A Longstanding Focus of the IRS When Examining a Return

question 49

Essay

A longstanding focus of the IRS when examining a return of an S corporation is whether reasonable compensation was paid to the S corporation shareholders who work for the corporation. S corporations and their shareholders are inclined to pay too little of compensation in order to reduce payroll taxes. Why might the auditors of a state tax agency be more concerned that an S corporation paid too much compensation to the shareholders?

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Definitions:

Capital Expenditures Budget

A plan that details a company's projected spending on long-term assets, such as property, plant, and equipment, which are expected to provide benefits over multiple years.

Merchandise Purchases Budget

A financial plan detailing the amount of goods a company needs to purchase during a period to meet expected sales demands and maintain inventory levels.

Master Budget

An aggregated budget that represents a company's overall plan of action for a specified period, integrating individual budgets for income, spending, and capital expenditures.

Master Budget

A comprehensive financial planning document that consolidates all of an organization's individual budgets.