The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) Wage and Hour Division recently posted additional guidance regarding paid sick and emergency childcare leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Much of the guidance offers details and clarifications on the calculation of paid leave, including: How to calculate an employee’s regular rate of compensation, Whether the […]
Financial statements aren’t particularly meaningful without a relevant basis of comparison. There are two types of “benchmarks” that a company’s financials can be compared to — its own historical performance and the performance of other comparable businesses. Before you conduct a benchmarking study, however, it’s important to make normalizing adjustments to avoid any misleading comparisons. […]
If you have outstanding loans to your children, grandchildren, or other family members, consider forgiving those loans to take advantage of the current, record-high $11.58 million gift and estate tax exemption. Bear in mind that in 2026, the exemption amount will revert to $5 million ($10 million for married couples), indexed for inflation. Under the […]
Many people’s estates typically include IRAs. Be aware that two major laws, the Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, have had a direct effect on IRAs. In a nutshell, the CARES Act waives required minimum distribution (RMD) rules for IRAs (and certain […]
The U.S. Department of Labor issued temporary regulations implementing the emergency paid sick and family leave provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Here are some highlights of the impact those regulations may have on group health plans. Maintenance of coverage Employers must […]
Many businesses were unprepared when the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic required them to close their physical offices and shift to remote operations. Your company, for example, may have had to scramble to set up a virtual private network (VPN) or move files to the cloud. And while adapting to working from home, employees may have […]
The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused the value of some retirement accounts to decrease because of the stock market downturn, but if you have a traditional IRA, this downturn may provide a valuable opportunity. It may allow you to convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA at a lower tax cost. The key differences […]
The CARES Act contains several tax-related provisions for businesses hit by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Those provisions will also have an impact on financial reporting. Companies that issue financial statements under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) are required to follow Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) Topic 740, Income Taxes. This complicated guidance requires companies to report […]
By Nicholas Sanchez, Partner, Tax Attorney On Friday, April 24, 2020, President Trump signed the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (H.R. 266, known as COVID 3.5), which provides additional funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a relief program created under the CARES Act previously enacted on March 27, 2020. There […]
by Michael Kaplan | On Friday, April 24, 2020, President Trump signed into law a $484 billion relief package that authorizes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to spend an additional $310 billion; however, based on the number of applications that have already been submitted, experts suspect these new funds will run out just as quickly […]
The Los Angeles Business Journal recognized Kami Cohen among the 2020 Top Minority CPAs.
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the resulting economic fallout is dealing a crushing blow to charitable organizations. Indeed, during a time when food banks, disaster relief and other nonprofit services are needed most by the public, their funding is suffering due to cancelled fundraising events and other factors. If philanthropy is an important part […]