Returning Value Blog

In accrual-basis accounting, timing is everything. One core principle of U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is the matching concept, which requires organizations to recognize expenses in the same period as the revenue they help generate. Prepaid expenses — payments made for goods or services before they’re used — must be handled carefully to conform to this principle. Here’s an overview of the accounting rules for reporting prepaid items and guidance to help you manage them effectively.

Hiring a new employee involves more than just onboarding and orientation. Two critical compliance requirements, E-Verify and state new hire reporting, must be addressed early in the employment process. These systems are essential for verifying work eligibility and meeting government mandates, and at FocusPay Solutions, we provide the tools and support to help you manage them effectively.

If you’re claiming deductions for business meals or vehicle expenses, expect the IRS to closely review them. In some cases, taxpayers have incomplete documentation or try to create records months (or years) later. In doing so, they fail to meet the strict substantiation requirements set forth under tax law. Tax auditors are adept at rooting out inconsistencies, omissions, and errors in taxpayers’ records, as illustrated by one recent U.S. Tax Court case. (T.C. Memo. 2024-82)

Performing a mid-year QuickBooks® cleanup is a smart habit that small business owners and bookkeepers can adopt to stay ahead of their financial responsibilities. Waiting until year end to review your accounting records can lead to unnecessary stress, missed deductions and preventable errors.

If your company’s financial statements are audited, chances are your auditor will send out external confirmations.These information requests may be sent directly to your customers, vendors, banks, attorneys, and benefit plan administrators.

If you or your employees are heading out of town for business this summer, it’s important to understand what travel expenses can be deducted under current tax law. To qualify, the travel must be necessary for your business and require an overnight stay within the United States.

A bill in Congress — dubbed The One, Big, Beautiful Bill — could significantly reshape several federal business tax breaks. While the proposed legislation is still under debate, it’s already sparking attention across business communities.

The treatment of research and experimental (R&E) expenses is a high-stakes topic for U.S. businesses, especially small to midsize companies focused on innovation. As the tax code currently stands, the deductibility of these expenses is limited, leading to financial strain for companies that used to be able to expense them immediately. However, proposed legislation dubbed The One, Big, Beautiful Bill could drastically change that. Here’s what you need to know.

In today’s volatile economic climate, organizations face mounting pressures that can increase the risk of fraudulent activities. Auditors play a pivotal role in identifying and mitigating these risks through comprehensive fraud risk assessments and tailored audit procedures.