Author Archives: mgracey

Two of the easiest steps you can take to protect yourself from identity theft, cyberthreats and loss of personal information and/or money is to 1) use strong passwords and 2) rely on multi-factor authentication when logging into their online accounts. With the start of the 2020 tax season and the proliferation of scams targeting taxpayers […]

Art collectors who accumulate artwork over their lifetimes tend to have limited interest in selling any of the pieces in their collections, according to a recent study conducted by UBS. Instead, most collectors develop an emotional attachment to the artwork they acquire and prefer to display their collections in their homes for their own personal […]

Businesses have until January 31, 2020, to file employee wage statements and non-employee compensation forms with the federal government for tax year 2019. Failure to correctly and timely file this information may result in penalties and back wages and back taxes. The Forms to File Employers must provide IRS Forms W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, […]

Since Congress passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December 2017, it has focused a lot of attention on the new law’s lower individual and corporate tax rates. What Congress is not publicizing are some the revenue raisers it wrote into the TCJA to pay for the new tax cuts, including the elimination […]

According to the IRS, gift card scams are on the rise as thieves look for new ways to swindle people out of money and/or steal their identities. The best ways to protect yourself from becoming a victim is to stay vigilant, recognize the warning signs, and think before you give away any of your personal […]

For many small business owners, taxes are a once-a-year chore that requires them to dig through files of paper and pull together all of the documents required by their tax preparers to file their annual returns. Truth be told, maintaining tax compliance and minimizing one’s annual tax bill is a year-round process that demands constant […]

It is not uncommon for entrepreneurs to go into business with family members or to employ close relatives to work in their companies. In fact, putting family members on your payroll can not only help them earn their own money and gain valuable work experience, but it can also provide business owners with some unique […]

The IRS issued final regulations confirming that taxpayers who take advantage of the increased gift and estate tax exemptions in effect temporarily under the new tax law until 2026 will not be subject to tax in later years when the generous provision is set to expire. The announcement allays fears that tax-free gifts made today […]

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued ASU 2019-10, extending the deadline for privately held businesses and not-for-profit organizations to comply with new accounting standards for recognizing leases and credit losses. Both standards were introduced in 2016 in an effort to improve financial reporting transparency and to provide readers of financial statements with a […]

In November 2019, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) strengthened its efforts to combat money laundering by reissuing its Geographic Targeting Order (GTO) program for U.S. real estate transactions. Under the renewed GTO, which is extended through May 9, 2020, title insurance companies must collect and report the identities of certain beneficial owners behind holding companies and legal […]