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U.S. Supreme Court rules against the IRS on critical FBAR issue
The U.S. Supreme Court recently weighed in on an issue regarding a provision of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) that has split two federal courts of appeal. Its 5-4 ruling in Bittner v. U.S. is welcome news for U.S. residents who “non-willfully” violate the law’s requirements for the reporting of certain foreign bank and financial accounts…
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Close-up on sources of substantive audit evidence
Organizations that understand how auditors verify account balances and transactions can minimize disruptions during audit fieldwork and maximize the effectiveness of financial statement audits. Here’s a summary of the types of “substantive evidence” auditors gather to help them form opinions regarding your financial statements. Original source documents Auditors can verify an account balance or record…
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Forming a cross-functional sales team
Business owners are often warned about silos. Not the tall, cylindrical structures typically seen on farms or at grain processing facilities. Rather, the insular nature of many departments that results in the hoarding of information and a distinct lack of companywide communication. Among the most damaging effects of having silos within a business is poor…
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Key tax issues in M&A transactions
Merger and acquisition activity dropped dramatically last year due to rising interest rates and a slowing economy. The total value of M&A transactions in North America in 2022 was down 41.4% from 2021, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. But some analysts expect 2023 to see increased M&A activity in certain industries. If you’re considering…
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Why you should connect with giving circles
Giving circles — generally small groups of people who make a charitable impact by pooling their money — are growing in popularity. If your not-for-profit isn’t already actively appealing to them, you need to get up to speed because they’re capable of providing substantial financial resources. Collective decision-making Giving circles sometimes are confused with crowdsourcing,…
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Answers to your questions about 2023 limits on individual taxes
Many people are more concerned about their 2022 tax bills right now than they are about their 2023 tax situations. That’s understandable because your 2022 individual tax return is due to be filed in 10 weeks (unless you file an extension). However, it’s a good time to familiarize yourself with tax amounts that may have…
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2023 tax calendar
To help you make sure you don’t miss any important 2023 deadlines, we’ve provided this summary of when various tax-related forms, payments and other actions are due. Please review the calendar and let us know if you have any questions about the deadlines or would like assistance in meeting them. © 2023
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Joint ownership isn’t right for all estate plans
Generally speaking, owning property jointly benefits an estate plan. Indeed, joint ownership offers several advantages for surviving family members. However, there are exceptions and it’s not the solution for all estate planning problems. 2 types of joint ownership for spouses As the name implies, joint ownership requires interests in property by more than one party.…
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Sailing a steady ship in today’s interesting economy
Business owners: If you’re having trouble reading the U.S. economy, you’re not alone. On the one hand, the January 2023 jobs report revealed that the unemployment rate had fallen to 3.4%, its lowest level in 54 years. And inflation, while still a concern, has moderated in most sectors — staving off fears of a recession in the…
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Coming soon: 5 accounting rules that take effect in 2023
It can be challenging to keep track of which accounting rules are changing, when the changes kick in and for which types of entities. Plus, implementing the necessary revisions to your organization’s procedures and systems often takes time and resources. Here are five updates that go live for certain entities this year. 1. Targeted improvements…
