What is the Benefit of Electing to Be a Qualified Joint Venture?
Question: What is the Benefit of Electing to Be a Qualified Joint Venture?
A husband-wife business that is not a corporation may be able to elect to be a Qualified Joint Venture (QJV). Filing as a Qualified Joint Venture may have benefits to the business.
Answer:
Benefits of Electing to be a Qualified Joint Venture
If you and your spouse co-own a business that is not a corporation (you are most likely filing a partnership tax return), you may be able to elect to file taxes as a Qualified Joint Venture (QJV), by filing two Schedule C forms with your personal tax return.
Read more about requirements to elect to be a QJV.
Benefit 1: Easier, Less Expensive to File
It is easier to file two Schedule C forms (one each for the husband and wife) than to file a partnership tax return and then two Schedule K-1 forms. You can most likely file the Schedule C yourself, while a partnership return is more complicated and you may need to have a CPA or tax preparer file this form. Of course, filing yourself is less expensive than paying someone else to file for you.
Benefit 2: Both Spouses Get Social Security, Medicare Credit
Because you both file a Schedule C, you both pay self-employment tax (social security and Medicare) on your portion of the business profits. You must both file Schedule SE to calculate the amount of this tax owed. So, both you and your spouse have social security and Medicare credits toward retirement. While you pay all of the tax (a total of 15.2%), you do receive a credit of one-half the tax on your personal tax return.
As an example, if the business profits are $100,000, and you share equally in these profits, you each would pay, and receive credit for, $50,000 in income toward Social Security and Medicare.
Disclaimer: The information in this article and on this GuideSite are for general information purposes only; the information is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Each situation is specific; consult your CPA or attorney to discuss your specific business questions.
Back to Questions and Answers About Qualified Joint Ventures
A husband-wife business that is not a corporation may be able to elect to be a Qualified Joint Venture (QJV). Filing as a Qualified Joint Venture may have benefits to the business.
Answer:
Benefits of Electing to be a Qualified Joint Venture
If you and your spouse co-own a business that is not a corporation (you are most likely filing a partnership tax return), you may be able to elect to file taxes as a Qualified Joint Venture (QJV), by filing two Schedule C forms with your personal tax return.
Read more about requirements to elect to be a QJV.
Benefit 1: Easier, Less Expensive to File
It is easier to file two Schedule C forms (one each for the husband and wife) than to file a partnership tax return and then two Schedule K-1 forms. You can most likely file the Schedule C yourself, while a partnership return is more complicated and you may need to have a CPA or tax preparer file this form. Of course, filing yourself is less expensive than paying someone else to file for you.
Benefit 2: Both Spouses Get Social Security, Medicare Credit
Because you both file a Schedule C, you both pay self-employment tax (social security and Medicare) on your portion of the business profits. You must both file Schedule SE to calculate the amount of this tax owed. So, both you and your spouse have social security and Medicare credits toward retirement. While you pay all of the tax (a total of 15.2%), you do receive a credit of one-half the tax on your personal tax return.
As an example, if the business profits are $100,000, and you share equally in these profits, you each would pay, and receive credit for, $50,000 in income toward Social Security and Medicare.
Disclaimer: The information in this article and on this GuideSite are for general information purposes only; the information is not intended to be tax or legal advice. Each situation is specific; consult your CPA or attorney to discuss your specific business questions.
Back to Questions and Answers About Qualified Joint Ventures
Source...