What Is Floor Plan Interest Expense

Floor plan loans are among the safest of all financial instruments.

What is floor plan interest expense.

Floor planning is a form of financing for large ticket items displayed on showroom floors. 163 j rules which covered so called earnings stripping and denied a corporation s interest deduction for disqualified interest to the extent it had excess interest expense in a year that its debt to equity ratio was greater than 1 5 to 1. Floor plan financing interest expense. For example automobile dealerships utilize floor plan financing to run their businesses.

Floor plan financing interest expense is interest on debt used to finance the acquisition of motor vehicles held for sale or lease where the debt is secured by the acquired inventory. Dealerships that take the floor plan financing interest exclusion in computing their limit can t claim 100 bonus depreciation for their fixed asset additions. The taxpayer s floor plan financing interest expense. 35 while the limitation applies to all business entity.

Whether other debt applies to floorplan interest on inventory acquired on or after 2 15 20. In a change made by the cares act taxpayers can elect to use their 2019 ati in computing the 2020 limit helping taxpayers whose income declines in 2020. First a dealer would need to figure out their monthly holding cost. Interest but only interest on any other debt obligations that were incurred before 2 15 20.

Floor plan financing interest expense is interest paid or accrued on floor plan financing indebtedness. The loans are also inspected periodically by lenders by checking the inventory of all collateralized vehicles. Floor plan financing indebtedness is indebtedness that is used to finance the acquisition of motor vehicles held for sale or lease and that is secured by the acquired inventory. Other debt likely includes floorplan interest but not curtailment for inventory acquired before 2 15 20.

Floor plan financing interest expense is not subject to the section 163 j limitation. To figure this out a dealer would subtract their monthly selling expenses from their total expenses for the month. But because inventories are so immense the car business is very sensitive to both floor plan interest rates and the tax treatment of interest expenses. Taxpayers are also permitted to elect to apply the more restrictive 30 of ati limit.

This floor plan finance formula will require a dealer to have a good handle on total dealership expenses and inventory for the entire month. Based on a literal reading of the tax law some dealerships had been concerned. Floor plan financing interest expense sec. But it came at a cost.