Blog
TCJA Changes to Employee Benefits Tax Breaks
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) includes many changes that affect tax breaks for employee benefits. Among the changes are four negatives and one positive that will impact not only employees but also the businesses providing the benefits. 4 breaks curtailed Beginning with the 2018 tax year, the TCJA
Total Return Unitrust Can Help Maintain Family Harmony
A traditional trust can sometimes create a conflict between the lifetime and remainder beneficiaries. For example, investment strategies that provide growth that benefits remainder beneficiaries can leave lifetime beneficiaries with little or no annual payouts. This makes it more difficult for your estate plan to achieve your objectives and places
Could Your Next Business Loan Get “Ratio’d”?
We live and work in an era of big data. Banks are active participants, keeping a keen eye on metrics that help them accurately estimate risk of default. As you look for a loan, try to find out how each bank will evaluate your default probability. Many do so using
File Form SS-8 to Determine a Worker’s Status
Classifying workers as independent contractors — rather than employees — can save businesses money and provide other benefits. But the IRS is on the lookout for businesses that do this improperly to avoid taxes and employee benefit obligations. To find out how the IRS will classify a particular worker, businesses
“Creative” Accounting – Warning Signs of Earnings “Spin”
Management wants to paint the rosiest possible picture of a company’s financial performance and may look to "creative" accounting. But aggressive earnings management, or “spin,” can mislead investors and lenders. Here are some ways U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) can be manipulated to obscure the truth. Creative accounting vs.
Missed the 60-day IRA Rollover Deadline? Apply for a Waiver
IRAs and employer-sponsored plans such as 401(k)s are powerful retirement savings tools, but they also provide valuable estate planning benefits. If you hold a traditional IRA for life, for example, your children or other heirs can stretch out distributions over their lifetimes, maximizing the IRA’s tax-deferred growth and preserving more
Adult Dependent Exemption Eliminated Under New Tax Law
Can you claim your elderly parent as a dependent on your tax return? Perhaps. It depends on several factors, such as your parent’s income and how much financial support you provided. If you qualify for the adult-dependent exemption on your 2017 income tax return, you can deduct up to $4,050
New Limits to Defer Tax with a 1031 Exchange
Normally when appreciated business assets such as real estate are sold, tax is owed on the appreciation. But there’s a way to defer this tax: a Section 1031 “like kind” exchange. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reduces the types of property eligible for this favorable tax treatment.
How Materiality is Established in an Audit or Review
When accountants conduct an audit or review, they can’t test every transaction. Instead, they set a “materiality” threshold. This benchmark is used to obtain reasonable assurance in an audit — or limited assurance in a review — of detecting misstatements that could be large enough, individually or in the aggregate,
Casualty Loss Rules Tighten for 2018
If you suffered damage to your home or personal property last year, you may be able to deduct these “casualty” losses on your 2017 federal income tax return. For 2018 through 2025, however, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act suspends this deduction except for losses due to an event officially