Matter & Substance

Thoughts from our industry
to help Businesses and Individuals

February 4, 2020

Don’t worry! A broken trust can be fixed

There are good reasons why estate planning advisors recommend you revisit and, if necessary, revise your estate plan periodically: changing circumstances, including family situations and new tax laws. While it’s relatively simple to change a beneficiary, what if an...

January 30, 2020

Using an e-certification process for 401(k) hardship distributions

When participants request hardship distributions from a 401(k) plan, employers must collect and store documents showing that the participant had an immediate and heavy financial need to permit such a distribution. In today’s digital age, you might wonder whether...

January 28, 2020

Practice “situational awareness” when it comes to employees’ wages

“Situational awareness” is a term used in the military and elsewhere to describe an individual’s ability to stay fully alert of all potential threats and resources in his or her surroundings. It’s a good skill for employers to use...

January 23, 2020

IRA charitable donations are an alternative to taxable required distributions

Are you charitably minded and have a significant amount of money in an IRA? If you’re age 70½ or older, and don’t need the money from required minimum distributions, you may benefit by giving these amounts to charity. IRA...

January 21, 2020

Bridging the gap between budgeting and risk management

At many companies, a wide gap exists between the budgeting process and risk management. Failing to consider major threats could leave you vulnerable to high-impact hits to your budget if one or more of these dangers materialize. Here are...

January 16, 2020

What lenders look for in a succession plan

Business owners are urged to create succession plans for the good of their families and their employees. But there’s someone else who holds a key interest in the longevity of your company: Your lender. If you want to maintain...

January 14, 2020

Flex plan: In an unpredictable estate planning environment, flexibility is key

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made only one change to the federal gift and estate tax regime, but it was a big one. It more than doubled the combined gift and estate tax exemption, as well as...

January 9, 2020

Look in the mirror and identify your company culture

“Company culture” is a buzzword that’s been around for a while, but your culture may never have mattered as much as it does in today’s transparency-driven business arena. Customers, potential partners and investors, and job candidates are paying more...

January 7, 2020

2020 Q1 tax calendar: Key deadlines for businesses and other employers

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the first quarter of 2020. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us...

January 2, 2020

Five ways to withdraw cash from your corporation while avoiding dividend treatment

Do you want to withdraw cash from your closely held corporation at a low tax cost? The easiest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax-efficient, since it’s taxable to you to the...

December 12, 2019

A shadow board could shed light on your company’s best future

In many industries, market conditions move fast. Businesses that don’t have their ears to the ground can quickly get left behind. That’s just one reason why some of today’s savviest companies are establishing so-called “shadow” (or “mirror”) boards composed...

December 10, 2019

Can employees donate unused vacation pay to charity?

Like many employers, you may allow employees to carry over unused vacation pay from one year to the next. With the year winding down, and gift-giving on the minds of many, certain staff members might inquire about donating their...

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Matter & Substance

Thoughts from our industry to help Businesses and Individuals

Thoughts from our industry
to help Businesses and Individuals