Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines that apply to businesses and other employers during the second quarter of 2024. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing Read More »
QuickBooks Desktop plans to stop selling several products to new US subscribers after July 31, 2024. Intuit will no longer sell new subscriptions of the following products: QuickBooks Desktop Pro Plus QuickBooks Desktop Premier Plus QuickBooks Desktop Mac Plus QuickBooks Desktop Enhanced Payroll Existing subscribers will not be impacted by this change. QuickBooks Desktop Plus Read More »
If your small business is strapped for cash (or likes to save money), you may find it beneficial to barter or trade for goods and services. Bartering isn’t new — it’s the oldest form of trade — but the internet has made it easier to engage in with other businesses. However, if your business begins Read More »
A recent report shows that post-pandemic global business travel is going strong. The market reached $665.3 billion in 2022 and is estimated to hit $928.4 billion by 2030, according to a report from Research and Markets. If you own your own company and travel for business, you may wonder whether you can deduct the costs of having Read More »
BDO Digital’s Rapid Automation Assessment (RAA) is a comprehensive offering designed to help organizations streamline their operations and drive efficiency through automation. This assessment is a strategic approach that evaluates an organization’s current processes, identifies areas for automation, and provides actionable recommendations for implementing automation solutions. The RAA process begins with a thorough analysis of Read More »
Economic, social and political events in 2024 have the potential to negatively influence your not-for-profit’s budget. So if you generally prepare static budgets well in advance of each fiscal year, you may want to switch things up. Rolling budgets can provide your organization with greater flexibility. And in the event of major changes, you may Read More »
If you’re an employer with a business where tipping is routine when providing food and beverages, you may qualify for a federal tax credit involving the Social Security and Medicare (FICA) taxes that you pay on your employees’ tip income. Credit fundamentals The FICA credit applies to tips that your staff members receive from customers Read More »
If you think the recorded minutes of your nonprofit’s board meetings are just a formality, think again. Meeting minutes can become critical documents if, for example, your organization is audited by the IRS or your directors are sued due to a board decision. That’s why it’s important that your minutes capture the right information and Read More »
The Social Security Administration recently announced that the wage base for computing Social Security tax will increase to $168,600 for 2024 (up from $160,200 for 2023). Wages and self-employment income above this threshold aren’t subject to Social Security tax. Basic details The Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA) imposes two taxes on employers, employees and self-employed Read More »
Ideally, a nonprofit’s board of directors should mirror that of its community and clientele. Does yours? Identifying that your board needs more diversity is the easy part, though. Figuring out what to do about it can be more difficult. But it’s important because it can affect your funding and program effectiveness. Striking a healthy balance In Read More »
If you read the Internal Revenue Code (and you probably don’t want to!), you may be surprised to find that most business deductions aren’t specifically listed. For example, the tax law doesn’t explicitly state that you can deduct office supplies and certain other expenses. Some expenses are detailed in the tax code, but the general Read More »
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the third quarter of 2023. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. July Read More »
If you’re thinking about setting up a retirement plan for yourself and your employees, but you’re worried about the financial commitment and administrative burdens involved, there are a couple of options to consider. Let’s take a look at a “simplified employee pension” (SEP) or a “savings incentive match plan for employees” (SIMPLE). SEPs are intended Read More »
Summer is around the corner so you may be thinking about hiring young people at your small business. At the same time, you may have children looking to earn extra spending money. You can save family income and payroll taxes by hiring your child and putting them on the payroll. It’s a win-win! Here are Read More »
Under tax law, businesses can generally deduct advertising and marketing expenses that help keep existing customers and bring in new ones. This valuable tax deduction can help businesses cut their taxes. However, in order to be deductible, advertising and marketing expenses must be “ordinary and necessary.” As one taxpayer recently learned in U.S. Tax Court, Read More »
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines that apply to businesses and other employers during the second quarter of 2023. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing Read More »
Many people began working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic — and many still work from their home offices either all the time or on a hybrid basis. If you’re self-employed and run your business from home or perform certain functions there, you might be able to claim deductions for home office expenses against your Read More »
Merger and acquisition activity dropped dramatically last year due to rising interest rates and a slowing economy. The total value of M&A transactions in North America in 2022 was down 41.4% from 2021, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. But some analysts expect 2023 to see increased M&A activity in certain industries. If you’re considering Read More »
When inflation is high, it’s common for people to cut expenses by deciding not to renew subscriptions and memberships. For charities and associations that depend on membership fees, this trend can be distressing — if not catastrophic. If your not-for-profit’s membership rolls are declining due to nonrenewals, you need to address the problem immediately. Here are Read More »
With the 2023 filing season deadline drawing near, be aware that the deadline for businesses to file information returns for hired workers is even closer. By January 31, 2023, employers must file these forms: Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement. W-2 forms show the wages paid and taxes withheld for the year for each employee. They must Read More »
The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 (Public Law No. 117-328) that was signed into law on December 29, 2022 by President Joe Biden includes the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, which introduces over 90 changes to the federal rules governing workplace retirement plans. This landmark legislation builds on the original SECURE Act that was enacted on Read More »
The IRS recently announced a delay in reporting thresholds for third-party settlement organizations (TPSOs) like PayPal, Venmo, Etsy and Poshmark, set to take effect for the 2022 tax filing season. As a result, TPSOs will not be required to report tax year 2022 transactions on a Form 1099-K to the IRS or the payee for Read More »
The Indiana Department of Revenue recently announced an update to Information Bulletin #17 on taxation and filing requirements of nonprofit organizations. Through calendar year 2022, nonprofits must submit Form NP-20 on or before the 15th day of the 5th month following the close of the taxable year. Starting in 2024, Indiana nonprofits will begin filing Read More »
You and your small business are likely to incur a variety of local transportation costs each year. There are various tax implications for these expenses. First, what is “local transportation?” It refers to travel in which you aren’t away from your tax home (the city or general area in which your main place of business Read More »
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the fourth quarter of 2022. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. Note: Read More »
Does your business need real estate to conduct operations? Or does it otherwise hold property and put the title in the name of the business? You may want to rethink this approach. Any short-term benefits may be outweighed by the tax, liability and estate planning advantages of separating real estate ownership from the business. Tax Read More »
VIDEO: Patrick Lee, CPA, discusses the 2022 portability election extension. The IRS recently announced an extension to the two-year portability election, or unused estate tax exclusion, for surviving spouses. This decision to change the election period to five years was made in response to the backlog of taxpayer requests and the number of late filings. Read More »
Do you think about your nonprofit’s annual report as a yearly obligation or even an unpleasant chore? If so, your annual report likely isn’t much fun to read — and you’re missing a chance to attract and engage critical audiences. Instead, embrace this opportunity to communicate the good your organization does and promote your mission Read More »
Sadly, many businesses have been forced to shut down recently due to the pandemic and the economy. If this is your situation, we can assist you, including taking care of the various business tax responsibilities that must be met. Of course, a business must file a final income tax return and some other related forms Read More »
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the third quarter of 2022. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements. August Read More »
There are thousands of grants and millions of dollars available to nonprofits from the federal government, states, foundations and other sources. Unfortunately, you can’t just ask nicely and expect to receive them. Qualifying for the funding your organization needs generally requires you to submit thorough, professional and compelling grant proposals. Here are a few tips. Read More »
Here’s an interesting option if your small company or start-up business is planning to claim the research tax credit. Subject to limits, you can elect to apply all or some of any research tax credits that you earn against your payroll taxes instead of your income tax. This payroll tax election may influence some businesses Read More »
This summer, the IRS announced a mid-year increase to the optional standard mileage to help taxpayers using their personal vehicles for business and certain other purposes. Effective July 1, 2022, the reimbursement rate will increase 4 cents to 62.5 cents per mile. Medical and moving expense rates will also see an increase of four cents Read More »
Businesses should be aware that they may be responsible for issuing more information reporting forms for 2022 because more workers may fall into the required range of income to be reported. Beginning this year, the threshold has dropped significantly for the filing of Form 1099-K, “Payment Card and Third-Party Network Transactions.” Businesses and workers in Read More »
Although most charitable donors aren’t primarily motivated by potential tax breaks, they still need to know how donations affect their taxes. It’s important for your not-for-profit to educate them — particularly as tax laws change. For example, in 2020 and 2021, even nonitemizers were allowed to deduct up to $300 and itemizers could deduct cash Read More »
DOWNLOAD PDF: Q1 2022 Michiana Benchmark Business Index by Kruggel Lawton Based on input from CFOs in for-profit companies in the South Bend/Elkhart & southwest Michigan region, the first quarter 2022 Michiana Benchmark Business Index declined for the second quarter in a row, after setting a record high in the third quarter of 2021. The Read More »
Typically, businesses want to delay recognition of taxable income into future years and accelerate deductions into the current year. But when is it prudent to do the opposite? And why would you want to? One reason might be tax law changes that raise tax rates. There have been discussions in Washington about raising the corporate federal Read More »
Under Indiana’s “Use of Excess Reserves” law, many Hoosiers will receive a one-time taxpayer refund later this year. While the Automatic Taxpayer Refund is separate from any individual income tax refund, many Indiana resident’s will receive $125, with married couples filing jointly receiving $250. The state is returning $545 million to Hoosiers after ending Read More »
Preparing for a year-end audit can be extremely time consuming, but with regular maintenance you can make the process much smoother. Here are five tips to help you avoid unnecessary stress during your year-end audit. Document any internal control changes With many organizations transitioning to hybrid or remote working environments, it is important to make Read More »
The federal government is helping to pick up the tab for certain business meals. Under a provision that’s part of one of the COVID-19 relief laws, the usual deduction for 50% of the cost of business meals is doubled to 100% for food and beverages provided by restaurants in 2022 (and 2021). So, you can Read More »
Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines that apply to businesses and other employers during the second quarter of 2022. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing Read More »
Do you want to withdraw cash from your closely held corporation at a minimum tax cost? The simplest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax-efficient since it’s taxable to you to the extent of your corporation’s “earnings and profits.” It’s also not deductible by the corporation. Five Read More »
If you’re in business for yourself as a sole proprietor, or you’re planning to start a business, you need to know about the tax aspects of your venture. Here are eight important issues to consider: You report income and expenses on Schedule C of Form 1040. The net income is taxable to you regardless of Read More »
If you own your own company and travel for business, you may wonder whether you can deduct the costs of having your spouse accompany you on trips. The rules for deducting a spouse’s travel costs are very restrictive. First of all, to qualify, your spouse must be your employee. This means you can’t deduct the Read More »
Under the Afflicted Business Relief (ABR) Grant Program, the Michigan Department of Treasury will be administering $409 million to help Michigan businesses that experienced financial hardship due to Covid-19. Eligibility Requirements Michigan businesses that were in operation on October 1, 2019, are eligible to apply for an ABR grant if: Your business satisfies all of Read More »
The trend of U.S. workers leaving their jobs and employers struggling with high levels of employee turnover continues to gain momentum. Another 4.5 million U.S. workers quit their jobs in November alone, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Meanwhile, the number of job openings in the United States remains elevated at Read More »
Most not-for-profits encourage donors to make unrestricted contributions that will give the organization flexibility to use the money where it’s needed most. But there will always be some donors who place restrictions on their gifts — and these require a higher level of responsibility. If your nonprofit fails to use a restricted donation as intended, Read More »
While some businesses have closed since the start of the COVID-19 crisis, many new ventures have launched. Entrepreneurs have cited a number of reasons why they decided to start a business in the midst of a pandemic. For example, they had more time, wanted to take advantage of new opportunities or they needed money due Read More »
While it may only be the first month of the new year, Kruggel Lawton CPAs has been nominated for four different awards! Please show your support for the firm and our accountants by voting for Kruggel Lawton in the following categories: – Northwest Indiana Business Magazine’s Best Accounting Firm in Northwest Indiana – Northwest Indiana Read More »
DOWNLOAD PDF: Q4 2021 Michiana Benchmark Business Index by Kruggel Lawton The fourth quarter 2021 Michiana Benchmark Business Index, compiled by the certified public accounting and consulting firm of Kruggel Lawton CPAs, declined from the record high level set in the previous period. The fourth quarter Benchmark Index was 74.83 out of a maximum possible Read More »
© 2024 Kruggel, Lawton & Co., LLC | Privacy Policy
