Author Archives: mgracey

As we deal with peak hurricane season, we are reminded once again of the importance of preparing for and responding to natural disasters in order to minimize losses and ensure long-term viability.  The actions a business takes during the first few days following a loss can often determine the success of its recovery and settlement […]

Working parents may be able to offset some of the costs of sending their children to summer day camp when they qualify for the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit. The credit, which is based on a taxpayer’s gross income, filing status, amount of allowable expenses and number of children, can be worth up to $2,100 for a […]

Tax-related scams are casting a dark cloud over the typically blue skies and sunshine-filled days of the summer months. During this time of easy living, people must remain vigilant against new and often aggressive schemes that can comprise their personal information and financial security and leave them as yet another victim of identity theft.   […]

Florida families preparing for the beginning of another school year should plan their back-to-school shopping during the state’s sales tax holiday weekend, which runs Friday, August 4, through Sunday, August 6. Public schools in Miami-Dade and Broward counties begin on August 21, and one week earlier for Palm Beach County. During the sales-tax holiday, Florida […]

Individual and business taxpayers erroneously believe that once they file their returns in April, they can put those documents away in a file cabinet and ignore them until the following year. The fact is that the information contained in an annual tax return can provide an abundance of information about your current financial health and […]

Businesses large and small and across virtually all industries face a perfect storm of financial reporting compliance challenges to contend with in the coming months. On the near horizon are the new revenue recognition standards, which go into effect for public companies, employee benefit plans and certain not-for-profit entities beginning after Dec. 15, 2017, and […]

High-net-worth U.S. taxpayers who live in certain states have more worries than the federal estate tax taking a bite out of their wealth. The residents in 14 states and the District of Columbia are also subject to estate taxes at the state level, while another six states impose an inheritance tax on assets bequeathed to […]

Despite the Department of Labor’s recent retraction of the prior administration’s narrow interpretation of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), businesses must remain vigilant in upholding the underlying law that requires proper classification of workers as either employees or independent contractors. Failure to do so can put businesses at risk of legal exposure, severe penalties […]

  The IRS recently issued guidance that provides widows and widowers with an easier and less costly method to transfer a deceased spouse’s unused estate and gift tax exclusion to themselves. Making this portability election essentially allows surviving spouses to protect double the amount of assets from federal estate and gift tax liabilities during their […]

A recent decision by the California Superior Court limits the economic nexus the state may assert over certain pass-through entities that have a presence in the state and provides qualifying entities with an opportunity to file a claim for a refund of a previously paid California franchise tax.   The matter of Swart Enterprises, Inc. […]