R&A CPAs blog

Will the Appraiser You Select Withstand IRS Scrutiny?

If your business is in need of an appraisal, it is vital that you select the right appraiser. This case, Estate of Scott M. Hoensheid v. Commissioner (T.C. Memo 2023-34),…

Business Succession Planning: Defining Your Tax Strategy

Owning a successful business is often more than just a financial asset; it’s a culmination of hard work and dedication. It’s about carrying forward a legacy. Succession planning is the…

EV Tax Credits End in September 2025

Congress began creating tax incentives for purchasing energy efficient vehicles in 2005, and the Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022 brought major expansion to the electric vehicle (EV) tax credit…

QuickBooks Desktop Slated to Sunset as Intuit Shifts to the Cloud

Like many vendors across the software industry, including Microsoft and Adobe, Intuit is sunsetting its long-running desktop product line in favor of its cloud-based model. QuickBooks Desktop (QBDT), used by…

August 2025 Newsletter

In this newsletter we cover employee gift matching programs as a philanthropic strategy, fraud prevention using the “fraud diamond” framework, upcoming expanded income tax disclosure requirements for private entities, and differences between public charities and private foundations. Also features a team spotlight on Lisset Anderson from Client Services.

Meet Nathan Bolt – Fractional CFO Services

Nathan is a seasoned Chief Financial Officer (CFO) drawing from over two decades of experience in accounting and finance. He holds a BS in Accounting, is a licensed CPA, and…

Why 2025 Is Turning Out to Be a Great Year

In January, we wondered what the year would bring. Well, now we know what the first half of the year has brought, and it is good news for high-net-worth business…

ACC Announces New Policies Aimed at Preventing Business Filing Fraud

Most state business filing agencies like the Arizona Corporation Commission (ACC) are ministerial entities only and have no regulatory or enforcement authority.  In other words, these government entities can make…

Key Provisions of the New Tax Act

  On July 4, 2025, Donald Trump signed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) into law. At the center of the bill is the extension of many provisions of…

OBBBA – Tax Treatment of R&D Expensing and Bonus Depreciation

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) significantly impacts the tax treatment for businesses of research and development (R&D) expense and bonus depreciation. These new provisions offer substantial benefits and …

Checking Your Federal Tax Withholding – Why, When, and How

September 24, 2026

If you are an employee, you know that various taxes are withheld from your paychecks. While you generally can’t change the amount of social security and Medicare taxes withheld, you can change the withholding amounts of federal and state income tax. In fact, the IRS encourages taxpayers to review their income tax withholding at least…

R&A Named a 2026 Top 500 US Accounting Firm

September 24, 2026

R&A is very pleased to share that we have been recognized as a Top 500 Firm in the US for 2026 by INSIDE Public Accounting based on US net revenue. INSIDE Public Accounting is a leader in practice management and CPA firm resources for the public accounting profession. Of this recognition, Phillip C. Dalrymple, CPA, CFE, and R&A Managing Partner said, “We are proud…

Trusts Can be Powerful Estate Planning Tools

September 24, 2026

You’ve probably had a check-up with your doctor or dentist in the last year as part of your routine practice of self-care. Preventive visits like this can detect and address potential health issues in their earliest and most treatable stages. We think of estate planning as preventive care for your life and loved ones. No…

Promises of Tax Settlements for “Pennies on the Dollar” are Often Too Good to be True

September 24, 2026

At R&A CPAs, we often find ourselves counselling individuals or businesses that are overwhelmed by large tax liabilities or mired in IRS bureaucracy. Like you, we see ads promising amazing “pennies on the dollar” settlement deals with the IRS touted by “professionals,” backed up by dramatic testimonials of success. These settlements refer to the IRS’s…

August 2026 Newsletter

August 26, 2026

Meet Jorge Fuentes Quihui, Associate – Assurance

August 26, 2026

Meet Jorge Fuentes Quihui, Associate – Assurance

The IRS’ ‘Dirty Dozen’

August 26, 2026

The IRS’s annual “Dirty Dozen” list exposes the top 12 tax scams, fraud schemes, and aggressive avoidance tactics threatening taxpayers. Ranging from phishing scams and identity theft to abusive tax shelters and misleading social media advice, the list alerts both individuals and businesses to emerging threats, helping them safeguard their financial assets and maintain tax compliance.

IRS Announces New Automatic Exemption from Penalty Program

August 26, 2026

The IRS’s Automatic Exemption from Penalty (AEP) program simplifies tax relief by automatically waiving failure-to-file, failure-to-pay, and failure-to-deposit penalties for compliant taxpayers. Replacing the manual First Time Abate process, the automated system evaluates eligibility during return processing—waiving penalties for individuals and businesses with three years of clean compliance history—without requiring formal requests or phone calls.

Estate Planning is Changing: What Families Should Revisit Now

August 26, 2026

Shifting tax exemption thresholds, evolving retirement account rules, and changing family dynamics make static estate plans a risk. Families should revisit their plans now to update beneficiary designations, review trusts, refresh health care and financial powers of attorney, and adjust wealth transfer strategies to ensure their assets remain protected and align with their current intentions.