Lynne Mercer by H2R CPA Team Your nonprofit probably already ensures that donors receive a receipt with information about claiming a charitable contribution deduction on their tax return. But your obligations may go further than that. For non-cash donations, you might have responsibilities related to certain tax forms. Form 8283 for donorsWhen filing their tax returns, donors … Read more
by H2R CPA Team A common estate planning mistake is to designate a minor as beneficiary — or contingent beneficiary — of a life insurance policy or retirement plan. While making your young child the beneficiary of such assets may seem like an excellent way to provide for him or her in the case of … Read more
by H2R CPA TeamPennsylvania clarifies the limit on corporate net operating loss deductions. The Department of Revenue said it won’t apply a $3 million cap to tax years starting before Jan. 1, 2017. This follows the Pennsylvania Supreme Court Nextel ruling that the limit violated the state constitution. However, the greater of that cap or … Read more
Are you familiar with the new Qualified Business Income deduction for partnerships, LLCs, S corps, trusts, estates and sole proprietorships? See article below from Journal of Accountancy for details and contact H2R CPA at 412-391-2920 or team@h2rcpa.com with any questions you may have. Mechanics of the new Sec. 199A deduction for qualified business income
by H2R CPA Team A company’s management team is often interested in painting the rosiest possible picture of a company’s financial performance. But aggressive earnings management, or “spin,” can mislead investors and lenders. Here are some ways U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) can be manipulated to obscure the truth.Creative accounting vs. cooking the booksEarnings … Read more
by Joseph M. Delisi, CPA With audit season upon us, it is important to remember that auditors are required to address “risk of fraud” during the audit process for both businesses and nonprofit organizations. The most common type of fraud is asset misappropriation, occurring in 85% of cases, according to a Global Fraud Study by … Read more
by H2R CPA TeamWhen accountants conduct an audit or review, they can’t test every transaction. Instead, they set a “materiality” threshold. This benchmark is used to obtain reasonable assurance in an audit — or limited assurance in a review — of detecting misstatements that could be large enough, individually or in the aggregate, to be … Read more
by H2R CPA Team The “sandwich generation” accounts for a large segment of the population. These are people who find themselves caring for both their children and their parents at the same time. In some cases, this includes providing parents with financial support. As a result, estate planning — which traditionally focuses on providing for … Read more
by Joseph M. Delisi, CPA, Principal Despite the continuing decline in overall paper check usage, check fraud continues to pose a risk for many organizations. Since checks are passed person-to-person on their way to payment, they can easily be stolen, duplicated, altered or cashed illegally. Are you concerned about check fraud losses at your business? … Read more
by Leo A. Hannah, CPA, MBA, Partner I recently attended the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA) Insurance Conference and wanted to share what I thought were the most relevant topics for my Fraternal Benefit Society clients: One of the main themes was cybersecurity. The Pennsylvania Department of Insurance will eventually be bringing in specialists … Read more