DOs and DON’Ts to help protect your business expense deductions
June 25, 2025 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
How to help protect your business expense deductions and to stand up to an IRS inspection.
Read MoreLong-term approach to insurance documentation
August 8, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
After insurance policies expire, many businesses just throw away the paper copies and delete the digital files. But you may need to produce evidence of certain kinds of insurance even after the coverage period has expired. For this reason, it’s best to take a long-term approach to certain types of policies. Occurrence-based insurance Generally, the […]
Businesses can utilize the info IRS auditors use
July 25, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
The IRS uses Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs) to help IRS examiners get ready for audits. Your business can use the same guides to gain insight into what the IRS is looking for in terms of compliance with tax laws and regulations. Many ATGs target specific industries or businesses, such as construction, aerospace, art galleries, child […]
“Nanny Tax” must be paid for more than just nannies
July 25, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
You may have heard of the “nanny tax.” But even if you don’t employ a nanny, it may apply to you. Hiring a housekeeper, gardener or other household employee (who isn’t an independent contractor) may make you liable for federal income and other taxes. You may also have state tax obligations. If you employ a […]
Run your strategic-planning meetings like they matter
July 25, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
Many businesses struggle to turn abstract strategic-planning ideas into concrete, actionable plans. One reason why is simple: ineffective meetings. The ideas are there, lurking in the minds of management and key employees, but the process for hashing them out just doesn’t work. Here are a few ways to run your strategic-planning meetings like they really […]
It’s a good time to buy business equipment
July 25, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
There’s good news about the Section 179 depreciation deduction for business property. The election has long provided a tax windfall to businesses, enabling them to claim immediate deductions for qualified assets, instead of taking depreciation deductions over time. And it was increased and expanded by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Even better, the […]
Summer: A good time to review your investments
July 25, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
You may have heard about a proposal in Washington to cut the taxes paid on investments by indexing capital gains to inflation. Under the proposal, the purchase price of assets would be adjusted so that no tax is paid on the appreciation due to inflation. While the fate of such a proposal is unknown, the […]
The 1-2-3 of Business 2 Business marketing plans
July 25, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
Does your business market its products or services to other companies? Or might it start doing so in the future? If so, it’s critical to recognize the key differences between marketing to the public — or even certain segments of the public — and business-to-business (B2B) marketing. Whereas wide-scale marketing campaigns generally need to be […]
M&A transactions: Avoid surprises from the IRS
July 24, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
If you’re considering buying or selling a business — or you’re in the process of a merger or acquisition — it’s important that both parties report the transaction to the IRS in the same way. Otherwise, you may increase your chances of being audited. If a sale involves business assets (as opposed to stock or […]
Volunteering for charity: Do you get a tax break?
July 24, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
If you’re a volunteer who works for charity, you may be entitled to some tax breaks if you itemize deductions on your tax return. Unfortunately, they may not amount to as much as you think your generosity is worth. Because donations to charity of cash or property generally are tax deductible for itemizers, it may […]
Is your accounting software living up to the hype?
July 24, 2019 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
Accounting software typically sells itself as much more than simple spreadsheet or ledger. The products tend to pride themselves on being comprehensive accounting information systems — depending on the price point, of course. So, is your accounting software living up to the hype? If not, there are a couple of relatively simple steps you can […]