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Category: Private Business

March 6, 2024

Corporate Transparency Act Ruled Unconstitutional by Federal District Court

On March 1, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled that the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was unconstitutional. In response to this ruling, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has indicated that it will comply with the ruling for as long as it remains in effect, and that this ruling only applies to the plaintiffs in the case.  Since this ruling is limited to the plaintiffs in the case, other reporting companies should continue to comply… Read more ›

February 28, 2024

Independent Contractor vs. Employee Status: The DOL Issues New Final Rule

The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) test for determining whether a worker should be classified as an independent contractor or an employee for purposes of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has been revised several times over the past decade. Now, the DOL is implementing a new final rule rescinding the employer-friendly test that was developed under the Trump administration. The new, more employee-friendly rule takes effect March 11, 2024. Role of the New Final Rule Even though the DOL’s final… Read more ›

December 21, 2023

Businesses: Do You Have to Comply With the New Corporate Transparency Act Reporting Rules?

 UPDATE: On March 1, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama ruled that the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) was unconstitutional. In response to this ruling, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has since indicated that it will comply with the ruling for as long as it remains in effect, and that this ruling only applies to the plaintiffs in the case. Click here to read more. Your business may soon have to meet new reporting requirements… Read more ›

February 2, 2023

Help the Disabled and Your Business

Here’s a tax break you might not have considered: Your business could be eligible for a tax credit for money you spend to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The law requires companies with 15 or more employees to make reasonable accommodations in the workplace for disabled employees. (Reasonable accommodations must be made on a case-by-case basis and are not required when the cost would cause an undue hardship.) Eligible small businesses can claim a credit equal… Read more ›

January 23, 2023

Structured Settlements: A Creative Way to Finance Business Sales

Structured settlements are commonly associated with the payment of personal injury damages because of their advantageous tax-free treatment. But some business purchases and buyouts can also benefit from structured settlements using annuity payments from an insurance company. While payments from these non-personal injury cases aren’t tax-exempt, the recipient (the seller of the business) only owes taxes on the amount of money received each year. Financing Alternatives To illustrate when structured settlements might work, suppose a buyer of a private business… Read more ›

December 12, 2022

Protecting Your Money-Saving Use of Independent Contractors

Chances are, your construction business hires independent contractors, rather than employees, to perform some of the work. These arrangements obviously save your company a lot of time, money and headaches. Take a look at some of the recordkeeping and financial differences: With anEmployee: With an IndependentContractor: You must pay the employer’s half of FICA, as well as federal unemployment tax (FUTA). You generally don’t have to withhold taxes from the worker’s pay, you don’t owe the employer’s portion of FICA… Read more ›

December 7, 2022

Financial Reporting Check-Up: How Fiscally Fit Is Your Company?

Comprehensive financial statements prepared under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) include three reports: the balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows. Together these reports can be powerful diagnostic tools to help evaluate the financial well-being of a business. Moreover, by carefully analyzing them, you may be able to uncover potential money-management problems or even fraudulent activity. Balance Sheets Show Assets vs. Liabilities The balance sheet provides a snapshot of a company’s financial health at a moment in… Read more ›

October 7, 2022

Quick Reference: Cyber Liability Insurance

Quick References are high-level insights about critical issues and concerns facing your organization. Our outsourced accounting and advisory group is available to help you implement solutions. Click here to view other Quick References and to sign up for email alerts when future Quick References are released. Standard business insurance policies may provide coverage for certain types of cyber incidents. For instance, if you lose electronic data as a result of a computer virus or hardware failure, your insurance may pay recovery… Read more ›

October 3, 2022

Quick Reference: Simplifying the New Lease Standard

Quick References are high-level insights about critical issues and concerns facing your organization. Our outsourced accounting and advisory group is available to help you implement solutions. Click here to view other Quick References and to sign up for email alerts when future Quick References are released. What is the new lease standard? The new lease standard is intended to account for all lease obligations on financial statements, rather than excluding operating leases as has been the standard. This change ensures… Read more ›

September 26, 2022

Fight Back Against Internal Fraud

Internal fraud drains more than $4.7 trillion annually from global businesses, according to an estimate by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). The median loss from internal fraud at companies in the construction industry is $203,000, according to ACFE’s latest Report to the Nations. Construction experiences the fourth largest median losses of any industry (the median loss for all businesses is $117,000). Although companies can experience pilferage from customers, vendors and other sources, employees account for the highest losses,… Read more ›