R&A CPAs blog

How To Handle Intangible Assets – Part I: Business Sellers Beware

If you are a business owner and are either currently considering selling your business or may sell it later on, you will want to carefully consider intangible assets in your…

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New Accounting for Credit Losses

If your entity has trade receivables, contract assets, loans, or held-to-maturity debt securities, among other types of financial assets, then the new current expected credit loss (“CECL”) model will affect…

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New Tax Law Incentivizes Retirees to Make an IRA-Funded Gift That Pays Annual Income

Giving back just got easier-and more rewarding. If you’re looking for ways to lighten your income tax liability while supporting your favorite cause, retirees can now receive fixed income payments…

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Deadline Extended for Catch-Up Contribution Changes: Here’s What High Earners and Employers Need to Know

The IRS recently announced that it will extend the new provision stemming from SECURE Act 2.0 that requires employees with annual income exceeding $145,000 to divert their 401(k) catch-up contributions…

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August 2023 Newsletter

Effective January 1, 2024, millions of privately-owned small businesses will be subject to new reporting obligations that seek to uncover concealment of illicit money.

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A New Look at SECURE Act 2.0 Issues

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act 2.0 (SECURE Act 2.0) has a new provision that speaks to the nature of auto-enrollment for new 401(k) plans. All eligible…

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QCDs: Tax-Free Gifts to Charity

If you have an IRA, you are required to take out a certain amount of money each year once you reach age 73, even if you don’t need the funds.…

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Corporate Transparency Act: What Small Businesses Need to Know About New Reporting Requirements

Effective January 1, 2024, millions of privately-owned small businesses will be subject to new reporting obligations under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), a new anti-crime law that seeks to uncover…

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Protect Yourself with an IRS Identity Protection PIN

The IRS has recently published information about identity PINs, which can make your financial world more secure. We are pleased to reprint the key portions below. For further details, visit the…

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Business Succession in the Post-COVID-19 World

This is not the first or last time you will hear this: COVID-19 changed everything. But it has had a specific impact on business owners who are trying to figure…

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What are the Rules for Record Retention?

April 15, 2024

Now that tax season is drawing to a close, it may feel like a good time to declutter the accumulated piles of paperwork. But there are some recommended guidelines to be aware of before you discard any official documents. The following article outlines what you need to know about retaining tax records, important property documents,…

March 2024 Newsletter

March 14, 2024

Amid the backdrop of market realignment, higher interest rates, and shifting workplace habits, investors remain cautiously optimistic about their real estate allocations heading into 2024.

What Are the Tax Rules Around Day Care

March 14, 2024

You may be in for a tax break if you’ve been shelling out the bucks for day care. Among the tax credits and deductions available to parents and families, one of the most overlooked and beneficial is the childcare tax credit, formally known as the Child and Dependent Care Expenses Tax Credit and claimed with…

Pension-Linked Emergency Savings Accounts: Help Employees Save for a Rainy Day

March 14, 2024

Employer-sponsored PLESAs encourage employees to save for emergencies by allowing them to put aside a portion of their pay for that purpose. Authorized under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022, pension-linked emergency savings accounts are individual accounts in defined contribution plans. They are designed to permit and encourage employees to save for financial emergencies. These are…

Beware of Ghost Employees – and Other Payroll Fraud

March 14, 2024

Any employee can commit payroll fraud. An employee could submit false hours, claiming they worked overtime when they didn’t. On the extreme end, someone in your payroll department could create a ghost employee (an employee that does not actually exist) keeping those false wages for themselves. Below we discuss four actual cases of payroll schemes that…

Key Tax Considerations for Real Estate Investors in 2024

March 14, 2024

Amid the backdrop of market realignment, higher interest rates, and shifting workplace habits, investors remain cautiously optimistic about their real estate allocations heading into 2024. After an overall slower acquisition pace in 2023, market uncertainties prompted investors to adopt a wait-and-see approach, hoping for property values and interest rates to reconcile. Those who returned profitability…

Payroll Tax Rates and Contribution Limits for 2024

January 22, 2024

Below are federal payroll tax rates and benefits contribution limits for 2024. Social Security tax In 2024, the Social Security tax rate is 6.2 percent for employers and employees, unchanged from 2023. The Social Security wage base is $168,600 for employers and employees, increasing from $160,200 in 2023. Self-employed people must pay 12.4 percent on the first $168,600. Medicare…

The 1099 Story: Which Version Should You Be Using?

January 22, 2024

As each calendar year draws to a close, many businesses have to think about their tax filing responsibilities. It can be confusing to figure out which forms to send out, especially as the IRS made some changes to its venerable Form 1099-MISC, Miscellaneous Information, a few years ago and assigned some of its former responsibilities…

Reminder – Income from Short-Term Rentals is Taxable in Arizona

January 22, 2024

Many property owners in Arizona offer short-term residential rentals–lodging rental stays for less than 30 days—especially in the winter. Arizona Department of Revenue (ADOR) reminds property owners that the income from short-term rental stays is subject to Arizona transaction privilege tax (TPT). From ADOR: “If a property owner is only renting their residence for an…