When signed into law on December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was the most significant change to the U.S. tax code in more than 30 years. The goal was to simplify the tax code while making the United States corporate tax rate more competitive globally.

For months before the Presidential election, Congress debated another round of Coronavirus aid to help individuals, businesses, and government agencies affected by the pandemic.

The end of the year is quickly approaching, but before we ring in the New Year, it’s important to reexamine our tax strategies. It’s an understatement to say that 2020 has been challenging and the economic and fiscal assumptions we relied upon this time last year have likely changed due to the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created challenging circumstances for many Princeton, Trenton, and New Jersey businesses. The combination of government orders, fear of virus transmission, and reopening guidelines have businesses looking for new paths to profitability under unexpected conditions. According to the New Jersey Economic Forecast, published by Rutgers Economic Advisory Service, 16.7% of the state’s total jobs were lost between February and May 2020.

2020 has been a humbling year. More than any other year in recent history, we’ve learned that expectations can change on a dime. At the beginning of the year, the assumptions we held are likely far different from those we hold now, making year-end tax planning for businesses – regardless of size – more crucial than ever. As we head into 2021, ask yourself some of the following questions and see if you took full advantage of the available tax breaks or if your tax strategy needs adjusting.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created several new challenges for Trenton and Princeton-area business and individual taxpayers. Over the past seven months, various state and local government orders have impacted how and when businesses can operate, including wearing facemasks and various other requirements for customers and employees.