Private business owners: Don’t wait until year end to evaluate financial performance
July 15, 2022 Knowledge Center
Private business owners: Don’t wait until year end to evaluate financial performance

How often does your company generate a full set of financial statements? It’s common for smaller businesses to issue only year-end financials, but interim reporting can be helpful, particularly in times of uncertainty. Given today’s geopolitical risks, mounting inflation and rising costs, it’s wise to perform a midyear check-in to monitor your year-to-date performance. Based […]

IRS extends relief for physical presence signature requirement
July 8, 2022 Knowledge Center
IRS extends relief for physical presence signature requirement

Under IRS regulations regarding electronic consents and elections, if a signature must be witnessed by a retirement plan representative or notary public, it must be witnessed “in the physical presence” of the representative or notary — unless guidance has provided an alternative procedure. Recently, in Notice 2022-27, the IRS extended, through the end of 2022, […]

4 estate planning documents your college-aged child should have
July 6, 2022 Knowledge Center
4 estate planning documents your college-aged child should have

Does your college-aged child have a basic estate plan? In more cases than not, the answer is “no.” The good news is that the summer months are the perfect time to enlist the help of an estate planning advisor to create a plan, as your child will be available to sign the documents before heading […]

Valuing ESOPs
July 5, 2022 Knowledge Center
Valuing ESOPs

Employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) provide tax-saving opportunities for business owners who want to cash out and transfer ownership to employees without immediately giving up control of the business. However, valuing stock held by an ESOP is an ongoing challenge for the fiduciaries who administer them, especially when the sponsoring company is privately held. Valuation […]

Is it a good time for a Roth conversion?
June 28, 2022 Knowledge Center
Is it a good time for a Roth conversion?

The downturn in the stock market may have caused the value of your retirement account to decrease. But if you have a traditional IRA, this decline may provide a valuable opportunity: It may allow you to convert your traditional IRA to a Roth IRA at a lower tax cost. Traditional vs. Roth Here’s what makes […]

Dodge the tumult with a buy-sell agreement
June 24, 2022 Knowledge Center
Dodge the tumult with a buy-sell agreement

Businesses with multiple owners generally benefit from a variety of viewpoints, diverse experience and strategic areas of specialization. However, there’s a major risk: the company can be thrown into tumult if one of the owners decides, or is compelled by circumstances, to leave. A logical and usually effective solution is to create and implement a […]

Estate planning and business succession planning: The lines blur with a family business
June 22, 2022 Knowledge Center
Estate planning and business succession planning: The lines blur with a family business

For many business owners, estate planning and succession planning go hand in hand. As the owner of a closely held business, you likely have a significant portion of your wealth tied up in the business. If you don’t take the proper estate planning steps to ensure that the business lives on after you’re gone, you […]

IRS offers tax relief for leave-sharing programs
June 20, 2022 Knowledge Center
IRS offers tax relief for leave-sharing programs

Under a leave-sharing program, employees can elect to forgo vacation, sick or personal leave in exchange for cash payments made by their employers to qualifying charitable organizations. These arrangements have been around for a while, but they’ve gotten more attention in recent years as some employers have launched leave-sharing programs to aid those adversely affected […]

Valuing synergies
June 20, 2022 Knowledge Center
Valuing synergies

In mergers and acquisitions (M&As), there are some buyers who are willing to pay a premium above the fair market value of the business on a controlling basis. This premium typically is the result of cost-saving or revenue-building synergies that a specific buyer can potentially gain by acquiring the seller’s business. When selling a business, […]

Standard business mileage rate will increase for the second half of 2022
June 15, 2022 Knowledge Center
Standard business mileage rate will increase for the second half of 2022

The IRS recently announced that it’ll increase the standard mileage rate for qualified business driving for the second half of 2022. The adjustment reflects the soaring cost of gasoline this year. In fact, as of June 13, the nationwide average price of regular unleaded gas was $5.01 a gallon, according to the AAA Gas Prices […]

Contingent liabilities: To report or not to report?
June 10, 2022 Knowledge Center
Contingent liabilities: To report or not to report?

Disclosure of contingent liabilities — such as those associated with pending litigation or government investigations — is a gray area in financial reporting. It’s important to keep investors and lenders informed of risks that may affect a company’s future performance. But companies also want to avoid alarming stakeholders with losses that are unlikely to occur […]

CLTs: A charitable trust that takes the lead
June 9, 2022 Knowledge Center
CLTs: A charitable trust that takes the lead

Are you inclined to donate assets to a charity for a period of time without ultimately giving up the property? Consider the benefits of a charitable lead trust (CLT). This type of trust is essentially the opposite of the charitable remainder trust (CRT), a better-known alternative. With a CLT, the property eventually reverts to your […]