T.C. Memo. 2015-249: A Checklist to Address 2036 Concerns The issue raised in Estate of Purdue v. Commissioner was whether the “decedent’s desire to have the marketable securities and the building interest held and managed as a family asset constituted a legitimate non-tax motive for the transfer of property to PFLLC.”
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An Era of Reform—The Four Pillars, Volumes I and II Since 1950, the U.S. population has doubled from just more than 152 million to an estimated 320 million. In this same period, the average life expectancy has increased from approximately 68 years to over 78 years. This increased life expectancy and accompanying rise in the incidence and prevalence of diseases, conditions, and injuries is driving demand for healthcare services. Cost concerns and a rapidly evolving regulatory and legal environment have created new opportunities in healthcare consultancy for large and small firms. This two-volume set is designed to serve as a…
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What lessons can business owners learn from the experiences of others? Perhaps there is a lesson to pay attention to basics in the emerging situation at Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. Z. Christopher Mercer, founder and CEO of Mercer Capital, examines their performance between 2012 and mid-October 2015; Chipotle’s performance since the initial E. coli announcement; and the traditional valuation relationships between expected growth and risk. To read the full article in Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: Chipotle: A Growth Story Ended (for Now at Least) by E. coli. This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog. It…
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What Happens When Companies Ignore Disruptive Innovation One mistake companies make is assuming that disruptive innovations will target the low end of the market. This may cause them to overlook potentially industry-changing ideas and stick with old infrastructure for too long. Maxwell Wessel, venture capitalist at Sapphire Ventures, explains the issue and what’s needed to overcome it. To read the full article in the Harvard Business Review, click: How Big Data is Changing Disruptive Innovation.
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Proposal Seeks Consistency in CPE Credit Increments The AICPA and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy issued an amended proposal to create consistency in the increments of continuing professional education credits that CPAs can earn through various methods of instruction. Interested parties are encouraged to comment on the exposure draft by April 30. Ken Tysiac, JofA editorial director, explains the proposal. To read the full article in the Journal of Accountancy, click: Proposal Aims for Uniformity in CPE Credit Increments.
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The National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts™ (NACVA®) celebrates 25 years of service to the accounting and consulting profession in 2016. NACVA’s Silver Anniversary conference, co-sponsored with the Consultants’ Training Institute™ (CTI™), is themed, Strong Foundations Build Bright Futures, and will be held June 8–11, 2016 at the iconic Hotel del Coronado in San Diego, CA. Steve Forbes, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Forbes Media and bestselling author, will deliver the conference keynote address, Navigating the Economy for Business Growth and Success, on the morning of Thursday, June 9, 2016. Forbes leads the most successful business news magazine in America. In both 1996…
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Qualified Business Appraiser and Appraisal Needed A November 2015 memorandum by the U.S. Tax Court in Fleming Cardiovascular, P.A. v. Commissioner found that the Internal Revenue Services (“IRS”) did not abuse its discretion in revoking the Fleming Cardiovascular, P.A. Employee Stock Ownership Plan’s (“ESOP”) qualified and tax exempt status for failure to operate in accordance with plan documents. Of note, the ESOP failed to obtain an independent annual valuation of the stock by a qualified appraiser in five out of seven plan years.
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Q&A Guide for Valuation Practitioners James Hitchner, Dr. Shannon Pratt, and Jay Fishman are co-authors of a publication that uses a Q&A approach to address important questions. The article includes excerpts from this book.
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Last spring we observed that 2015 would likely mark a turning point in portfolio valuations. With Q4 earnings season beginning, we take an opportunity to check in on portfolio marks and market sentiment over the year. Travis W. Harms, Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group lead, explains the key takeaway from the year. To read the full article in Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: Time Will Tell: Diverging Perspectives on BDC Portfolio Values. This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog. It is reprinted with permission. To subscribe to the blog, visit: http://mercercapital.com/category/financialreportingblog/
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A slump in U.S. corporate profit is the biggest concern expressed by financial professionals responding to a State Street Global Advisors survey. James Green, group editorial director Investment Advisor Group, examines if rising stock market volatility is close behind. To read the full article in ThinkAdvisor, click: Advisors Overweight Technology, Financials Amid Earnings Concerns: SSGA.
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Regulations Clarify Arm’s-Length Standard for Transfer-Pricing Rules The temporary regulations provide that the arm’s-length standard of Sec. 482 applies to all controlled transactions without regard to the form or character of the transactions, and they are particularly concerned with tax-favored transfers of assets outside the U.S. Jay L. Camillo, M.A. (international relations), Atlanta, and Kenneth P. Christman Jr., J.D., Washington, explain. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: Temporary Regs. Under Sec. 482 Coordinate Transfer-Pricing Rules with Other Code.
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CEOs Wary of Regulation and Geopolitical Instability Over-regulation and geopolitical instability are contributing to a sharp decline in confidence in global economic performance, according to a report by PwC. Samantha White, senior editor for CGMA Magazine, looks into this issue. To read the full article in CGMA Magazine, click: Regulation and Geopolitical Instability Key Concerns for CEOs in 2016.
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Companies Look to Track Data About Employee Health Some companies are moving to track employee health data, which is linked to business performance. Aimee Picchi looks at how tracking and disclosing this type of data could make workers uneasy and perhaps lead to discrimination, critics say. To read the full article in CBS Moneywatch, click: The Growing Movement to Track Employee Health.
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The IRS announced that it is withdrawing proposed regulations released last September that would have allowed charities to file information returns with the IRS and donors instead of providing contemporaneous written acknowledgments of charitable donations (REG-138344-13). Charities that elected to use the new procedure would have been required to obtain donors’ Social Security or other tax identification numbers (TINs) to complete the information return. Sally Schreiber, Tax Adviser senior editor, explains. To read the full article in The Tax Adviser, click: Controversial Charitable Donation Rules Withdrawn.
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Should Pension Participants Take the Lump-Sum Option? Traditional pensions are increasingly offering participants a lump-sum payment in lieu of monthly payments over the rest of their lives. This option makes sense in some cases, but a monthly payment can reduce the chances of running out of money in retirement. Ann Carrns explains how, unfortunately, not all employees are able to make informed decisions. To read the full article in The New York Times, click: Carefully Considering Pension Payment Options.
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Last week, Lands’ End, Inc. announced it would write down the value of its flagship trade name asset. Management’s preliminary guidance could lower the asset’s value by 20%. Lucas M. Parris, senior member of Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Valuation Group, explores that obviously, a non-cash impairment charge is just that, non-cash, but what does it mean for stakeholders and how is such a charge actually determined? To read the full article in Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog, click: Lands’ End and Trade Name Impairment. This article is republished from Mercer Capital’s Financial Reporting Blog. It is reprinted with permission. To…
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Post-Grant Review, Inter Partes Review (IPR) and Ex Parte Re-Examination (EPR) alternatives to Litigation Litigation of Intellectual Property is costly. What alternatives do parties have to costly and protracted litigation? This article discusses various options to litigation.
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A Meaningful New Year’s Resolution Why is compliance so important to business? What are the reasons and consequences for failing to have a compliance program? In this article, Peter J. Comodeca, Esq. with the law firm of Calfee, Halter & Griswold, LLP discusses the legal reasons to comply and costs of failing to comply.
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The Best Source of Referrals is One Not Readily Considered How can one maximize referral opportunities? What separates the most successful professional services firms from the rest? One key difference is surprisingly simple, and often overlooked: successful firms understand the process of referrals. Most firms work under long-held referral assumptions that are not effective. Most believe that winning new business through referrals essentially boils down to a simple formula: do good work for your clients and rub elbows with a few referral sources, such as attorneys and CPAs, and business will come from those sources. This article debunks that presumption.
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Economists Express Concerns About Global Growth The majority of economists polled by Reuters say that global economic growth is slowing in both developed and developing markets. Their main concern is trouble in China. Rahul Karunakar examines the results and how still, most economists said there is an “insignificant” chance of a global recession this year. To read the full article in Reuters, click: Momentum Fading for Global Economic Growth and Inflation: Poll.