The IRS announced it is opening the 2019 individual income tax return filing season on January 27th. Even if you typically don’t file until much closer to the April 15th deadline (or you file for an extension), consider filing as soon as you can this year. The reason: You can potentially protect yourself from tax […]
You’ve no doubt read articles or heard stories about how artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing sweeping change to a wide variety of industries. But it’s one thing to learn about how this remarkable technology is changing someone else’s company and quite another to apply it to your own. Here’s a primer on what AI might […]
The beginning of the year can be a busy time for business owners and executives, because you no doubt want to get off to a strong start in 2020. One danger of a hectic beginning is setting an early precedent for distancing yourself from rank-and-file staff. After all, a busy opening to the year may […]
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reduced individual income tax rates, but it left the 3.8% net investment income tax (NIIT) in place. It’s important to address the NIIT in your estate plan, because it can erode your earnings from interest, dividends, capital gains and other investments, leaving less for your heirs. How it […]
In a reverse mentoring program, a younger and usually less experienced employee mentors an older one, who’s typically in management or even an executive or business owner. The general idea is for the older employee to “get hip” to the latest technology or a new trend while the younger one gains experience and becomes better […]
For many employers, the struggle to find and hire good workers is real. So real, in fact, that some employers aren’t looking only at new faces, they’re keeping in touch with familiar ones as well. Sure, you could add an ex-employee’s name to a newsletter mailing list or send him or her a holiday card. […]
At the beginning of the year, many people make resolutions about improving their physical fitness and overall well-being. Employers may seek to give these goals a boost in the longevity department by offering an employee wellness program. If your organization is doing so, or considering such a program, it’s important to be aware of the […]
If your company comes up over budget year after year, you may want to consider cost management. This is a formalized, systematic review of operations and resources with the stated goal of reducing costs at every level and controlling them going forward. As part of this effort, you’ll answer questions such as: Are we operating […]
If you save for retirement with an IRA or other plan, you’ll be interested to know that Congress recently passed a law that makes significant modifications to these accounts. The SECURE Act, which was signed into law on December 20, 2019, made these four changes. Change #1: The maximum age for making traditional IRA contributions […]
When an employer’s staff size reaches 20 or more, it’s generally required to offer “COBRA” health care coverage to departing employees. (The name comes from the legislation that made it law: the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985.) If your organization is subject to COBRA, you may wonder whether you must provide the initial […]
Extending credit to business customers can be an effective way to build goodwill and nurture long-term buyers. But if you extend customer credit, it also brings sizable financial risk to your business, as cash flow could grind to a halt if these customers don’t make their payments. Even worse, they could declare bankruptcy and bow […]
Technology has made it easier to work from home so lots of people now commute each morning to an office down the hall. However, just because you have a home office space doesn’t mean you can deduct expenses associated with it. Regularly and exclusively In order to be deductible for 2019 and 2020, you must […]