Our good friends at Patriot Capital have asked us to share one of the benefits of the new tax laws; expansion of Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation!
As Richard Browne, Patriot Capital Vice-President and Marketing puts it, “Bottom line, most dealers and jobbers will be able to deduct 100% of their equipment purchases in the first year, rather than over the traditional seven years. This has some significant tax benefits for them.”
Click hereto see the document that explains accelerated depreciation on page 1, summarizes the changes on page 2 and gives an example of how it works on page 3.
If you are looking to purchase new equipment and would like to take advantage of these expanded tax benefits, give us a call at 1.800.451.4021 today! We can also work with Patriot Capital to help with your financing.
The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your business and continued support!
Why Wait? Qualified Customers Get No Payments on Equipment and Installation.
If you are considering upgrading your site, there’s never been a better time. Lock in today’s low interest rates through December 2022 when you finance your new gas pumps, point of sale, underground storage tanks or other fueling or in-store equipment.
Order by November 30, 2017. Equipment installed by December 31, 2017 is eligible for Section 179 tax savings in 2017.
Our friends and partners at Patriot Capital would love to help you finance those upgrades.
Reproduced from August 2016 cspdailynews.com article written by Richard Browne, Vice-President, Marketing, Patriot Capital
August 22, 2016
ATLANTA — Fuel retailers, jobbers and convenience-store owners need to consider taking action within the next six weeks to take advantage of potentially significant tax savings in the 2016 tax year. Capturing these tax savings via Section 179 of the tax code will improve cash flow in 2017, providing funds that can be invested to help grow your business.
Using the two tax strategies outlined below can pull cash into your business that would otherwise be unavailable for 5 to 7 years.
What is Section 179?
Section 179 is a tax benefit that allows small businesses to deduct up to $500,000 in capital investments in the same year as the equipment is placed into service, rather than depreciating it slowly over its useful life. The benefit was made a permanent part of the tax code in December 2015.
It applies to either new or used capital equipment.
However, Section 179 requires that equipment be placed into service by Dec. 31 of the current year. As a result, planning is essential in the case of capital equipment such as fuel dispensers.
If equipment is not ordered until October, there is a risk it will not be installed in the current year when lead times for it to be built, shipped and installed are considered.
How Does Section 179 Work?
Let’s consider two scenarios for a retailer in a 35% marginal tax bracket.
Assume four new gas pumps cost $70,000 installed. Taking standard depreciation over 7 years would result in an annual deduction of $10,000. At 35%, this depreciation yields a tax savings of $3,500 in 2016 taxes due.
Using Section 179 bonus depreciation, this same transaction could result in a $70,000 deduction in the current year, yielding a $24,500 tax savings.
The difference of $21,000 in tax savings is cash that can be used to make additional investments in your business.
What is Bonus Depreciation?
An additional tax strategy for c-stores and other small businesses is bonus depreciation. This provision applies to small businesses spending between $500,000 and $2 million on new equipment. In this range, 50% of the capital spent can be deducted in the current year.
For spending between $2 million and $2.5 million, the amount of the bonus depreciation is reduced proportionately.
The 50% deduction allowed under bonus depreciation reduces to 40% in 2018 and 30% in 2019, making it important to plan capital spending to maximize the benefits.
Here’s an example that can help illustrate the impact of the Section 179 and bonus depreciation for a fuel marketer spending $600,000 in 2016:
** assumes 7 year depreciation
In this example, the marketer fully deducts the first $500,000 at 100%, plus 50% of the next $100,000. This $550,000 deduction leaves the book value of the asset at $50,000 ($600,000 – $500,000 – $50,000). This $50,000 can then be deducted over the 7-year asset life, providing an additional $7,145 deduction.
These deductions provide $195,000 is tax savings compared to only $30,000 in the first year if traditional depreciation methods are used, a $165,000 cash-flow benefit.
What Equipment Qualifies for Section 179?
The IRS defines the eligible depreciation amount, or cost basis, as including the cost of the asset, which can include sales tax, freight and installation costs. Some of the ways businesses can use the 2016 Section 179 renewal include:
EMV(Europay Mastercard Visa)equipment upgrades, including EMV pumps, EMV retrofit kits and POS upgrades
In-store equipment such as beer caves or fixtures
Energy-efficiency improvements, including LED lighting and HVAC equipment
Underground-storage-tank upgrades
And if a business leases, rather than owns, its building, it can deduct limited structural changes—things like interior walls and doors—under Section 179 provisions.
Combining these forms of accelerated depreciation can create positive cash-flow. If the equipment is purchased using equipment financing, it is possible that the transaction can provide a positive cash flow for more than a year.
I recommend that businesses consult with their tax professional to ensure that they are maximizing the available tax benefits from Section 179 and bonus depreciation.
Richard Browne is vice president, marketing for Patriot Capital Corp. Contact him at rbrowne@patriotcapitalcorp.com. Based in Atlanta, Patriot Capital specializes in enabling entrepreneurs to succeed by providing hassle-free equipment financing to retailers in the convenience-store and retail-petroleum fueling industries. Follow Patriot Capital on Twitter @PatriotCapital. Patriot Capital is powered by State Bank and Trust.
The John W. Kennedy Company appreciates your continued business and support!
If you are considering upgrading your site, there’s never been a better time. Lock in today’s low interest rates through December 2022 when you 
finance your new gas pumps, point of sale, underground storage tanks or other fueling or in-store equipment.
Order by November 30, 2017. Equipment installed by December 31, 2017 is eligible for Section 179 tax savings in 2017.
