Returning Value Blog

There's Still Time to Set Up a SEP and Reduce Your 2025 Taxes

Posted by Jessica L. Pagan, CPA on Feb 09, 2026

If you own a business or are self-employed and haven’t already set up a tax-advantaged retirement plan, consider establishing one before you file your 2025 tax return. If you choose a Simplified Employee Pension (SEP), you’ll be able make deductible 2025 contributions to it, saving you taxes. Not only is the SEP deadline favorable, but SEPs are easy to set up, and the contribution limits are generous. If you have employees, you’ll generally have to include them in the SEP and make contributions on their behalf, which are also deductible.

Posted in Business Tax

Remote Auditing Is Here to Stay: How It's Changing the Audit Process

Posted by Aaron K. Waller, CPA on Feb 05, 2026

Once considered a temporary workaround, remote auditing is now a permanent part of how audits are planned and performed. Technological advances and evolving workforce expectations have pushed audit firms to rethink traditional, fully on-site approaches. The question isn’t whether remote auditing will continue (it will), but how firms and clients can use it effectively while maintaining audit quality.

Posted in Audit & Assurance

Increase Your Current Business Deductions Under Tangible Property Safe Harbors

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Feb 04, 2026

Did your business make repairs to tangible property, such as buildings, equipment, or vehicles, in 2025? Such costs may be fully deductible on your 2025 income tax return — if they weren’t actually for “improvements” that must be depreciated over a period of years.

Posted in Taxation

Preparing Your F&A Team for Leadership Changes

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Jan 26, 2026

At the start of the new year, your finance and accounting (F&A) department is under a microscope. Budgets, forecasts, and strategic plans are top of mind, and internal staff may be working with your CPA to finalize year-end financial statements. This heightened attention often raises an important question: What would happen if your CFO suddenly left?

Posted in Accounting & Outsourcing

2026 Outlook for the Real Estate & Construction Industry

Posted by Michael D. Machen, CPA, CVA on Jan 23, 2026

The real estate and construction industry has weathered years of disruption, from supply chain chaos and natural disasters to labor shortages and interest rate volatility. As companies look ahead, 2026 is shaping up to be another year of change and challenge.

Posted in Business Advisory

Tax Filing Update for Pass-Through Entities

Posted by Nick Wheeler, CPA on Jan 22, 2026

Do you operate a business as a partnership, a limited liability company (LLC) treated as a partnership for tax purposes, or an S corporation? In tax lingo, these are called “pass-through” entities because their taxable income items, tax deductions, and tax credits are passed through to their owners and taken into account on the owners’ federal income tax returns. These entities generally don’t owe any federal income tax themselves. Here are some important things to know about tax filing for pass-through entities.

Posted in Business Tax

Is Your Business Ready for the Tax Deadline That's on Groundhog Day This Year?

Posted by Murry Guy, CPA on Jan 21, 2026

Normally, businesses must furnish certain information returns to workers and submit them to the federal government by January 31. But this year, that date falls on a Saturday. So the deadline is the next business day, which happens to be Groundhog Day: February 2, 2026.

Posted in Business Advisory

What To Look For on Your Balance Sheet — and How to Strengthen It.

Posted by Jessica L. Pagan, CPA on Jan 14, 2026

The balance sheet shows your company’s financial condition — its assets vs. liabilities — at a specific point in time. However, the balance sheet is more than a static report. It can also serve as a diagnostic tool for managers and other stakeholders to analyze historical performance and plan for future growth. Taking your balance sheet to the next level requires context, judgment and forward-looking analysis.

Posted in Accounting & Outsourcing

How Activity-Based Costing Can Improve Business Performance

Posted by Lesley L. Price, CPA on Jan 08, 2026

Your income statement indicates whether your business is profitable — but it doesn’t always explain why . For many small businesses, traditional cost accounting can mask where time and money are really being spent. Activity-based costing offers a practical way to understand the true cost of the work you perform, helping you make better decisions about pricing, profitability, and operational efficiency.

Posted in Business Advisory

Not All Business "Expenses" Are Tax Deductible

Posted by Jessica L. Pagan, CPA on Jan 07, 2026

With 2025 in the rear view mirror and the tax filing deadline on the road ahead, it’s a good time for businesses to start gathering information about their deductible expenses for 2025. But what’s deductible (and what’s not) might not be as clear-cut as you think.

Posted in Business Tax