January 2019
Refine your strategic plan with SWOT
With the year underway, your business probably has a strategic plan in place for the months ahead. Or maybe you’ve created a general outline but haven’t quite put the finishing touches on it yet.
Is your nonprofit ready for a raffle?
Raffles are popular fundraisers for not-for-profits. But they’re subject to strict tax rules.
Depreciation-related breaks on business real estate: What you need to know when you file your 2018 return
Commercial buildings and improvements generally are depreciated over 39 years, which essentially means you can deduct a portion of the cost every year over the depreci
Are your employees flying the red flags of fraud?
Forensic accountants are best qualified to unearth the “hows and whys” of occupational fraud.
Evaluating your audit committee
Under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the audit committee — not management or the full board of directors — is directly responsible for appointing, compensating and overseeing
Don’t let unemployment insurance fleece your nonprofit
Is your not-for-profit overpaying unemployment tax? Many employers are and don’t know it. Here’s how to find out and possibly reduce unemployment costs.
Slam the door on home energy scams
Deregulation of the energy industry was intended to give consumers a choice of electricity and natural gas providers — and an opportunity to save money.
Many tax-related limits affecting businesses increase for 2019
A variety of tax-related limits affecting businesses are annually indexed for inflation, and many have gone up for 2019.
Rental Real Estate Enterprises – Safe Harbor Rules to Qualify for 20% business income deduction
Michael MacDonald, CPA, Principal
M&A due diligence: Don’t accept financial statements at face value
The M&A market was hot last year, and that momentum is expected to continue in 2019.
The operating reserve is your nonprofit’s financial safety net
An operating reserve is an unrestricted and relatively liquid portion of a not-for-profit’s net assets.
Getting wise to the rise of “smart” buildings
Nowadays, data drives everything — including the very buildings in which companies operate.
Stop receivables fraud before it starts
From invoices and payments to discounts and write-offs, many business transactions are recorded to accounts receivable. This makes receivables a popular fraud target.
Higher mileage rate may mean larger tax deductions for business miles in 2019
This year, the optional standard mileage rate used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business increased by 3.5 cents, to the highest lev
How experts use tax returns to find hidden assets
Business owners engaged in fraudulent activities often try to manipulate their companies’ financial statements.
How do profits and cash flow differ?
Business owners sometimes mistakenly equate profits with cash flow.
2018 School District Financial Statement Summary
As we wrap up the June 30, 2018 audit cycle, we have summarized key financial information from our school district clients. With over 20 clients, we now have a signif
Charitable donations: Unraveling the mystery of motivation
Traditionally, Americans have supported charities not only for tax breaks and a vague sense of “giving back,” but also for a variety of other financial, emotional and
4 business functions you could outsource right now
One thing in plentiful supply in today’s business world is help.
Is there still time to pay 2018 bonuses and deduct them on your 2018 return?
There aren’t too many things businesses can do after a year end to reduce tax liability for that year.
4 ideas for fostering a partnership between internal and external auditors
External audits aren’t required for every business.
Are your volunteers putting your nonprofit at risk?
Not-for-profits that direct and benefit from the actions of their volunteers can be held accountable if those individuals are harmed or harm others on the job.
Fraudulent transfer laws could sabotage your estate plan
Estate planning aims to help individuals achieve several important goals — primary among them, transferring wealth to loved ones at the lowest possible tax cost.
Economic damages: Recovering what was lost
A business can suffer economic damages arising from a variety of illegal conduct.
Make sure the price is right with market research
The promise of the new year lies ahead. One way to help ensure it’s a profitable one is to re-evaluate your company’s pricing strategy.