“Business Expenditures and Deductions”
- Avery has always wanted to own his own business. Last year, he took the leap and opened a pet store in a nearby city. He leases the store. He incurred start-up costs and large inventory costs for buying food in bulk. He had to purchase three large tables and a machine that moves the food to higher shelves for storage. He even hired five people: a groomer, two clerks, a stock person, and a bookkeeper. Unfortunately, his bookkeeper has accounting experience but no tax experience. Now, he is lost. How does he handle the start-up costs? What kinds of assets can he depreciate? What kinds of records should he keep? What changes were implemented in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that impacted this area of the tax law?
