Returning Value Blog

New Rule will affect millions - After the 2016 regulation (which had a much higher threshold) was invalidated by a U.S. District Court, a new regulation was finalized on September 24, 2019, by the U.S. Department of Labor.  However, changes in the regulations do not formally take effect until January 1, 2020. Because of that, employers still have time to make the adjustments necessary to be in full compliance.

Technology is altering the traditional approach to internal audits. Instead of reviewing reams of paperwork, today’s auditor is learning to use electronic records. In turn, going paperless facilitates a concept known as “continuous auditing,” where internal auditors continually gather data to support their procedures. Here’s how your business can modernize this process.

As an employer, you must pay federal unemployment (FUTA) tax on amounts up to $7,000 paid to each employee as wages during the calendar year. The rate of tax imposed is 6% but can be reduced by a credit (described below). Most employers end up paying an effective FUTA tax rate of 0.6%. An employer taxed at a 6% rate would pay FUTA tax of $420 for each employee who earned at least $7,000 per year, while an employer taxed at 0.6% pays $42.

Many business owners ask: How can I avoid an IRS audit? The good news is that the odds against being audited are in your favor. In the fiscal year 2018, the IRS audited approximately 0.6% of individuals. Businesses, large corporations, and high-income individuals are more likely to be audited but, overall, audit rates are historically low.

Every year, research firm Audit Analytics publishes a study about financial restatement trends. In 2018, the number of public companies that amended their annual reports increased by 18%.

The average company’s balance sheet understates its value by 80%, according to Sarah Tomolonius, co-founder of the Sustainability Investment Leadership Council. Why? Intangible assets aren’t recorded on the balance sheet under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) unless they’re acquired from a third party.

Do you want to withdraw cash from your closely held corporation at a low tax cost? The easiest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax-efficient, since it’s taxable to you to the extent of your corporation’s “earnings and profits.” But it’s not deductible by the corporation.

More than half of recent college graduates plan to start a business someday, according to the results of a survey published in August by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Unfortunately, the AICPA estimates that only half of new businesses survive the five-year mark, and only about one in three reaches the 10-year mark.

What’s the purpose of a corporation? For the last 50 years, the answer was “to maximize shareholder value.” But, on August 19, CEOs of 181 leading U.S. businesses, including Amazon, Apple, General Motors and Walmart, pledged to broaden the scope.

When an employer decides to sponsor a retirement plan for employees, it takes on great responsibility. Anyone who exercises discretionary authority over any vital facet of plan operations likely will be considered a plan fiduciary. In turn, these individuals face a significant risk of liability if anything goes seriously wrong with the plan.