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What to consider before lending money to family and friends

 

When your best friend views your nest egg as a source of start-up funds for his latest business venture, or your nephew hits you up for a car loan, your first impulse may be to reach into your bank account to help. But it's a fact that loans to family and friends often end up straining both finances and relationships. As Shakespeare said, "Loan oft loses both itself and friend." In other words, if you lend money to friends, you often don't get paid back, and the friendship itself may disintegrate.

 

It's best to consider a loan to someone you love as an "arm's length" transaction. If you're pondering such a loan, keep the following in mind:

 

* You can just say "no." It's your money, after all. Do you really want to raid an emergency fund or dip into your child's college account to finance a friend's business idea? Think like a bank. It's reasonable to ask tough questions about the person's bank accounts, potential sources of income, planned use of loan proceeds, and spending habits before extending credit.

 

* Consider a gift. If you're comfortable sharing your resources, you may want to provide a monetary gift with no strings attached. In many cases, this is the best solution because neither you nor your friend expect the money to be paid back. Unlike a loan, this type of arrangement can forestall misunderstandings and hurt feelings later on. Of course, you should not give money if doing so would unduly strain your own finances.

 

* Formalize loans. If you decide to lend more than a small amount to a friend or family member, it's generally best to draft a written agreement. This can be as simple as filling out a promissory note (available online or at office supply stores). Such forms spell out the basic terms of the loan -- amount, interest rate, payback period -- and provide some limited protection should you and the borrower end up in small claims court. Another recent innovation is the use of direct lending (also called social lending or peer-to-peer lending) websites to facilitate loans between family and friends. For a fee, such sites can prepare loan documentation, send payment reminders, issue regular reports, even facilitate electronic fund transfers. If the loan involves a significant amount of money, check with your attorney.

 

Remember: Many personal relationships have been damaged when loans go awry. So proceed with caution.

 

25 Jan 2017
Business Returns Due Dates Changing

Posted in general

Due to recent law change, the due dates for some of the business and information returns have changed.

Hello, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.

Here’s what you need to know.

For C-corporations, the new due date will be April 15 (three and one-half months after the end of the taxable year). However, C-corporations with tax years ending on June 30 will continue to have a due date of September 15.

For partnership & LLC returns, the new due date will be March 15. Partnership returns will be allowed a six-month extension. So the extension due date will be September 15.

For S-corporations, the due date continues to be March 15. S-corporations may also request a six-month extension with the same extension due date of September 15.

Lastly, for FBAR (Form 114) re: foreign asset reporting, the new due date will be April 15 and you will be allowed to request a six-month extension up to October 15. However, you need to request an extension since it’s not automatic.

I bet you are thinking right now: “Why did they make these changes?” Honestly, the IRS got good intentions why they are changing the due dates. The goal is to line up with the business tax reality. Partnership & LLC returns were changed from April 15 to March 15 to give you time to prepare your personal returns. And that’s the same reason why the S-corporations continue to have a March 15 due date. On the other hand, for C-corporations, which are normally for bigger companies, they moved it forward to April 15 to give them additional time to prepare their returns.

If you like to learn more, click the link lowermytaxnow.com and sign-in to receive my weekly blog.

Until then, this is Noel Dalmacio, your ultimate CPA at lowermytaxnow.com.

Last Updated by Tax on 2017-01-25 10:20:00 PM