{"id":778,"date":"2018-11-01T20:45:00","date_gmt":"2018-11-01T20:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/taxreliefprofessional.com\/?p=778"},"modified":"2023-09-26T22:42:55","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T22:42:55","slug":"personal-taxes-vs-business-taxes-what-are-the-key-differences","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/taxreliefprofessional.com\/tax-debt-relief\/personal-taxes-vs-business-taxes-what-are-the-key-differences","title":{"rendered":"Personal Taxes vs Business Taxes: What Are the Key Differences?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Thinking about starting your own business?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Small business is the backbone of the American economy. But it comes with its own set of rules and laws. As a new business owner, know the difference between business and personal taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business taxes depend on the type of business you own and how you use deductions. A successful business owner knows how to use deductions to save on tax money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personal taxes are about the amount of income you receive from different sources and how you use personal deductions to your advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn more about the differences between personal taxes and business taxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Personal Taxes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Every person with a taxable income in America must file a personal tax return. This is Form 1040. The 1040 has several categories of income and deductions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wages<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you work for someone else, your income comes in the form of wages. To report this, you’ll receive a form from your employer called a W-2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Interest and Dividends<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Another source of personal income is interest and dividend income. Interest income is income made from investments. This includes loans you make to others and collect interest on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dividend income is money you make from ownership in stocks or companies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rental and Business Income<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Rental income is exactly as it sounds: income you make from rental properties. And if you own a small business, you may file what’s called a Schedule C. This is your personal business income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note, we’ll discuss corporate business income later. But if your business is not a corporation, you claim the income on your personal tax return.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Like with a corporation, your Schedule C has gross sales, cost of goods sold (COGS) and operating expenses. Sales minus COGS and operating expenses equal net income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Income<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you work as a contractor or freelancer, you receive income from other companies. You report this income on a Form 1099 for miscellaneous other income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Personal Deductions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Now that you’ve totaled your income, the next step is to take personal tax deductions. Here are some of the most common personal tax deductions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n