Meals, entertainment and transportation may cost businesses more under the TCJA

  Along with tax rate reductions and a new deduction for pass-through qualified business income, the new tax law brings the reduction or elimination of tax deductions for certain business expenses. Two expense areas where the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) changes the rules — and not to businesses’ benefit — are meals/entertainment and […]

Life insurance can be a powerful estate planning tool for nontaxable estates

For years, life insurance has played a critical role in estate planning, providing a source of liquidity to pay estate taxes and other expenses. It’s been particularly valuable for business owners, whose families might not have the liquid assets they need to pay estate taxes without selling the business. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs […]

Light a beacon to your business with a mission statement

  Every company, big or small, should have a mission statement. Why? When carefully conceived and well written, a mission statement can serve as a beacon to the world — letting everyone know what the business stands for and where it’s headed. It can build customer loyalty and mobilize people behind a common cause. And […]

Unlock hidden cash from your balance sheet

  Need cash in a hurry? Here’s how business owners can look to their financial statements to improve cash flow. Receivables Many businesses turn first to their receivables when trying to drum up extra cash. For example, you could take a carrot-and-stick approach to your accounts receivable — offering early bird discounts to new or […]

Footnote disclosures are critical to transparent financial reporting

  Business owners often complain that they’re required to provide too many disclosures under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). But comprehensive financial statement footnotes contain a wealth of valuable information. Here are some examples of hidden risk factors that may be discovered by reading footnote disclosures. This information is good to know when evaluating […]