If you are a movie fan, you are likely looking forward to this summer’s releases of Solo, A Star Wars Story, Incredibles 2, or perhaps Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Well, if you audit governments and/or not-for-profits, another summer blockbuster to watch for is the 2018 Yellow Book revision. It is estimated that the new Yellow […]
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Proposed Changes to Lease Accounting – Topic 842
As both public and private companies scramble to complete the new revenue standard, Topic 606, they should not lose track of the fast approaching effective date for the FASB’s new lease accounting guidance, Topic 842. In addition to requiring the capitalization of all leases by companies, along with the related lease liability, the new lease […]
Concerned about Accounting Fraud? Watch for Fraud Risk Factors
Under AU-C section 240, Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, the auditor is required to evaluate whether information obtained from risk assessment procedures and related activities performed indicates that one or more fraud risk factors are present. Management should also be looking for and responding to the presence of accounting fraud risk factors. […]
Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 Provides Miscellaneous Tax Related Provisions
On February 9, 2018, Congress passed and President Trump signed into law the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018. The main purpose of the legislation was to fund the government through March 23, 2018, but it also provided a few relevant retroactive tax changes we should note and be aware of for tax year 2017. The […]
Avoiding Costly Mistakes Regarding Choice of Entity Post-Tax Reform
Choice of entity is undoubtedly a discussion for practitioners currently meeting with clients for tax return preparation. Clients are confused as to which structure–C corporation or S corporation–is best suited for their entity after tax reform. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowered the tax rate for C corps to 21%. Moreover, the new §199A […]
QuickBooks Year End Questions & Answers
Since I frequently hear the same three questions about QuickBooks Desktop at the start of every new year, I thought I’d share these most-asked QuickBooks year end questions (and answers) with you! 1. How do I close the year in my QuickBooks file? Answer: You don’t! QuickBooks company files do not require or support a year-end […]
Highlights of the Compromise Tax Reform Package
Republican lawmakers released their conference committee report for The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on December 15, 2017. This compromise tax reform package passed in both the House and Senate the week of December 18th. President Trump’s signature has heralded in the most substantive changes to the tax code in over 30 years. The basic […]
Tips for 2017 Year-End Planning Amid Our Uncertain Environment
With the House and Senate bills being reconciled in an effort to pass a tax reform law, it is incredibly difficult for a professional to competently advise an individual on year-end planning. To illustrate this point, the IRS itself has punted on usually already issued withholding guidance as it awaits the finalized legislation. Here, however, […]
Senate Passes Own Version of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The Senate passed its version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act at approximately 2 a.m. on the morning of December 2, 2017, almost entirely along party lines. The final vote was 51-49 with only Senator Bob Corker (Republican, Tenn.) defecting. The House is scheduled to vote December 4, 2017 regarding conferencing with the Senate […]
Understanding Federal Whistleblower Programs
Did you know that, as part of the IRS’s new program, whistleblowers may recover 15 to 30 percent of the amount collected (provided the taxes and amounts in dispute exceed $2 million)? The fact is that over the last 10 years, the federal government issued record-breaking awards to whistleblowers to reward those who report misconduct. Several federal agencies […]