While we’ve introduced you to the basic history of the IC-DISC and how the program is utilized to help exporters maximize their potential income, we’ve really just started digging into everything there is to know about the program.

Are there different IC-DISC options for you to choose from? With Export Advisors, there are. We’ll walk you through our three IC-DISC options, designed to let you decide which works best for your business.

Basic, Premier, Or Concierge: You Decide

Because of the complexity of the DISC, it’s impossible for us to state definitively in a blog post what option would be right for you.

If you see an option listed that looks like the choice you would make, feel free to contact us to check out our quick and easy Potential Savings Calculator over here on our qualification page. You’ll be able to get a look at your potential savings when you utilize this financial incentive for exporters, and it’ll give you a good idea of where we’ll get started when you contact us.

Export Advisors offers three different options when it comes to the IC-DISC, so you’re in control of setup implementation, and continued maintenance, right at your comfort level:

  • Option 1: Basic IC-DISC. This choice tends to work best for business owners looking for a low-cost solution. The downside is that the business owner maintains responsibility for managing the IC-DISC, which takes time and focus away from the business itself.
  • Option 2: Premium IC-DISC: For business owners who don’t have the time or inclination to totally manage the DISC program on their own, Option 2 involves outsourcing the IC-DISC management for a fixed annual fee.
  • Option 3: Concierge IC-DISC: This is our most popular option, because it’s totally turn-key. Management of the IC-DISC is outsourced, financial risks are minimized, and the net tax savings are maximized to the utmost of what the program offers.

As you can see, these three options let you essentially customize your IC-DISC implementation.

The Concierge option may cost more, but it comes with the added benefit of involving minimal effort on your part, as we maintain the management and the details for you. The other two options are perfect for business owners still concerned about the IC-DISC or who like to be heavily involved in the management process.

Already Have an Existing IC-DISC?

Even if you’re a current client utilizing a Basic or Premier option, you can always contact us to speak about upgrading to Concierge as your business grows.

We’re able to scale your IC-DISC program to grow alongside you, and our unique fee structure ensures that you know everything about the cost of your IC-DISC before the program is implemented and operating.

If you already have an existing IC-DISC that is not managed by a firm that focuses exclusively on the program, you may not be receiving the full benefits you are entitled to. In that case, our free ebook may help point you in the right direction.

The Four Biggest (And Likely Unknown) Dangers of the IC-DISC walks you through potential risks of already-existing IC-DISC programs and tells you what steps you can take to minimize risk and maximize after-tax savings.

When You Need an IC-DISC Provider, We’re Here

Located in Houston, Texas, Export Advisors is one of the premier IC-DISC providers for United States exporters, and one of very few nationwide who focus exclusively on the program.

Our experience and expertise is top-notch, and we’re happy to partner with you to ensure that your IC-DISC works for you. Reach us by phone at (832) 654-9889 or contact us online at any time to get started.

 


Once you’ve done your research into the origins of the IC-DISC program and used our Potential Savings Calculator to learn just how much per year you could save by maximizing your after-tax income, you may feel ready to take on the task and set up your IC-DISC yourself.

While we’ve met with businesses in the export industry that have set up their IC-DISCs without utilizing expert help, we’ve generally found that they took more than a few risks in doing so.

Today, we’d like to look at the risks of taking a DIY approach to IC-DISC instead of speaking with someone who has experience and knowledge of the program’s complexities.

First — There Are Hoops to Jump Through.

The program is designed to need continued supervision and management in order to maximize its potential and stay in compliance with federal regulations.

The IC-DISC is pretty complex, and it includes quite a few hoops that the CPA, business owner, or tax consultant will need to continue jumping through to keep the IC-DISC in a Qualified status.

An exporter who’s busy focusing on growing his or her business in a competitive global marketplace would be bogged down by trying to work out the IC-DISC requirements and maintaining an IC-DISC Qualified status.

Can’t a CPA Just Manage the IC-DISC?

Many of our clients come to us due to being referred by their CPAs or even after an unsuccessful experience with a CPA attempting to administer the IC-DISC.

In our experience, CPA firms usually lack the infrastructure to work with administering the IC-DISC. While on the surface it seems as simple as filing a tax return, the truth is that the IC-DISC is quite a bit more complicated than the usual corporate tax forms.

Since management of an IC-DISC includes required actions and testing of the IC-DISC over time to maintain status, CPA firms generally just don’t have the infrastructure to handle it.

Have you ever noticed that many CPA firms specifically choose not to administer 401K plans, and that it seems like most firms that do work with 401Ks specialize in that alone? There’s a reason for that.

An IC-DISC is conceptually similar to a 401K in the sense of how it’s administered, and the continued management of an IC-DISC is very different from the core services most CPAs choose to focus on.

Can’t I Just Set Up an IC-DISC and Assume My CPA Will Continue Administering It?

In our experience, this is not advisable.

We have met with clients before who believed their CPA firm was administering their IC-DISC, while the CPA firm assumed the exporter was administering the IC-DISC.

Such miscommunication of expectations and actions could lead to missed deadlines and overlooked responsibilities, leaving the IC-DISC Disqualified and potentially costing the exporter their potential tax savings — not to mention causing scrutiny and concern from the IRS.

The exporter could end up facing not just the loss of the IC-DISC savings, but also fines and penalties for trying to use a Disqualified IC-DISC.

Choose Expert Help For Your IC-DISC. Choose Export Advisors.

With the complexities of the IC-DISC and the need for continued action and administration throughout its lifespan, we really do advise working with a business that specializes in and has long-term experience with the IC-DISC program.

Companies that attempt to administer the program themselves, or that rely on a more generalized CPA firm to administer it, often find themselves dealing with serious problems down the line that could have been avoided.

With Export Advisors, we can offer what amounts to a turnkey service to qualifying exporters. We completely handle the setup and ongoing administration of your IC-DISC. We have several options to choose from depending on how involved you would like to be in the administration, so you have full control over your experience working with us!

Working with Export Advisors to implement and administer your IC-DISC helps you maximize your after-tax income without having to worry about losing your Qualified status after an IRS audit. Reach us by phone at (832) 654-9889 or contact us online at any time to learn more about the program and get started today!

 


When discussing the IC-DISC and why it’s a great option for members of the export industry looking to maximize their potential tax savings, we find that the best place to start is by explaining just what the IC-DISC is and how it came to exist in the first place.

In this short introductory post, we’ll focus on the bare bones essentials and basic history of the IC-DISC.

The IC-DISC

IC-DISC is an acronym that stands for Interest Charge Domestic International Sales Corporation. Often, it’s just called a “DISC” for short.

The program began in 1971, when the United States Congress voted to subsidize exports of U.S.-made goods by utilizing income tax law. In a complex arrangement, Congress created the DISC.

Lower Income Tax Rates, Higher Tax Savings

A DISC is a U.S corporation — a business entity with no actual substance that receives tax benefits.

While it is considered a corporation for tax purposes, a DISC is largely a symbolic creation. When properly structured, a DISC has no activities except in certain documentation, and has no activities not related to the export of certain qualifying goods.

So How Can You Save With the IC-DISC?

The IC-DISC is a tax-exempt corporation. Income that goes through the DISC is not subject to Federal income tax — instead, it is taxed at the lower, dividend rate when the income is distributed to shareholders.

The current dividend tax rates within the United States are significantly lower than the Federal income tax, and the difference between dividend tax rates and ordinary tax rates is where you’ll find your savings.

When properly utilized, the IC-DISC program allows exporters to maximize their income by taxing a percentage of it at a lower rate.

Interested in Seeing If Your Business Qualifies?

If you’re an exporter or shareholder of an export company looking to increase your after-tax income by utilizing financial incentives for exporters, Export Advisors is the company to call.

One of the foremost IC-DISC providers, we’re based out of Houston, Texas, right in the heart of the U.S. export industry, and we’re happy to help you with creation and implementation of an IC-DISC. We offer years of experience, a deep understanding of the export industry, and a unique financing structure that allows you to truly make the most of your IC-DISC. Give us a call at (832) 413-5401 or contact us online at any time to learn if you qualify or to get started.

 


Since the IC-DISC began as a financial incentive for exporters (and those whose transactions qualify as exports) that helps to maximize after-tax income, many exporters simply assume that if the IC-DISC is right for them, their CPA firm will handle it.

The truth is, CPA firms often rely on businesses that exclusively focus on the IC-DISC.

We here at Export Advisors often partner with CPAs and CPA firms, allowing their clients to reap the significant potential financial benefits of the IC-DISC without the possible risks involved in doing so without expert help.

How does working with Export Advisors help CPAs and CPA firms? Let’s take a look.

CPA Firms May Lack the Infrastructure

As we noted in our last post, many CPA firms simply lack the infrastructure required for the implementation and management of the IC-DISC.

It’s easy to look at the program and feel like it’s just another set of tax forms, but the truth is a bit more complicated than that. Management of an IC-DISC, even after initial implementation, includes required actions and follow-up.

Most CPA firms don’t have the ability to take on the extra time and manpower investment required to stay on top of continued IC-DISC management.

In this way, the IC-DISC is a lot like a 401k, another specialized program that seems simple on the surface but is in fact fairly complex.

You may have noticed in the past that many CPA firms do not handle 401ks, but instead refer their clients to specialized firms that focus on the program. This is due to the sheer amount of focus, specialization, and time investment that the program requires.

The IC-DISC is very similar. It often makes better sense, both from a financial and personnel perspective, for CPA firms to bring in specialized experts to handle the IC-DISC program on behalf of their clients.

Continued Management Requires Specialized Focus

There are many potential risks involved in the IC-DISC when it is not implemented or managed correctly. The exporter may find themselves not just subject to fines or other penalties, but also intense scrutiny from the IRS or even a potential audit.

To avoid these potential risks and maintain your Qualified status on your IC-DISC, it’s important that you work with someone who can stay focused on the IC-DISC program and its need for management and maintenance.

CPA firms may choose to help their clients by working with an IC-DISC provider like Export Advisors, who focus exclusively on the IC-DISC and therefore can provide the specialized focus and follow-up actions that the IC-DISC requires.

Interested in Learning More About the IC-DISC?

If you’re a member of a CPA firm that’s curious about how the IC-DISC could benefit your clients, or you’re a member of the export industry interested in seeing if your business might qualify for this exceptional financial incentive, we’d be happy to speak with you! Just give us a call at (832) 654-9889 or contact us online at any time!

 


In our previous posts, we’ve walked you through the details of the IC-DISC program, a financial incentive for exporters, as well as the program’s history and the different options available. After reading our blog posts, you may be wondering why more business owners aren’t taking advantage of the IC-DISC program.

The answer is a simple one.

IC-DISC Under the Radar

The reason that more export industry business owners don’t utilize the IC-DISC program?

Basically, a simple lack of information. While sometimes exporters aren’t aware of the program, other times a business owner may not realize that aspects of their business qualify as “exports” under the law!

Take a look at this case study of one of our clients, which is a good example of qualifying business owners who simply weren’t aware that what they were doing counted as exporting:

A banker in Houston, TX referred us to one of their customers, believing that the customer in question might benefit from the IC-DISC program. When the IC-DISC was suggested to him, the customer replied, “This sounds great, but we don’t export. We only have one location here in Houston and none of our customers are outside of the United States.”

After working with the client to take a more in-depth look at the inner workings of their company, we pinpointed two important details:

  1. Nearly half of their sales went to three Fortune 500 companies who maintained operations in Houston.
  2. A significant portion of the company’s products that were sold to those Fortune 500 companies ultimately ended up outside of the United States.

Upon further research and analysis, the customer was shown that nearly a quarter of their total sales qualified as export sales, thanks to these indirect exports that went through their three large customers.

Download the full case study to learn more about this client and find out how the IC-DISC lowered their tax rate and saved them thousands of dollars per year.

Discover If You Qualify for the IC-DISC With Export Advisors

Export Advisors, based out of Houston, Texas, is one of the premier IC-DISC providers in the United States. Even if you’re not an exporter, you may find that your business involves a qualifying amount of exports that allows you to maximize your after-tax income by using the IC-DISC program.

Learn more about qualifying for the DISC here, or contact us either at (832) 654-9889 or online to take the next step to become a client.

 


The technology that fuels our economy continues to change, with increased efficiencies allowing for exporters to work in a truly global marketplace.

While this has been a positive as a whole, it’s also led to serious competitiveness in the industry. Maintaining a successful business in the export industry takes some serious grit and determination, and many exporters find themselves wishing there was some sort of incentive to keep up the hard work and help their business grow.

With the IC-DISC, the federal government has put together a program that’s really an exporter’s dream come true.

Are You Making the Most of Your After-Tax Income?

The IC-DISC is a little bit of an open secret, with many exporters not even realizing they qualify for the program in the first place… and some business owners don’t even realize their business transactions count as exports under the program!

The IC-DISC is a unique tax program designed to encourage exporters to grow their businesses here in the United States. You can learn the ins and outs of the DISC and how it increases your after-tax income by reading this earlier blog post of ours.

We believe in the IC-DISC’s ability to help exporters grow. We’ve even put together a Potential Savings Calculator to help you see just how much your could save by utilizing the program!

Export Advisors Does the Hard Work For You

The IC-DISC only really has one downside. It requires certain maintenance and actions to be undertaken annually to ensure your DISC remains in a Qualified status.

There are certain risks to implementing an IC-DISC without expert help, and it’s our mission to work with exporters, CPA firms, and others to implement and maintain their IC-DISC.

We’ll even go to bat for you if the IRS should choose to audit, defending your IC-DISC at no further cost to you.

How Can You Know if You’re Qualified for the IC-DISC?

It’s as simple as answering a couple of questions. First, are you either a member of the export industry, or the owner or operator of a business whose transactions would qualify as exports? Secondly, head over to our Do I Qualify? page and fill out the Potential Savings Calculator.

Once you see your result and realize how much you could potentially save, the IC-DISC may seem like just the financial incentive you’ve been waiting for.

Get started with the IC-DISC by contacting us online or giving us a call at (832) 654-9889 today.

 

 


Under both the House and Senate versions of the Tax Reform Bill presented last week in Washington, one thing is clear: Businesses organized as pass-through entities are going to see their taxes increase. The S Corp Washington Wire lays out all the ways in which pass-through entities are hurt by this proposed tax bill.

There is a provision in the Senate version which would repeal the IC-DISC export incentive.  Not only is this bad policy, this will cause a significant increase in the tax burden of U.S. based exporters.

What Should You Do?

Now is the time to reach out to your U.S. Senator and your Congressman and let them know that the provisions in this bill will increase your taxes! Emphasize that the IC-DISC is an export incentive – not a base erosion and profit shifting provision. This incentive allows you to export your U.S. manufactured goods by allowing you to be more competitive. This further allows you to make investments in your U.S. based business and to hire more U.S. employees. Also, let them know what industry you are in, if compelling, how many employees in your company, and finally what actions you may be forced to take if you were to experience a large tax increase due to the repeal of the IC-DISC. Maybe you would consider hiring less employees, reducing the number of your current employees, or possibly even looking at moving manufacturing outside the U.S. to a lower cost location.

A form letter will be disregarded and therefore we have been advised not to provide our clients with any form letters. We encourage you to draft your own letter on your own letterhead. However, to give you a starting point, we have attached a couple of letter templates – the first is a letter to the Senate Finance Committee and the second would be a letter for your specific Senator.

We have also prepared an IC-DISC Position Paper and have provided this to a number of staffers in Washington. It has been suggested that you attach this position paper to your letter when you send it in.

Below is a list of the Senate Finance Committee Republicans and their Key Staff Members: Here is how you can help:
1. Call the Senators’ Offices (see list below) advocating for the removal of the IC-DISC repeal inclusion in Tax Reform and why it is important to your company
2. Edit and then Email the draft letter to the Senators’ Key Staffers on Tax
3. Last but not least, if your company resides or does business in another Senators’ district please send the letter and our position paper to your Senators’ contact form.

Senator Telephone Fax Key Staffer
GA Sen. Isakson 1-202-224-3643 1-202-228-0724 Monica McGuire
IA Sen. Grassley 1-202-224-3744 1-202-224-6020 Chris Conlin
ID Sen. Crapo 1-202-224-6142 1-202-224-1375 Mike Quickel
KS Sen. Roberts 1-202-224-4774 1-202-224-3514 Chris Allen
LA Sen. Cassidy 1-202-224-5824 1-202-224-9735 Christopher Gillott
NC Sen. Burr 1-202-224-3154 1-202-224-2981 Robert Sneeden
NV Sen. Heller 1-202-224-6244 1-202-224-6753 Joseph Boddicher
OH Sen. Portman 1-202-224-3353 1-202-224-9075 Zachary Rudisill
PA Sen. Toomey 1-202-224-4254 1-202-224-0284 Randy Herndon
SC Sen. Scott 1-202-224-6121 1-202-224-5143 Charles Cogar
SD Sen. Thune 1-202-224-2321 1-202-224-5429 Mark Warren
TX Sen. Cornyn 1-202-224-2934 1-202-224-2856 Andrew Siracuse
UT Sen. Hatch 1-202-224-5251 1-202-224-6331 James Williams
WY Sen. Enzi 1-202-224-3424 1-202-224-0359 Bart Massey

Additionally, please see this full list of all U.S. Senators and their contact information.

 


We have some great news to share. Based on the House and Senate bills that were submitted last week, the IC-DISC appears to still be a viable tax savings vehicle for the foreseeable future.

But one area of confusion that we do want to address is that of the corporate tax rate. Many owners of S Corporations are under the false impression that the new S Corporation tax rate will be 20 percent. If so, there would be no need for this IC-DISC going forward. But the problem is, that’s not true.

The only corporations that would enjoy this rate would be C Corporations. Although S Corporations would receive a reduction in tax rates under both the Senate and House versions of the bills, those rates will certainly NOT be 20 percent. At a minimum, the new effective S Corporation tax would be at least 30 percent. Thus, it appears there will still be a benefit to utilizing the IC-DISC.

Once the two bills are reconciled and we have more clarity on the impact of the provisions contained in the final bill, we will provide you with a more comprehensive update.

Thank you to everyone who helped us keep the IC-DISC benefit available for U.S.-based manufacturing companies.


If you have not fully maximized your IC-DISC commission deduction, you could be leaving significant tax savings on the table that you are entitled to. Maximizing the IC-DISC commission is usually synonymous with performing a Transaction by Transaction (TxT) calculation.

What is a TxT calculation and are all TxTs the same? As you can likely guess from the title of this article, the resounding answer is “No.” We’ve performed thousands of TxT calculations over the last 20+ years, and have come to realize that TxT means different things to different people.

We also realize that if you are not performing a true TxT, you are likely either leaving a lot of cash on the table or you are taking too much IRS audit risk, both of which are bad for business. The following is our view of a true TxT and why it’s important.

Let’s start with the most obvious first. A computation completed in Microsoft Excel is not a true TxT calculation. Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet, and as a spreadsheet, it is simply not capable of running all of the permutations required of a true TxT calculation.

A true TxT computation occurs when “cleansed and reconciled” transactional data is run through a powerful algorithm. The “cleansing and reconciliation” is usually completed in a database such as a Microsoft SQL Server. The algorithm determines the maximum allowable commission by calculating every allowable calculation combination and selecting the best option by crawling through the results. Options tested include:

  • A commission calculation on each transaction using the Overall Profit Percentages at all levels of the product hierarchy
  • A calculation of the commission at all grouping levels, i.e. all products, all product lines, etc.
  • A loss optimization is performed, which excludes certain transactions from product groups. This is typically done to maximize the 4 percent of either sales method where taxable income is a limit, or a marginal costing method where marginal cost taxable income is a limit
  • An algorithm that crawls through every permutation to determine the maximum commission allowed under the law
  • Detailed reports to support the commission as calculated in case of an IRS audit
  • Form 1120 IC-DISC Schedule Ps are generated as an attachment to Form 1120 IC-DISC

The software algorithm of a true TxT typically results in a supportable commission calculation of 30 percent, or more, than Microsoft Excel.

If a provider is using Microsoft Excel AND getting a result similar to a database software algorithm, I’d be extremely nervous, because that probably means that they are being overly aggressive somewhere else in the computation. The most likely cause is an extremely aggressive and unsustainable expense allocation and apportionment, but there are other areas where they could be “cheating.” Other aspects of a true TxT include:

  1. The source data is a single line item on an invoice. The sum of all of the invoice line items totals very close to sales and cost of goods sold. The valid TxT data includes not only export sales, but also domestic sales. Some of the IC-DISC pricing methods rely on an average profit which, to be calculated properly, requires the inclusion of all sales.
  2. Using software or a database, the source data is cleansed of credit memos, invoice adjustments, etc. If data is not cleansed of “bad transactions” you often get a great answer, but the IRS may deem the TxT computation invalid, resulting in a very difficult situation for the taxpayer.
  3. Adjustments are posted against the source data to reconcile it to tax sales and tax cost of goods sold. This is important. We see a lot of calculations where the TxT data is never reconciled to the tax return or the difference between cost of goods sold of the transactions and cost of goods sold on the tax return is simply plugged to domestic. Other cost of goods sold usually include variances, overhead, and other costs which relate to all sales and need to be allocated or apportioned as such. IC-DISC is a tax concept and it is a requirement that the data must reconcile to the related supplier’s tax return. Failure to do so may result in an embarrassing situation for the client upon IRS audit.
  4. Other deductions, interest expense, charitable contributions, and research and development (R&D) are allocated or apportioned under Treas. Regs. Section 861 between IC-DISC qualified and non-qualified sales, and then into the TxT data to reconcile the data to the tax return. The end result should be a profit and loss by invoice and line item, which reconciles to the tax return. Time and effort is needed to apportion these expenses between qualified export sales and non-qualified export sales. The expense allocation process is “part art and part science.” Rules exist that require certain apportionments of R&D and interest, while “any reasonable method” can be used to allocate and apportion other expenses. We often see situations where taxpayers get extremely aggressive with unreasonable methods in the allocation and apportionment of expenses, putting the validity of the computations in jeopardy.
  5. A standard industry or trade usage product hierarchy is created from the transactional data. At the most basic level, a product hierarchy contains two levels. The “product level” is typically a SKU, product number, or product description. The second level would then be “all products.” When creating a more detailed product hierarchy, you will often have products flowing into product lines, product lines flowing into product groups, etc.

BoNus:Pitfalls or Crazy Things We’ve Seen and Heard

  1. Taxable income of 1,000,000, domestic taxable income of -5,000,000, and export taxable income of 6,000,000. Clearly something isn’t adding up right.
  2. Lack of ability to support the numbers when requested. “Just trust us, this thing is legit.”
  3. Lack of ability to produce form 1120 IC-DISC Schedule Ps to support the calculations.
  4. Situations where a client provides sales and cost of goods sold data at the transactional level. The provider ignored the cost of goods sold as provided and reattached the cost of goods sold solely on a method which would yield a great answer. Sure, the answer is great, but on audit that calculation will blow up.
  5. “Well, Bob, the IC-DISC is the ‘wild, wild west,’ no one is ever going to look at this. You can do whatever you want.” That logic works until it doesn’t. When it doesn’t, the pain of those calculations will be many times greater than any benefit received from the original calculation. Most of us remember the pain of the housing crisis. A bad audit feels about the same.
  6. Similar to number one, 99 percent of selling, general, and administration are apportioned to domestic sales even though 50 percent of sales are export. Just because a firm is getting a great number, that doesn’t mean it will be sustainable under audit. You wouldn’t take an exemption for your pets on your individual return. This calculation is no different than doing exactly that, just in a different medium.

Conclusion

Don’t let greed overrule fear just because this is a niche area of the tax code. When doing an IC-DISC calculation, maximize the commission you are entitled to, but maximize it with a good TxT. Don’t maximize it by putting yourself and your company in jeopardy. Like anything else in life, you get what you pay for. A good TxT is not cheap, but a good TxT is the right combination of sustainable under audit, while simultaneously generating tremendous value for the client.

With tax reform moving forward in Washington, D.C., now is the opportune time to look at your open tax years to determine if a TxT, or a re-do of an existing TxT, makes sense for your company. Please contact us at dspray@exportadvisors.com for a complimentary consultation regarding your existing TxT or to explore TxT for the first time.