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, […]
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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 […]
Senate Tax Reform Highlights and Key Differences from the House Bill
By Nick Spoltore On November 9, 2017, the Senate released its Description of the Chairman’s Mark of the “Tax Cuts & Jobs Act,” detailing many proposed changes to the Code. The following highlights are major points of the proposed legislation. The changes apply to tax years beginning in 2018 unless noted. 2017 Tax Rates – […]
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Talking Points: The Top 5 Topics Your Clients Will Ask You About
By Nick Spoltore On November 2, 2017, the House released The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It is the most comprehensive tax legislation since 1986. Its intended tax reform may very well affect each American taxpayer. The Senate just announced it will release its own tax reform legislation by the end of this week, so […]
To Hedge or Not to Hedge: Assessing the Impact of ASU No. 2017-12 on Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
By Rich Daisley, CPA In its recent issuance, ASU No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities, the FASB both simplified certain elements of hedge accounting under Topic 815 as well as increased the types of effective risk management strategies for which hedge accounting treatment would be applicable. In […]
Policy Highlights of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act
By Nick Spoltore Early on November 2nd, a press release from the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways & Means provided policy highlights of the Tax Cuts & Jobs Act. The following are the hot-off-the presses details you and your clients need to know. The tax rates will be 12%, 25%, 35%, and 39.6% – retaining the current […]
QuickBooks Online vs QuickBooks Desktop: Which is Better for You?
By Ilene Eisen, CPA.CITP I have been working with QuickBooks clients for over 20 years and I have seen many changes in both the online and the desktop versions. I am a fan of both versions but when it comes to choosing which is best, it’s important to consider your company’s needs and the way […]
Nom de Persona: An Ultimate Plan for Usernames and Passwords
By Mary Trapani Usernames. I can’t sign up for that new, cool service because I cannot come up with even one more username. Passwords. The bane of many an existence. Change it every 30 days and you can’t use the same one as you ever did in the last 40 years. It’s a hassle. As […]
Where Are We On the Trump Tax Reform Plan?
By Nick Spoltore On September 27, 2017, the Trump Tax Reform Plan (the framework of the “Big Six” group of Congressional and White House tax-reform precepts) was released. In the document, titled “Unified Framework For Fixing Our Broken Tax Code,” President Trump lays out four principles for tax reform at the core of this unified framework: 1. […]