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Companies without a disaster recovery or business continuity plan need only consider the aftermath of recent hurricanes. News reports estimated property damages from Hurricane Helene alone last year to be more than $59.6 billion, plus disruption of untold businesses and services. Disasters such as storms, wildfires and earthquakes are unavoidable. However, companies can protect employees, […]

Filing joint tax returns generally results in the lowest tax bill for married couples. However, in some circumstances, they may pay less taxes if they file separately, such as when one spouse has large medical expenses. Medical expenses are deductible only to the extent that they exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income (AGI). So if

Wouldn’t it be great if your employees worked as if they owned part of the company? An employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) could make that a reality. Under an ESOP, employee participants gain partial ownership of the business through a retirement savings arrangement. Meanwhile, the company and its existing owner(s) can benefit from some tax

Right now, you may be more focused on what you’ll owe (or receive as a refund) when you file your 2024 tax return in April than on tax planning for the new year. However, as you work through your annual tax filing, you should familiarize yourself with amounts that may have changed for 2025 due

As the end of the year approaches, many people start to think about their finances and tax strategies. One effective way to reduce potential estate taxes and show generosity to loved ones is by giving cash gifts before December 31. Under tax law, you can gift a certain amount each year without incurring gift taxes or

At one time, not-for-profit HR departments might have been responsible primarily for recruiting and hiring and occasionally for intervening in disciplinary matters. Today, HR generally also handles employee benefits, regulatory compliance, employee training, policy formulation and possibly payroll. Outsourcing part or all of your HR function can help with workloads and potentially lower costs. Be

If you’re buying a business, you want the best results possible after taxes. You can potentially structure the purchase in two ways: In this article, we’re going to focus on buying assets. Asset purchase tax basics You must allocate the total purchase price to the specific assets acquired. The amount allocated to each asset becomes the

If you have a tax-favored retirement account, including a traditional IRA, you’ll become exposed to the federal income tax required minimum distribution (RMD) rules after reaching a certain age. If you inherit a tax-favored retirement account, including a traditional or Roth IRA, you’ll also have to deal with these rules. Specifically, you’ll have to: 1)

What has your organization done to minimize the risk of financial misstatement? The median loss from these schemes is a whopping $766,000, according to a recent study. Financial statement audits, surprise audits and forensic accounting investigations can identify your organization’s vulnerabilities to these schemes and help prevent and detect them. One area auditors target is

If you donate valuable items to charity and you want to deduct them on your tax return, you may be required to get an appraisal. The IRS requires donors and charitable organizations to supply certain information to prove their right to deduct charitable contributions. How can you protect your deduction? First, be aware that in