The Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) update to revenue recognition is going to impact nearly everyone across all industries. But what are these new standards and why won’t your accountant stop talking about it? When it comes to the new revenue recognition standards, here’s the gist of it: Accounting Standards Update 606 (ASU 606) deals specifically with recognizing revenue from …
Fees for 401(k) Services: What Plan Sponsors Need to Know
By Patricia Schirmer, CPA – Harris CPAs Political candidates who don’t know the cost of a gallon of gas or a movie ticket usually wind up paying that price with voters and losing on election day. Likewise, many plan sponsors are finding themselves on the losing side of lawsuits because they allowed their defined contribution plan to pay unreasonable service fees. …
Does Your Business Qualify For the Work Opportunity Tax Credit?
What is it: The Work Opportunity Tax Credit is a Federal tax credit available to employers for hiring individuals from certain target groups who have consistently faced significant barriers to employment. The target groups includes veterans, temporary assistance for needy family (TANF) recipients, supplemental nutrition assistance program (SNAP) recipients, designated community residents, vocational rehabilitation referrals, ex-felons, supplemental security income (SSI) …
Retirement Plan Sponsors: Is Cybersecurity Part of Your Fiduciary Duty?
We’ve all received suspicious-looking emails asking us to provide personal information to redeem a prize that we’ve won or alerting us that someone we know needs financial help. By now, most of us recognize these scams—and don’t open the email. But what if the message looked like it was coming from an official, known source? Would you open an email …
Tariffs Spark Fears of Rising Construction Costs: Could Investment in Technology Be the Answer?
Recent economy and governmental policies show strong ties between the demand for construction and the rise of input costs due to trade tariffs. Material prices and skilled labor shortages lower production efficiency and affect multiple industries in the construction chain. Its important for our clients to know that investing in new technologies and workforce improvement will help transform sustainability and …
6 Strategies Under $6 to Improve Performance
It is critically important to be efficient as a nonprofit and not all solutions require significant spending. Organizationally, you must have key areas operating at a high level to be successful, including whose on your bus both from an employee but also a board level. Know who you are, differentiate yourself from the crowded nonprofit arena and get those who …
Nonprofits Are Not Immune to Maintaining Data Privacy
Everyday that goes by the cybersecurity risk to your organization continues to increase. Have you looked at simple policies in your organization and how you are maintaining customer data. This step by step explanation will help you assess your policies, or maybe help create one if you have been putting this off for another day. — Cheryl Guiddy, Harris CPAs …
Year End Accounting Update Summary – What’s On the Horizon?
New revenue recognition standards, among others, will have an impact on non-profit. The nonprofits that prepare for the future, will see themselves spending less time and incurring less frustration in implementing the new accounting standards on the horizon. — Cheryl Guiddy, Harris CPAs All entities, including nonprofit organizations, are facing the daunting task of addressing a slew of changes as …
The Tax Incentives Keeping the LED Lights On
Many real estate and construction industries unknowingly qualify for tax incentives surrounding the energy efficiency initiatives in new construction. Take a closer look at the cost saving opportunities. The following article has more information. — Josh Tyree, Harris CPAs Q&A with: David Diaz, Managing Partner at Walker Reid Strategies As energy efficiency initiatives become common procedure for new construction, many …
IRS Issues 2018 Work Plan for Tax-Exempt Organizations
With new IRS efforts at transparency, now is the time for nonprofits to review their work plan and develop a potential IRS audit strategy for the year ahead. For 2018, tax gap issues come to awareness. Unrelated business income and employment tax issues are important to note. The first step in resolving potential problems is a compliance check. — Cheryl …