Ideas & Insight

When the Small Business Administration (SBA) launched the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) last year, the program’s stated objective was “to provide a direct incentive for small businesses to keep their workers on the payroll.” However, according to federal officials, the recently issued second round of funding has distributed only a small percentage of the $15 billion […]

If your business sponsors a 401k plan, you might someday consider adding designated Roth contributions. Here are some factors to explore when deciding whether such a feature would make sense for your company and its employees. Key differences Roth contributions differ from other elective deferrals in two key tax respects. First, they’re irrevocably designated to […]

If you’re getting ready to file your 2020 tax return, and your tax bill is higher than you’d like, there might still be an opportunity to lower it. If you qualify, you can make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA right up until the April 15, 2021 filing date and benefit from the tax […]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people are working from home. If you’re self-employed and run your business from your home or perform certain functions there, you might be able to claim deductions for home office expenses against your business income with home office tax deductions. There are two methods for claiming this tax break: the […]

Merger and acquisition activity in many industries slowed during 2020 due to COVID-19. But analysts expect it to improve in 2021 as the country comes out of the pandemic. If you are considering buying or selling another business, it’s important to understand the tax implications. Two ways to arrange a deal Under current tax law, […]

If you’re like many Americans, letters from your favorite charities may be appearing in your mailbox acknowledging your donations in 2020. But what happens if you haven’t received such a letter — can you still claim a deduction for the gift on your 2020 income tax return? It depends. What is required To support a […]

Whether you sell directly to the buying public or engage primarily in B2B transactions, building customers’ trust in your website is more important than ever. The events of the past year have taught business owners many important lessons. One of them is that, when a crisis hits, customers turn on their computers and look to […]

On December 27, 2020, The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 (CAA) was signed into law. The new law enacted Section 2017 of The Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 (TCDTRA 2020). This Act extends the COVID-19 employee retention payroll tax credit to include wages paid during the period January 1, 2021 to June […]

Using a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis to frame an important business decision is a long-standing recommended practice. But don’t overlook other, broader uses that could serve your company well. Performance factors A SWOT analysis starts by spotlighting internal strengths and weaknesses that affect business performance. Strengths are competitive advantages or core competencies […]

A number of tax-related limits that affect businesses are annually indexed for inflation, and many have increased for 2021. Some stayed the same due to low inflation. And the deduction for business meals has doubled for this year after a new law was enacted at the end of 2020. Here’s a rundown of those that […]