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When professional auditors review a not-for-profit’s books, they usually spend significant time on revenue. Inadequate revenue — or revenue trending in the wrong direction — can provide an early warning of future trouble. But you don’t have to wait for your next audit to assess revenue. You can employ the same techniques an auditor uses […]

IRS audit rates are historically low, according to a recent Government Accountability Office (GAO) report , but that’s little consolation if your return is among those selected to be examined. Plus, the IRS recently received additional funding in the Inflation Reduction Act to improve customer service, upgrade technology and increase audits of high-income taxpayers. But with proper

The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) was a valuable tax credit that helped employers that kept workers on staff during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the credit is no longer available, eligible employers that haven’t yet claimed it might still be able to do so by filing amended payroll returns for tax years 2020

People give to charity for many reasons — to “make a difference” or “give back,” to reduce their tax burden and even to impress their peers. These many motivations can be frustrating for not-for-profits looking for a magic formula. In the absence of one, you need to keep your eyes and ears open and be

Do you own a successful small business with no employees and want to set up a retirement plan? Or do you want to upgrade from a SIMPLE IRA or Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plan? Consider a solo 401(k) if you have healthy self-employment income and want to contribute substantial amounts to a retirement nest egg.

So you forgot to file your not-for-profit’s Form 990, 990-EZ or 990-N with the IRS. It can happen — particularly with newer organizations that are still trying to get a handle on all the financial and regulatory requirements of running a nonprofit. However, if you forget to file three years in a row, you could face

Every two years, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners releases its Report to the Nations, an occupational fraud study of for-profit, not-for-profit and government organizations. As in previous editions, the 2022 study reports that most organizations require employees to read and sign a code of ethics or conduct. This relatively simple control can result in

Not-for-profits that rely on a single income source, or only a few, are vulnerable to economic shocks. The COVID-19 pandemic has made this particularly clear. Most organizations have had to scramble to make up for lost revenue when at least some of their usual support dried up in 2020 — and has been slow to

Accounting Standards Codification Topic 842, Leases, requires organizations to report the full magnitude of their long-term lease obligations on their balance sheets — a historic first. For private companies and nonprofits, the changes take effect this year. Public entities adopted the rules in 2019. While the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) conducts its post-implementation review

Under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), financial statements are normally prepared based on the assumption that the company will continue normal business operations into the future. When liquidation is imminent, the liquidation basis of accounting may be used instead. It’s up to the company’s management to decide whether there’s a so-called “going concern” issue and