taxpayer-owner of the S Corporation as an expense. You can enter operating income of the corporation net of the wages expense, or you can enter wages paid to the taxpayer as a separate line item in theOther expensesfield.
- For tax years 2018 through 2025, enter the net income of the S Corporation that is eligible for the qualified business income deduction in theBusiness income or lossfield on the Qualified Busn Inc tab.
- The net income of the activity transfers to theS Corporation net incomefield on theMain,S Corp Comparisontab
- The Sole Proprietor alternative isn't pertinent for this business activity, so data entry isn't available for that alternative.
Step 2: An activity must be selected as the other business entity.- Select theGo to Activitiesbutton.
- In theBusiness Activitieswindow, create a second business activity, representing a non-corporate entity.
- Mark theOther business entitycheckbox in theS Corp Comparison Plangroup box.
- Select theData Entrybutton, and enter the income and expenses of the business in the Sole Proprietor alternative.note
- For tax years 2018 through 2025, enter the net income of the business that is eligible for the qualified business income deduction in theBusiness income or lossfield on theQualified Bus Inctab.
- The net income of the activity transfers to theSole proprietor net incomefield on theMain,S Corp Comparisontab.
- The S Corp alternative isn't pertinent for this business activity, so data entry isn't available for that alternative.
Step 3: An employer must be selected for S Corp wages on the W2 window.- Select theGo to Wagesbutton.
- On the Wages tab, double-click a field in the S Corp alternative to open theW-2 Informationwindow for the taxpayer or spouse.
- Add the S Corporation as an employer by entering wages and marking theS Corporation wagescheckbox.
- SelectOK.note
- These wages transfer to theS Corporation wagesfield on theMain,S Corp Comparisontab.
- The employer’s and the employee’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes transfer to thePayroll Taxessection of theS Corp Comparisontab.
Step 4: Enter other expenses (optional).- Select theGo to Other Expensesbutton.
- Your cursor is now located in theOther expensesfield on theS Corp Comparisontab. In this field, you can enter administrative expenses that may differ between the two alternatives, such as administrative, payroll, and tax preparation costs.
- To complete the comparison plan, enter all other items of income, deductions, and credits as related to both plan alternatives. You can also attach a resident state and multiple nonresident states to the plan to include them in the analysis.
Convert an existing plan to an S Corp Comparison plan
Use the following procedure to convert an existing plan to an S Corp Comparison plan.
- With the existing plan open, chooseFile, thenPlan Informationto open thePlan Informationwindow.
- Mark theS Corp Comparisoncheckbox in the Options group box.noteThis checkbox is only available if the plan includes at least two alternatives.
- SelectYesin the window that opens.
- In theSelect Alternatives and Yearwindow that opens, select theYear, the alternative for the S Corp activity, and the alternative for the other business activity, and then selectOK.
- SelectOKin the window that opens.
- SelectOKto close thePlan Informationwindow and display theS Corp Comparison Diagnosticswindow. To complete the analysis, refer to steps from 5 through 6 in the previous procedure.
note
Planner CS hides years and alternatives that are not relevant to the S Corp Comparison plan analysis. To unhide this data, look at the following section.
Convert an S Corp Comparison plan to a regular plan
To convert an S Corp Comparison plan to a regular plan, clear the
S Corp Comparison
checkbox in the File
, then Plan Information
window, and select OK
. This unhides any hidden columns.Interpret results
On the
Main
, then the S Corp Comparison
tab, you can view the results of the analysis as a side-by-side comparison: operating the business as an S Corporation in the S Corp alternative, or as the other entity in the Sole Proprietor alternative.The S Corp alternative includes the following amounts.
- Net income from the taxpayer-owned S Corporation
- Wages paid by the S Corporation to the taxpayer-owner
- The corporation's share and the owner-employee's share of FICA taxes
- Other income, deductions, and tax credits related to the alternative
The Sole Proprietor alternative includes the following amounts.
- Net income from the business (operating as a Schedule C, Schedule F, or a partnership)
- Self-employment tax and the self-employment tax deduction
- Other income, deductions, and tax credits related to the alternative
The last field on the
Total Taxes and Expenses
tab contains the final result of the analysis. Use this field to compare the total tax results of each operating business.Print an S Corp Comparison plan
To print an S Corp Comparison plan, choose
File
, then Print Reports
, then select Print
. By default, Planner CS prints the S Corp Comparison report and the Summary report for each attached state plan. Select the Print Selection
button in the Print Reports
window to select additional items to print.