The positive impact of corporate giving on employees and nonprofit organizations is by no means the only advantage. The considerable tax benefits of giving through a donor-advised fund (DAF) can support business health too. When an organization can minimize its tax burden through tax deductible donations, there’s a smoother path to long-term growth. Follow these four popular tax planning strategies for achieving that goal.
No business operates in a bubble. External economic factors affect performance as much as internal decisions. One consequence is that annual revenue (and tax liability) is often inconsistent. There may be windfall years following rapid expansion or sale of assets, or fallow periods when investment outpaces revenue. One of the big advantages of donor-advised funds is that they allow a business to make several years of contributions in a windfall year, and take the tax deduction up front for that tax year. Focusing contributions on the years with greater revenue can reduce the tax liability. Although contributions cannot exceed 25% of taxable income, the excess is carried forward for a maximum of five years. Crucially, there is no minimum contribution and donations do not have to be disbursed immediately. In other words, the corporation can make the donation now to lock in the tax deductible, without having to decide on where those funds will be allocated.
Although capital gains tax in the U.S. is relatively modest at 15% or 20%, it could be as low as 0%. Giving through donor-advised funds is one way to achieve that target — again with the possibility of taking the tax deduction upfront. Selling any appreciating business assets will incur capital gains tax, whether it’s the sale of a business subsidiary, real estate or stocks. Rather than losing 15% of the profits to capital gains tax, corporations can donate the assets to a DAF and still claim a tax deduction (up to 30% of adjusted gross income) at the current market value rather than the purchase price. That kind of prudent financial management not only builds investor confidence in a board of directors. It also leaves the business with more to invest back into the organization when assets are sold, emerging stronger, not weaker.
Estate planning is another area in which businesses have the potential to reduce their overall tax burden. As of 2022, any estate valued at over $12.06 million will incur estate tax, and the top rate is as high as 40%. Losing almost half the value of an estate to taxes is hardly an attractive proposition. Fortunately, assets within a donor-advised fund are not included in an inherited estate, therefore are not subject to estate tax. Corporations can remove high-growth assets from their estate by parking them in a DAF, and take the current market value deduction for the tax year in question.
Following changes to tax law in 2017, there’s a significantly less financial incentive for donors to itemize deductions. By contrast, the standard deduction has risen from $6,350 in 2017 to $12,950 in 2022. With that shift in focus comes a clear invitation to bunch donations in a single installment, instead of making them over a number of years. Particularly where a business is close to the threshold, it now makes sense to consolidate funds into a bigger donation in one year to maximize the tax benefits, then take the standard deduction in subsequent years. Example: A single filer (whether business or individual) whose charitable contributions were “on the margin,” that is, nudging the $12,950 threshold annually, can now consolidate two or more years’ contributions in year one to take a larger deductible, then receive the standard $12,950 deduction in the following year.
Groundswell offers a seamless way to make corporate donations simple. With a donor-advised fund, your business can invest the funds in the most advantageous tax circumstances without having to decide when those donations will be granted out. That is for the sponsoring organization to manage. At the same time, the business can take the immediate tax deduction to minimize the tax burden in a given year. Contact us today to see how your business can give better.
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