Turning bad news into good with an NOL deduction

Description

Abstract: No one likes losses, but a net operating loss (NOL) may help your construction company because you can use it to offset past tax payments through carryback provisions or reduce future tax liabilities through carryforward provisions. Historically, a company could carry back an NOL two years and forward 20 years. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), however, increased the carryback period to five years for many 2008 NOLs. This article can help you determine if you qualify and whether you should carry a loss backward or forward.