News and Posts

The statement of cash flows essentially tells you about cash entering and leaving a business. It’s arguably the most misunderstood and underappreciated part of a company’s annual report. After all, a business that reports positive net income on its income statements sometimes doesn’t have enough cash in the bank to pay its bills. Reviewing the statement of cash flows can provide significant insight into a [...]

Are you a business owner thinking about hiring? Be aware that a recent law extended a credit for hiring individuals from one or more targeted groups. Employers can qualify for a tax credit known as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) that’s worth as much as $2,400 for each eligible employee ($4,800, $5,600 and $9,600 for certain veterans and $9,000 for “long-term family assistance recipients”). [...]

While many businesses have been forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some entrepreneurs have started new small businesses. Many of these people start out operating as sole proprietors. Here are some tax rules and considerations involved in operating with that entity. The pass-through deduction To the extent your business generates qualified business income (QBI), you’re eligible to claim the pass-through or QBI deduction, [...]

Events of the past year put a dent in many not-for-profit’s reserves. Perhaps you tapped this stash to buy personal protective equipment or to pay staffers’ salaries when your budget no longer proved adequate. As the pandemic wanes and economic conditions improve, you’ll need to start thinking about rebuilding your operating reserves. Back on steady ground Assembling an adequate operating reserve takes time and should [...]

Congress has passed the latest legislation aimed at providing economic and other relief from the COVID-19 pandemic that has haunted the country for the last year. President Biden is expected to sign the 628-page American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which includes $1.9 trillion in funding for individuals, businesses, and state and local governments. The ARPA extends and expands some of the critical provisions in the [...]

April 15 is not only the deadline for filing your 2020 tax return, it’s also the deadline for the first quarterly estimated tax payment for 2021, if you’re required to make one. You may have to make estimated tax payments if you receive interest, dividends, alimony, self-employment income, capital gains, prize money or other income. If you don’t pay enough tax during the year through [...]

If you’re approaching retirement, you probably want to ensure the money you’ve saved in retirement plans lasts as long as possible. If so, be aware that a law was recently enacted that makes significant changes to retirement accounts. The SECURE Act, which was signed into law in late 2019, made a number of changes of interest to those nearing retirement. You can keep making traditional [...]

Breakeven analysis can be useful when investing in new equipment, launching a new product or analyzing the effects of a cost reduction plan. During the COVID-19 pandemic, however, many struggling companies are using it to evaluate how much longer they can afford to keep their doors open. Fixed vs. variable costs Breakeven can be explained in a few different ways using information from your company’s [...]

The use of audit analytics can help during the planning and review stages of the audit. But analytics can have an even bigger impact when these procedures are used to supplement substantive testing during fieldwork. Definition of “analytics” Auditors use analytical procedures to evaluate financial information by assessing relationships among financial and nonfinancial data. Examples of analytical tests include: Trend analysis, Ratio analysis, Reasonableness testing, [...]

When filing your tax return, is it better to take the standard deduction or claim itemized deductions? It depends. The standard deduction changes yearly and is based on filing status and age. Itemizing requires more calculations but can save taxes if the total deductions exceed the standard deduction. Those most likely to benefit from itemizing are those who pay state and local income tax, mortgage [...]

If your business accepts large cash transactions, you may have to report them to the IRS. Generally, a business that receives more than $10,000 in one cash transaction or related transactions must file Form 8300 (Report of Cash Payments over $10,000). Though many cash transactions are legitimate, information on Form 8300 can help the government thwart those who would evade taxes, profit from drug trading, [...]

In Notice 2021-20, the IRS provides guidance on claiming the employee retention tax credit for calendar quarters in 2020. The guidance clarifies details about the credit and describes retroactive changes made under a law enacted recently. Among other things, the guidance explains whether an employer that received a Paycheck Protection Program loan can also claim the employee retention credit for 2020. The notice also explains [...]

The tax filing season is in full swing and a new report is predicting potential problems. A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report has concluded that the IRS “has not fully identified and assessed all risks to the 2021 filing season consistent with enterprise risk management (ERM) practices.” As described in the report, the essential elements of ERM are aligning the ERM process to goals and [...]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are working from home. If you’re self-employed and run your business from your home or perform certain functions there, you might be able to claim deductions for home office expenses against your business income. There are two methods for claiming this tax break: the actual expenses method and the simplified method. Who qualifies? In general, you qualify for home [...]