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Returning Value Blog

Melissa Motley, CPA

Melissa Motley has worked in the field of accounting for more than 25 years. She specializes in audit and accounting work with an emphasis in governmental audit.

Recent Posts

Last Call for Lease Accounting

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Jul 13, 2022

The updated lease accounting standard is currently in effect for private companies. After several postponements during the pandemic, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) voted unanimously to move forward with the changes. That means private companies and private, not-for-profit entities that follow U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) must adopt the new standard for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2021, and interim periods within fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2022. Surprisingly, some organizations still haven’t completed the implementation process, however. (Note: The updated accounting rules for long-term leases took effect for public companies in 2019.)

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Posted in Business Tax

Partners May Have to Report More Income on Tax Returns Than They Receive in Cash

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on May 24, 2022

Are you a partner in a business? You may have come across a situation that’s puzzling. In a given year, you may be taxed on more partnership income than was distributed to you from the partnership in which you’re a partner.

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Posted in Business Tax

Leveraging Internal Audits

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Apr 27, 2022

Many companies have an internal audit department that tests whether the organization is accurately reporting financial results and complying with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). But it’s important for internal auditors to think beyond compliance.

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Data Privacy in 2022: What You Need to Know

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Mar 07, 2022

Millions of people are unaware of how their personal data is being collected, used, or shared in our increasingly digital society. As a business, it’s more important than ever to have a data privacy strategy to protect customers and employees and remain compliant with applicable regulations.

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Posted in Business Advisory

Audit Disclosures: Why the Fine Print Is Important

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Feb 17, 2022

Footnotes appear at the end of a company’s audited financial statements. These disclosures provide insight into account balances, accounting practices, and potential risk factors — knowledge that’s vital to making well-informed lending and investing decisions. Here are examples of key risk factors that you might unearth by reading between the lines in a company’s footnotes.

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Posted in Audit & Assurance

How to Forecast Smarter

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Jan 19, 2022

Forecasting key business metrics — such as sales demand, receivables, payables, and working capital — can help you reduce excess inventory and other overhead, offer competitive prices, and keep your business on solid financial footing. Although historical financial statements are often the starting point for forecasts, you’ll need to do more than just multiply last year’s numbers by a projected growth rate, especially in today’s uncertain marketplace.

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Posted in Business Advisory

Providing a Company Car? Here's How Taxes Are Handled.

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Dec 17, 2021

The use of a company vehicle is a valuable fringe benefit for owners and employees of small businesses. This perk results in tax deductions for the employer as well as tax breaks for the owners and employees using the cars. (And of course, they get the nontax benefit of getting a company car.) Plus, current tax law and IRS rules make the benefit even better than it was in the past.

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Posted in Business Tax

FASB Offers Practical Expedient for Private Companies That Issue Share-Based Awards

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Nov 09, 2021

On October 25, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued a simpler accounting option that will enable private companies to more easily measure certain types of shares they provide to both employees and nonemployees as part of compensation awards. Here are the details.

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Posted in Audit & Assurance

10 Financial Statement Areas to Watch for COVID-Related Effects

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Oct 14, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic is still adversely affecting many businesses and not-for-profit organizations, but the effects vary, depending on the nature of operations and geographic location. Has your organization factored the effects of the pandemic into its financial statements? You might not have considered this question since last year if your organization prepares statements that comply with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles only at year-end.

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Posted in Audit & Assurance

Heads Up, Restaurants: Federal Relief Could Trigger a Single Audit

Posted by Melissa Motley, CPA on Sep 09, 2021

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the restaurant industry has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic’s impacts, leading to spikes in business closures, continued capacity limitations, and unprecedented loss in both jobs and sales. However, many establishments were able to keep their doors open and continue to serve customers throughout the course of the pandemic with the help of federal aid issued through the CARES Act programs, Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and other relief programs. As a result, restaurants may be subject to the Single Audit this year.

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Posted in Audit & Assurance

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