Small business owners will face much uncertainty when it comes to tax planning at the end of this year. Not only is there uncertainty based on the fact that many tax laws set to change, but the dynamic of an election year further complicates the process of predicting which tax laws will remain in the coming year. A recent article in The Washington Post offers year-end tax planning advice for small business owners in the wake of this uncertainty. The article suggests that small business owners prepare several alternative tax plans. This way, the business is prepared to adopt different strategies that deal with alternative tax environments. One tax strategy the article suggests is accelerating income while deferring losses and deductions. This way, small business owners can take advantage of the lower capital gains rate that is scheduled to expire in 2013. Small businesses structured as corporations should consider paying out some of its assets to shareholders through a dividend. The federal income tax on qualified dividends is scheduled to rise from 15 percent to 39.6 percent in 2013. Other strategies the article suggests for new and developing businesses include considering the election of S corporation status, utilizing the tax deferral provisions of section 1031, and expensing tangible personal property under Section 179.