Yeo & Yeo Promotes Christopher Sheridan and Alex Wilson

Yeo & Yeo CPAs & Business Consultants is pleased to announce the promotion of Alex Wilson and Christopher Sheridan to Senior Manager.

“We are proud to recognize Chris and Alex for their leadership and expertise,” said Suzanne Lozano, Principal and Consulting Service Line Leader. “They have excelled in providing professional services to our clients and are committed to helping them succeed.”

Christopher Sheridan, CPA, CVA, leads the firm’s Business Valuation and Litigation Support Services Group and is a member of the Manufacturing Services Group. His areas of expertise include business valuation and litigation support, business consulting, and fraud investigation and prevention. As a Certified Valuation Analyst (CVA), Sheridan provides defensible, objective business valuation services for attorneys and business owners.

Sheridan is a member of the National Association of Certified Valuators and Analysts, the Michigan Association of Certified Public Accountants’ Manufacturing Task Force, and the Michigan Manufacturers Association. In the community, he serves as a board member for the Great Lakes Bay Economic Club, the Delta College Accounting Advisory Committee, and Bay Future. Sheridan is based in Yeo & Yeo’s Saginaw office.

Alex Wilson, CPA, is a member of the firm’s Agribusiness Services Group, the Construction Services Group and the Cannabis Services Group. His areas of expertise include business advisory services, succession planning, and tax planning and preparation with an emphasis on the construction and agribusiness sectors.

With a passion for supporting our communities, Wilson serves as Vice President of the Yeo & Yeo Foundation. He is a member of the Home Builders Association of Saginaw, Home Builders Association of Central Michigan, Greater Michigan Associated Builders and Contractors, and the Michigan Agri-Business Association. In the community, he serves as treasurer of the Children’s Discovery Academy and is a member of the Central Michigan University Accounting Advisory Council. Wilson is based in Yeo & Yeo’s Alma office.

When creating or updating your strategic plan, you might be tempted to focus on innovative products or services, new geographic locations, or technological upgrades. But, what about your customers? Particularly if you’re a small to midsize business, focusing your strategic planning efforts on them may be the most direct route to a better bottom line.

Do your ABCs

To get started, pick a period — perhaps one, three or five years — and calculate the profitability contribution level of each major customer or customer unit based on sales numbers and both direct and indirect costs. (We can help you choose the ideal metrics and run the numbers.)

Once you’ve determined the profitability contribution level of each customer or customer unit, divide them into three groups: 1) an A group consisting of highly profitable customers whose business you’d like to expand, 2) a B group comprising customers who aren’t extremely profitable, but still positively contribute to your bottom line, and 3) a C group that includes customers who are dragging down your profitability, perhaps because of constant late payments or unreasonably high-maintenance relationships. These are the ones you can’t afford to keep.

Devise strategies

Your objective with A customers should be to strengthen your rapport with them. Identify what motivates them to buy, so you can continue to meet their needs. Is it something specific about your products or services? Is it your customer service? Developing a good understanding of this group will help you not only build your relationships with these critical customers, but also target sales and marketing efforts to attract other, similar ones.

As mentioned, Category B customers have some profit value. However, just by virtue of sitting in the middle, they can slide either way. There’s a good chance that, with the right mix of sales, marketing and customer service efforts, some of them can be turned into A customers. Determine which ones have the most in common with your best customers, then focus your efforts on them and track the results.

Finally, take a hard look at the C group. You could spend a nominal amount of time determining whether any of them might move up the ladder. It’s likely, though, that most of your C customers simply aren’t a good fit for your company. Fortunately, firing your least desirable customers won’t require much effort. Simply curtail your sales and marketing efforts, or stop them entirely, and most will wander off on their own.

Brighten your future

As the calendar year winds down, examine how your customer base has changed over the past months. Ask questions such as: Have the evolving economic changes triggered (at least in part) by the pandemic affected who buys from us and how much? Then tailor your strategic plan for 2022 accordingly.

Please contact our firm for help reviewing the pertinent data and developing a customer-focused strategic plan that brightens your company’s future.

In 2020 and 2021, many companies have experienced “workforce fluctuations.” If your business has engaged independent contractors to address staffing needs, be careful that these workers are properly classified for federal tax purposes.

Tax obligations

The question of whether a worker is an independent contractor or an employee for federal income and employment tax purposes is a complex one. If a worker is an employee, the company must withhold federal income and payroll taxes, and pay the employer’s share of FICA taxes on the wages, plus FUTA tax. Often, a business must also provide the worker with the fringe benefits that it makes available to other employees. And there may be state tax obligations as well.

These obligations don’t apply if a worker is an independent contractor. In that case, the business simply sends the contractor a Form 1099-NEC for the year showing the amount paid (if the amount is $600 or more).

No uniform definition

The IRS and courts have generally ruled that individuals are employees if the organization they work for has the right to control and direct them in the jobs they’re performing. Otherwise, the individuals are generally independent contractors, though other factors are considered.

Some employers that have misclassified workers as independent contractors may get some relief from employment tax liabilities under Internal Revenue Code Section 530. In general, this protection applies only if an employer filed all federal returns consistent with its treatment of a worker as a contractor and treated all similarly situated workers as contractors.

The employer must also have a “reasonable basis” for not treating the worker as an employee. For example, a “reasonable basis” exists if a significant segment of the employer’s industry traditionally treats similar workers as contractors. (Note: Sec. 530 doesn’t apply to certain types of technical services workers. And some categories of individuals are subject to special rules because of their occupations or identities.)

Asking for a determination

Under certain circumstances, you may want to ask the IRS (on Form SS-8) to rule on whether a worker is an independent contractor or employee. However, be aware that the IRS has a history of classifying workers as employees rather than independent contractors.

Consult a CPA before filing Form SS-8 because filing the form may alert the IRS that your company has worker classification issues — and inadvertently trigger an employment tax audit. It may be better to properly treat a worker as an independent contractor so that the relationship complies with the tax rules.

Latest developments

In January 2021, the Trump Administration published a final rule revising the Fair Labor Standards Act’s employee classification provision. The rule change was considered favorable to employers.

The Biden Administration initially delayed the effective date and then issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to withdraw the rule. After reviewing approximately 1,000 comments submitted in response to the NPRM, it withdrew the rule change before the deferred effective date. Contact your tax advisor for any help you may need with employee classification.

The COVID-19 pandemic has required many people to work remotely, either from home or a temporary location. One potential consequence of remote work may surprise you: an increase in your state tax bill.

During the pandemic, it’s been fairly common for people to work remotely from another state — across state lines from the employer’s place of business or even across the nation. If that describes your situation, you may need to file tax returns in both states, potentially triggering additional state taxes. But the outcome depends on applicable law, which varies from state to state.

Watch out for double taxation

Generally, a state’s power to tax a person’s income is based on concepts such as domicile and residence. If you’re domiciled in a state — that is, you have your “true, fixed permanent home” there — the state has the power to tax your worldwide income. A state also may tax your income if you’re a “resident.” Usually, that means you have a dwelling in the state and spend a minimum amount of time there.

It’s possible to be domiciled in one state but a resident of another, which may require you to pay taxes to both states on the same income. Many states offer relief from such double taxation by providing credits for taxes paid to other states. But it’s still possible for remote work to result in higher taxes — for example, if the state where your employer is based, and where you usually live, has no income tax but you work remotely from a state with an income tax.

A state also may be able to tax your income if it’s derived from a source within the state, even if you aren’t a resident or domiciliary. Several states have so-called “convenience rules”: If you’re employed by an organization in the state, but live and work in another state for your convenience (not because the job requires it), then you owe income tax to the state where the employer is based.

If that happens, you also may owe tax to the state where you reside, which may or may not be reduced by credits for taxes paid to the other state. Some states have agreed not to impose their taxes on remote workers who are present in their state as a result of the pandemic. But in many other states there’s a risk of double taxation.

Know your options

If you’ve worked remotely from out of state in 2021, consult your tax advisor to determine whether you’re liable for taxes in both states. If so, ask if there are steps you can take to soften the blow.

©2021

There’s a common misconception that, when you retire, your tax bills shrink, your tax returns become simpler and tax planning is a thing of the past. That may be true for some, but many people find that the combination of Social Security, pensions and withdrawals from retirement accounts increases their income in retirement and may even push them into a higher tax bracket.

If you’re retired or approaching retirement, consider these five tax-planning tips:

1. Take inventory. Estimate how much money you’ll need in retirement for living expenses and inventory your income sources. These sources may include taxable assets, such as mutual funds and brokerage accounts; tax-deferred assets, such as IRAs, 401(k) plan accounts and pensions; and nontaxable assets, such as Roth IRAs, Roth 401(k) plans or tax-exempt municipal bonds. Social Security benefits may be nontaxable or partially taxable, depending on your other sources of income.

Develop a plan for drawing retirement income in a tax-efficient manner, being sure to keep state income tax, if applicable, in mind. For example, you might minimize current taxes by tapping nontaxable assets first, followed by assets that generate capital gains, and putting off withdrawals from tax-deferred accounts as long as possible.

On the other hand, if you’re approaching age 72 and will have substantial required minimum distributions (RMDs) from tax-deferred accounts when you reach that age (see No. 3 below), it may make sense to withdraw some of those funds earlier. Why? It can help you avoid having large RMDs that would push you into a higher tax bracket later.

For example, you might withdraw as much as you can from IRAs or 401(k) accounts each year without exceeding the lower tax brackets. That way, you keep current taxes on those funds at a reasonable level while reducing the size of your accounts and, in turn, the size of your RMDs down the road. You can obtain additional funds from nontaxable or capital gains assets, if needed.

2. Consider the timing of Social Security benefits. You can begin receiving Social Security benefits as early as age 62 or as late as age 70. The later you start, the larger the benefit amount — so, if you don’t need the money right away, putting it off may be a good investment. Also, benefits are reduced if you start them before you reach full retirement age and continue to work.

Keep in mind that, if your income from other sources exceeds certain thresholds, your Social Security benefits will become partially taxable. For example, married couples filing jointly with combined income over $44,000 are taxed on up to 85% of their Social Security benefits. (Combined income is adjusted gross income plus nontaxable interest plus half of Social Security benefits.)

3. Make qualified charitable distributions. You’re required to begin RMDs from tax-deferred retirement accounts once you reach age 72 (up from 70½ for people born before July1, 1949) though you’re able to defer your first distribution until April 1 of the year following the year you reach age 72. RMDs generally are taxed as ordinary income and you must take them regardless of whether you need the money. As noted in No. 1, a large RMD can push you into a higher tax bracket.

One strategy for reducing the amount of RMDs, at least if you’re charitably inclined, is to make a qualified charitable distribution (QCD). If you’re age 70½ or older (this age didn’t increase when the RMD age increased), a QCD allows you to distribute up to $100,000 tax-free directly from an IRA to a qualified charity and to apply that amount toward your RMDs.

The funds aren’t included in your income, so you avoid tax on the entire amount, regardless of whether you itemize. In addition, the income-based limits on charitable deductions don’t apply. Any amount excluded from your income by virtue of the QCD is similarly excluded from being treated as a charitable deduction.

4. Pay estimated taxes. Your retirement income sources may or may not withhold income taxes. To avoid tax surprises and penalties, estimate whether your withholdings will be sufficient to pay your tax liability for the year and make quarterly estimated tax payments to cover any expected shortfall.

5. Track your medical expenses. Currently, medical expenses are deductible only if you itemize and only to the extent they exceed 7.5% of your adjusted gross income. If you have significant medical expenses, track them carefully. Then if you exceed this threshold or are close to exceeding it, consider bunching elective expenses into the year to maximize potential deductions.

If you’re nearing retirement age and have questions on how your tax situation may change, contact your tax advisor.

With the COVID-19 pandemic well into its second year and the start of planning for the upcoming audit season, you may have questions about how to evaluate your company’s going concern status. While some industries appear to have rebounded from the worst of the economic downturn, others continue to struggle with pandemic-related issues, such as rising inflation, along with labor and supply shortages. For some businesses, pre-pandemic conditions may never return, which can make it exceptionally difficult to project future performance.

How auditing standards have changed

Financial statements are generally prepared under the assumption that the entity will remain a going concern. That is, it’s expected to continue to generate a positive return on its assets and meet its obligations in the ordinary course of business.

Under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 205, Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern, the continuation of an entity as a going concern is presumed as the basis for reporting unless liquidation becomes imminent. Even if liquidation isn’t imminent, conditions and events may exist that, in the aggregate, raise substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern. Today, the responsibility for the going concern assessment falls on management, not the company’s external auditors.

In addition, the time period that the assessment must cover has been extended. Previously, the determination of an entity’s ability to continue as a going concern was based on expectations about its performance for a one-year period from the date of the balance sheet. Now, under Accounting Standards Update No. 2014-15, Presentation of Financial Statements — Going Concern: Disclosure of Uncertainties About an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern, the assessment is based upon whether it’s probable that the entity won’t be able to meet its obligations as they become due within one year after the date the financial statements are issued — or available to be issued — not the balance sheet date. (The alternate date prevents financial statements from being held for several months after year end to see if the company survives.)

When disclosures are required

In situations where substantial doubt exists, management then must evaluate whether its plans will alleviate substantial doubt. That is, is it probable that the plans will be implemented, and if so, will they be effective at turning around the company’s financial distress?

Disclosures are required indicating that either:

The plans will mitigate relevant conditions and events that have caused substantial doubt, or
The plans won’t alleviate substantial doubt about the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Though management is responsible for making this assessment, auditors will request appropriate evidence to support the going concern disclosure. For example, detailed financial statement projections or a written commitment from a lender or affiliated entity to fully cover the entity’s cash flow requirements might help substantiate management’s assessment. If management doesn’t perform a sufficient evaluation, the auditing standards may require the auditor to report a significant deficiency or a material weakness.

We can help

If your business is continuing to struggle during the pandemic, contact us to discuss your going concern assessment for 2021. Our auditors can help you understand how the evaluation will affect your balance sheet and disclosures.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) allowed employers and self-employed individuals to defer employer FICA and self-employment tax due during 2020 and pay half of the taxes in December 2021 and the remaining half in December 2022.

Recently, the IRS issued guidance on the penalty for late repayments and how to make the repayments of the deferred employment tax.

Penalty for late payments

The IRS made clear that any late payment of either installment will subject the entire deferral to a late payment penalty.

Example: An employer defers $50,000 and deposits $25,000 on December 31, 2021, but fails to make the second deposit by December 31, 2022. The employer is liable for a Section 6656 penalty on the entire $50,000.
Since the penalty under Section 6656 for failure to timely deposit payroll taxes paid more than 15 days after the due date is 10% of the amount owed, this would result in a 10% penalty of the entire deferral, even though the first installment was timely.

How to make payments

IRS issued guidance on making the deferral payments.

Payment must be made separately and cannot be deposited along with any other tax payment.
Employers: EFTPS now has an option to select “deferral payment.” Select the date of the applicable tax period for the payment.
Self-employed can pay by EFTPS, credit/debit card or check. Again, this must be a separate payment designated in the memo as “deferred Social Security tax.”
- If using EFTPS, select 1040 individual income tax and select “deferred social security tax” as the payment type.
- Those using direct pay should select the reason for payment as “balance due.”
- Those using a credit/debit card should select “installment agreement.” Apply the payment to the 2020 tax year from which the amount was deferred.

Timely repayment is vital. Please contact your Yeo & Yeo professional if you need assistance with repaying deferred payroll taxes.

Negotiations continue in Washington, D.C., over the future of President Biden’s agenda. Tax law changes may be ahead under two proposed laws, the Build Back Better Act (BBBA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill (BIB), also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The final provisions remain to be seen, but the BBBA and, to a lesser extent, the BIB, contain a wide range of tax proposals that could affect individuals and businesses. It’s also unclear when the tax changes would become effective, if one or both of the laws are enacted.

Here’s a summary of many of the proposals that could change the tax landscape in the near future.

Proposed tax provisions for individual taxpayers

The current version of the BBBA includes several provisions that could affect the tax liability of individual taxpayers in ways both positive and negative, depending largely on their taxable income. Among other areas, the legislation addresses:

Individual tax rates. The top marginal tax rate would return to 39.6%, the rate that was in effect before the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) cut it to 37% beginning in 2018. This rate would apply to the taxable income of married couples that exceeds $450,000, single filers that exceeds $400,000 and married individuals filing separately that exceeds $225,000.

A surcharge on high-income taxpayers. The BBBA would establish a new 3% tax on modified adjusted gross income above $5 million for married taxpayers filing jointly and single filers, and above $2.5 million for married individuals filing separately.

The capital gains and qualified dividends tax rate. The maximum rate would increase from 20% to 25% for taxpayers in the 39.6% tax bracket. The Biden administration earlier had proposed to raise it as high as 39.6%.

The net investment income tax (NIIT). The BBBA would expand the NIIT to apply to the trade or business income of high-income individuals, regardless of whether they’re actively involved in the business. The NIIT currently applies to certain investment income and business income only if it’s passive. As a result, active business income would go from being taxed at a maximum rate of 37% under the TCJA to a maximum rate of 46.4% (the 39.6% individual income tax rate plus the 3.8% NIIT plus the 3% high-income surcharge).

This change would apply when adjusted gross income (AGI) exceeds $500,000 for married couples filing jointly, $250,000 for married couples filing separately and $400,000 for other taxpayers. Business income subject to self-employment tax would be excluded.

The qualified business income (QBI) deduction. The Section 199A deduction for pass-through entities would be limited to $500,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, $400,000 for single filers and $250,000 for married taxpayers filing separately.

The qualified small business stock (QSBS) exclusion. Capital gains from the sale of QSBS held more than five years currently are 100% excludable from gross income. The BBBA would limit the exclusion to 50% for taxpayers with an AGI over $400,000, regardless of filing status.

Retirement planning. The BBBA would prohibit IRA contributions by taxpayers whose 1) aggregate IRA and other account balances exceed $10 million and 2) taxable income exceeds $450,000 for married couples filing jointly or $400,000 for single filers or married taxpayers filing separately. These taxpayers also would have to take required minimum distributions equal to 50% of the value that exceeds $10 million and 100% of any amount over $20 million.

Roth IRA conversions. The BBBA would prohibit certain taxpayers from first making a nondeductible contribution to a traditional IRA and then converting it to a Roth IRA (to get around restrictions on who can contribute to a Roth IRA). The proposal would apply to taxpayers with taxable income exceeding $450,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly and $400,000 for single filers and married taxpayers filing separately.

Child and dependent care tax credits. The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), enacted earlier this year, temporarily expanded both the Child Tax Credit (CTC) and the Dependent Care Tax Credit (DCTC). The BBBA would extend the CTC through 2025 and make permanent the DCTC.

Premium tax credits (PTCs). The ARPA also expanded the availability of PTCs to subsidize the purchase of health insurance for 2021 and 2022. The BBBA would permanently expand the credits.

Banking activity reporting. The Biden administration has proposed requiring financial institutions to annually report the total amount of funds that go in and out of bank, loan and investment accounts (personal and business) that hold a value of at least $600. Reporting also would be required if the aggregate flow in and out of an account is at least $600 in a year.

As Democrats weigh including this proposal in one of the bills, it has received pushback from banks and privacy advocates. A revised version includes a $10,000 threshold, and exemptions for some common transactions, such as payments from payroll processors and mortgage payments, also are under consideration.

Proposed tax provisions for businesses

The BBBA and BIB would also bring dramatic changes to the tax landscape for some businesses. In particular, their tax bills could be influenced by proposals related to the following:

The corporate tax rate. The BBBA would replace the TCJA’s flat rate of 21% with a graduated rate structure. The first $400,000 of income would be subject to an 18% rate, with the 21% rate retained for income between $400,000 and $5 million. The graduated corporate rate would max out at 26.5% for income exceeding $5 million.

Personal service corporations and corporations with taxable income exceeding $10 million would be subject to a flat 26.5% rate. The pre-TCJA top corporate tax rate was 35%.

Excess business losses. The TCJA limits the amount of excess business losses that pass-through entities and sole proprietors can use to offset ordinary income to $250,000, or $500,000 for married taxpayers filing jointly, adjusted for inflation. The limit is set to expire at the end of 2025, but the BBBA would make it permanent.

The bill also would create a new carryforward for unused excess business losses, rather than carrying them forward as net operating losses.

The business interest deduction. Internal Revenue Code Section 163(j) limits the deduction for business interest incurred by both corporate and noncorporate taxpayers. Under the proposal, the limit wouldn’t apply to partnerships and S corporations at the entity level. It instead would apply to the partners and shareholders.

Research and experimentation expenses. Under the TCJA, research and experimentation expenditures incurred in 2022 and later years aren’t immediately deductible; rather, they generally must be amortized over five years. The BBBA would delay the effective date for the amortization requirement to 2026.

The employee retention credit. The BIB would terminate this credit earlier than originally planned. Instead of being available for all of 2021, it would no longer be available for the fourth quarter, except for recovery startup businesses.

Carried interest. Currently, carried interests are taxed as short-term capital gains unless the gains were on property held for at least three years. The BBBA would extend the holding period to qualify for long-term capital gain treatment to five years — except for real estate businesses and taxpayers with less than $400,000 of AGI. The carried interest rules also would be expanded to cover all property treated as generating capital gains.

International transactions. The BBBA includes numerous proposals that would change the taxation of cross-border transactions and trim some of the tax advantages enjoyed by multinational corporations. For example, it would reduce the deductions for global intangible low-taxed income (GILTI) and foreign-derived intangible income. It would determine GILTI and foreign tax credit limits on a country-by-country basis. It also would make changes to the base erosion and anti-abuse tax.

Estate tax provisions

The BBBA would be much less taxpayer-friendly than the TCJA when it comes to gift and estate taxes and strategies. Most notably:

The gift and estate tax exemption. The TCJA doubled the gift and estate tax exemption to $10 million through 2025. That amount is annually adjusted for inflation (for 2021, it’s $11.7 million). The BBBA would return the exemption to its pre-TCJA limit of $5 million in 2022. The amount would continue to be adjusted annually for inflation.

Grantor trusts. The assets in these trusts would no longer be excluded from a taxable estate if the deceased is deemed the owner of the trust. In addition, sales between individuals and their grantor trusts would be taxed as if they were transfers between the individual and a third party. And distributions from a grantor trust to an individual other than the grantor or the grantor’s spouse would be treated as a taxable gift from the grantor.

Valuation discounts. Taxpayers would no longer be able to claim discounts for gift and estate tax purposes on transfers of interests in entities that hold nonbusiness assets (that is, passive assets held for the production of income and not used for an active trade or business). For example, discounts couldn’t be used to reduce the value of transferred interests in family-owned entities that hold securities.

Note: An earlier proposal to end the stepped-up basis tax break on inherited assets is no longer in the current version of the BBBA.

Stay tuned

It’s impossible to say which proposals will survive the ongoing negotiations intact. We’ll keep you up to date if and when the final legislation is enacted. In the meantime, contact us if you have concerns about how the proposed tax provisions may affect you personally or your business.

Run a business for any length of time and the importance of cash flow becomes abundantly clear. When payroll is due, bills are piling up and funds aren’t available, blood pressure tends to rise. For this reason, being able to accurately forecast cash flow is critical. Here are four ways to refine your approach:

1. Know when you peak. Many businesses are cyclical, and their cash flow needs vary by month or season. Trouble can arise when an annual budget doesn’t reflect, for example, three months of peak production in the summer to fill holiday orders followed by a return to normal production in the fall.

For seasonal operations — such as homebuilders, farms, landscaping companies and recreational facilities — using a one-size-fits-all approach can throw budgets off, sometimes dramatically. To forecast your company’s cash flow needs and plan accordingly, track your peak sales and production times over as long a period as possible.

2. Engage in careful accounting. Effective cash flow management requires anticipating and capturing every expense and incoming payment, as well as — to the extent possible — the exact timing of each payable and receivable. But pinpointing exact costs and expenditures for every day of the week can be challenging.

Businesses can face an array of additional costs, overruns and payment delays. Although inventorying every possible expense can be tedious and time-consuming, doing so can help avoid problems down the road.

3. Keep an eye on additional funding sources. As your business expands or contracts, a dedicated line of credit with a bank can help you meet cash flow needs, including any periodic shortages. Interest rates on these credit lines, however, can be high compared to other types of loans. So, lines of credit typically are used to cover only short-term operational costs, such as payroll and supplies. They also may require significant collateral and personal guarantees from the company’s owners.

Of course, a line of credit isn’t your only outside funding option. Federally funded small business loans have been widely offered during the COVID-19 pandemic and may still be available to you. Look into these and other options suitable to the size and needs of your company.

4. Invoice diligently, run leaner. For many businesses, the biggest cash flow obstacle is slow collections. Be sure you’re invoicing in a timely manner and offering easy, convenient ways for customers to pay (such as online). For new customers, perform a thorough credit check to avoid delayed payments and bad debts.

Another common obstacle is poor resource management. Redundant machinery, misguided investments and oversized offices are just a few examples of poorly managed expenses and overhead that can negatively affect cash flow. For help reducing expenses and more effectively forecasting cash flow, please contact us.

If you’re fortunate enough to own a vacation home, you may want to rent it out for part of the year. What are the tax consequences?

The tax treatment can be complex. It depends on how many days it’s rented and your level of personal use. Personal use includes vacation use by you, your relatives (even if you charge them market rent) and use by nonrelatives if a market rent isn’t charged.

Less than 15 days

If you rent the property out for less than 15 days during the year, it’s not treated as “rental property” at all. In the right circumstances, this can produce revenue and significant tax benefits. Any rent you receive isn’t included in your income for tax purposes. On the other hand, you can only deduct property taxes and mortgage interest — no other operating costs or depreciation. (Mortgage interest is deductible on your principal residence and one other home, subject to certain limits.)

If you rent the property out for more than 14 days, you must include the rent received in income. However, you can deduct part of your operating expenses and depreciation, subject to certain rules. First, you must allocate your expenses between the personal use days and the rental days. For example, if the house is rented for 90 days and used personally for 30 days, 75% of the use is rental (90 out of 120 total use days). You’d allocate 75% of your costs such as maintenance, utilities and insurance to rental. You’d also allocate 75% of your depreciation allowance, interest and taxes for the property to rental. The personal use portion of taxes is separately deductible. The personal use part of interest on a second home is also deductible (if eligible) where the personal use exceeds the greater of 14 days or 10% of the rental days. However, depreciation on the personal use portion isn’t allowed.

Claiming a loss

If the rental income exceeds these allocable deductions, you report the rent and deductions to determine the amount of rental income to add to your other income. If the expenses exceed the income, you may be able to claim a rental loss. This depends on how many days you use the house for personal purposes.

Here’s the test: if you use it personally for more than the greater of a) 14 days, or b) 10% of the rental days, you’re using it “too much” and can’t claim your loss. In this case, you can still use your deductions to wipe out rental income, but you can’t create a loss. Deductions you can’t use are carried forward and may be usable in future years. If you’re limited to using deductions only up to the rental income amount, you must use the deductions allocated to the rental portion in this order: 1) interest and taxes, 2) operating costs and 3) depreciation.

If you “pass” the personal use test, you must still allocate your expenses between the personal and rental portions. In this case, however, if your rental deductions exceed rental income, you can claim the loss. (The loss is “passive,” however, and may be limited under passive loss rules.)

Planning ahead

These are only the basic rules. There may be other rules if you’re considered a small landlord or real estate professional. Contact us if you have questions. We can help plan your vacation home use to achieve optimal tax results.

In what is being dubbed the “Great Resignation,” an alarming number of employees are voluntarily leaving their jobs; some are seeking an entirely new career path. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, during April, May, and June 2021, a total of 11.5 million workers quit their jobs. For employers, the cost of any turnover is expensive, and school districts should take steps now to prepare for operations to continue if vacancies occur.

One important step that school districts can take is to create an accounting procedures manual. The manual should outline the day-to-day operations and include items such as issuing checks, processing payroll, ensuring prompt deposits, etc. While most employees know their specific duties and how to do them efficiently, these routine tasks are often overlooked and remain undocumented.

Write accounting procedures for each key transaction cycle (i.e., disbursements, receipts, and payroll) to ensure that the everyday transactions are processed and recorded correctly. Further, it is recommended that these procedures be reviewed and updated frequently to reflect changes in the procedures that result from gaining efficiencies or changes in the software.

Once accounting procedures have been written, cross-train employees to ensure that all key transaction cycles are covered in the event of turnover, vacations or medical leave. Cross-training allows employees to take time off without the office suffering as their duties have been well documented, and other departments have been trained to handle the processing of the transactions. With cross-training, it is essential to consider segregation of duties when determining which employees will take on extra responsibilities.

While internal preparation is vital, school management should also know when to ask for external help. The pandemic has resulted in long-employed individuals retiring or taking different positions, adversely affecting operations at the districts. Such unexpected turnover can cause the business office to fall behind on day-to-day transactions and annual audit preparation, resulting in increased monitoring by funding agencies. These agencies could also potentially withhold such funds.

Oversight by management and/or the Board of Education is necessary. Limited consulting services are often available through your audit firm, such as cash to accrual entries for audit preparation, capital asset tracking, payroll preparation, etc. Discussion with your external auditor is always a good springboard. They work closely with firms that can assist with the day-to-day processing of transactions without impairing their independence.

As controllers, finance directors, and treasurers, you have a fiscal responsibility to the public to establish and maintain effective internal controls to prevent and detect fraud. During the past 18 months, we sure have seen a shift in the physical office setting. With more staff working remotely these days, internal controls that once worked effectively may need to be evaluated.

When we are in a physical office setting, it is easier to have physical security measures than when employees work from home. In addition to dealing with staff reductions, many staff are taking on additional responsibilities due to this remote work environment. These changes may create some additional control gaps that increase the risk of fraud or misstatement.

We first must consider the ever-changing control environment. Some of these changes are planned, like software updates or new services that your organization offers. However, as many of you have experienced, some are not planned, such as employee departures and hybrid or remote work schedules. As employees depart, consideration should be given as to who will assume their responsibilities, and is the organization still maintaining an appropriate level of segregation of duties?

Three important areas to consider in the increased remote work environment are the tone at the top, risk assessment, and accounting system controls.

Tone at the top – Having a unified approach with the council/board and management is critical for effective internal controls. A key part of this process is communication. With the remote work environment comes communication challenges. Those quick discussions between staff and management by the copier or water cooler aren’t happening when working remotely. Communication now needs to be deliberate and often comes in weekly emails, one-on-one videos, or even department conference calls.
Risk assessment – With the evolving environment we are in, whether changes were planned or unplanned, it is important to evaluate your internal controls. This risk assessment will ensure your internal controls are designed to remain effective. A few areas to consider are segregation of duties, authorization and approval, and reconciliation and review.
Accounting system controls – Review the user access lists for each specific account area, such as cash receipts, payroll, journal entries, accounts payable, and bank reconciliations. Verify that only the necessary staff have access to each of the key transaction cycles. It is essential to have secure access controls to keep unauthorized users out.

Now is an excellent time to review your entity’s controls to prevent wrongdoing, no matter where your professionals work. Consider the ways your entity is exposed to potential fraud and learn about the benefits of an internal controls study.

The way we do business certainly changed in many ways during 2020 and 2021, and nonprofit fundraisers are no exception. Most in-person fundraisers have been either canceled entirely or moved to a virtual platform. While it remains unclear what the future holds, virtual fundraisers could be here to stay – at least in some capacity – for the foreseeable future.

If your organization plans to conduct virtual fundraisers, here are few things to consider:

Stay on Top of Technology

Using technology effectively is possibly the most important aspect to having a successful event. It is imperative to ensure that any video streaming services are functioning correctly, audio is loud and crisp, a quality auction platform for handling bids is chosen (if applicable) that accommodates high resolution pictures, and that the attendee experience is seamless.

Make it Easy to Attend and Donate

It’s essential to realize and consider that elderly individuals, who are often the nonprofit’s biggest supporters, are not always technology-savvy. Additionally, some people are put off by website signups, downloads, etc. Some may use their phone to attend, while others will use tablets or laptops. Consider every aspect where you can make the experience easy to participate in and simple for donors to give.

Market Your Event to Ensure High Participation

At least a few times every year, I hear that a client’s fundraiser passed by with donors saying, “I would have attended had I known about it.” It may sound like a no-brainer – but make sure to send reminders so the event does not fall off anyone’s radar.

Get Creative – Engage Your Audience

Virtual fundraisers can take many forms. Trivia nights, auctions, galas, dinners, cocktail hours, beer tasting, museum tours, races, movie nights, performances, game nights, lectures, crafting sessions, and concerts are all options that have been used. Consider your target audience and get creative with your fundraiser format and ways to engage the audience.

Consider Hand-Deliveries for a Personal Touch

While events on a large scale are certainly riskier in the current environment, appropriate precautions can be taken with making hand-deliveries of auction items, personal messages, or items needed to experience your event. These personal touches surely go a long way with donors and allow the organization to have an element of in-person engagement.

Don’t Skip the Program Message

For many of your event attendees, this may be the only time during the year to connect with them to show real-life examples of the organization’s impact on the community. Take advantage of this opportunity with a client speaker, story, or video to paint a powerful picture of what a difference your organization makes!

A virtual event has several advantages over an in-person event, such as reduced costs (and higher net profit), fewer collections in the form of cash (and increased collection of funds through more secure means), fewer logistical issues, more convenience for event attendees, and fewer barriers to attending – which includes supporters being able to attend who live outside of the nonprofit’s immediate geographical area. However, some possible disadvantages could be reduced participation or engagement and technological difficulties.

If you plan to take a fundraiser virtual, make sure to pay attention to the above considerations, and you’ll be well on your way to having a successful event!

The COVID-19 pandemic is still adversely affecting many businesses and not-for-profit organizations, but the effects vary, depending on the nature of operations and geographic location. Has your organization factored the effects of the pandemic into its financial statements? You might not have considered this question since last year if your organization prepares statements that comply with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles only at year end.

As we head into audit season for 2021, it’s time to evaluate whether your financial situation has gotten better — or worse — this year. Here are 10 financial statement areas to home in on:

1. Revenue recognition. Assess how changes in customer preferences, contract modifications, discounts, refund concessions, and changes in credit policies or payment terms impact the top line of the income statement. Also consider related collectability of accounts receivable.

2. Government grants. You may account for these grants as revenue or donor-restricted contributions. Government funding programs may have eligibility, documentation, expense tracking and other requirements (such as government audits) that you may need to address.

3. Estimates and fair values. These items are typically based on budgeting and forecasting of revenue, costs and cash flows. Uncertainty may increase the discount rates used in making estimates and decrease the fair values of certain balance sheet items.

4. Investments. Market changes caused by the pandemic may negatively affect the fair values of investments and financial instruments that qualify for hedge accounting.

5. Inventory. It’s possible that certain market conditions — including inflation, reductions in production and supply chain disruptions — may affect the value of raw materials, work-in-progress and finished goods inventory. Consider the need for write-offs due to obsolescence.

In addition, travel and work restrictions may delay, restrict or prevent year-end physical inventory counts. Your external auditors may have to observe counts remotely, which, in turn, may require additional testing procedures during audit fieldwork.

6. Property, plant and equipment. Evaluate changes in useful lives and related deprecation due to changes in business plans. There may also be potential impairment of long-lived assets and leased assets.

7. Goodwill and other intangible assets. Because of COVID-19 triggering events, these items may require impairment testing and write-offs may be needed.

8. Deferred tax assets. Consider the realizability of these assets in light of current year losses and uncertainty about future events, including the impact of possible federal tax law changes.

9. Accrued liabilities. You may need to book additional liabilities this year for employee terminations, changes in benefits and payroll tax payment deferrals. Also consider whether existing contingency accruals are still adequate.

10. Long-term debt. You may have debt classification issues for existing loans if your organization fails to meet its debt covenants. Financial difficulties may result in debt modification or extinguishment. Also evaluate the compliance requirements of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and the probability of forgiveness.

This list is a useful starting point for discussions about how the pandemic has affected financial results in 2021. If you have questions about how to report the effects, contact us for guidance. Your preparedness will help facilitate audit fieldwork and minimize adjustments to your in-house financial reports.

Everyone loves a story. It’s why movies are still big business and many of us spend hours on the couch binge-watching our favorite television shows. What’s important to keep in mind — and to remind your sales team — is that effective storytelling can also drive sales.

This doesn’t mean devising fanciful, fictional tales to entice customers and prospects into buying. Rather, it involves learning the customer or prospect’s story, putting it into words, and then demonstrating how your company’s products or services can add a happy chapter to the tale. Think of it as a three-act play:

Act I: Set the scene. Building rapport is key in sales. Find out from your sales manager(s) how much time sales staffers are spending with customers and prospects. Ensure they’re not rushing through initial contact. Salespeople should take the time to provide a concise overview of your business, telling its story and emphasizing its capabilities.

Act II: Build the plot. Salespeople should generally ask a series of prepared questions that prompt responses outlining the customer or prospect’s needs and goals. The potential buyer should do most of the talking. The more that salespeople listen, the better chance they’ll have in identifying and filling out the plot of the customer’s story and, one hopes, making the sale.

At this point, the sales staffer also wants to uncover any objections the customer or prospect might have about doing business with your company. These “subplots” can often go overlooked and ultimately ruin the ending of the story for you.

Act III: Resolve the problem. The final scene should be a climactic one. The salesperson needs to summarize the customer or prospect’s story — identifying the key needs revealed by the questions asked. Then, the sales staffer must present a viable solution to meeting those needs and emphasize your company’s ability to efficiently fulfill the products ordered or provide the necessary service(s).

When executed properly, the three acts above should increase the odds for an encore (or a sequel, as the case may be). Buyers who know that your business understands their story will be more likely to become return customers.

Although using storytelling as a sales tool may seem simplistic, it’s a tool that needs sharpening from time to time. We can help you evaluate your sales process from a financial perspective so you can implement changes as necessary.

Here are some of the key tax-related deadlines affecting businesses and other employers during the fourth quarter of 2021. Keep in mind that this list isn’t all-inclusive, so there may be additional deadlines that apply to you. Contact us to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines and to learn more about the filing requirements.

Note: Certain tax-filing and tax-payment deadlines may be postponed for taxpayers who reside in or have a business in federally declared disaster areas.

Friday, October 15

If a calendar-year C corporation that filed an automatic six-month extension:
- File a 2020 income tax return (Form 1120) and pay any tax, interest and penalties due.
- Make contributions for 2020 to certain employer-sponsored retirement plans.

Monday, November 1

Report income tax withholding and FICA taxes for third quarter 2021 (Form 941) and pay any tax due. (See exception below under “November 10.”)

Wednesday, November 10

Report income tax withholding and FICA taxes for third quarter 2021 (Form 941), if you deposited on time (and in full) all of the associated taxes due.

Wednesday, December 15

If a calendar-year C corporation, pay the fourth installment of 2021 estimated income taxes.

Contact us if you’d like more information about the filing requirements and to ensure you’re meeting all applicable deadlines.

Timely financial reporting is key to making informed business decisions. Managers need to know what’s in the pipeline to respond promptly and decisively. Unfortunately, it typically takes several weeks to prepare financial statements under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). And many companies only produce GAAP financials at the end of the quarter or year. In the meantime, managers may turn their attention to simple “flash” reports.

Made to order

There are no standards to follow when preparing flash reports. But they typically take less than an hour to prepare and rarely exceed one sheet of paper. The goal is to provide management with a snapshot of key financial figures, such as cash balances, accounts receivable aging, collections and payroll, on a weekly basis. Some metrics might even be tracked daily — including sales, shipments and deposits. This is especially critical during seasonal peaks or when a company has recently restructured.

Customization is key. Each company’s flash reports contain different information. For instance, billable hours might be more relevant to a law firm, and machine utilization rates more relevant to a manufacturer.

Flash reports home in on what items matter most and how to draw management’s attention to them. Consider a restaurant, for example. Weekly revenues might be broken down by day of the week or between alcohol and food sales. Restaurateurs also keep close tabs on labor, food and liquor costs, as well as gross margins.

Use with caution

Comparative flash reports identify trends and exceptions that may need corrective action. For example, you might compare the current numbers to the previous week, the same week in the previous year or budgeted amounts.

When a company is starting up, aggressively expanding or struggling, lenders and investors may request copies of flash reports — especially if management has previously failed to meet projections for growth and profitability. But sharing this information can be perilous if stakeholders don’t understand that flash reports are designed for internal purposes only.

Flash reports provide a rough measure of performance and are seldom 100% accurate. Adjustments are often made when preparing GAAP financials. In addition, it’s normal for cash to ebb and flow throughout the month, depending on billing cycles.

Be proactive, not reactive

Managers who rely on stale financial information may be blindsided by unexpected threats and miss out on time-sensitive opportunities. Flash reports, if you understand their limitations, can help bridge the timing gap between daily operations and receipt of GAAP financial statements. Contact us to help you design a flash reporting format that meets your business’s current needs.

For many small businesses, the grand reopening is still on hold. The rapid spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19 has mired a variety of companies in diminished revenue and serious staffing shortages. In response, the Small Business Administration (SBA) has retooled its Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program to offer targeted relief to eligible employers.

A brief history

The EIDL program was in place well before 2020. However, the federal government has ramped up the initiative’s visibility while trying to help small businesses during the pandemic.

With the entire country essentially declared a disaster area, the CARES Act established an enhanced EIDL program for small businesses affected by COVID-19. It offered lower interest rates, longer repayment terms and a streamlined application process.

The American Rescue Plan Act upped the ante, offering eligible companies targeted EIDL advances that are excluded from the gross income of the person who receives the funds. The law stipulates that no deduction or basis increase will be denied, and no tax attribute will be reduced, because of this gross income exclusion.

Latest enhancements

The SBA’s most recent enhancements to the EIDL program offer “a lifeline to millions of small businesses who are still being impacted by the pandemic,” according to SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman. (Eligible employers include not only small businesses, but also qualifying nonprofits and agricultural companies in all U.S. states and territories.)

First and foremost, the loan cap has increased from $500,000 to $2 million. Eligible small businesses can use these funds for almost any operating expense, including payroll and equipment purchases. Funds can also be applied for certain debt payments. Specifically, the SBA has expanded the allowable use of EIDL funds to prepay commercial debt and pay down federal business debt.

In addition, the agency has implemented a new deferred payment period under which borrowers can wait until two years after loan origination to begin repaying their COVID-related EIDLs.

Application details

If you believe your small business could qualify and benefit from these newly enhanced EIDLs, first identify how much money you need and how soon you need it. The SBA is offering a 30-day “exclusivity window” to approve and disburse loans of $500,000 or less. Approval and disbursement of loans of more than $500,000 will begin after this 30-day period.

The agency has also rolled out a streamlined application process that establishes “more simplified affiliation requirements” modeled after those of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The deadline for applications remains December 31, 2021. As is the case with any government loan, it’s better to apply earlier rather than later in case funds run out.

Help with the process

For further details about the new and improved COVID-related EIDL program, go to sba.gov/eidl. And don’t hesitate to contact us. We can help you determine whether your small business qualifies for one of these loans and, if so, assist with completing the application process.

For the eighth consecutive year, Yeo & Yeo has been selected as one of Michigan’s Best and Brightest in Wellness. The program highlights companies, schools, and organizations that promote a culture of wellness, as well as those that plan, implement and evaluate efforts in employee wellness to make their business and their community a healthier place to live and work.

“This award affirms our commitment to the health and wellness of our employees,” said Thomas E. Hollerback, President & CEO of Yeo & Yeo. “We are proud to support and encourage employees looking to live a healthier lifestyle at home and in the workplace.”

Yeo & Yeo supports wellness for its employees by paying a large portion of health care premiums, helping to keep costs low for employees. The firm has a high percentage of participation in its wellness plan and health care premium reduction incentive. The firm facilitates convenient onsite health screenings for health care participants at each of its office locations, offers onsite flu shots at no cost, and provides an Employee Assistance Program that offers confidential guidance and resources designed to support work‐life balance. Yeo & Yeo also offers an Ergonomic Standing Desk option for employees for a healthier work environment.

Criteria for selection included wellness programs and policies, culture and awareness, leadership, participation and incentives, communication and measurement, among others.

Yeo & Yeo and the other winning companies will be honored at the Best and Brightest Virtual Awards Celebration on November 2.