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Financial statements: Take the time to read the entire story
A complete set of financial statements for your business contains three reports. Each serves a different purpose, but ultimately helps stakeholders — including managers, employees, investors and lenders — evaluate a company’s performance. Here’s an overview of each report and a critical question it answers. 1. Income statement: Is the company growing and profitable? The…
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Cryptocurrency Donations: Will Your Nonprofit Accept Them?
Cryptocurrency has gone mainstream, and if you’ve been sitting on the fence about accepting donations in virtual currency, it’s time to make a decision. But before your not-for-profit says “yes” to a Bitcoin (or other cryptocurrency) gift, make sure you understand the issues involved — including the risks. Virtual currency = risk Cryptocurrency refers to…
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Collective Impact Projects Find Strength in Numbers
Collective impact projects are collaborations between not-for-profits, government, businesses and communities with the goal of achieving challenging and complicated social objectives. They can succeed in ways that simply aren’t available to individual organizations. But they also require a level of commitment your nonprofit may not be prepared for. A common cause Collective impact is more…
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Home Sales: How to Determine Your “Basis”
The housing market in many parts of the country is strong this spring. If you’re buying or selling a home, you should know how to determine your “basis.” How it works You can claim an itemized deduction on your tax return for real estate taxes and home mortgage interest. Most other home ownership costs can’t…
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Can Taxpayers Who Manage Their Own Investment Portfolios Deduct Related Expenses? It Depends.
Do you have significant investment-related expenses, including the cost of subscriptions to financial services, home office expenses and clerical costs? Under current tax law, these expenses aren’t deductible through 2025 if they’re considered investment expenses for the production of income. But they’re deductible if they’re considered trade or business expenses. For years before 2018, production-of-income…
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Are You a Nonworking Spouse? You May Still be Able to Contribute to an IRA
Married couples may not be able to save as much as they need for retirement when one spouse doesn’t work outside the home — perhaps so that spouse can take care of children or elderly parents. In general, an IRA contribution is allowed only if a taxpayer earns compensation. However, there’s an exception involving a…
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Are You Ready for the Return of Trade Shows and Other Events?
It’s happening. With vaccination rates rising and the more severe effects of the pandemic trending downward, several industries have announced in-person trade shows for later this year. Meanwhile, over the summer, businesses will likely see marketing opportunities in other events such as “sidewalk days” and local festivals. Are you and your team ready to get…
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5 Ways to Take Action on Accounts Receivable
No matter the size or shape of a business, one really can’t overstate the importance of sound accounts receivable policies and procedures. Without a strong and steady inflow of cash, even the most wildly successful company will likely stumble and could even collapse. If your collections aren’t as efficient as you’d like, consider these five…
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Auditing WIP
Many types of businesses — such as homebuilders and manufacturers — turn raw materials into finished products for customers. Production is a continuous process. So, any work that’s been started but isn’t yet completed before the end of the accounting period is reported as work in progress (WIP) under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).…
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Accounting Methods: Private Companies Have Options
Businesses need financial information that’s accurate, relevant and timely. The Securities and Exchange Commission requires publicly traded companies to follow U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), often considered the “gold standard” in financial reporting in the United States. But privately held companies can use simplified alternative accounting methods. What’s right for your business depends on…
