Returning Value Blog

When it comes to expense reporting, having rigorous financial controls is critical to operating a profitable business. You should monitor expenditures incurred by employees on behalf of the company. This enables your organization to track spending, control costs and maintain accurate financial records.

Any recordkeeping system that suits you and your company and clearly shows your income and expenses is OK with the IRS. It's the business you're in that affects the type of records you need to keep for federal tax purposes.

Whether hiring contractors, buying equipment, or paying vendors, many businesses struggle with the procurement process. Here are some tips for streamlining your company’s purchase order (PO) approval process.

For high-net-worth individuals, the art of wealth transfer extends beyond merely providing financial assistance to future generations; it is about strategically positioning the next generation for personal success. Unfortunately, it also requires navigating a complex landscape of income, gift, and estate taxes. 

According to a Department of Labor release, a newly issued rule increases the salary threshold required to exempt a salaried bona fide executive, administrative, or professional employee from federal overtime pay requirements.

Choosing the right business entity has many implications, including the amount of your tax bill. The most common business structures are sole proprietorships, partnerships, limited liability companies, C corporations, and S corporations.

Four antifraud controls are associated with at least a 50% reduction in both fraud loss and duration, according to “Occupational Fraud 2024: A Report to the Nations” published by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE). They are financial statement audits, reporting hotlines, surprise audits, and proactive data analysis. However, the ACFE study also found that two of these — surprise audits and proactive data analysis — are among the least commonly implemented controls. Here’s how your organization might benefit from conducting periodic surprise audits.

On the surface, earned wage access is a simple, effective employee benefit; for a small fee — typically less than $5.00 per transaction — employees can access a portion of their paycheck before their actual payday. Many workers have minimal savings in the event of an emergency, and EWA can be a far less expensive alternative to high-interest payday loans.

The IRS recently released guidance providing the 2025 inflation-adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These amounts are adjusted each year, based on inflation, and the adjustments are announced earlier in the year than other inflation-adjusted amounts, which allows employers to get ready for the next year.

Accurate bookkeeping is essential to operating a successful small business. The problems created by inadequate bookkeeping practices can have significant, long-lasting consequences. Here are four common pitfalls — and how to avoid them with the right knowledge and tools.