Ensure competitive intelligence efforts are helpful, not harmful
April 22, 2021 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
With so many employees working remotely these days, engaging in competitive intelligence has never been easier. The Internet as a whole, and social media specifically, create a data-rich environment in which you can uncover a wide variety of information on what your competitors are up to. All you or an employee need do is open […]
Know the ins and outs of “reasonable compensation”
April 19, 2021 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
Owners of incorporated businesses know that there’s a tax advantage to taking money out of a C corporation as compensation rather than as dividends. The reason: A corporation can deduct the salaries and bonuses that it pays executives reasonable compensation, but not dividend payments. Thus, if funds are paid as dividends, they’re taxed twice, once […]
Changes to PTC could increase penalty risk
April 14, 2021 | Megan Kosciolek, MST
The premium tax credit (PTC) is a refundable credit that helps individuals and families pay for insurance obtained from a Health Insurance Marketplace (commonly known as an “Exchange”). A provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) created the credit. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law in March 2021, made several significant enhancements […]
Simple retirement savings options for your small business
April 14, 2021 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
Are you thinking about setting up a retirement savings plan for yourself and your employees, but you’re worried about the financial commitment and administrative burdens involved in providing a traditional pension plan? Two options to consider are a “simplified employee pension” (SEP) or a “savings incentive match plan for employees” (SIMPLE). SEPs are intended as […]
Providing optimal IT support for remote employees
April 7, 2021 | Ryan Burke, CPA, MSF
If you were to ask your IT staff about how tech support for remote employees is going, they might say something along the lines of, “Fantastic! Never better!” However, if you asked remote workers the same question about IT support, their response could be far less enthusiastic. This was among the findings of a report […]
EIDL loans, offer relief to struggling small businesses
March 31, 2021 | Megan Kosciolek, MST
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), signed into law in early March, aims at offering widespread financial relief to individuals and employers adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The law specifically targets small businesses in many of its provisions. If you own a small company, you may want to explore funding via the Small Business […]
Is an S corporation the best choice for your business?
March 22, 2021 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
Are you thinking about launching a business with some partners and wondering what type of entity to form? An S corporation may be the most suitable form of business for your new venture. Here’s an explanation of the reasons why. The biggest advantage of an S corporation over a partnership is that as S corporation […]
COVID-19 relief law extends employee retention credit
March 17, 2021 | Megan Kosciolek, MST
Many businesses have retained employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and enjoyed tax relief with the help of the employee retention credit (ERC). The recent signing of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) brings good news: the ERC has been extended yet again. The original credit As originally introduced under last year’s CARES Act, the employee […]
Sales process: 5 ways to streamline and energize
March 11, 2021 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
The U.S. economy is still a far cry from where it was before the COVID-19 pandemic hit about a year ago. Nonetheless, as vaccination efforts continue to ramp up, many experts expect stronger jobs growth and more robust economic activity in the months ahead. No matter what your business does, you don’t want your sales […]
Tax considerations when launching a new small business
March 9, 2021 | Brian Hare, CPA, CGMA
While many businesses have been forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some entrepreneurs have begun launching a new small business. Many of these people start out operating as sole proprietors. Here are some tax rules and considerations involved in operating with that entity. The pass-through deduction To the extent your business generates qualified […]