July / August
Showing 561–576 of 616 results
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3 tips on improving communication (and keeping your sanity)
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Contractor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 527
Abstract: Today, it may seem as if you have too little communication — or too much. Here are three ways to help you be sure that communication enhances your business instead of crippling it.
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Turning bad news into good with an NOL deduction
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Contractor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 521
Abstract: No one likes losses, but a net operating loss (NOL) may help your construction company because you can use it to offset past tax payments through carryback provisions or reduce future tax liabilities through carryforward provisions. Historically, a company could carry back an NOL two years and forward 20 years. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), however, increased the carryback period to five years for many 2008 NOLs. This article can help you determine if you qualify and whether you should carry a loss backward or forward.
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Have assets you need to buy? Give these depreciation-related tax breaks a try
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Contractor
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 948
Abstract: Times are tight. If you need to buy assets but are understandably concerned about keeping expenses down, provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) could help ease this tough decision. ARRA has extended both the 50% depreciation bonus and the Section 179 expensing deduction, which are especially advantageous when used together. A sidebar discusses the benefits of timekeeping software.
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Tax Tips – A boost for small business stock – Tax law changes that improve your cash flow – Checking out the manufacturers’ deduction – Consider generation-skipping trusts
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 511
Abstract: This article briefly looks at small business stock, strategies to enhance cash flow, the domestic production activities deduction, and generation-skipping and dynasty trusts.
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When are transportation expenses deductible?
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 621
Abstract: Most workers and employers know that you generally can’t deduct the cost of commuting between home and work — that’s considered a personal expense. But there are certain situations in which commuting costs are deductible as transportation expenses. This article explains what the IRS considers to be commuting and the tax benefits to employers and employees.
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Why there’s nothing shabby about a Crummey trust
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1097
Abstract: You probably know about the annual gift tax exclusion. It allows you to give up to $13,000 per year (the limit in 2009) tax free, to an unlimited number of people — and without using up any of your $1 million lifetime gift tax exemption. If you elect to split gifts with your spouse, you can give away up to $26,000 per recipient. What you may not know is that the annual gift tax exclusion is available only for gifts of a present interest. Contributions to a trust ordinarily don’t count, because a beneficiary’s interest in a trust is considered a future interest. But what if you want to take advantage of the annual gift tax exclusion without simply handing over the cash to your children or grandchildren? This article offers one solution: a carefully designed Crummey trust.
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Energy tax incentives – A conservation plan for your tax bill
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Tax Impact
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1088
Abstract: Over the last few years, Congress has created a variety of tax incentives for individuals and businesses that invest in energy-efficient appliances, cars, equipment and buildings. This year’s stimulus bill — the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) — expands many of these incentives and makes them even more valuable. But most of the energy tax breaks are temporary. So if you want to take advantage of them, begin planning now. This article explores tax breaks for individuals and businesses, including those related to home improvement and alternative energy. A sidebar warns that not every investment you make in energy-saving products and materials will necessarily qualify for a tax break.
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What’s the valuation Rx for unhealthy companies?
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Viewpoint on Value
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 435
Abstract: The recession has taken its toll on many companies. Factors driving companies to the brink of bankruptcy include weak demand, scaled-back corporate budgets and rising commodity prices. This brief article discusses the warning signs of trouble, including late or missing financial records; deferred maintenance, repair and equipment updates; and sales of fixed assets to generate cash. It then points out how valuators can work with management to help distressed companies accurately project value in light of turnaround plans as well as determine liquidation value if needed.
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Identify a qualified appraiser with these questions
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Viewpoint on Value
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 782
Abstract: This article offers advice to help attorneys identify qualified valuation experts and facilitate questioning in deposition and at trial. It lists several points that can help determine whether an appraiser is qualified, including years of experience, percentage of time spent valuing businesses and professional business valuation credentials. The article suggests that obtaining clarification up front can help attorneys get the most from a valuator’s expertise and avoid costly mistakes.
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For what it’s worth — The issue of owners’ compensation
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Viewpoint on Value
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1027
Abstract: One of the biggest expenses for private businesses is owners’ compensation. Value often is based on comparisons between a subject company and guideline companies. If owners are overcompensated compared with similar businesses, the subject company will be undervalued on a controlling basis — and vice versa — unless the valuator adjusts the company’s income stream. This article discusses the issues involved with owners’ compensation, including executive compensation in divorce cases, tax issues, the company’s industry and the general economy.
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Electronic discovery: Federal Rules meet the 21st century
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Viewpoint on Value
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1087
Abstract: Most businesses create and retain information in some type of electronic format, which may include e-mails, spreadsheets, voice mails and accounting records. And all of this electronically stored information (ESI) could be relevant in a lawsuit. The federal judiciary’s Civil Rules Advisory Committee recently amended the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). The new rules, which took effect in December 2006 and govern ESI, provide litigants with a cost-effective, timely way to share data. This article looks at how valuation experts can help attorneys address such issues as potential sources of electronic data, control concerns, preferred formats for electronic documents, and ESI preservation and authentication. A sidebar outlines an 11-point checklist for authenticating electronic records.
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Are you producing damaging evidence? The implications of electronic metadata
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Advocate's Edge / Litigation Support
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 708
Abstract: Electronically stored information (ESI) has become one of the most prominent types of litigation evidence. Such records contain critical bits of forensic evidence — or, metadata — that aren’t found in their hard copy counterparts. When parties produce electronic documents, therefore, they also may be producing revealing, even damaging, metadata. Before it begins to gather and review potentially responsive files, the producing party must preserve requested ESI with its metadata. Forensic experts can help by imaging a company’s servers and hard drives before the files are searched and reviewed.
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How computerized testing detects journal entry fraud
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Advocate's Edge / Litigation Support
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 791
Abstract: Fraudulent journal entries are extremely susceptible to management override of internal controls. And manual testing may miss evidence of fraud, since it can only examine a portion of general ledger entries. Computerized testing, however, considers the entire dataset, reducing the risk of overlooking critical evidence. Such testing also allows fraud experts to devote more time to other aspects of the investigation, such as gathering information about the business and interviewing employees.
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Shareholder damages – More class action cases, less certainty
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Advocate's Edge / Litigation Support
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 732
Abstract: The number of securities class action suits has escalated in recent years. And because greater market volatility historically correlates with an increased level of securities litigation, the numbers can be expected to rise. Market instability can also complicate the already tricky process of calculating shareholder damages. This article discusses some of the steps involved in attributing price, along with the trading models that might be used in aggregating damages.
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Court ruling: Accounting for embedded taxes
July / August 2009
Newsletter: Advocate's Edge / Litigation Support
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 1090
Abstract: A hotly disputed business valuation issue recently was addressed in a seven-years-plus divorce case, one of first impression in New York. The appellate level court considered the extent to which the value of a holding company owned by the husband should be reduced to reflect the federal and state taxes embedded in the securities owned by the company due to unrealized appreciation. The case involved choosing between an “historical tax rate” approach to valuation vs. one in which an actual sale of the company’s assets is assumed to occur on the valuation date. A sidebar addresses the argument of the husband’s expert that the company’s value should be reduced by the nontax costs of liquidation.
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Who’s afraid of the Big Bad (Housing) Slump?
July / August 2008
Newsletter: Commercial Lending Report
Price: $225.00, Subscriber Price: $157.50
Word count: 477
Abstract: Anyone who lends to homebuilders knows that residential construction is a cyclical industry. But after years of record profits and double-digit value increases, news of a prolonged housing slump is a hard pill to swallow. So, what’s a builder to do? Many have responded by starting fewer new houses, slashing prices and offering financial incentives, such as free upgrades, seller financing and even new cars at closing. But these solutions — which cannibalize profits — are just a starting point for borrowers hoping to stave off financial crisis.