Congressional Democrats have proposed financing student-loan legislation by expanding payroll taxes on subchapter S corporations and partnerships. The bill would levy Social Security and Medicare taxes on all business income if the firm is engaged in professional services, such as investment advice, or if 75% or more of the gross income of the firm is attributable to three or fewer shareholders. Investment News’ Mark Schoeff Jr. reports that in Washington parlance, the phrase “pay for” has become a noun, “payfor.” This term trends during the legislative process, as lawmakers seek “payfors” to offset spending or tax cuts contained in bills.…
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Over at OPENForum, Mike Periu, a Principal at EcoFin media writes: Using counterintuitive strategies in your business can be risky, but when they work the rewards can be enormous. Trying these methods can help you improve sales and profits: Preventing Theft Warehouse stores like Costco, BJ’s and Sam’s Club are very careful with their inventory management and go to great lengths to avoid shrinkage, which is a fancy way to refer to theft. One of the strategies they use is to have an employee cross check customers’ receipts with the items in their cart before they are permitted to leave the…
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Nerd’s Eye View, which provides commentary on financial planning news and developments, points out that a growing body of research shows our brains are not quite the logical, rational decision-making machines we think they are – or at least, wish they could be. Instead, our brains take shortcuts; we substitute easier questions for difficult ones, often without realizing it, and respond accordingly with our words and our actions. This can be especially problematic in the world of financial planning, where we often ask clients to make difficult decisions with limited information. As a result, questions like “what is…
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At TLNT: The Business of HR, John Hollon reports on a new nationwide survey of 174 employers by OI Partners, an organization that describes itself as “a global talent management company, renowned for its highly personalized services … (specializing) in mid-level, executive and group outplacement; executive coaching; leadership development and workforce solutions.” Being a team player (selected by 71 percent of surveyed companies): “Being part of a team has taken on a higher priority since many companies are still operating with leaner work forces and there is a greater need to accomplish goals through others” said Ford. Fully focused on satisfying customers (chosen by 68…
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The company culture you build has a major impact on how successful the business will be as it grows, writes Dan Schawbel, personal branding expert, at American Express OPENForum, a small business media hub. One of the biggest trends in the past few years is workplace flexibility. A new study by the Families and Work Institute shows that more than 75 percent of employers now offer some form of flex time. This number is up from two thirds in 2005. In addition, 63 percent of companies allow employees to work from home at least sometimes, which is up from 34 percent. Schawbel…
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Business valuation (BV) reports frequently include information presented in the form of financial statements. The reporting requirements for such financial statements have drawn increased attention as a result of the issuance of Statement on Standards for Accounting and Review Services No. 19 (SSARS 19), Compilation and Review Engagements. The Journal of Accountancy reports: “When conforming the existing SSARSs Interpretations to SSARS 19, the Accounting and Review Services Committee decided to withdraw an interpretation related to financial information in BV reports. It has become evident, based on questions the AICPA has received, that the move sparked some confusion.” To resolve the issue,…
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Americans with employer-sponsored insurance had fewer hospital stays and visited outpatient clinics less frequently from 2009 to 2010, but prices for inpatient and outpatient care rose by about 10% or more, according to a Health Care Cost Institute analysis of more than 3 billion claims for medical care. The average price of generic drugs fell over the same period, but prices for brand-name drugs rose, the analysis found. The Washington Post opines that “Data Trove May Shed Light on Healthcare Uncertainties”: How much do hospitals and doctors actually charge insurers for their services? How much and which of those services…
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2013 Training Schedule and Early Registration Discount Deadlines
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Private Equity Manager reports that with regulators looking over their shoulders, some GPs are playing it safe by hiring third-party valuation advisors to check their numbers. However not all third-party opinions are equal, warns Cindy Ma, managing director at advisory-focused investment bank Houlihan Lokey. PE Manager’s Nicholas Donato talked with her recently. Here are excerpts: There was a feeling of unease in the industry when the US Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) announced an informal inquiry into private equity portfolio valuations. Many wonder, how do I stay off regulators’ radar screen? The SEC has developed a number of analytical tools that now…
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The International Accounting Standards Board plans to establish a formal network to give standard-setting bodies a voice when their countries switch to International Financial Reporting Standards. There is conflict, however, over how the network will operate and whether it would dilute IFRS as a single set of reporting standards. Advocates of such a network say the U.S. will not commit to IFRS without it. In an article called “Long Push for Accounting Standards” sub-titled “The United States is Seen to Be Dragging its Feet in Choosing to Come on Board,” Star Publications (Malaysia)/Reuters reports: SHAREHOLDERS and regulators have long wanted the…
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This piece really has no new information in it, so if you’re looking for that, you can stop reading here. Instead, it’s for Anglophiles. Observers of British culture. The BBC recently posted rather prominently a piece pondering the tragedy of the human condition wistfully, as it so often does. Well, that’s not quite what the article was about. Actually, it’s rather hard to tell what the article is about! BBC begins by saying that those guys on Wall Street use algorithms and financial models—and one model in particular, it tells us in the first paragraph—”helped to blow up…
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The Wall Street Journal’s Small Business Blog featured recently a guest column by Antone Johnson on the use, misuse, and misvaluation of intellectual property. It’s probably of interest to valuators and financial consultants who are working with small business owners to value and growth their businesses. Venture capitalists, angel investors and start-up lawyers these days tend to be obsessed with “intellectual property,” or IP. And for good reason: In the information economy, the core assets of a new venture are likely to be talented people, the IP they create, and little else. To maximize future value, founders should…
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You’ve probably already read this story—Facebook Co-Founder Renounces U.S. Citizenship in Advance of IPO, Saving Millions in U.S. Taxes —heard about it on the radio, or seen it on TV. But Paul L. Caron of The TaxProf Blog has done a remarkable job of aggregating all the media responses to the story from about 20+ outlets, and linking to previous posts this week on the developing story. On Thursday: Bloomberg: Schumer Proposes Tax on People Like Facebook’s Saverin: U.S. Senator Charles Schumer proposed legislation that would impose a 30% capital gains tax on people like Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin unless…
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Bullseye Blog, A Legal Blog on Expert Topics, reports that The Supreme Court has issued a new patent law opinion that could signal a greater need for expert testimony in patent-related civil actions in federal district courts. Bullseye’s Robert Ambrogi cuts to the chase: “The bottom line of Kappos v. Hyatt is that the court has lifted any limits on the use of new evidence in a §145 trial. That is sure to mean greater use of expert testimony in these cases going forward.” More: In the April 18 opinion, Kappos v. Hyatt, the Supreme Court resolved a question that had divided…
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If you’re been hoping to find a comprehensive source for private equity transactions and fund information, you may see a version of it as early as this fall. Fund managers have joined limited partners and other industry players in supporting a global private equity database being developed by Harvard Business School professor Josh Lerner. Graham Winfrey at Private Equity Manager reports: A group of private equity firms including Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, The Carlyle Group and Apollo Global Management have agreed to contribute transaction and fund information to a database being developed by the Private Capital Research Institution (PCRI). The…
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Becker’s ASC Review, a site that provides Practical Business, Legal, and Clinical Guidance for Ambulatory Surgery Centers, recently published an article on benchmarks that ASC administrators often neglect. These are important benchmarks not just for ASCs, but for any physician executives, healthcare practice managers, and the valuators and consultants they work and plan with. An excerpt: Chance Sherer, manager with VMG Health, discusses several benchmarks that ASC administrators often forget to include in their data collection efforts. Q: Could you discuss several benchmarks that surgery center leaders overlook or under-use in their benchmarking efforts? Chance Sherer: All ASCs are different. They…
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In an article titled “Regulation ‘Pushing Up Financial Firms’ Costs” The Financial Times‘ chief regulation correspondent Brooke Masters reports that extraterritorial regulations, rules that affect businesses outside the country that enacts them, are pushing up costs and driving banks, insurers and asset managers away from particular markets, a survey of global financial firms has found. More than half the groups that participated in a survey that the Protiviti regulatory consultancy will unveil on Monday said they had decided not to enter – or had exited – specific countries because of concerns about their laws and regulations. Nearly that many,…
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You can’t avoid paying taxes on assets you sell after a bankruptcy. At least if you’re a farmer. Sally P. Schrieber at the Journal of Accountancy reports The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday that farmers who sold farm assets during a bankruptcy reorganization under Chapter 12 of the Bankruptcy Code were liable for the full amount of the capital gains tax that resulted from the sale (Hall, Sup. Ct. Dkt. No. 10-875 (U.S. 5/14/12), aff’g 617 F.3d 1161 (9th Cir. 2010)). In an opinion that affirmed a Ninth Circuit decision and resolved a split in the circuits, a divided Supreme Court (in an…
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If you’re interested in keeping up on regulatory news in a day-to-day fashion, Financial Executives International (FEI) publishes a great news page on its own site and offers content for the FEI Financial Reporting Blog at AccountingWeb. Both sites offer multiple monthly highlights from SEC, PCAOB, FASB, IASB, and other regulatory news, including reporting under Sarbanes-Oxley Sect 404. The FEI Financial Reporting Blog is written by Edith Orenstein, Director of Technical Policy Analysis at FEI. Here are some headlines from happenings the past few weeks, with links to fuller articles: FASB Defines Nonpublic Entity (Private Company) During its past two board meetings, the FASB has reached tentative…
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The most highly anticipated IPO in history didn’t put on much of a show. Facebook closed today within decimal points of its opening price of $38. Even so, the company’s market cap is higher than McDonald’s or Pepsico. Espen Robak is the president of Pluris Valuation Advisors, where he studies and values private companies trading on the secondary market. Derek Thompson at The Atlantic talked to him this morning right as Facebook trading began. One of Robak’s first points was “The people who bought in the secondary market came in right around $44. Those shares are locked for 180…