Featured

Companies that work on customer-specific or long-term projects — such as homebuilders, contractors, custom manufacturers and professional practices — generally track job costs to gauge the profitability of each project. In turn, this helps them bid future projects. Unfortunately, the job-costing process tends to be cumbersome, causing some expenses to inadvertently fall through the cracks instead of being allocated properly. Here are six tips to [...]

Just because you run a not-for-profit organization doesn’t mean you can function on low or no income. Although your nonprofit’s tax-exempt status prohibits certain money-making activities, you may be able to create a for-profit subsidiary that isn’t hampered by such restrictions. In addition to producing income, a subsidiary can help you reduce taxable unrelated business income and limit legal liability. Surplus support Nonprofits must have a [...]

Most established not-for-profits are already equipped to solicit and accept planned gifts. But if your nonprofit is new to planned giving and doesn’t yet understand the long-term advantages of deferred gifts, it’s a good time to get up to speed. You’ll likely need to educate donors about the advantages — for them and your organization — of this form of support. 3 forms Planned gifts typically are [...]

Ever wonder how IRS examiners know about different industries so they can audit various businesses? They generally do research about specific industries and issues on tax returns by using IRS Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs). A little-known fact is that these guides are available to the public on the IRS website. In other words, your business can use the same guides to gain insight into what [...]

If you read the Internal Revenue Code (and you probably don’t want to!), you may be surprised to find that most business deductions aren’t specifically listed. For example, the tax law doesn’t explicitly state that you can deduct office supplies and certain other expenses. Some expenses are detailed in the tax code, but the general rule is contained in the first sentence of Section 162, [...]

Many Americans own a vacation home or aspire to purchase one. If you own a second home in a waterfront community, in the mountains or in a resort area, you may want to rent it out for part of the year. The tax implications of these transactions can be complicated. It depends on how many days the home is rented and your level of personal [...]

If you gamble or buy lottery tickets and you’re lucky enough to win, congratulations! After you celebrate, be aware that there are tax consequences attached to your good fortune. Winning at gambling For tax purposes, it doesn’t matter if you win at the casino, a bingo hall or elsewhere. You must report 100% of your winnings as taxable income. They’re reported on an “Other income” [...]

If your investments have fluctuated wildly this year, you may have already recognized some significant gains and losses. But nothing is decided tax-wise until year end when the final results of your trades will reveal your 2023 tax situation. Here’s what you need to know to avoid tax surprises. Tax-favored retirement accounts and taxable accounts If you’ve had wild swings in the value of investments [...]

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the fourth quarter of 2023. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. Note: Certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines may be postponed for taxpayers [...]

Every fall, CPAs are busy preparing for audit season, which generally runs from January to April each year. This includes meeting with clients, assigning staff and scheduling fieldwork. Likewise, organizations with calendar year ends should prepare for audit fieldwork. A little prep work this fall can help facilitate the process, minimize adjustments and surprises, and add more value to the audit process. Here are four [...]

If you’re age 50 or older, you can probably make extra “catch-up” contributions to your tax-favored retirement account(s). It is worth the trouble? Yes! Here are the rules of the road. The deal with IRAs Eligible taxpayers can make extra catch-up contributions of up to $1,000 annually to a traditional or Roth IRA. If you’ll be 50 or older as of December 31, 2023, you [...]

If you’re planning your estate, or you’ve recently inherited assets, you may be unsure of the “cost” (or “basis”) for tax purposes. How do the rules work? Under the current fair market value basis rules (also known as the “step-up and step-down” rules), an heir receives a basis in inherited property equal to its date-of-death value. So, for example, if your grandfather bought stock in [...]

Tax reporting may be the last thing on your mind when planning a special fundraising event. But your not-for-profit should carefully track revenues and expenses and retain related documentation now to facilitate the reporting process later. Pay attention to the following issues. What to report Tax reporting for an event may require different — and more — information than financial statement reporting does. If your organization adheres [...]

Most not-for-profits develop a culture over time that comes to define the organization. But even if your organization has a successful record and reputation, your staffers can become complacent and growth and productivity can suffer. Here’s how to determine if you need to make cultural changes. Signs of trouble There are several signs that a nonprofit’s culture is stagnating. For example, you may notice a [...]