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Is your organization looking to hire new employees? Join the club. The U.S. unemployment rate hit a historic low this past April, according to a Bureau of Labor Statistics household survey. It fell to 3.6%, the lowest rate since December 1969 — that’s almost 50 years! April also marked the 14th consecutive month of the unemployment rate being at or below 4%. With so many [...]

Nonprofit trade associations, or 501(c)(6) organizations, exist to promote their members’ common interests and improve business conditions or “one or more lines of interest.” Whether the association is a local chamber of commerce, a real estate board or a large professional group, associations’ tax-exempt status is contingent on their sponsoring certain types of activities — and avoiding others. When they fail to do so, the [...]

The IRS just released its audit statistics for the 2018 fiscal year, and fewer taxpayers had their returns examined as compared with prior years. However, even though a small percentage of tax returns are being chosen for audit these days, that will be little consolation if yours is one of them. Latest statistics Overall, just 0.59% of individual tax returns were audited in 2018, as [...]

What would happen if one of your managers was suddenly forced to take long-term disability leave? Or an accounting staffer quit without notice? It’s possible that your not-for-profit’s work could come to a standstill — unless you’ve cross-trained your employees. Problem and solution Cross-training employees — teaching them how to do each other’s jobs — can help protect your organization from an absence in the [...]

Due to the massive changes in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), the 2019 filing season resulted in surprises. Some filers who have gotten a refund in past years wound up owing money. The IRS reports that the number of refunds paid this year is down from last year — and the average refund is lower. As of May 10, 2019, the IRS paid [...]

Roth 401(k) accounts have been around for 13 years now. Studies show that more employers are offering them each year. A recent study by the Plan Sponsor Council of America (PSCA) found that Roth 401(k)s are now available at 70% of employer plans, up from 55.6% of plans in 2016. However, despite the prevalence of employers offering Roth 401(k)s, most employees aren’t choosing to contribute [...]

It’s that time of year when many people who filed their tax returns in April are checking their mail or bank accounts to see if their refunds have landed. According to the IRS, most refunds are issued in less than 21 calendar days. However, it may take longer — and in rare cases, refunds might not come at all. Your refund status If you’re curious [...]

If your not-for-profit’s board is like most, its members lead busy lives. They may not get to every board meeting or perhaps they’re able to attend meetings only via teleconference. That’s why it’s important to periodically bring everyone together in a relaxed setting. But to be successful, your retreat should be planned to the smallest detail. Going deep Board retreats enable participants to get past [...]

In the course of operating your business, you probably spend time and money “wining and dining” current or potential customers, vendors and employees. What can you deduct on your tax return for these expenses? The rules changed under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), but you can still claim some valuable write-offs. No more entertainment deductions One of the biggest changes is that you [...]

Americans who are 65 and older qualify for basic Medicare insurance, and they may need to pay additional premiums to get the level of coverage they desire. The premiums can be expensive, especially if you’re married and both you and your spouse are paying them. But one aspect of paying premiums might be positive: If you qualify, they may help lower your tax bill.   Medicare [...]

If you participate in a qualified retirement plan, such as a 401(k), you must generally begin taking required withdrawals from the plan no later than April 1 of the year after which you turn age 70½. However, there’s an exception that applies to certain plan participants who are still working for the entire year in which they turn 70½.The basics of RMDsRequired minimum distributions (RMDs) [...]

Celebrities — whether they’re Hollywood stars, hometown sports heroes or local TV news anchors — can provide a big boost to the not-for-profits they publicly support. The flip side is that stars can also harm an organization by association. Accusations connected with the #MeToo movement and other scandals have recently brought down many famous people and, in some cases, caused major headaches for the charities [...]

If you own a business and don’t have a tax-advantaged retirement plan, it’s not too late to establish one and reduce your 2018 tax bill. A Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) can still be set up for 2018, and you can make contributions to it that you can deduct on your 2018 income tax return. Contribution deadlinesA SEP can be set up as late as the [...]

If you’re the parent of a child who is age 17 to 23, and you pay all (or most) of his or her expenses, you may be surprised to learn you’re not eligible for the child tax credit. But there’s a dependent tax credit that may be available to you. It’s not as valuable as the child tax credit, but when you’re saving for college [...]