Focus On Bookkeeping
Paying Yourself

by L. Kenway BComm CPB Retired

Paying Yourself was first published in The Bookkeeper's Notes on August 15th, 2012. I've revised the chat and publish it here for your reference.

It can be confusing to the small business owner on how to go about paying yourself. Is the money taxable or not?

As you've probably guessed, this is not a yes or no type of question. It depends ... on whether you are a sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation. Let's discuss the best bookkeeping practices on how to pay yourself.

Sole Proprietors and Partnership - Paying Yourself Through Draws

What you need to know ...

• Only sole proprietors and partnerships can take draws.
• How to go about taking your draw is discussed in my chat about audit trails.
• Your draws are not taxable.
• As your draws are not related to payroll, no source deductions are required.
• Best practice to pay yourself is to write a cheque/check to yourself (do not put payee as cash) or do a direct transfer to your personal bank account from your business account.
• Worst practice to pay yourself is to dip into the till and take cash for your personal needs. STOP IT!!! But if you can't break this baaaadd habit, here is how to do the bookkeeping for cash that never makes it to your business account.
  

Ways for Owner-Managers Can "Pay" Themselves

If you are the owner-manager of an incorporated business, then ...

• You need to become knowledgeable about the rules surrounding shareholder loans; and
• Be cognizant that you are now an employee subject to all the rules surrounding payroll and the mandatory source deductions required.
• Owner-managers do NOT take draws. Your sole proprietor days are over. You have other options to remove monies/assets from the corporation. Some options are taxable and some are not. Follow the above links to find out what they are.
• YOU need to be careful that money/assets removed from the company are not at risk to be taxable.
• Best practice when deciding on the best method to pay yourself ... as this is a complicated area, you should put remuneration on your list to discuss with your accountant. Better to be safe than crying over spilt your milk later.
  

How To Reimburse Yourself for Business Expenses

• Whether you are a sole proprietor or an owner-manager, you need to remember there are slightly different procedures if you are reimbursing yourself for business expenses paid for with your personal funds.
• Filing expense reports with source documents attached becomes an important habit if you want to keep more money in YOUR pocket at tax time! Follow the link above to learn the best practice for doing this.
• Check out Expensify if you are into paperless recording keeping. I love when my bookkeeping clients use it.
  

See you on the next page ...
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Bookkeeping Essentials › Best Bookkeeping Practices › Paying Yourself