Philip McNeill looks at five key aspect to consider before moving to the cloud. The main points to consider are: a cyber attack on cloud services is a top risk in 2018; ensure extensive due diligence before joining the cloud; taking care of the obvious, like password security, can help protect against a cyber attack. To read the full article in ICAS, click: Cloud Security: Five Key Considerations.
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To Measure Trustee Breach of Fiduciary Duty Damages The but for investment portfolio is a tool that damages analysts utilize to estimate economic damages when there is an allegation of a breach of fiduciary duty with regard to the management of an investment. In its simplest form, the but for investment portfolio estimates the value of a portfolio but for the alleged breach of fiduciary duty. Case law precedents established the but for investment portfolio analysis as a method to estimate economic damages on a market adjusted basis. While the concept of a but for investment portfolio analysis is simple,…
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E&O Coverage Through the Expert Witness Exchange In this article, the Expert Witness Exchange discusses a relationship it has established with Lockton Affinity, LLC to develop the Expert Witness Exchange Group Insurance Program so it can provide exchange members with the option to obtain low cost, professional liability coverage.
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The proposed rules include a way that taxpayers can group or aggregate separate trades or businesses and an anti-abuse rule designed to prevent taxpayers from separating out parts of an otherwise disqualified business in an attempt to qualify those separated parts for the Sec. 199A deduction. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Qualified Business Income Deduction Regulations Proposed.
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Clients will be better paying off their mortgage before the retirement date to get rid of the feeling of having a debt burden. Carrying no mortgage debt into retirement will also give clients guaranteed return and greater flexibility in their budget. And about that tax deduction, it is not enough of a reason to keep a mortgage. To read the full article in FinancialPlanning, click: Yes, Clients Should Pay Off Their Mortgages Before Retiring.
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Tax ramifications, smart contracts, and job security are among the issues top of mind for accountants. Given blockchain’s rapid rise into the accounting consciousness, it is no surprise CPAs have many questions about the technology. This article addresses five of the most pressing concerns I encounter regarding blockchain, smart contracts, and cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: CPAs’ Top Five Questions About Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies.
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Finding Value in the Continuum of Care Under Changing Healthcare Reform
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A Member’s Perspective and Hope In this article, Professor H. Charles Johnson shares his views on CHOICE Act and Dodd-Frank Act rollback. The author summarizes some of the changes that lessen compliance costs and that may serve to incentivize smaller community-based lenders the provide capital to small enterprises.
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Employee retention and engagement is a big expense. Dick Finnegan tackles one of the biggest challenges of staff turnover head on. “One might wonder why a CFO should care about employee engagement and retention,” said Finnegan, CEO of C-Suite Analytics. “And the answer is, it’s probably their biggest expense.” To read the full article in Financial Management, click: Five Steps to Reduce Staff Turnover.
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Q. I have a large Excel workbook with many worksheets, and I’d like to summarize the key elements of this workbook into a single dashboard-type report. What’s the best way to do this? To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Microsoft Excel: Create a Picture-Based Dashboard Report.
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Removing third-parties speeds transactions and reduces their cost. CFOs and finance departments are always looking for reductions in cost and increases in speed and efficiency in business engagements. One option that is attracting more attention is the smart contract. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: How Smart Contracts Can Create a Competitive Edge.
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Must Know Accounting Rules Earnouts are often used in transactions to bridge the gap between what a buyer is willing to pay up front and what a seller wants in the way of total compensation to complete a deal. Therefore, earnouts are typically constructed to allow the seller to enjoy additional upside if the acquired company reaches certain performance targets after the sale while providing the buyer with downside protection if the projected performance after the deal closes does not materialize. That said, practitioners must understand accounting rules that could result in an earnout not being deemed an earnout. The…
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And Why it Should Matter to You What does differentiation really mean? How does differentiation really work? How is differentiation properly implemented? In this article, Dr. Frederiksen answers these important questions and explains why these should matter to business leaders.
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A firm can enrich its value to prospective suitors by investing in a top-notch IT infrastructure and exhibiting a willingness to embrace new technologies. To read the full article in Journal of Accountancy, click: Building a State-of-the-Art M&A Target.
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I consider myself a fiscal conservative and a social liberal. As an African-American, I have long been sensitive to issues like racial and gender equality. The last 12 months have been polarizing in America, from the #MeToo movement to tiki torch-bearing white nationalists to Black Lives Matter and the NFL national anthem protests. Our national melting pot is looking like anything but. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: Should Diversity be Part of Clients’ Portfolios?
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The legislation known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA), P.L. 115-97, imposes a “toll charge” on the mandatory deemed repatriation of certain deferred foreign earnings. As part of the transition to a territorial tax system, amended Sec. 965 uses the mechanics of the current Subpart F provisions to impose a one-time toll tax on the undistributed, non-previously taxed, post-1986 foreign earnings and profits (E&P) of certain U.S.-owned corporations. New Sec. 965(a) increases Subpart F income of a “deferred foreign income corporation” with positive earnings as of the measurement dates Nov. 2, 2017, or Dec. 31, 2017,…
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That You as a Business Valuer Need to Know About On August 8, 2018, the Service released proposed 199A regulations. Those regulations are important and mark a dramatic change from the prior tax regime. Another change that also marks a departure involves the release of final regulations for non-cash charitable deductions. In this article, the author discusses the latter.
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to Valuation of a Healthcare Practice or Entity A valuation consultant must understand the type of healthcare entity he or she is valuing, the opportunities and risks as discussed above, the potential buyers, the marketplace, and typical valuation multiples for specific types of deals. Extensive research into these areas will lead to a significantly better and more informed valuation. The author discusses the different buyers, motivations, and trends.
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The Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday voted to change the definition of “smaller reporting company” in an effort to expand the number of companies that qualify for scaled disclosure accommodations. To read the full article in Journal of Accountancy, click: With SEC Vote, More Companies Qualify for Scaled Disclosure.
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At Flint Hills Resources, robotic process automation is supercharging, not eliminating, finance professionals. The Koch Industries subsidiary shows us how. To read the full article in Financial Management, click: Empowering the Human Element in Automation.