< Home < News & Events < Article Archives < Accounting Articles

News & Events

Tax & Accounting Articles

| A | C | D | E | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | P | R | S | T | U |

\| A \|

Substantiating Charitable Contributions By Art Seltzer, CPA

3/1/2007 In response to concerns about overstated claims for charitable deductions, the IRS has issued regulations summarizing the rules for documenting these deductions, and Congress recently enacted new, restrictive documentation requirements.

Appreciated Securities: A Smart Charitable Donation By Les Block, CPA, PFS

1/18/2006 If you have securities you've owned for more than one year that have appreciated in value and you plan to give a cash gift to a charity, stop and think again. You may be able to increase your gift and save taxes by donating the securities instead of cash.

Are Your Internal Controls Sufficient? By Ted Flom, CPA, CISA

5/1/2006 Are you looking to reduce financial, operational and compliance risks in your organization?

Attractive Tax Strategies for Funding Education of Children and Grandchildren By Art Seltzer, CPA

11/1/2006 Recent tax law changes have substantially improved the tax planning opportunities for funding the education of your children and grandchildren.

Back To Top
\| C \|

Cruise Control vs. Auto Pilot: The Need for a Third Party Review of Plan Fiduciary Functions By Robert Higgins, JD, CEBS, AIFA

1/5/2006 The recent news on qualified plan governance is replete with violations of ERISA and common law principles. By properly scrutinizing these cases, plan sponsors can learn a valuable lesson in behavior avoidance.

Back To Top
\| D \|

Do You Need Estate Planning? By Art Seltzer, CPA

1/1/2001 "Why should I be concerned about estate planning? Isn't estate planning something you need only if you are really wealthy?" You may well react in this manner to a suggestion that estate planning is appropriate and cost-effective for you. You have probably heard that exemptions in the tax law permit all but the largest estates to escape current taxation, or that you can leave a large portion of your estate to your spouse without incurring a tax.

Does The New IRS Ruling Mean I Can Deduct My Diet? Not Exactly… By Art Seltzer, CPA

4/1/2002 A recent IRS ruling, which concludes that certain costs incurred in connection with weight loss programs are deductible, has attracted considerable publicity. This article points out, not only the breadth of the its scope, but also some of the limitations of the ruling.

Back To Top
\| E \|

Employer-Provided Retirement Advice Qualifies As Excludible Fringe Benefit By Art Seltzer, CPA

9/1/2005 In the wake of the stock market collapse of recent years, renewed attention has been paid to the level of investment advice provided to participants in employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans.

Energy Tax Incentives Act By Jim Schwartz, CPA

1/18/2006 Congress recently passed the Energy Tax Incentives Act of 2005. This legislation provides more than $14 billion in tax breaks, primarily for businesses in the energy sector. Many of the incentives are targeted at improving the national power grid to prevent major blackouts like those in the Northeast and Midwest two years ago.

Estate Planning In a Climate of Uncertainty: What Do We Do Now, Coach? By Art Seltzer, CPA

4/15/2007 Permanent repeal of the "Death Tax" is a major objective of the tax reform program advocated by the Bush administration and the Republican leadership of Congress.

Back To Top
\| H \|

HIPAA Privacy Rule – Is the Benefit Plan You Offer Compliant? By Steve Epner, CSP

4/7/2004 A recent IRS ruling, which concludes that certain costs incurred in connection with weight loss programs are deductible, has attracted considerable publicity. This article points out, not only the breadth of the its scope, but also some of the limitations of the ruling.

Back To Top
\| I \|

If You Are Audited ... By Art Seltzer, CPA

3/11/2004 An important facet of the IRS’s campaign against tax understatement is its aggressive audit approach. Advice is giving on how to maintain records to the extent considered necessary by the IRS.

IRS Provides Tax Relief for Terror Victims By Art Seltzer, CPA

11/1/2001 In the wake of national disasters and other emergencies, the IRS traditionally offers extensions of filing deadlines and due dates for payment of taxes, to alleviate the suffering of the victims.

IRS, States Provide Tax Relief For Hurricane Katrina Victims By Art Seltzer, CPA

12/15/2005 Because of the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Katrina, President Bush has declared large portions of four southern states to be Federal Disaster Areas. This permits affected residents and businesses to qualify for relief under a variety of targeted Federal programs; however, residents and businesses in other states not directly affected may qualify for some relief and other Federal tax incentives.

Back To Top
\| J \|

Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003 (President Bush’s Tax Cut Bill) By Art Seltzer, CPA

3/1/2004 Now that some time has passed since enactment, we are better able to analyze the impact of some of the significant provisions of the major tax cut enacted last year.

Back To Top
\| K \|

Keep Your New Year’s Resolution to Become Financially Organized By David Heilich, CPA

2/3/2006 It’s a new year and it is time to start it off right by organizing your financial files and “cleaning house.” The benefits of this are twofold: 1) You will gain a clearer idea of your current financial situation, and 2) You can form financial goals for your future. Now let’s take a closer look at the best way to perform a “financial checkup.”

Back To Top
\| L \|

Litigation Hide And Seek: Finding The Opposition’s Hidden Assets & Income

1/1/2001 When you’re involved in litigation, whether a divorce, a breach-of-contract suit or a shareholder dispute, how do you really know whether all the assets or income have been reported? Finding whether the other party has hidden assets or income can often make the difference when presenting your case.

Back To Top
\| M \|

Moody’s Reduces Rating for General American Life Insurance Company

8/14/1999 When you’re involved in litigation, whether a divorce, a breach-of-contract suit or a shareholder dispute, how do you really know whether all the assets or income have been reported? Finding whether the other party has hidden assets or income can often make the difference when presenting your case.

Back To Top
\| N \|

Navigate The River Of Paperwork With A Record Retention Policy By Michael Bowlan

7/26/2005 Maybe you think your company is drowning in a river of old paperwork. The more you shred or toss, the better, right? Actually, no. Think twice before you chuck overboard those 20- year old workers’ compensation policies or defunct contracts.

New Missouri Tax Credit Available By Roy Kramer, CPA, CDFA

2/16/1999 Companies can get ahead in today’s competitive market by taking advantage of the state credits available. The State of Missouri offers significant tax credits and supplemental funding opportunities to new and expanding businesses operating within the state.

Back To Top
\| P \|

Pay Yourself First By Steve Epner

5/31/2005 As consultants, it is easy to get caught up in the day to day and forget the long term. As I get a bit grayer, the long term becomes shorter. I used to think that my parents were old when they were my age. Not any longer. I agree with Bernard Baruch was once quoted as saying something similar to: “old age is always 15 years older than me.”.

Plan For Your Taxes Like You Plan For Your Summer Vacation By Michael Niemann, CPA

8/3/2005 It’s probably safe to assume you plan for your summer vacation months in advance. Why not plan for your taxes months in advance? Learn about the things you must take care of before the end of your financial year.
Back To Top
\| R \|

Roth IRAs and Roth 401(k)s: Even More Long-Term Planning Opportunities By Art Seltzer, CPA

11/1/2006 The Roth IRA, which has been available since 1998, offers very attractive tax advantages to those who can qualify to use it. It is not available to taxpayers whose income is too high. Beginning in 2006, however, even highly compensated employees of companies that have adopted "Roth 401(k) plans" can obtain comparable advantages.
Back To Top
\| S \|

So, You’re Considering A Planned Giving Program By Art Seltzer, CPA

1/15/2002 Your organization has worked long and hard to cultivate a core group of repeat donors who are the foundation of your annual fundraising campaign. Everyone on the Board and the staff feels good about that, but there continues to be a concern each year about the success of the current campaign, and about maintaining the relationship with the donors and the level of giving in future years.

States React To Adverse Impact Of Federal Stimulus By Art Seltzer, CPA

7/15/2002 Last March, Congress passed a measure designed to revive the economy by stimulating new economic activity. However, the tax breaks contained in the measure figure to have a negative effect on the budgets of many states. Some of these states are already facing serious budget crises, since in the depressed economic climate their revenues have fallen well short of projections. Therefore Missouri and Illinois, as well as many others, have amended their laws to reduce the adverse impact of the Federal changes on their budgets.

Substantiating Charitable Contributions By Art Seltzer, CPA

1/1/2002 In December 1996, the IRS finalized its regulations summarizing the rules for documenting deductions for charitable contributions. This seems to be an appropriate time to review the rules.

Back To Top
\| T \|

Taxation Of Mutual Fund Investments Quick Reference Guide By Art Seltzer, CPA

4/20/2007 In response to numerous requests, we have prepared this reference guide, which summarizes many of the significant tax issues concerning mutual fund investments. CAUTION: This guide is not intended to be complete and technical. You may have questions about your investments which are not completely answered. If so, please call our office to set up an appointment to review your situation in detail.

The New, Improved "Sec. 529 Plan": Really "The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread" For Educating Your Children And Grandchildren By Art Seltzer, CPA

11/1/2006 In recent years, the Federal Government has enacted a number of tax breaks to make it easier for families to set aside and accumulate funds for the education of children and grandchildren.

There’s No Place Like Home Away From Home: Buying Considerations for a Second Home By Les Block, CPA, PFS

2/2/2006 You work hard and want to enjoy more leisure time; so, you’re contemplating buying a second home where you can get away from it all. Maybe you’d like to retreat to a villa in the wine country, relax in a quaint beach town or nestle away in a mountain cabin.

Two New Tax Acts Passed By Art Seltzer, CPA

11/15/2004 During September and October, 2004, Congress passed the "Working Families Tax Relief Act of 2004" (the families act) and the "American Jobs Creation Act of 2004" (the jobs act), which have been signed into law by the President.

Back To Top
\| U \|

"User- Friendly" IRA, Retirement Plan Minimum Distribution Rules By Art Seltzer, CPA

2/1/2007 In 2001 the IRS issued proposed regulations that effectively rendered obsolete much of the previously existing planning involving structuring distributions from IRAs and retirement plans. The overall effect of these rules is extremely favorable.

Back To Top

2005 Year-End Tax Planning By Art Seltzer, CPA

11/1/2005 We strongly recommend that you give some thought to tax planning before the end of the year. There have been a number of changes to the tax laws over the last several years; more changes can be anticipated.

Back To Top