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A net operating loss on your 2014 tax return isn’t all bad news

April 8, 2015

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When a company’s deductible expenses exceed its income, generally a net operating loss (NOL) occurs (though of course the specific rules are more complex). If when filing your 2014 income tax return you’ve found that your business had an NOL, there is an upside: tax benefits.

When a business incurs a qualifying NOL, the loss can be carried back up to two years, and then any remaining amount can be carried forward up to 20 years. The carryback can generate an immediate tax refund, boosting cash flow.

However, there is an alternative: The business can elect instead to carry the entire loss forward. If cash flow is fairly strong, carrying the loss forward may be more beneficial, such as if the business’s income increases substantially, pushing it into a higher tax bracket — or if tax rates increase. In both scenarios, the carryforward can save more taxes than the carryback because deductions are more powerful when higher tax rates apply.

In the case of flow-through entities, owners might be able to reap individual tax benefits from the NOL.

Please contact us if you’d like more information on the NOL rules and how you can maximize the tax benefit of an NOL.

© 2015

All content provided in this article is for informational purposes only. Matters discussed in this article are subject to change. For up-to-date information on this subject please contact a Clark Schaefer Hackett professional. Clark Schaefer Hackett will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this site.

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