11 Jun 2020
0

Favorable Tax Changes to “Qualified Improvement Property”

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Favorable Tax Changes to Qualified Improvement Property

The law providing relief due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic contains a beneficial change in the tax rules for many improvements to interior parts of nonresidential buildings. This is referred to as qualified improvement property (QIP). You may recall that under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), any QIP placed in service after December 31, 2017 wasn’t considered to be eligible for 100% bonus depreciation. Therefore, the cost of QIP had to be deducted over a 39-year period rather than entirely in the year the QIP was placed in service. This was due to an inadvertent drafting mistake made by Congress. But the error is now fixed. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020...

03 Jun 2020
0

2019 Gift Tax Return Deadline is Coming Up

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Individual Tax Briefs
2019 Gift Tax Return Deadline is Coming Up

If you made large gifts to your children, grandchildren or other heirs last year, it’s important to determine whether you’re required to file a 2019 gift tax return. And in some cases, even if it’s not required to file one, it may be beneficial to do so anyway. Who must file? Generally, you must file a gift tax return for 2019 if, during the tax year, you made gifts: That exceeded the $15,000-per-recipient gift tax annual exclusion (other than to your U.S. citizen spouse), That you wish to split with your spouse to take advantage of your combined $30,000 annual exclusion, That exceeded the $155,000 annual exclusion for gifts to a non-citizen spouse, To a Section 529 college savings plan and wish to accelerate up to five...

03 Jun 2020
0

Determining a Reasonable Salary for a C Corporation Business Owner

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Determining a Reasonable Salary for a C Corporation Business Owner

If you’re the owner of an incorporated business, you probably know that there’s a tax advantage to taking money out of a C corporation as compensation rather than as dividends. The reason is simple. A corporation can deduct the salaries and bonuses that it pays executives, but not its dividend payments. Therefore, if funds are withdrawn as dividends, they’re taxed twice, once to the corporation and once to the recipient. Money paid out as compensation is taxed only once, to the employee who receives it. However, there’s a limit on how much money you can take out of the corporation this way. Under tax law, compensation can be deducted only to the extent that it’s reasonable. Any unreasonable portion isn’t deductible and, if paid to a...

25 May 2020
0

WOTC Extended Through 2020

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
WOTC Extended Through 2020

If you’re a business owner, be aware that a recent tax law extended a credit for hiring individuals from one or more targeted groups. Employers can qualify for a valuable tax credit known as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC).  The WOTC was set to expire on December 31, 2019. But a new law passed late last year sees WOTC extended through 2020. Generally, an employer is eligible for the credit for qualified wages paid to qualified members of these targeted groups: members of families receiving assistance under the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, veterans, ex-felons, designated community residents, vocational rehabilitation referrals, summer youth employees, members of families in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program, qualified Supplemental Security Income recipients, long-term family assistance recipients, and long-term unemployed...

25 May 2020
0

Don’t Get Shortchanged by a Liquidating Business

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Fraud Briefs
Dont Get Shortchanged by a Liquidating Business

Several major companies have already filed for bankruptcy during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis and many more large and small businesses are expected to follow suit.  Don't get shortchanged by a liquidating business. If you’re a creditor of a company that’s liquidating, it may be challenging to get back what you’re owed. That’s where a solvency opinion can help. An expert determines whether the company could meet its long-term interest and repayment obligations when it made — or didn’t make — payments to creditors. Examining the subject Solvency experts consider many issues when examining a business. But ultimately, the outcome of three tests enable an expert to determine solvency: Balance sheet. At the time of the transaction at issue, did the subject’s asset value exceed its...

19 May 2020
0

What the Fed?!?! (Round 2)

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Current Events, Economic Concepts
What the Fed (Round 2)

As  posted to Peak Prosperity.com   on 5/17/2020 Trailer (Run Time: 1 min, 47 sec) Creator-provided description: "Back in mid-January, Grant Williams, Mike Maloney, Charles Hugh Smith, Chris Martenson and Adam Taggart sat down for an in-depth discussion on the dangerous distortions to financial markets and the global economy that central bank intervention is causing. That video, titled WTF: What The Fed?! was released soon after the US Federal Reserve had added $200 billion dollars to its balance sheet in Q4 2019. At the time, we worried that so much liquidity being added to the system so quickly could recklessly exacerbate the extreme overvaluations in the markets, and further increase the instability of our over-indebted economy. Little could we have guessed that a global pandemic would soon ensue, one that...

19 May 2020
0

PPP Loan Forgiven Expenses Aren’t Deductible

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
PPP Loan Forgiven Expenses Aren't Deductible

Did you know that PPP loan forgiven expenses aren't deductible?  The IRS has issued guidance clarifying that certain deductions aren’t allowed if a business has received a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. Specifically, an expense isn’t deductible if both: The payment of the expense results in forgiveness of a loan made under the PPP, and The income associated with the forgiveness is excluded from gross income under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. PPP basics The CARES Act allows a recipient of a PPP loan to use the proceeds to pay payroll costs, certain employee healthcare benefits, mortgage interest, rent, utilities and interest on other existing debt obligations. A recipient of a covered loan can receive forgiveness of the loan in an amount equal to...

08 May 2020
0

Amending Returns for Retroactive COVID-19 Tax Relief

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Small Business Tax Briefs
Amending Returns for Retroactive COVID-19 Tax Relief

The $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) delivers meaningful tax relief to individuals and businesses. Some of that relief is retroactive, which can affect 2018 and 2019 returns that have already been filed. One retroactive provision can, in some cases, go all the way back to 2013.  Here is a summary of the CARES Act retroactive COVID-19 tax relief measures that can potentially benefit you or your business entity after amended returns have been prepared and filed. Taxpayer-friendly Rules for Deducting Net Operating Losses (NOLs) Business activities that generate tax losses can cause you or your business entity to have an NOL for the year. The CARES Act significantly liberalizes the NOL deduction rules and allows NOLs that arise in 2018–2020 to be...

03 May 2020
0

Protect Data and Build Trust with Customers

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Fraud Briefs
Protect Data and Build Trust with Customers

Every time your business interacts with customers is an opportunity to build trust. And it’s an opportunity you can’t afford to neglect. Look at customer data. When customers hand over personal and financial data to your company, they expect you to do everything in your power to protect it from hackers — as well as non-criminal third parties. If you don’t? Just look at some of the companies affected by major data breaches. Protect data and build trust with customers. Provide fraud notices Unless you run a cash-only business, you collect financial data from you customers every time you process transactions. If you offer credit accounts to business customers, you probably collect even more information. You’re obliged to ensure this data doesn’t fall into the hands of...

03 May 2020
0

When the Fraud Suspect is an Executive

Roger Rossmeisl, CPA
Fraud Briefs
When the Fraud Suspect is an Executive

Businesses and fraud experts often face a long, arduous process when investigating any occupational fraud incident. When the fraud suspect is an executive . . . a member of upper management . . . it’s exponentially harder. In theory, investigating executives shouldn’t differ from the process of investigating rank-and-file employees. In reality, the authority and influence of an executive can slow — even shut down — a fraud investigation. You need a plan to prevent interference and facilitate the collection of evidence that can be used in court, if necessary. Human element The first step is to brief the executive’s chain of command. As soon as allegations surface, work with your company’s human resources and legal departments to make the suspect’s superiors aware of the situation. If you...

ROGER ROSSMEISL, CPA

Kho & Patel CPAs
160 E. Arrow Highway
San Dimas, CA 91773

(714) 325-0442
roger@khopatel.com

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