Self Employees Can Deduct Retirement Plan Expense

Retirement plans are not just for big businesses. They are also available for sole proprietorships. If you are self-employed small business owner, you can set up a qualified retirement plan for yourself and your employees.

If you are a sole proprietor, you can deduct contributions you make to the plan for yourself. You can also deduct trustee fees if contributions to the plan do not cover them.

The Internal Revenue Code provides significant tax incentives for employers that establish and maintain retirement plans that comply with the requirements of the Code. Such plans include Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plans and Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees Individual Retirement Account (SIMPLE IRA) plans.

Generally under these plans, contributions that are set aside for retirement may be currently deductible by the employer, but are not taxable to the employee until distributed from the plan.
You must set up and fund a qualified retirement plan such as a SEP or SIMPLE-IRA. No matter what type of plan for the self-employed you are considering, you must actually make contributions to a qualified and properly maintained retirement plan account. This fact sheet provides a quick look at preventing incorrect deductions for retirement plan.