Key Business Provisions in the Tax Reform Law

On December 22, 2017, President Donald Trump signed into law H.R. 1 (the “Tax Act”), that enacted sweeping changes to the United States tax code. Below are some of the key sections of the Tax Act impacting businesses. These provisions are effective January 1, 2018, unless otherwise noted. Corporate Tax Rate and Alternative Minimum Tax (“AMT”) Currently, corporations are taxed at rates that range up to 35% and are additionally subject to the AMT. Corporations do not benefit from lower long-term capital gain rates. The Tax Act lowers the corporate tax rate to a flat 21% and eliminates the corporate AMT, both effective beginning in 2018 and on a permanent basis. In connection with the corporate rate cut, the Section 199 domestic manufacturing deduction is repealed going forward. The dividends received deduction is reduced from 80% to 65% and 70% to 50%, depending on ownership percentage. Increased Cost Recovery (Bonus Depreciation) Currently, taxpayers can immediately write off 50% of the cost of “qualified property” (generally, tangible personal property with a recovery period of 20 years or less). This ratio drops to 40% in 2018, 30% in 2019, and phases out after that. The Tax Act initially allows full current expensing for property placed in service after September 27, 2017, reducing the percentage that may be...