Your Household Help May Allow You to Claim the Nanny Tax Credit
By Ryan Footer, Senior Accountant Introduction The COVID-19 pandemic introduced new hardships for American workers including record job losses, career changes, temporary jobs and remote work. The family home suddenly became both workplace and classroom, prompting more families to seek household help. For 2020 and 2021, the federal government implemented “nanny tax” credits to encourage…
Child Tax Credit Changes: Weigh the Benefits vs. Impact on Your Tax Liability
In March 2021, Congress enacted emergency legislation known as the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to help individual taxpayers and small businesses weather the ongoing economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of the many noteworthy provisions included in the ARPA, perhaps no provision holds more significance to taxpayers with dependent children than the modifications made…
Update on Q3 and Q4 Tax Deadlines
With the first two quarters of the year behind us, filers should focus on a number of Q3 and Q4 tax deadlines. The lists below include important tax due dates for individuals, certain payroll tax due dates for employees and employers, and other key due dates for for-profit entities. While not all-inclusive, these are some…
Charity Navigator Launches Impact & Results Beacon
By Richard J. Locastro, CPA, JD, Partner and Director, Nonprofit Tax Charity Navigator has added another beacon as part of the roll out of its new Encompass Rating System – Impact & Results. This follows Charity Navigator’s acquisition of ImpactMatters and identifies high-impact nonprofits who demonstrate “cost-effectiveness”. The Impact & Results beacon currently includes service…
Retirement Plan Options during the COVID-19 Crisis
By Jennifer McCahill, CPA, Partner Individuals and organizations are looking for ways to gain access to cash during this time of financial and economic uncertainty. As Congress and the Administration discuss additional aid packages, we are seeing changes to the traditional regulations that would allow individuals and organizations to access funds through retirement plans. There…
Navigating the New Meals and Entertainment Deductions under TCJA
By Marc Neri, EA, CVA | Supervisor, Tax It is common for businesses to dine and entertain clients, vendors, and potential employees as part of their efforts to maintain beneficial business relationships. While these expenses are both common and allowable, the related tax benefits may be long gone thanks to tax reform.1 In 2017, Congress…
Avoid Penalties Under Unclaimed Property Laws with Best Practices for Compliance
By Janna Goudarzi, CPA | Nonprofit Tax Manager All 50 states have unclaimed property laws (also known as escheat laws) that require organizations to make reasonable efforts to contact those to whom they owe money or property and then remit any unpaid items to the state. These rules generally apply to all entities, including exempt…
A Revised Fundraising Strategy Can Help Nonprofits Reduce the Impact of TCJA on Charitable Giving
By Jorge Estrada, CPA | Nonprofit Audit and Tax Senior Manager The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) passed at the end of 2017 made the most far–reaching changes to the tax code since 1986. While many in the nonprofit industry believe the changes in the tax law are creating a more challenging environment for…
TCJA Offers Innovative Ways to Deliver Client Service
By Stephen Boisvert, CPA, MST, CExPTM | Tax Manager It should be no surprise that the topic of the day in the field of income taxes is the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Like other tax reform packages in the past, the TCJA is a mixed bag of legislation. Some of it will affect…
Unrestricted Net Assets and Key Financial Ratios Help Nonprofits Focus on their Financial Health
By: Michael Shaffer | Nonprofit Audit Manager In my 18 years as an auditor of nonprofit organizations, I have sat in a large number of offices for meetings with my clients. I always enjoy seeing how folks have their offices decorated, but one office stands out to me more than others over the years. This…