Children of military personnel who died in active duty are facing a surprise tax bill for their annual survivor's benefit thanks to the new tax law. The new law simplified the Kiddie Tax by switching the rate from the parents' rate to trust tax rates. In one case, a 6-year-old owed $7,000 in federal taxes two years after his father, a U.S. Navy senior chief petty officer, died of a heart attack. To read the ...

If, like the Rolling Stones, you can’t get no satisfaction (on the job), a recent survey may be able to shed a little light on why. Business backer FundRocket asked more than 1,000 workers what gives them purpose and pride at work—and what they found may surprise you. (Hint: It doesn’t come down to salary.) To read the full article in Glassdoor, click: The Real Source of Job Satisfaction. ...

Establish Yourself as a Sought-after Speaker Public speaking offers a range of opportunities—from professional growth, to promotion of you and your business, to breathing new life into your existing network. In addition, by doing a little preparation and research, you will find many excellent opportunities within your reach. In this article, the author helps the reader learn how to find the perfect audience ...

Applicable to Real Estate Holding Companies (Part I of II) In this two-part series, the author discusses real estate holding companies and describes the use of minority discounts (also known as the discount for lack of control [DLOC]) in the valuation of partial, non-controlling interests in entities holding real estate as their primary and most valuable asset. Part II will address the use of the discount f ...

The congratulatory texts and tweets started the last week of November. Microsoft had overtaken Apple to become the world’s most valuable company, a stunning climax in a year that also saw it pass Amazon and Google’s Alphabet Inc. Longtime employees, who’d grown accustomed to thinking of Microsoft as far removed from its glory years, when it was run by Bill Gates and feared as the “Evil Empire,” were flooded ...

The internet has revolutionized the workplace over the past three decades. Artificial Intelligence is now poised to do the same, and businesses that do not capitalize on the technology risk being left behind. Global tech giants like Amazon have been leading the charge—with algorithms powering personalized shopping recommendations and personal stylists—but businesses of all sizes are now embracing the techno ...

For a business or CPA firm, a disaster can take the form of a catastrophic weather event, a cyberattack, or even a sudden regulatory decision that may put the future of the organization in jeopardy. It may be impossible to prevent such a disaster, but proper planning can help minimize the damage and disruption an organization suffers if it is hit by a catastrophe. In this podcast, Jennifer H. Elder, discuss ...

for Rural Health Clinics (Part I of V) The first of a five-part series where the authors describe the issues encountered valuing rural health care clinics. This first article discusses fair market value considerations for rural health clinics. Introduction Rural health clinics (RHCs) are specially certified entities that were created in order to increase access to primary care services for patients located ...

Selecting a Mediator is More Important Than Ever, Or? Mediation is the primary case management device used by the courts to resolve disputes, and the mediation process is frequently included in the dispute resolution section of most contracts. In some situations, mediation is even mandatory. What is interesting to note is that there are no uniform, national standards for training or regulating mediators. So ...

Olympic athletes are at the peak of their careers, but even they need rest days to stay healthy. Sometimes financial markets need to reset from record-setting performance, too. Here’s what you need to know about bear, or down, markets. To read the full article in Hartford Funds, click: 10 Things You Should Know About Bear Markets. ...

As Apple and Amazon compete for a greater share of consumer dollars and attention, they also have a particularly intimate business relationship: Apple is spending more than $30 million a month on Amazon’s cloud, according to people familiar with the arrangement. To read the full article in CNBC, click: Apple Spends More Than $30 Million on Amazon's Cloud Every Month, Making it One of the Biggest AWS Custome ...

Disagreements at work are common. Most people spend their week working with colleagues who have different ways of thinking and communicating. While having many different personalities on one team can often be a benefit, it can also fuel conflict, putting employees and their managers in awkward positions. To read the full article in Journal of Accountancy, click: How to Handle Office Conflict. ...

A Neutral Approach to Unimpeachable Standards C. Zachary Meyers, CPA. CVA, the author of this article, is NACVA’s Standards Board (SDB) Chair. The SDB was formed in 2016. The SDB’s purpose is to promulgate NACVA’s Standards, including the development of interpretations, amendments, restatements, and new releases of NACVA’s Standards as deemed necessary and prudent. While being able to influence the very rul ...

Using Forensic Accounting Valuing the small business is how most valuators earn their living. These small businesses pose as much issues to valuation professionals as they do for tax, accounting, and legal professionals by providing these entities with advice. The issues are wide-ranging, and the purpose of this article is not to patronize small business owners; rather, the purpose of this article is to dis ...

The financial crisis of 2008 may have started in the U.S. banking sector but it went on to unleash the deepest global recession since the Great Depression. To read the full article in World Economic Forum, click: An Economist Explains What Happens if There is Another Financial Crisis. ...

It’s not hard to envision Gen X advisors finally achieving things that many of us hoped would happen a decade or more ago. To read the full article in Financial Planning, click: How I Stopped Worrying and Learned to Love the Next-Gen Takeover. ...

A third of staff think their employer is “stuck in its ways” and will not consider how to improve its culture—which could lead to increased staff turnover. To read the full article in Personnel Today, click: One in Three Say Their Employer Won’t Consider Culture Improvements. ...

The Limits Applied to Public and Private Companies The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made important changes to Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code. That section limits a publicly held corporation’s tax deduction for compensation paid to each covered employee to a maximum of $1,000,000 per year. A corporation is publicly held if it has issued securities required to be registered under Section 12 of th ...

in Not-for-Profit Entities There is an established body of knowledge that addresses economic damages in connection with for-profit organizations, but little about how these concepts apply to not-for-profit organizations. In this article, the author sets forth how those concepts apply to charitable organizations. “You will be much more in control, if you realize how much you are not in control.”―Benjamin Gra ...

Tracking IRA basis is critical for avoiding double taxation of assets, but this can be especially difficult for those who inherit retirement accounts. Reviewing the decedent's Form 8606 is an important first step, and other tax forms can also provide valuable information if this form cannot be found. To read the full article in Kiplinger, click: How Beneficiaries Can Determine IRA Basis. ...