How the new SECURE 2.0 law may affect your business
If your small business has a retirement plan, and even if it doesn’t, you may see changes and benefits from a new law. The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement 2.0 Act (SECURE 2.0) was recently signed into law. Provisions in the law will kick in over several years. SECURE 2.0 is meant to […]
Have employees who receive tips? Here are the tax implications
Many businesses in certain industries employ individuals who receive tips as part of their compensation. These businesses include restaurants, hotels and salons. Tip definition Tips are optional payments that customers make to employees who perform services. They can be cash or noncash. Cash tips include those received directly from customers, electronically paid tips distributed to […]
Answers to your questions about 2023 limits on individual taxes
Many people are more concerned about their 2022 tax bills right now than they are about their 2023 tax situations. That’s understandable because your 2022 individual tax return is due to be filed in 10 weeks (unless you file an extension). However, it’s a good time to familiarize yourself with tax amounts that may have […]
Why you might want to file early and answers to other tax season questions
The IRS announced it opened the 2023 individual income tax return filing season on January 23. That’s when the agency began accepting and processing 2022 tax year returns. Even if you typically don’t file until much closer to the mid-April deadline (or you file for an extension), consider filing earlier this year. The reason is […]
Sailing a steady ship in today’s interesting economy
Business owners: If you’re having trouble reading the U.S. economy, you’re not alone. On the one hand, the January 2023 jobs report revealed that the unemployment rate had fallen to 3.4%, its lowest level in 54 years. And inflation, while still a concern, has moderated in most sectors — staving off fears of a recession […]
Look to a SWOT analysis to make better HR decisions
Many business owners spend most of their time developing strategic plans, overseeing day-to-day operations and, of course, putting out fires. Yet an underlying source of both opportunity and trouble can be human resources (HR). Think about it: The performance of your HR department determines who works for you, how well employees are supported, and to what […]
3 ways your business can uncover cost cuts
Every business wants to find them, but they sure don’t make it easy. We’re talking about cost cuts: clear and substantial ways to lower expenses, thereby strengthening cash flow and giving you a better shot at strong profitability. Obvious places to slash costs — such as wages, benefits and overhead — often aren’t a viable […]
Is now the time for your small business to launch a retirement plan?
Many small businesses start out as “lean enterprises,” with costs kept to a minimum to lower risks and maximize cash flow. But there comes a point in the evolution of many companies — particularly in a tight job market — when investing money in employee benefits becomes advisable, if not downright mandatory. Is now the […]
Renting to a relative? Watch out for tax traps
If you own a home and rent it to a relative, you may be surprised to find out there could be tax consequences. Quick rundown of the rules Renting out a home or apartment that you own may result in a tax loss for you, even if the rental income is more than your operating […]
Employers should be wary of ERC claims that are too good to be true
The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) was a valuable tax credit that helped employers that kept workers on staff during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the credit is no longer available, eligible employers that haven’t yet claimed it might still be able to do so by filing amended payroll returns for tax years 2020 […]
