Double duty giving with charitable gift annuities
If you’re charitably inclined, you may wish to consider a charitable gift annuity. It can combine the benefits of an immediate income tax deduction and a lifetime income stream. Furthermore, it allows you to support a favorite charity and reduce the size of your future taxable estate. What is it? A charitable gift annuity is […]
Trust is an essential building block of today’s websites
When business use of websites began, getting noticed was the name of the game. Remember pop-up ads? Text scrolling up the screen? How about those mesmerizing rotating banners? Yes, there were — and remain — a variety of comical and some would say annoying ways to get visitors’ attention. Nowadays, most Internet users are savvy […]
Transitioning to remote audits
Are you comfortable communicating electronically with your auditors? If so, a logical next step might be to transition from on-site audit procedures to a more “remote” approach. Remote audits can help reduce the time and cost of preparing audited financial statements. 21st century audits Traditionally, audit fieldwork has involved a team of auditors camping out […]
21st century estate planning accounts for digital assets
Even though you can’t physically touch digital assets, they’re just as important to include in your estate plan as your material assets. Digital assets may include online bank and brokerage accounts, digital photo galleries, and even email and social media accounts. If you die without addressing these assets in your estate plan, your loved ones […]
3 keys to a successful accounting system upgrade
Technology is tricky. Much of today’s software is engineered so well that it will perform adequately for years. But new and better features are being created all the time. And if you’re not getting as much out of your financial data as your competitors are, you could be at a disadvantage. For these reasons, it […]
Consider these financial reporting issues before going private
Issuing stock on the public markets isn’t right for every business. Some public companies decide to delist — or “go private” — often due to the high costs of complying with the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). But going private can be nearly as complex as going public, so it’s important to […]
Finding a 401(k) that’s right for your business
By and large, today’s employees expect employers to offer a tax-advantaged retirement plan. A 401(k) is an obvious choice to consider, but you may not be aware that there are a variety of types to choose from. Let’s check out some of the most popular options: Traditional. Employees contribute on a pretax basis, with the […]
Is it time to adopt the new hedge accounting principles?
Implementing changes in accounting rules can be a real drag. But the new hedge accounting standard may be an exception to this generality. Many companies welcome this update and may even want to adopt it early, because the new rules are more flexible and attempt to make hedging strategies easier to report on financial statements. […]
Using analytical procedures in an audit provides many benefits
Analytical procedures can make audits more efficient and effective. First, they can help during the planning and review stages of the audit. But analytics can have an even bigger impact when used to supplement substantive testing during fieldwork. Defining audit analytics AICPA auditing standards define analytical procedures as “evaluations of financial information through analysis of […]
Choosing the best business entity structure post-TCJA
For tax years beginning in 2018 and beyond, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) created a flat 21% federal income tax rate for C corporations. Under prior law, C corporations were taxed at rates as high as 35%. The TCJA also reduced individual income tax rates, which apply to sole proprietorships and pass-through entities, […]
