The S corporation business structure offers many advantages, including limited liability for owners and no double taxation (at least at the federal level). But not all businesses are eligible - and, with the new 21% flat income tax rate that now applies to C corporations, S corps may not be quite as...

Financial statements help investors and lenders monitor a company’s performance. However, financial statements may not provide a full picture of financial health. What’s undisclosed could be just as significant as the disclosures. Here’s how a CPA can help stakeholders identify unrecorded items eith...

One of the most common ways that crooked employees defraud their employers is by cheating on or padding expense reimbursement reports. Fortunately, you can stop this type of fraud with strict controls and by punishing the perpetrators.

Plenty of ways to cheat
Employees often cheat on their reimburseme...

Strategic planning is key to ensuring every company’s long-term viability, and goal setting is an indispensable step toward fulfilling those plans. Unfortunately, businesses often don’t accomplish their overall strategic plans because they’re unable to fully reach the various goals necessary to get ...

A not-for-profit’s growth stage generally starts two or three years after formation and continues until maturity at around age 7. This period comes with a sense of accomplishment and the opportunity to refine and expand, but these “adolescent” years can pose challenges as well.

Board shifts
Perhaps th...

Meal, vehicle and travel expenses are common deductions for businesses. But if you don’t properly document these expenses, you could find your deductions denied by the IRS. 

A critical requirement
Subject to various rules and limits, business meal (generally 50%), vehicle and travel expenses may ...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) provides a valuable new tax break to non corporate owners of pass-through entities: a deduction for a portion of qualified business income (QBI). The deduction generally applies to income from sole proprietorship, partnerships, S corporations and, typically, limited ...

For tax years beginning in 2018 and beyond, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) created a flat 21% federal income tax rate for C corporations. Under prior law, C corporations were taxed at rates as high as 35%. The TCJA also reduced individual income tax rates, which apply to sole proprietorship and pa...

Are you comfortable communicating electronically with your auditors? If so, a logical next step might be to transition from on-site audit procedures to a more “remote” approach. Remote audits can help reduce the time and cost of preparing audited financial statements. 

21st century audits
Traditi...

In June, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced “Operation Main Street: Stopping Small Business Scams,” a partnership between federal and state authorities and the Better Business Bureau. The initiative supports what fraud experts have long known: Small businesses can be easy targets for scams...