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View Your Financial Statements Through the Right Lens
Many business owners generate financial statements, at least in part, because lenders and other stakeholders demand it. You’re likely also aware of how insightful properly prepared financial statements can be — especially when they follow Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. But how can you best extract these useful insights? One way is to view your financial…
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Are Your Supervisors Adept at Multigenerational Management?
Over the past year, the importance of leadership at every level of a business has been emphasized. When a crisis such as a pandemic hits, it creates a sort of stress test for not only business owners and executives, but also supervisors of departments and work groups. Among the most important skill sets of any…
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Accounting for Property, Plant and Equipment Assets
Businesses and not-for-profit entities capitalize machines, furniture, buildings, and other property, plant and equipment (PPE) assets on their balance sheets. Here’s a refresher on some common questions about how to properly report these long-lived assets under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). What’s included in book value? PPE is reported on the balance sheet at…
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Footnote Disclosures: The Story Behind the Numbers
The footnotes to your company’s financial statements give investors and lenders insight into account balances, accounting practices and potential risk factors — knowledge that’s vital to making well-informed business and investment decisions. Here are four important issues that you should cover in your footnote disclosures. 1. Unreported or contingent liabilities A company’s balance sheet might…
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Financial Keys to Securing a Commercial Loan
Does your business need a loan? Before contacting your bank, it’s important to gather all relevant financial information to prove your business is creditworthy. By anticipating information requests, you can expedite the application process and improve your chances of approval. Lenders love GAAP U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) is a collection of specific accounting…
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The New Form 1099-NEC and the Revised 1099-MISC are Due to Recipients Soon
There’s a new IRS form for business taxpayers that pay or receive certain types of nonemployee compensation and it must be furnished to most recipients by February 1, 2021. After sending the forms to recipients, taxpayers must file the forms with the IRS by March 1 (March 31 if filing electronically). The requirement begins with forms for tax…
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Don’t Make Decisions Without Data Analytics
Most not-for-profit organizations collect vast volumes of data. But according to a study conducted by EveryAction and Nonprofit Hub, only 40% of nonprofits regularly use that data to drive decisions. The majority of organizations that don’t analyze and apply data say they lack the time or staff to dedicate to it. But because it helps…
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Will Permanent Work-From-Home Work for Your Nonprofit?
It’s been almost a year since many not-for-profit organizations sent staffers home — to work remotely. For many nonprofits and employees, remote work has been a positive experience. And as the pandemic fades, you’ll probably need to decide whether employees should remain where they are, return to the office or work a hybrid schedule. Win-win…
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Educate Yourself About the Revised Tax Benefits for Higher Education
Attending college is one of the biggest investments that parents and students ever make. If you or your child (or grandchild) attends (or plans to attend) an institution of higher learning, you may be eligible for tax breaks to help foot the bill. The Consolidated Appropriations Act, which was enacted recently, made some changes to…
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One Reason to File Your 2020 Tax Return Early
The IRS announced it is opening the 2020 individual income tax return filing season on February 12. (This is later than in past years because of a new law that was enacted late in December.) Even if you typically don’t file until much closer to the April 15 deadline (or you file for an extension),…
