News and Posts

Auditors of public companies started reporting critical audit matters (CAMs) in their audit opinions in 2019. This represents a major change to the pass-fail auditors’ reports that had been in place for decades. Now, accounting rule makers are assessing how this project has fared over the last two years — and whether changes are needed to provide financial statement users with more useful, cost-effective information. [...]

The IRS and the U.S. Treasury Department have announced that the August advance Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments have begun to reach eligible families. This second batch of advance monthly payments, worth about $15 billion, are reaching about 36 million families. The IRS is stressing that it’s not too late for low-income families to sign up for advance CTC payments. Anyone who normally isn’t required [...]

Auditors typically deliver financial statements to calendar-year businesses in the spring. A useful tool that accompanies the annual report is the management letter. It may provide suggestions — based on industry best practices — on how to fortify internal control systems, streamline operations and reduce expenses. Managers generally appreciate the suggestions found in management letters. But, realistically, they may not have time to implement those [...]

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, government officials are seeing a large increase in the number of new businesses being launched. From June 2020 through June 2021, the U.S. Census Bureau reports that business applications are up 18.6%. The Bureau measures this by the number of businesses applying for an Employer Identification Number. Entrepreneurs often don’t know that many of the expenses incurred by start-ups can’t be [...]

There’s a harsh tax penalty that you could be at risk for paying personally if you own or manage a business with employees. It’s called the “Trust Fund Recovery Penalty” and it applies to the Social Security and income taxes required to be withheld by a business from its employees’ wages. Because taxes are considered property of the government, the employer holds them in “trust” [...]

When not-for-profits first start up, fundraising can be an ad hoc process, with intense campaigns followed by fallow periods. As organizations grow and acquire staff and support, they generally decide that fundraising needs to be ongoing. But it can be hard to maintain focus and momentum without a strategic fundraising plan. Here’s how to create one. Building on past experience The first step to a [...]

The global market for human resources outsourcing was approximately $32.8 billion in 2020 and is projected to rise to $45.8 billion by 2027, according to market research company Reportlinker. Should your not-for-profit join the many organizations that have already determined that outsourcing HR makes financial and operational sense? Here’s what you should consider before acting. Take a hard look First, decide which segments of the HR function [...]

If you have a parent entering a nursing home, you may not be thinking about taxes. But there are a number of possible tax implications. Here are five. 1. Long-term medical care The costs of qualified long-term care, including nursing home care, are deductible as medical expenses to the extent they, along with other medical expenses, exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI). Qualified long-term [...]

No not-for-profit looks forward to annual audits. But regular maintenance and preparation specific to an impending audit can make the process less disruptive. We recommend taking the following steps. 1. Reconcile routinely You shouldn’t wait until audit time to reconcile accounts — for example, cash, receivables, pledges, payables, accruals and revenues. Reconcile general ledger account balances to supporting schedules (bank reconciliation, receivables and payable aging) [...]

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has released new guidance intended to expedite the forgiveness process for certain borrowers under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The simplified process generally is available for loans of $150,000 or less, which the SBA reports account for 93% of outstanding PPP loans. The guidance comes at a time when many borrowers are nearing a critical deadline regarding their applications for [...]

A complete set of financial statements for your business contains three reports. Each serves a different purpose, but ultimately helps stakeholders — including managers, employees, investors and lenders — evaluate a company’s performance. Here’s an overview of each report and a critical question it answers. 1. Income statement: Is the company growing and profitable? The income statement (also known as the profit and loss statement) [...]

Businesses need financial information that’s accurate, relevant and timely. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires publicly traded companies to follow U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), often considered the “gold standard” in financial reporting in the United States. But privately held companies can use simplified alternative accounting methods. What’s right for your business depends on its size, regulatory and contractual requirements, management’s future plans and [...]

Your not-for-profit may prefer to avoid activities that subject it to unrelated business income tax (UBIT). But if you accept advertising or sponsorships that aren’t substantially related to your tax-exempt purpose, you may unwittingly expose your organization to UBIT liability. The rules governing these types of support are complicated, so it’s important to have a basic understanding of what is and what isn’t potentially taxable. [...]

If you’re planning your estate, or you’ve recently inherited assets, you may be unsure of the “cost” (or “basis”) for tax purposes. The current rules 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 grandmother bought stock in 1935 for [...]