Reasonable Salary
“I completely forgot to run payroll for myself in December, can I issue a retroactive W-2 in January to meet my reasonable salary requirement?”
Questions about missed owner payroll and retroactive W-2 reporting often turn on the entity type, how the compensation was recorded in the books, and whether the year-end payroll filings already reflect the intended wages. The timing of the payment, whether withholding and employment taxes were actually deposited, and how the reasonable salary position is supported in the company records can all affect the analysis. In many cases, the answer also depends on whether the corporation uses a payroll provider, whether the year has already closed, and how prior distributions or draws were treated for tax purposes. A CPA who reads your specifics can usually tell you, in plain English, where this lands.
In your 90-minute session, the KGOB advisor handling it will:
- Read your exact situation and tell you, in plain English, what’s actually going on.
- Lay out your options and the trade-offs — no jargon, no judgment.
- Give you a clear next step you can act on, whether that’s with us or on your own.
This page is a prompt to start a conversation, not tax or legal advice, and states no tax-law specifics as fact. A consult session does not by itself create an ongoing engagement. We do not promise specific outcomes or savings. Kohari Gonzalez Oneyear & Brown PLLC — Charlotte, NC.
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