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.
  1. Choose
    File
    , then
    New
    . Create a new S Corp Comparison plan when importing data from UltraTax/1040 by selecting the
    New Plan
    option in the
    Import Client Data
    window.
  2. Mark the
    S Corp Comparison
    checkbox in the
    Options
    group box and select
    OK
    .
    note
    A green border appears after you mark the checkbox. Planner CS guides you through the process of creating an S Corp Comparison plan.
  3. Enter a
    Plan Year
    in the
    Required Information
    group box.
  4. Complete any other necessary information, and select
    OK
    .
  5. When the new plan opens, the
    S Corp Comparison Diagnostics
    window 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,
      Yes
      displays in the Completed column.
    • Each time you select the
      Main
      button, Planner CS automatically displays the
      S Corp Comparison
      tab and the
      S Corp Comparison Diagnostics
      window.
    • To reopen this window if closed, choose
      View
      ,
      Diagnostics
      , then
      S Corp
      comparison, or right-click in a field and choose
      S Corp Diagnostics
      .
    Step 1: An activity must be selected as the S Corp activity.
    1. Select the
      Go to Activities
      button.
    2. In the
      Business Activities
      window, create a new activity, and mark the
      Sch E – Ptnrshp/S Corp
      checkbox to designate it as an S Corporation.
    3. Mark the
      S Corp for comparison
      checkbox in the
      S Corp Comparison Plan
      group box.
    4. Select the
      Data Entry
      button, 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 the
        Other expenses
        field.
      • For tax years 2018 through 2025, enter the net income of the S Corporation that is eligible for the qualified business income deduction in the
        Business income or loss
        field on the Qualified Busn Inc tab.
      • The net income of the activity transfers to the
        S Corporation net income
        field on the
        Main
        ,
        S Corp Comparison
        tab
      • 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.
    1. Select the
      Go to Activities
      button.
    2. In the
      Business Activities
      window, create a second business activity, representing a non-corporate entity.
    3. Mark the
      Other business entity
      checkbox in the
      S Corp Comparison Plan
      group box.
    4. Select the
      Data Entry
      button, 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 the
        Business income or loss
        field on the
        Qualified Bus Inc
        tab.
      • The net income of the activity transfers to the
        Sole proprietor net income
        field on the
        Main
        ,
        S Corp Comparison
        tab.
      • 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.
    1. Select the
      Go to Wages
      button.
    2. On the Wages tab, double-click a field in the S Corp alternative to open the
      W-2 Information
      window for the taxpayer or spouse.
    3. Add the S Corporation as an employer by entering wages and marking the
      S Corporation wages
      checkbox.
    4. Select
      OK
      .
      note
      • These wages transfer to the
        S Corporation wages
        field on the
        Main
        ,
        S Corp Comparison
        tab.
      • The employer’s and the employee’s share of Social Security and Medicare taxes transfer to the
        Payroll Taxes
        section of the
        S Corp Comparison
        tab.
    Step 4: Enter other expenses (optional).
    1. Select the
      Go to Other Expenses
      button.
    2. Your cursor is now located in the
      Other expenses
      field on the
      S Corp Comparison
      tab. In this field, you can enter administrative expenses that may differ between the two alternatives, such as administrative, payroll, and tax preparation costs.
  6. 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.
  1. With the existing plan open, choose
    File
    , then
    Plan Information
    to open the
    Plan Information
    window.
  2. Mark the
    S Corp Comparison
    checkbox in the Options group box.
    note
    This checkbox is only available if the plan includes at least two alternatives.
  3. Select
    Yes
    in the window that opens.
  4. In the
    Select Alternatives and Year
    window that opens, select the
    Year
    , the alternative for the S Corp activity, and the alternative for the other business activity, and then select
    OK
    .
  5. Select
    OK
    in the window that opens.
  6. Select
    OK
    to close the
    Plan Information
    window and display the
    S Corp Comparison Diagnostics
    window. 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.