In Nine Easy Steps You have probably heard how helpful it can be to write blogs, either for yourself or your valuation and accounting firm. If you have never written one, the challenge can seem daunting. But you probably will find it easier than you think—especially if you follow these steps. The article outlines the steps; these are based on a How-To Guide from Hinge University, their online learning platf ...

and an Expert Witness While there are hundreds of Daubert decisions issued every week, only a few go a long way in shaping the way experts are screened by judges in the future. And even fewer times, a multimillion-dollar verdict is hinged solely on the expert witness testimony! In this article, the author discusses the district and appellate court decision in Alaska Rent-A-Car v. Avis Budget Group. ...

December 2018—U.S. Tax Court on Qualified Appraisals and Gill v. Gill, Minnesota’s Supreme Court Rules on the Status of Earn-Outs in Dissolution Cases The U.S. Tax Court issued two valuation memorandums in September and October 2018. Each memorandum serves as a reminder of the importance of attaching a qualified appraisal. The issue in Presley v. Commissioner, T.C. Memo. 2018-171 (October 15, 2018) was whet ...

of the Current Marijuana Business (Part II of II) In November of 2018 there are some 28 thousand marijuana/cannabis businesses in operation and employing about 150,000 people in the United States and they manage and control some nine billion dollars in essentially cash revenues. This industry continues to grow. In this second part, the author illustrates the importance of choice of entity, provides an overv ...

Un-Impeaching Opinions of Calculated Values Valuation or calculation? That is the question asked, answered, and argued by judges, experts, lawyers, and industry thought leaders apropos to whether a calculation of value can be used in litigation. The answer echoed throughout courtrooms across America thus far is a resounding “it depends.” This article offers a synopsis of the debate over calculation engageme ...

of the Current Marijuana Business (Part I of II) In November of 2018, there are some 28,000 marijuana/cannabis businesses in operation, employing about 150,000 people in the U.S., and they manage and control some $9 billion in essentially cash revenues. This industry continues to grow. In this two-part article, the author provides a brief overview of the history of this industry and tax issues CPAs and cons ...

to Your Differentiation Strategy Among executives in the accounting and finance firms, creating and implementing a relevant differentiation strategy continues to be a struggle—however, this does not have to be the case. At its simplest, creating and implementing a differentiation strategy is a five-step process. In this article, Dr. Frederiksen describes these steps. ...

Alexa Voice AI Makes Conversational Valuation Possible What if your valuation reports could have a two-way conversation with your clients? How would that improve the usability of your work product? Could it increase the value of your firm’s intellectual capital? In this, the author discusses how Alexa Voice AI can deliver a calculation report to a client. ...

and Communications If readers accept the premise that technology is here to stay, then the flip phone is our reminder of what can be lost without complete and comprehensive communication. In this article, the author shares five reasons for regretting the loss of the “flip phone” to newer technology and cautions readers to the perils that new technology pose to our ability to communicate. ...

SSFS 1 Announced at AICPA FVS Conference The AICPA just announced the upcoming Statement on Standards for Forensic Services (SSFS 1) engagements. In this article, C. Zachary Meyers offers readers a sneak peek into the three key areas of interest. ...

Obtaining Adequate Information in Small Business Valuations As valuation professionals, one of the challenges we face in valuing small businesses is the quality of the financial information provided by the subject company. The NACVA professional standards require members to exercise due professional care and obtain sufficient relevant data to prepare a conclusion, recommendation, or position. In this articl ...

The Expert Witness Exchange In this article, the Expert Witness Exchange discusses expert witness employment opportunities for CVAs and how to get noticed by attorneys. ...

Be a Trusted Advisor Valuation analysts are in a unique position to help their clients. Most business owners have never looked at their business the way a valuation professional does. If the valuation analyst does a yearly check-up or checks in with their clients but does not include a discussion or a strategy to build value in their business, perhaps it should. This is an opportunity to expand the work bas ...

Five Signs That We Need to Part Ways With a Client How do we know when it’s time to cast off a client or referral source? In this article, Rod Burkert shares five tell-tale signs that suggest it is time to have a break-up talk. ...

For Financial Services Firms Finding ways to differentiate your firm from competitors may be one of the most vexing challenges you can face. After all, it may well be that there are more similarities than differences. But with a little focus and some self-inquiry, it is possible. In this article, Dr. Frederiksen shares seven effective differentiators for financial services firms. ...

Conclusion (Part Six of a Six-Part Series) The first installment of this six-part series set forth an overview of the due diligence imperative for valuation professionals, in the context of the Four Pillars of Healthcare Value, i.e., Reimbursement, Regulatory, Technology, and Competition. The second through fifth installments reviewed the due diligence process related to the reimbursement, regulatory, compe ...

Bargain Purchase Transactions This article summarizes the fair value measurement guidance and financial accounting considerations in business combinations—and specifically, in bargain purchase transactions. This discussion also describes the principles of acquisition accounting as they relate to fair value measurement. And, this discussion describes many of the valuation analyst considerations regarding the ...

Conservation Easements, Attempts to Dissolve a NY LLC, and Valuation of Law Practice The U.S. Tax Court has issued a limited number of valuation cases this past summer. In this article, one U.S. Tax Court case presented is Harbor Loft Associates v. Commissioner. The case underscores that lessees cannot claim a charitable deduction for a conservation easement. The second case discussed is Matter of Goyal v. ...

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 prece ...

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. ...