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Our 2020 NewsBlog Archive

January

Take a 360-Degree Approach to Business Continuity Planning
Beat Them or Join Them? A Challenge for Not-for-Profits
Considering a Business Relocation?
Congress Approves New Disaster-Area Tax Relief
Preventative Steps Help Ensure M&A Success
Give Away Your Potential Tax Liability
Dividing Assets, and Tax Bills, in Divorce
You May Want to Separate Real Estate Assets from Your Business
2020 Tax Calendar
Build Teams for Growth and Success
Tips for Saving on Business Travel
How Elements of Control Affect Value
Executive Terminations: Sever Ties Carefully
The Basics of Gift Taxes
Important Tax Figures for 2020
How To Monetize Receivables When Payors Are Slow
Women Start to STEP Forward in Manufacturing
Leveraging the Power of Your Company's Managers
Developing a Successful Mentor Program
Tips for Collecting from Bankrupt Customers
A Wise Approach to College Savings
Employee Dispute Mediation: Better than Litigation When it Works
Employees: A Wealth of Untapped Knowledge
Trade Show Marketing: 18 Questions to Ask Before You Go
Find a Corporate Partner for Your Not-for-Profit Organization
What Employers Should Know About the SECURE Act
SECURE Act Affects Retirement and Tax Planning for Individuals
Charting Your Way to Success
Herd Salespeople Toward Success
Business Valuations Are Not Commodities
Paper Packaging Makes a Comeback
Grab Hold of Potential Opportunity at Trade Shows
Roth IRAs: A Great Estate Planning Vehicle
New DOL 'Rate of Pay' Regs Update Overtime Pay Rules
New Tax Law Provides 10 Key Breaks for Individual Taxpayers
3 Ways to Position Yourself and Your Family for Future Success
Buyer's Side Due Diligence Checklist
Good Things Come From Crummey Trusts
Selling Real Estate on the Installment Basis
Do Not Take Tax Chances on Gambling
Why Defining Goals Is Important and How to Do It
Keep Your Company Running Smoothly With a Smart Strategy
Be Cautious When Accepting Checks
To Compensate or Not to Compensate Not-for-Profit Board Members
Low Tax Rates Provide Opportunity to "Cash Out" with Dividends
Tax Rules that Apply to Home-to-Rental Conversions
2020 Plan Design Changes Driven by Technology and Other Factors

February

Prepare Your Family With a Thoughtful Letter
Liquidating a Corporation? Avoid Double Taxation with Smart Planning
Deducting Pass-Through Business Losses
Hiring the Best: How to Build Your Executive Team
Is Your Not-for-Profit Organization in Survival Mode?
Should You Extend Your 2019 Tax Return?
Ideas to Lower Your Taxes for 2019
Why Is the Valuation Date so Important?
Has the TCJA Lowered Your Taxes?
One-of-a-Kind Assets Require a Unique Valuation Approach
A Checklist for Product Recalls
Hit the Ground Running: 7 Steps for New Business Owners
Phantom Stock Could Help Grow Your Business for the Long Term
Recapping Health Care Changes Wrought by 2019 Legislation
Which Planning Process Is the Best Fit for You?
Communication Is Critical During Mergers and Acquisitions
Nurture Understanding Between Generations for a Peaceful Workplace
Real Property and the Estate Process
Watch the Language in Employee Handbooks
Limit Exposure When Signing a Lease
Can Your Not-for-Profit Organization Participate in the Election
Is Your Family Medical Leave Policy Up-to-Date?
IRS Launches New Identity Theft Website
The SECURE Act Likely to Affect Your Retirement and Estate Plans
10 Tax Elections to Save Money on Your 2019 Return
Deducting Medical Expenses for 2019 and Beyond
Take Steps to Help Ensure Your Company Is Delivering on its Promises
Divorce Valuations: Active versus Passive Appreciation
Advertising Quiz
Estate Planning with 529 College Savings Accounts
Family-Duty Discrimination Targets Parents and Caregivers
Fed Up Customers Can Hurt Profits
Work to Narrow Manufacturing Skills Gap
Strategies for Reducing Risk and Improving Outcomes
The SECURE Act Changes the Rules for Employers on Retirement Plans
The 7 Cs of Planning Success

March

What Are the Most Common Form 990 Mistakes Not-for-Profits Make
Six Keys to Successful Change in the Workplace
Resolve Customer Billing Disputes Promptly
How to Manage COVID-19-Related Business Risks
Keep Tabs on Your Living Trust
Squeeze More Out of a Company SEP
How to Set Up an IRS-Approved Family Loan
Align Your Will With Other Documents
Save Time and Money: Pre-Screen Recruits With 5 Questions
Can Telemedicine Help Tame Health Benefit Cost Inflation?
Keep Production Humming in Peak Season
COVID-19 Pandemic Poses Complex HR Policy Questions
Five Ways to Prepare Your Nonprofit for Leadership Change
Achieve Sustainable Cost Cutting at Your Organization
The GST: Wealth that Skips a Generation
Can We Impose Cost Sharing for Out-of-Network Preventive Services?
Two Levels of Appraisal Services: Calculations vs. Valuations
What You Should Know About Organ Donation
Building a Compliance Culture
Sublet Extra Space and Watch Profits Soar
When a Product Must Be Recalled
7 Valuable Tax Credits for Small Businesses
The IRS Provides Guidance on Meal and Entertainment Deductions
Thinking of Selling Your Business to an Employee?
Illinois Senate Bill 687 Signed into Law

April

Estate Planning for Singles: Current Tax Rules May Dictate Changes
CARES Act Provides 4 Possible Reasons to File an Amended Return
Businesses: Think about Tomorrow When Hunkering Down Today
How Does Terrorism Affect Manufacturing?
Tax Issues When Buying a Business With an Earnout
Maximize Social Security Benefits When You Retire
Tax Law Changes Affecting Partnerships, LLCs and Their Owners
The Best Way to Handle an Inheritance
Slash Office Supply Costs With Simple Tricks
When a Not-for-Profit Organization Can and Can't Lobby
COVID-19 Tax Relief: TCJA Loss Limitation Rules Are Eased
Should You File a Business Interruption Claim for COVID-19 Losses?
COVID-19 Scams to Avoid Like the Virus
Does Your Spouse Feel Left Out of Key Business Decisions?
COVID-19 Relief for Employers: New Employee Retention Tax Credit
Tax Responsibilities After Someone Dies
Pick the Right Trademark
Search Your Company For Extra Cash
Five Ways to Improve Inventory Management
New Law Retroactively Fixes QIP Drafting Mistake
Stay Afloat with Tax-Favored Coronavirus-Related Distributions
Coping with Crisis in the Not-for-Profit World
Points to Consider Before Making Gifts to Children
What to Do with Impossible Employees? Clean House
Tax Issues When SELLING a Business With an Earnout
Smoothing Out Friction Between Business Owners
How to Approach Your Taxes Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
Seven Reasons to Update Your Will
401(k) Contributions: Employers Should Keep Calm but Know the Options
How to Be Sure You Are Leaving Your Business in Good Hands

May

Reducing Your Taxable Estate
Utilize Data Collected on the Shop Floor
Is it Time to Reopen Your Business? 10 Questions to Ask Yourself
Strengthen Your Weakest Link
Hobby-Related Loss Deductions Are Disallowed, but Don't Give Up Hope
Beware of Deductions Claimed for Certain Business Expenses
Key Tax Issues to Consider If You Lose a Loved One
Global Fraud Epidemic: How to Keep Your Organization Safe
Plan for Employee Safety as Employees Return to Work
Realistic Timelines
What Will Happen to a Special Needs Child Without a Solid Estate Plan?
Keep Temperatures Cool for Less
Can Your Business Survive and Even Thrive in These Trying Times?
Boosting the Productivity of Remote Workers
Beware: M&A Activity Can Trigger Unexpected Tax Issues
A Trust to Help Fund the Payment of Estate Taxes
USMCA: New Trade Agreement Will Modernize NAFTA
Prepare for a Post-COVID-19 Business Sea Change
Enhance your Profit with This 12-Step Plan
Unrelated Business Income Tax: The TCJA Has Changed the Rules
Growing Business Value When Times Are Tough

June

Watch Your Step When Negotiating
An 'Intentionally Defective' Trust Can Save Taxes
One Option to Finance a Business Sale
Demystifying Casualty Loss Deductions
COVID-19 Tax Relief: Roundup of Postponed Federal Tax Deadlines
Go It Alone with a 401(k) Plan
Last-Minute Strategies for Businesses that Deferred Filing Tax Returns
Keep Employees COVID-19 Free: An Employer's Guide From OSHA
Avoid Family Feuds When Distributing Assets
How the Current Tax Law Affects Charitable Giving from IRAs
Manage Assets for Smooth Operations
Single-Member LLCs Have Special Tax-Advantages
Where Transferable Value Comes From
New Economic Nexus Laws Apply to ALL Retailers, Wholesalers, Distributors, and Manufacturers
Previously Printed IRS Balance Due Notices Will Include Insert with Extended Due Dates
The Benefits of Leasing
Would a Revocable Trust Be Beneficial for You?
Trademark Protection for Product Shapes and Containers
Consider Another Way to Calculate Overtime Pay
Tax Tips for Individuals Who Haven't Filed a Return for 2019
Illinois Sales Tax Rate Changes for Certain Municipalities Effective July 1, 2020
Do Not Let Benefit Issues Derail a Transaction
Seven Strategies for Better Results With Employees
Why Business Owners Don't Plan for Succession ... and Why it's Critical
Keeping Delivery on Time
Family Business Tax-Saving Moves in the COVID-19 Era
How to Plan for a PPP Audit
Is the Form 5500 Filing Deadline Extended Because of COVID-19?
Identifying “The Gap”

July

Will Your Merger Be Blindsided by Fraud
Start Recovering Lost Sales
A Special Trust for Special Needs
Business Vehicle Purchases: What Is Deductible for 2020?
Buying a Distressed Business
IRS: New Law Provides Relief for Eligible Taxpayers Who Need Funds from IRAs and Other Retirement Plans
Listen to Warnings About Work-Related Hearing Loss
If You're a Non-U.S. Citizen, Estate Planning Rules Are Different
New Supreme Court Rulings on Immigration and Discrimination Summon Attention
Update on Virtual Care: Utilization Surges During the Pandemic
Where to Start
Medical Costs: Can I Really Get a Tax Break for That?
A Good Structure for Expanded Business Operations
Stamp Out Tax Protesters at Your Company
Add Spendthrift Language to a Trust to Safeguard Its Assets
Take Action to Control Workers' Comp AFTER an Accident
Hobby or Business? How to Treat COVID-19 Sideline Activities for Taxes
Who Will Run Your Business After You?
Who Pays for Health Coverage During COVID-19-Related FMLA Leave?
Goodwill: Personal or Business -- and Why Does It Matter?
Save Money by Improving Your Purchasing System
Create a Road Map for Your Estate Plan
Tax-Favored QSBC for the COVID-19 Era and Beyond
Employees Working at Home? Rethink Your Space Needs
Planning When You’re Too Busy to Plan
IRS Guidance Provides RMD Rollover Relief
A Good Time for Making Tax-Smart Family Loans
An Energy Audit Can Find Your Plant's Power Hogs
Answers to Your Questions About Living Trusts
Can Merger Termination Fees be Currently Deducted?
COVID-19 Crisis May Affect Tax Angles for Rental Property Losses
Keep Economic Impact Payment Notice with Other Tax Records

August

Push for Telemedicine Advances During the COVID-19 Pandemic
The IRS Is Making Small Tax Refund Interest Payments to Some People
President Takes Executive Action to Defer Employee Social Security Taxes
Monitor These 3 Things as Your Nonprofit’s Priorities Change
IRS Urges Employers to Choose Carefully When Selecting a Payroll Service Provider
Funding a Sale to “Insiders”
IRS: Unemployment Compensation Is Taxable; Have Tax Withheld Now and Avoid a Tax-time Surprise
Do You Have to Pay Employees While They Put on Safety Gear?
ERISA Notices During the COVID-19 Crisis
Watch for UBIT When Your Nonprofit Pursues New Activities
Six Steps to Getting Your Business Sale Ready
What Does the Executive Action Deferring Payroll Taxes Mean for Employers and Employees?
Tax Considerations for Principal Residence Foreclosures Today
Back to the Future: Prior-Law Kiddie Tax Rates Retroactively Reinstated
Rethinking Cash Flow
Lowering the Bar on Performance and Payment Bonding
Are There Any Special Rules for Telehealth During the COVID-19 Emergency?

September

Paying for Group Health Plan Administrative Expenses
Monitor Overtime Pay for Your Remote Workers: DOL Guidance
Tax Implications When Lenders Cancel Debts in the COVID-19 Era
What's New in QuickBooks Desktop 2021
UPDATE: PPP Loan Forgiveness & Deductibility of Expenses
Another Round of Illinois Business Interruption Grants Program (BIG) is Now Open for Applications
Not All Strategies Are Created Equal
What Divorcing Homeowners Need to Know
Small Businesses: Are First-Year Depreciation Write-Offs Right for You?
Five Tips for Dynamic Strategic Planning
Spouses Are Guilty Until Proven Innocent
NEXUS: Do You Have Exposure?
How to Nudge Employees in an Ethical Direction
Avoid Personal Liability for Unpaid Federal Payroll Taxes
Election 2020: Where Do the Candidates Stand on Business Tax Issues?
Spotlight on Individual Tax Matters in the 2020 Election
Find Your Best Path to the Future
More to Business Valuation than Meets the Eye
Managing Risk for Remote Workforces in a Post-COVID-19 World
Is Your Company in Compliance with Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws?

October

Year-end Tax Planning Strategies Must Take Business Turbulence into Account
Take Aim at Tax Credit for Hiring Target Workers
Unusual Year Steers Year-end Tax Strategies
Ingredients to Jumpstart the Planning Process
Six Key Tax Breaks that Homeowners May Be Able to Claim
Joint Ventures: How They Can Open New Doors
Complete Your Profit-Building Projects with this 12-Step Plan
Audits Are Essential to Your Organization's Health
Year-end Moves for Charitable Donations
Porte Brown Staff Members Interviewed by Elk Grove Business Journal - Is Your Business COVID-Ready?
Court Blocks Portions of Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Regulations
Like-Kind Exchanges: New Proposed IRS Regs Define Real Property
Fraud Alert: Have You Heard About New Vishing Attacks?
The Process of Selling Your Business Has Already Begun
Congressional Report Reveals Insights Into COVID-19 Coverage
Should Your Nonprofit Adopt Remote Work Permanently?
Are Your Construction Contracts COVID-proof?
Home Office Deductions in the COVID-19 Era
Compare and Contrast: How Do the Republican and Democratic Tax Plans Differ?
Get on the Cutting Edge of Inventory Control

November

Overtime Pay Rules for Fluctuating Workweeks
Don’t Let Your Key Employees Jump Ship
Consider Reevaluating Your Tax Plans Based on the Outcome of the Presidential Election
Employee or Independent Contractor? The Rules May Be Getting Simpler
Creating a Tax-Advantaged ABLE Account for a Loved One with a Disability
Beware: Several CARES Act Tax Provisions Will Soon Expire
Are We Subject to the Mental Health Parity Rules?
COVID-19-Related Paid Leave Requirements Get a Fine-Tuning
Do the COVID-19 Extended Deadlines for Health Plans Still Apply?
Keep Employees Safe From COVID-19 Without Discrimination
3D Printing Is Altering Global Manufacturing
If You Don’t Uncover the Skeletons in Your Closet, Your Buyer Will
From Counting Transactions to Cultivating Relationships
Don't Treat Your Family Business as a Royal Dynasty
Tax Blueprint for the Construction Industry
Prequalify Subcontractors and Protect Your Profitability
Set a Realistic Price for Your Business
Be on High Alert for Ransomware Attacks
How COVID-19 Is Empowering Scammers
What Is New in QuickBooks Online 2020?
Nine Ways to Avoid Wrongful Discharge
2020 Year-end Tax Planning Ideas for Small Business

December

For older articles check out our 2019 Newsletter Archive or our 2018 Newsletter Archive.

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