Reasons why business owners tend to be wealthier

It’s not really because they’re any smarter.

It’s more because if they handle their finances correctly (a crucial subject), they can avoid a lot of headaches and unnecessary taxation.

It all still boils down to the same core principles as with personal finances:

1. make lots of money
2. save as much as you can of it
3. don’t spend it consuming what you don’t need to

EXPENSES CAN BE WRITTEN OFF

Business owners can write off a myriad of expenses, which in turn, lowers their taxable gross income.

Let’s say they need a new computer for their business.

By buying it under the company (and using it for the company), they can get the sales tax reimbursed (cha-ching! 13%), and it lowers their gross income (cha-ching! 20%).

Imagine this, for everything in the business from having to take clients to dinner, to buying a car to get to job sites.

OTHER DAILY EXPENSES CAN BE PARTLY WRITTEN OFF

Use part of your house for your business? Write off the equivalent percentage from your:

• rent
• internet bills
• phone bills
• utility bills

Cha-ching! 20% saved on business income taxes, and your own personal spending gets a little relief, no matter how small.

LEAVING THE MONEY IN THERE FOR RETIREMENT

The sweetest advice ever given to any new business owner is to NOT REALIZE YOUR INCOME.

What that means, is that if you make $60,000 in a year, and you owe 20% in business taxes, you have a net income of $48,000 a year.

If you take out $30,000 net (or less) to live on, and leave the $18,000 in the business as retained earnings, you will save on paying a bundle for your personal taxes.

That $18,000 left in the business can be put into buying bonds, index funds, or generating income in other ways, without being realized or taxed.

This is a perfect solution if you’re also the only shareholder (100%).

You will just keep amassing those sweet, sweet retained earnings, and when you retire, continue to withdraw out $30,000 each year to live on.

The only downside (if you see it as such), is you get $30,000 a year for your budget, which in my case, would be okay especially if I am able to write off parts of my living expenses used for my business, especially since I give myself a generous $40,000 gross/year budget.

It’s been documented time and time again in studies of millionaires who own their own businesses — they don’t realize their income, which keeps their wealth growing.

Only if you’re someone who consumes a lot (read: spends a lot), do you need to realize a lot of income and pay the Tax Man.

So even for business owners, you should make more money and spend less, it’s just that building wealth can be slightly easier for business owners, assuming their business doesn’t tank in the first year.