If you’re like many Americans, letters from your favorite charities may be appearing in your mailbox acknowledging your 2020 donations. But what happens if you haven’t received such a letter — can you still claim a deduction for the gift on your 2020 income tax return? It depends. What is required To support a charitable […]
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) recently announced the 2021 annual adjustments to civil monetary penalties for a wide range of benefits-related violations. Legislation enacted in 2015 requires annual adjustments to certain penalty amounts by January 15 of each year. The 2021 adjustments are effective for penalties assessed after January 15, 2021, with respect to violations occurring […]
One of the most common routes for occupational fraud perpetrators runs through the accounts receivable department. Unless you’re aware of these schemes and take steps to prevent them, your business could face serious financial losses. Creative misappropriation Receivables fraud occurs when dishonest employees divert customer payments for their personal use. The most popular method is […]
Many people are more concerned about their 2020 tax bills right now than they are about their 2021 tax situations. That’s understandable because your 2020 individual tax return is due to be filed in less than three months (unless you file an extension). However, it’s a good idea to acquaint yourself with tax amounts that […]
IMC Licensing’s The Brand Licensing Podcast recently sat down with Miller Kaplan’s head of Licensing & Royalties, Vincent Leoni, CPA, to discuss a range of topics from royalties to GMRs. You can listen on IMC’s website, or check it out on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. You can find the transcript on IMC’s website as well.
Life insurance has long provided a source of liquidity to pay estate taxes and other expenses. Even though for many families, federal and state estate taxes aren’t a concern, life insurance continues to offer many benefits for these nontaxable estates. For this reason, it’s important to properly account for your life insurance policies in your […]
If your not-for-profit has lost financial support during the pandemic, you may be looking for ways to raise new revenue. But if your proposed solution is a side business, be careful. Even when business ventures are related to a nonprofit’s exempt purpose, they can run afoul of the commerciality doctrine — and jeopardize an organization’s […]
Although electric vehicles (or EVs) are a small percentage of the cars on the road today, they’re increasing in popularity all the time. And if you buy one, you may be eligible for a federal tax break. The tax code provides a credit to purchasers of qualifying plug-in electric drive motor vehicles including passenger vehicles […]
The footnotes to your company’s financial statements give investors and lenders insight into account balances, accounting practices and potential risk factors — knowledge that’s vital to making well-informed business and investment decisions. Here are four important issues that you should cover in your footnote disclosures. 1. Unreported or contingent liabilities A company’s balance sheet might […]
Many business owners generate financial statements, at least in part, because lenders and other stakeholders demand it. You’re likely also aware of how insightful properly prepared financial statements can be — especially when they follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. But how can you best extract these useful insights? One way is to view your financial […]
In late January, the IRS updated Notice 2020-65. It provides guidance regarding an executive memorandum signed last summer that allowed employers to defer the withholding, deposit and payment of certain payroll tax obligations in 2020. The update reflects the changed deferral rules contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA). A brief history On August 8, 2020, a […]
If you have a traditional IRA or tax-deferred retirement plan account, you probably know that you must take required minimum distributions (RMDs) when you reach a certain age — or you’ll be penalized. The CARES Act, which passed last March, allowed people to skip taking these withdrawals in 2020 but now that we’re in 2021, […]