Tax Alerts Archives - Wiss & Company, LLP

2022 Year-End Tax Planning for Individuals

Written on December 22, 2022. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa With rising interest rates, inflation and continuing market volatility, tax planning is as essential as ever for taxpayers looking to manage cash flow while paying the least amount of taxes. As we approach year-end, now is the time for individuals, business owners and family offices to review their 2022 and 2023 tax situations and identify opportunities for reducing, deferring or accelerating their tax obligations. The information contained within this article is...

What Does Biden’s Executive Order Mean for Crypto Reporting?

Written on March 10, 2022. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, Senior Tax Manager To further add to the “Crypto Crackdown,” yesterday, President Joe Biden signed the “Executive Order on Ensuring Responsible Development of Digital Assets” which set out his administration’s strategy to explore greater regulatory oversight of the digital asset market and prioritize the assessment of a Central Bank Digital Currency. The devil is most certainly in the details; however, this is the most wide-reaching effort...

Build Back Better Act: the Legislative Lull That Won’t Budge

Written on February 17, 2022. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

Last year was another busy legislative year with new administration taking office and tax laws being passed left and right. The American Rescue Plan was enacted back in March; the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was signed into law in November and last, but certainly not least we come to the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) which was the last piece of major legislation the Biden administration sought to enact in 2021. In the face of opposition by some moderate Democratic...

Significant Change to the Treatment of R&E Expenditures Now In Effect

Written on January 27, 2022. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

As 2022 kicks off and tax legislation continues to be stalled in Congress, the amendment to Internal Revenue Code (IRC) Section 174 originally introduced by the 2017 tax reform legislation, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), is now in effect. TCJA’s amendment to Section 174 requires U.S.-based and non-U.S-based research and experimental (R&E) expenditures to be capitalized and amortized over a period of five or 15 years, respectively, for amounts paid in tax years starting after...

Interim IRS Guidance on Research Credit Refund Claims

Written on January 25, 2022. Posted in General Business, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Frank Calabrese, Senior Tax Manager The IRS has released two pieces of interim guidance on its revised administrative policy regarding valid research credit refund claims, as originally announced on October 15, 2021. On January 3, 2022, the IRS issued procedural guidance for applying the revised administrative policy and, on January 5, the IRS published a corresponding set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) on the policy. Both the procedural guidance and the FAQs are effective...

Updated Reporting Requirements for NY Tax-Exempt Organizations

Written on January 13, 2022. Posted in Not For Profit, State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Eitan Balloul, Tax Manager, Not-for-Profit In November of 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul of New York signed bill A1141A/S4817A to repeal NY Executive § Law 172-b. This law required certain exempt organizations who were registered with the New York State Attorney General (Department of Law) to submit an additional filing with the New York Department of State. Executive § Law 172-b became effective on January 1, 2021, and to many Exempt Organizations, it meant the burden...

2021 Cryptocurrency Market: Year In Review

Written on December 29, 2021. Posted in Advisory Services, Cryptocurrency, Investing, Tax, Tax Alerts.

Interest in and adoption of cryptocurrency (“crypto”) has been at an all-time high in 2021. In the past year, there have been a number of new, game-changing developments in the space which we will summarize in this piece. In addition to a market update, we will also highlight the most common audit, tax, and advisory themes that our teams have been discussing with our clients. Market Update The crypto market exploded in early 2021, with bitcoin reaching an all-time high of $65k in...

2021 Year-End Tax Planning for Businesses

Written on December 20, 2021. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, Senior Tax Manager As the U.S. entered 2021, many assumed that newly elected President Joe Biden along with Democratic majorities in the House and Senate would swiftly enact tax increases on both corporations and individuals to pay for the cost of proposed new infrastructure and social spending plans, potentially using the budget reconciliation process to do so. Since then, various versions of tax and spending measures have been negotiated and...

2021 Year-End Tax Planning for Individuals

Written on December 14, 2021. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, Senior Tax Manager As we approach year-end, now is the time for individuals, business owners, and family offices to review their 2021 and 2022 tax situations and identify opportunities for reducing, deferring, or accelerating tax obligations. Areas potentially impacted by proposed tax legislation still in play should be reviewed, as well as applicable opportunities and relief granted under legislation enacted during the past year. The information...

Preparing for Tax Season

Written on November 16, 2021. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

New for tax year 2021/tax season 2022: The IRS just released on November 8th their tips for getting ready for the upcoming filing season. Now is the time to start and make a list of the tax documents you are expecting and use that list to cross off the items as you receive them. Also keep in mind if you receive certain documents electronically or by mail so you can be on the lookout for these items. You can use your prior year tax returns and records as a guide for what to expect....

Third Time’s the Charm?

Written on November 16, 2021. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

A third version of H.R. 5376 (the Build Back Better Act) was released on November 3, 2021 by the House Budget Committee. This draft increases the state and local tax deduction, brings back many of the retirement proposals from the original September 13 draft of the Build Back Better Act, and retains the surcharge on high-income individuals, estates and trusts from the October 28 version. Below is a summary of where things stand today. Income Tax State and Local Tax Deduction Individual...

R&D Tax Credits for the Technology & Software Industry

Written on November 9, 2021. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts, Technology.

Generate cash from your past and future investments to develop or improve software. If your company has paid for software to be developed or improved in the U.S., you may be eligible for federal and state R&D tax credits equaling up to 25% of qualified spending. If your company is financing such activities outside of the U.S., the incentives may be even greater. These dollar–for–dollar offsets against regular income tax liability have enabled many startup and mature businesses...

R&D Tax Credits for the Manufacturing Industry

Written on November 2, 2021. Posted in Engineering, State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

The manufacturing industry alone claims annual R&D tax credits in excess of $7.4 billion. Innovation is driving the manufacturing industry, and the objective of R&D tax credits is to encourage exactly the type of efforts that are at the core of Industry 4.0. You don’t have to be developing new products or engineering brand new manufacturing processes to qualify for the R&D tax credit. If your company is attempting to develop or improve manufacturing processes or products,...

R&D Tax Credits for the Life Sciences Industry

Written on October 26, 2021. Posted in Healthcare, State & Local Tax Services, Tax Alerts.

Generate cash from your past and future investments in developing or improving products, formulas or devices, or advancing medical and pharmaceutical technology. In recent years, the Life Sciences industry has been under heavy pressure to drive innovation in an environment of escalating R&D costs, increasing scientific complexity and enhanced regulatory scrutiny. If your company has worked to develop new or improved pharmaceuticals or medical devices, formulas or technology,...

R&D Tax Credits for the Healthcare Industry

Written on October 19, 2021. Posted in Healthcare, State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

Capitalizing on evolving patient care through past, present, and future innovation. R&D is likely to be a continued priority for the healthcare industry, as organizations in the space work to address the emerging needs of the aging population, respond to trends in telehealth and value-based care and fend off competition from new entrants, like Amazon, which has signaled that healthcare is a key priority for growth. If your organization has worked to develop a new or improved...

Heads Up, Restaurants: Federal Relief Could Trigger a Single Audit

Written on September 15, 2021. Posted in Assurance, Food & Beverage, General Business, State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Arnold Macalintal, Partner Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the restaurant industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic’s impacts, leading to spikes in business closures, continued capacity limitations, and unprecedented loss in both jobs and sales. However, many establishments were able to keep their doors open and continue to serve customers throughout the course of the pandemic with the help of federal aid issued through the CARES Act programs, Restaurant...

How Proposed Tax Law Changes Will Disrupt the Real Estate Industry

Written on August 12, 2021. Posted in Real Estate, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Alexander J. Narcise, Partner-in-Charge, Real Estate & Construction Services The American Families Plan, which the White House describes as “once‐in‐a‐generation” legislation, is designed to help families cover basic expenses such as health care, education, and childcare. The plan, announced in March, includes about $1 trillion in investments and $800 billion in tax cuts over ten years, paid for in part by higher taxes on those making $400,000 or more per year. The...

More NIL, More Taxes

Written on August 2, 2021. Posted in General Business, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, Senior Tax Manager Up until recently, you probably thought of “little” or (literally) “zero” when the word nil was used in a sentence. Over the past couple of months, however, the definition of this word has evolved into something much more meaningful. The term “NIL” is an acronym that stands for “name, image, and likeness” and is now the center of attention for college sports. So why all the hype? On July 1st, various state laws coupled with...

Exempt Organizations and Sales Tax

Written on June 9, 2021. Posted in Not For Profit, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Eitan Balloul, CPA, Tax Manager – Exempt Organizations & Fred Komarow, Tax Manager- SALT Many Tax-Exempt organizations are required to pay or to collect sales tax on certain transactions. Sales tax is governed and applied at the state and local level, which means that each state has its own rules and compliance requirements that will apply to an organization operating within a particular jurisdiction. Collecting and reporting sales tax is a requirement when selling tangible...

New Reporting Requirements for NY Tax-Exempt Organizations

Written on April 27, 2021. Posted in Not For Profit, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Eitan Balloul, Tax Manager, Not-for-Profit Effective January 1, 2021, many Exempt organizations that file Form NY CHAR500 with the Attorney General must file the same information with the New York Department of State (“DOS”). There are 3 different potential reports for filing with the Department of State: 1. Annual Financial Disclosure Reports – Under Executive Law Section 172-b (1), (2) & (9) Charitable organizations that receive more than $250,000 in gross...

The Pass through Entity Tax (PTET) Now Applies to New York State – Here’s What You Need to Know.

Written on April 15, 2021. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

Featuring Phil London, Partner Emeritus Legislative changes in the New York State budget have created the highest combined local tax rate in the country for some New York City residents. At the same time, a Pass Through Entity Tax (PTET) was enacted in New York State. Below, Philip London, member of the New York State Society of CPAs, and the New York, Multistate and Local Taxation committee, provides insight on the new law. Tell us about your involvement in the passing...

The IRS Does it Again – Another Retroactive 2020 Tax Change

Written on April 12, 2021. Posted in American Rescue Plan, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, Senior Tax Manager First the unemployment compensation exclusion…now this. With less than a week until the original tax filing deadline, the IRS announced the suspension of the requirement to repay excess advance payments of the 2020 Premium Tax Credit (“PTC”) which was a provision rolled out with the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”). Unfortunately, being that the unemployment compensation exclusion was at the forefront of the ARPA,...

$1.9 Trillion American Rescue Plan Released – Perhaps the 3rd Time is a Charm!

Written on March 2, 2021. Posted in Financial Planning, Stimulus Package, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, Senior Tax Manager The much anticipated $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan was released by lawmakers last week and passed by House by a near party-line vote of 219-212 early Saturday morning. The third stimulus package is now on its way to the Senate, which is expected to pass in hopes to meet a mid-March deadline, albeit with some potential changes. Once signed into law by President Biden, this 592-page stimulus package will offer a wide range of...

PPP Processing Delays – More Communication Required from SBA

Written on February 5, 2021. Posted in Financial Planning, General Business, PPP, State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Travis Miskowitz, Manager CFO Advisory When the Small Business Administration rolled out the Paycheck Protection Program in 2020, there was an immediate need to stem the losses and financial difficulties that small business owners were facing due to the pandemic and government-mandated shutdown orders. The early days of PPP were fraught with processing issues, incomplete or inconsistent guidance, and a lack of reliable resources for small business owners to reference when applying...

The Business Interest Expense Limitation under IRC Section 163(j): What You Need to Know for the 2020 Tax Year

Written on January 28, 2021. Posted in Financial Planning, General Business, State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Jennifer Beceiro, Tax Manager & Eliezer Gross, Real Estate Tax Director The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) amended IRC Section 163(j) that limited the deductibility of business interest expense for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017. Business interest expense is limited to the sum of the Taxpayer’s business interest income, floor plan financing interest, and 30% of Adjusted Taxable Income (ATI). There are two situations that Taxpayers may not be subject to the 163(j)...

Straight Outta Congress: How to Maximize the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) & Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)

Written on January 19, 2021. Posted in General Business, PPP, State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Travis Miskowitz, Manager, CFO Advisory This is a developing story; updates will be published as additional information becomes available. Update: March 3, 2021 As we enter March, we would like to remind our clients and friends that they may be eligible for 2 very beneficial programs: Employee Retention Credit (ERC) and a 1st Draw or 2nd Draw PPP loan. The ERC is a refundable credit which can now be claimed retroactively by PPP borrowers to 2020 if the company meets 2 main eligibility...

Breaking Down the Employee Retention Credit in the New COVID Relief Bill

Written on January 6, 2021. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Ilya Brodetskiy, Tax Manager Some significant updates are affecting the Employee Retention Credit, but there are still some important unknowns. Businesses that were ineligible for the ERC because they applied for PPP funding or who had over 100 full-time employees should reevaluate their eligibility based on the expanded program. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 introduced major changes to the Employee Retention Credit (ERC). The first change allows businesses that...

Show me the money…again! Congress agrees to $900B Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020

Written on December 21, 2020. Posted in General Business, State & Local Tax Services, Tax Alerts.

By Nicole DeRosa, CPA, MAcc, Senior Tax Manager, and Travis Miskowitz, Manager, CFO Advisory Congressional leaders are close to finalizing the next round of stimulus, referred to as the Emergency Coronavirus Relief Act of 2020 providing for $900 billion in government funds aimed at supporting small businesses and the ailing economy. The coronavirus relief bill is expected to pass with bi-partisan support, and the President is expected to sign the bill into law quickly. The relief...

Unintended Effect of PPP Loan Forgiveness: Reduction in R&D Credit

Written on November 19, 2020. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Travis Miskowitz, Manager, CFO Advisory The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) provides loans to small and mid-size businesses to cover payroll and other specific costs during the coronavirus pandemic. PPP loans may be forgiven under particular circumstances, and are typically excluded from taxable income. Sounds simple—and if you focus on the question of payroll costs, it is. But companies that are interested...

Treasury and IRS Issue Guidance on Deductibility of Expenses Related to a PPP Loan

Written on November 19, 2020. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Michael Bodrato, Director of Taxes The US Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) released guidance on November 18, 2020, in Rev. Rul. 2020-27 and Rev. Proc. 2020-51, clarifying the tax treatment of expenses where a loan received under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) has not been forgiven by the end of the year in which the loan was received. The IRS clarified in a notice issued on May 18, 2020, that since under the CARES Act businesses are not taxed on the proceeds...

How a Biden Administration May Change the Tax Landscape

Written on November 11, 2020. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Laurie Smith With the presidential election in our rearview window (barely), next up on everyone’s mind is how president-elect Joe Biden’s tax proposals may impact you. Before we get into the details of some key proposals and planning opportunities, it is important to note there are still many unknowns. Crucially, it will not be clear until early-to-mid-January 2021 which party will control the Senate, the result of two run-off races in Georgia taking place on January 5. The outcome...

What Federal Tax Policy Changes Can We Expect? Clues From the Campaign Trail

Written on October 28, 2020. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Michael LaMotta By this time next week, the U.S. presidential election will be in the rearview mirror, and we’ll all have more questions than we have answers. One of those big questions will be: What is the new president-elect’s vision for the tax code? Neither of the candidates has laid out a formal, detailed plan for this, although they have left clues about some aspects of tax policy along the campaign trail. Tax policy is an underappreciated element of federal policy; considering...

IRS Issues Guidance Addressing President Trump’s Order on Payroll Tax Deferral

Written on August 31, 2020. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Michael Bodrato Presidential Memorandum On August 8th, President Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum to direct the Treasury Secretary to use his authority to defer the withholding, deposit and payment of certain payroll taxes from employees suffering under the economic hardships brought about by the Coronavirus Pandemic. The President’s order is made applicable to wages and compensation paid during the period of September 1, 2020, through December 31, 2020, and is subject...

Get To Know Federal Tax Form 5471, and The Post-2017 Revisions

Written on August 7, 2020. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Mary Vasilescu The IRS collects information about foreign corporations with substantial United States (U.S.) ownership interests using Federal Tax Form 5471, Information Return for U.S. Persons With Respect to Certain Foreign Corporations. Form 5471 is used by certain U.S. persons who are officers, directors, or shareholders of certain foreign corporations to satisfy the reporting required under the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) and the related Treasury Regulations. Beware Hefty...

Expenses Relating to PPP Forgiveness are Nondeductible

Written on May 4, 2020. Posted in Financial Planning, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Evan Gernant On Thursday, April 30, the IRS issued Notice 2020-32 clarifying that to the extent a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan is forgiven, the associated expenses will be nondeductible for federal tax purposes. The CARES Act made it clear that any amount of forgiveness of a PPP loan would be non-taxable. What was not addressed and left for interpretation was whether the associated expenses would be tax-deductible. Many were hopeful for a better ruling from the IRS...

Net Operating Losses Under the CARES Act

Written on April 10, 2020. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Evan Gernant On Thursday, April 9, the IRS issued guidance on the treatment of net operating losses under the provisions of the CARES Act. Revenue Procedure 2020-24 provides procedures to elect to revoke the carryback period for NOLs arising in 2018 and/or 2019 Background: The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act changed the treatment of NOLs. It generally provided that NOLs arising in tax years beginning after December 31, 2017 were no longer permitted to be carried back and are deductible...

Additional Tax Filing Relief from the IRS

Written on April 10, 2020. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Michael Bodrato The IRS released yesterday additional tax return filing and payment relief in Notice 2020-23, which applies to all taxpayers that have a filing or payment deadline falling on or after April 1, 2020, and before July 15, 2020, including individuals, trusts, estates, corporations, and other non-corporate tax filers. In addition, Notice 2020-23 provides that this period of time will be disregarded by the IRS in calculating any interest, penalty, or additions to tax...

Key Tax Provisions of the $2 Trillion CARES Act

Written on March 26, 2020. Posted in General Business, Tax, Tax Alerts.

By Mike Bodrato The Senate voted last night, 96-0, to approve the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security Act or the CARES Act, which has more than $2 trillion in spending and tax breaks to assist economically and fund a nationwide effort to stop the coronavirus. At this writing, the CARES Act is still awaiting House approval and the President’s signature, which is not expected until tomorrow. The bipartisan legislation includes about $500 billion that can be used to back...

IRS Releases Official Guidance After Treasury Secretary’s Announcement

Written on March 21, 2020. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

by Evan Gernant Following Secretary Mnuchin’s earlier announcement, the Treasury Department released guidance on Friday, which supersedes and expands upon the guidance issued earlier this week that gave taxpayers extra time to pay their taxes but not to file. The new guidance provides for the following relief: The filing of 2019 federal income tax returns and the payment of 2019 federal income tax (including tax on self-employment income) due on April 15, 2020, is automatically...

U.S. Treasury Response to the Coronavirus

Written on March 18, 2020. Posted in Tax, Tax Alerts.

by Evan Gernant The Coronavirus has intruded into all facets of our lives. As we all try to grapple with the uncertainty this situation brings we still find ourselves in the midst of tax filing season, an already stressful time for business owners and other taxpayers. The Treasury Department issued guidance yesterday clarifying Secretary Mnuchin’s announcement on Tuesday that taxpayers can delay income tax payments due April 15, 2020. The guidance provides that for all taxpayers...

Elective Business Alternative Income Tax for Pass-Through Entities to Address Federal Limitation on State and Local Deduction

Written on January 21, 2020. Posted in State & Local Tax Services, Tax, Tax Alerts.

On January 13, 2020, Governor Phil Murphy signed into law Senate Bill 3246 establishing the business alternative income tax, an elective New Jersey business tax for pass-through entities. A corresponding refundable state gross income tax credit is allowed for the owners of the pass-through entities to offset personal or corporate income tax liability. The pass-through entity tax applies to tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2020. The intent of the new legislation is to...

Reading Financial Statements 101 – Quick Tips To Identify Potential Errors

Written on May 15, 2018. Posted in Tax Alerts.

The last thing your company or organization wants is unreliable financial statements. Your partners, investors, lenders and especially your company’s bottom line depend on numbers from your accounting department that you can comprehend and trust. To minimize the potential for errors, make sure that the following criteria are met when reporting your numbers: Balance Sheet Asset accounts should have debit balances and liability accounts should have credit balances. As long as your...

The New Partnership Audit Rules Effective January 1, 2018

Written on February 20, 2018. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Mike Bodrato, CPA, JD As part of the Bipartisan Budget Agreement of 2015, Congress made significant changes in the procedures used by the IRS to conduct partnership audits (including LLCs treated as partnerships) and their partners. Proposed regulations were issued on January 19, 2017, but prior to being released were withdrawn by executive order. New proposed regulations were issued on June 14, 2017. The new partnership audit rules repeal the current regime under the Tax Equity...

QBI and Guaranteed Payments

Written on January 30, 2018. Posted in Tax Alerts.

While there is much to say about the complexity and application of the new Qualified Business Income (“QBI”) deduction provided under the recently enacted Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, I am going to focus on a narrow aspect of these rules that could have a significant impact on partners and partnerships. Under the new QBI deduction provisions, effective after January 1, 2018, an owner of a sole proprietorship, S corporation or partnership is entitled to a deduction equal to 20% of the “qualified...

Revamping Your Chart of Accounts

Written on January 2, 2018. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Wiss Associate In last month’s post, we discussed what your company’s chart of accounts should entail and its prominence to the accounting and financial side of your organization. Now let’s see why and when you should reorganize the information that will make up your chart of accounts. Why to Take Action Your spotless and well-organized accounts will help your company prepare your books for the following activities: Working with your outside accounting advisors for quick and...

The Benefits of a Clean Chart of Accounts

Written on December 5, 2017. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Wiss Associate As a business owner or executive, year-end processes and reporting can be a nightmare – but it doesn’t have to be. You don’t need to scramble when your accountant asks for your tax deductible items or when your auditor requests various reports so they can perform testing. It should be a simple process to go into your accounting system and run reports with 100% confidence they are complete and accurate. But how do you know if they are truly complete and accurate?...

The Importance of Audit Documentation

Written on November 14, 2017. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Wiss Employee Numbers don’t lie, but they also don’t talk. Instead, clearly documented words in a work paper speak for the numbers, and in the case of audit documentation, this is how an auditor proves to others — including, perhaps, a court of law — that an audit was thoroughly and effectively executed. Despite the critical nature of this task, auditors often question whether the effort it takes to provide sufficient documentation is worth the end result. A competent...

Breaking the Accountant Stereotype

Written on November 6, 2017. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Wiss Associate Think of an accountant, and what do you picture? If you follow the common societal stereotype, you may envision someone with a pocket protector and a beige plastic raincoat who goes to bed cuddling his calculator, with no emotion and no social competence. A person who would rather recite the square root of pi than eat pie. Think of an entrepreneur, and you probably picture an entirely different image. Beyond the sheer sophistication of the word “entrepreneur” itself,...

Accounting and Finance: A Forbidden Love

Written on February 7, 2017. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Connor Doyle Accounting, our Romeo, and Finance, our Juliet. Two houses, both alike in dignity, in fair New York City, where we lay our scene, from ancient bond break to new maturity, where credit balance makes cash on hand burst seams. Accounting and finance, though both safely under the business umbrella, are divergent in ideology. Finance wants to spend and raise money for the future of a business while accounting wants to keep track of all that has happened in the past. But,...

Preparing for a Financial Audit

Written on November 29, 2016. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Randy Cohen “We’re being audited.” Those three little words can strike fear into the heart of any executive. Nobody likes the prospect of an outsider combing through the books and potentially exposing errors. Yet as unpleasant as a financial audit can be, with the right attitude and approach, it can prove a valuable tool for improving your business — and an auditor can be viewed as a trusted adviser instead of as an adversary. The key to an efficient and successful financial audit...

Focus on Your Process: Take Full Advantage of Your Accounting Software

Written on October 25, 2016. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Carolyn Hall Your business can be using the best accounting software in the world, but unless your team is following standard processes, you’re not taking full advantage of your investment. Here’s how to make sure your system is running efficiently and that you have the right people and processes in place. When setting up a new system, lay out all of the steps involved and continue to communicate to team members throughout the lifecycle of a product or service. Project management...

IRS Phone Frauds Echo into the New Year

Written on February 11, 2016. Posted in Tax Alerts.

Magnifying the communication scam nightmare As tax season prepares for launch, countless Americans are at climbing risk for falling victim to unsolicited telephone calls, texts, and emails from individuals falsely claiming to be Internal Revenue Service and Treasury workers. Though phone scams have progressively been ceaseless year-round, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) is careful to stress this particular year as prey to the greatest attack ever beheld. Each...

Are you Taking Advantage of IC-DISC Tax Benefits for Exporting?

Written on August 6, 2015. Posted in Tax Alerts.

By Chris Colyer If you are an exporter, IC-DISC is worth taking notice of — especially under current economic conditions resulting from a strong U.S. Dollar. The acronym stands for Interest Charge – Domestic International Sales Corporation, and small- to medium-size American exporting companies can take advantage of this tax classification to their advantage. The dollar’s strength is not an advantage for sellers of U.S. goods. In fact, it’s just the opposite — an economic reality...

Protecting Your Personal Information During Tax Season

Written on January 15, 2015. Posted in Tax Alerts.

Protecting Your Personal Information During Tax Season By Wiss Associate As accountants, we understand that your identity is just as important as your financial well-being. With tax season just around the corner, scammers will use this opportunity to get access to personal information. Some common strategies include receiving calls from: A self-proclaimed “Governmental Agency” U.S. Treasury or IRS Sweepstake entry representative We’ve all heard stories of someone who have fallen...

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