Get All Access for $5/mo

Be Careful When Giving Yourself Bonuses Whoa, there, big spender: Make sure your big bonus is kosher with the IRS.

When the profits are flowing in, it's often tempting to giveyourself a nice, big bonus at the end of the quarter. But you'dbetter keep your greed at bay if you're organized as a regularcorporation: The IRS is going after those business owners who paythemselves too much.

To decide whether compensation is reasonable, the IRS looks at anumber of factors. These include the nature and size of thebusiness, the nature and scope of the work the owner does at thecompany, the amount of time required for the services, and anyspecial qualifications the owner has. Industry surveys andthird-party studies help determine what is considered reasonablecompensation for companies in the industry.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Growing a Business

The Best Way to Run a Business Meeting

All too often, meetings run longer than they should and fail to keep attendees engaged. Here's how to run a meeting the right way.

Fundraising

Working Remote? These Are the Biggest Dos and Don'ts of Video Conferencing

As more and more businesses go remote, these are ways to be more effective and efficient on conference calls.

Starting a Business

How to Find the Right Programmers: A Brief Guideline for Startup Founders

For startup founders under a plethora of challenges like timing, investors and changing market demand, it is extremely hard to hire programmers who can deliver.

Growing a Business

You Need an Advisory Team More Than Ever. Here's Why — and How to Run One Effectively.

The right advice, particularly in a company's early stages, can be an existential matter: how to surround yourself with the right minds.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Growing a Business

You'll Never Satisfy Your Customers — or Grow Your Business — Without Doing These 3 Things

Customer feedback can be used to drive sustainable growth. Here are three approaches to how you can move past measurement to drive improvement and ultimately grow your business.