Category: Auto Dealerships

On June 21, 2018, The U.S. Supreme Court issued its highly anticipated decision in the South Dakota v. Wayfair case. The verdict declared that states can impose sales tax nexus without requiring a seller’s physical presence in the state and will have significant implications for all sellers, including automotive suppliers. This decision overturns the Supreme Court precedent in Quill Corp. v. Dakota, which required retailers to have a physical presence in a state before it could compel the seller to… Read more ›

It is very likely that in the past week you have received at least one, if not multiple, phishing emails containing malicious attachments or requesting large-scale wire transfers. As cyberattacks evolve and hackers become more sophisticated, cybersecurity is now more important than ever. Reaching the highest figures to date, the Identity Theft Resource Center reported 1,579 data breaches and 179 million records compromised nationwide in 2017. Hacking (which includes phishing, ransomware/malware, and skimming) continues to rank as the highest attack… Read more ›

  Leveraging Data Analytics to Gain Unique Insights The concept of leveraging data analytics is nothing new. But how many dealerships are effectively using data to manage their business? Effectively is the operative word here. For years, many industries, including automotive, have collected data and ran analytics to uncover insights and trends that would be useful in future decision making. Today, new technologies are making it possible for businesses to collect and process data faster than ever before. Imagine if… Read more ›

Self-driving cars are currently being tested on restricted roads in California, Texas, Arizona, Washington, Pennsylvania and Michigan. Predictions for fully autonomous vehicles vary depending on the source, but many experts project that by 2035, 21 million self-driving cars will be on U.S. roads. It appears to be a matter of when, not if, electrification will dominate the industry. To match the private sectors pace of innovation, the U.S. Department of Transportation released new guidelines for autonomous driving systems. The document,… Read more ›

The tax reform legislation that Congress signed into law on December 22, 2017, was the largest change to the tax system in over 3 decades. The new tax code contains many provisions that will impact everyone, including dealerships. While some provisions will be welcome, others will add a new level of complexity. Dealerships must be mindful of how these changes will impact their dealerships. The key to staying ahead of these changes is awareness and planning. One of the more… Read more ›

Certain businesses ― including auto dealerships ― are subject to the Safeguards Rule, which was designed by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to protect customer information from being shared inappropriately as required by the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. Warning The FTC has issued a warning to auto dealers stating that the agency does not conduct onsite investigations for privacy violations. This is in response to situations where frauds posed as FTC agents, presumably to gain access to customer information. Practically speaking, however,… Read more ›

John Comunale, CPA and Richard Morris, CPA, MST, respectively director of auto dealer services and tax services at CBM – Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C. will speak about the impact of the new tax legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, on auto dealerships throughout the Washington, DC metropolitan region. The presentation will be hosted by the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association, the capital region’s auto dealership association that advocates on behalf of franchised auto dealers, their employees and… Read more ›

The 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season was one of the busiest and most destructive hurricane seasons on record. When a catastrophic event, such as a hurricane, strikes it can severely affect your dealership operations. According to an analysis by Cox Automotive, approximately 400,000 vehicles will need to be replaced after Hurricane Irma ripped through Florida. Hurricane Harvey added to the damage, destroying 300,000 to 500,000 vehicles in Houston. Normally, when business owners think about the effects of a disaster, they envision… Read more ›

John Comunale, senior vice president and director of automotive industry services at Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C. (CBM), will participate in the fall meeting of the National Alliance of Auto Dealer Advisors (NAADA) on November 1-3, 2017. CBM is a long-time member of NAADA, a national network of accounting and business consulting firms dedicated to the financial and operational management success of their auto dealer clients. The fall meeting will include the following speakers and topics: Tax Legislative Update, Rick… Read more ›

Findings from our first nationwide survey revealed that auto dealers, like other professions, are pushing succession planning back by more than 5 years. Furthermore, nearly 50 percent of the dealerships surveyed admitted that while succession is important, they haven’t dealt with it yet. Unlike other studies you may find in the market, our succession planning survey focused on the state of the mind of dealership owners, rather than the hard metrics of retiring dealership owners. In response to the survey… Read more ›