News
RSM Gives Back to Connecticut Childrens through Power of Love
January 01, 2024
RSM US LLP (“RSM”) recently presented a $64,550 check to Connecticut Children’s as part of RSM’s Power of Love fundraising efforts related to The RSM Classic, a PGA Tour event for which RSM is the title sponsor. The $64,550 was part of the more than $4.7 million raised through Power of Love in the U.S., Canada, India and El Salvador during 2023.
Tech predictions for 2024: All in on AI
January 01, 2024
Each year Bill Mew offers a few thoughts on the year ahead and predicts where he thinks technology will have an impact. He also seeks to expose over-hyped trends that will have far less impact than many expect.
U.S. Beneficial Ownership Information Registry Now Accepting Reports
January 01, 2024
Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) began accepting beneficial ownership information reports. The bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act, enacted in 2021 to curb illicit finance, requires many companies doing business in the United States to report information about the individuals who ultimately own or control them.
Accounting in 2024: The year ahead in numbers
December 29, 2023
With 2024 upon us, it's time — or perhaps past time — to start considering what the new year will bring, and for accounting firms to start making plans about how to grow over the next 12 months.
How to Make the Hybrid Work Model a Success in Your Organization
December 23, 2023
Three years ago, when COVID-19 shook the world, it also shook up how we work. Gone are the days when a nine-to-five routine inside the same four walls was just how things were done. Fresh and flexible approaches have emerged that address both employee desires and business needs. One of these approaches is the hybrid work model.
Trump to Stay on Connecticut Ballots Next Year, State Election Officials Say
December 23, 2023
Unless a court decides otherwise, former President Donald Trump will remain on Connecticut ballots in 2024, Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas’s office said this week, days after Colorado’s Supreme Court ordered him removed from that state’s primary ballots.
Plan Ahead: Practice Continuation for Small Firms
December 21, 2023
No one likes to think about it, but as we age, some of us will become critically ill or injured, and some of us will experience a long-term disability. Family emergencies and obligations can also call CPAs away from their businesses for long periods of time. What would happen to our clients in such a scenario? When a client needs attestation services to obtain financing or satisfy loan covenants, or another client needs to have a tax return prepared by a certain deadline, who will complete the work? Potentially negative effects, such as missed opportunities or damage to a client’s business, are risk exposures that can come into play when a CPA becomes ill or disabled. CPAs who have not yet taken the time to develop a continuation plan may be: 1) inviting future lawsuits against themselves or their estates; and 2) leaving their spouses, families, and heirs with the daunting task of trying to figure out what to do. What kind of contingency plan do you have in place in the event of an emergency? If the answer is “none,” what can you do now to get a plan in development and underway?
Practice Continuation Agreements: A Practice Survival Kit
December 21, 2023
Ask yourself the following question: What will my spouse or immediate heirs do with my practice if I die or become disabled? Would your spouse or children be able to take over the management of your practice? What would become of all your hard work and effort with your practice and clients? How can you preserve the value of your professional accounting practice, which may be the largest asset in your estate? In the event of death or temporary or permanent disability, a practice continuation agreement helps protect your practice, the business interests of your clients, and the financial interests of you and your family. It can also be used as a vehicle for retirement.
Succession and Practice Continuation Agreements
December 21, 2023
In late March, a 44-year-old CPA-triathlete was getting ready for a morning run before a busy day at work. While getting dressed, he suddenly had a massive stroke. His wife was able to call an ambulance and get help quickly, but the CPA was in a coma for a week and hospitalized for several months thereafter. The CPA was a sole practitioner, and the April 15 tax deadline was approaching. His wife, who had no prior experience with his business, was thrust into having to address the impending deadline, all while juggling her career, their three children, his care, and her feelings and emotions.
The 2023 Top 100 People: Fixing the pipeline problem
December 20, 2023
The talent shortage is currently the biggest challenge in accounting — as the 2023 Top 100 Most Influential People have all attested. But how would this year's top leaders and innovators recommend the profession remedy the this urgent issue?
IRS expands access to business tax accounts, adds features
December 19, 2023
Individual partners of partnerships and individual shareholders of S corporations can now open IRS business tax accounts, which previously were available only to sole proprietors, the IRS said Monday in launching the second phase of a new online self-service tool for businesses.
IRS helps taxpayers by providing penalty relief on nearly 5 million 2020 and 2021 tax returns; restart of collection notices in 2024 marks end of pandemic-related pause
December 19, 2023
In a major step to help people who owe back taxes, the Internal Revenue Service today announced new penalty relief for approximately 4.7 million individuals, businesses and tax-exempt organizations that were not sent automated collection reminder notices during the pandemic.
Want to Leverage the Power of AI? It Starts With a Solid Data Foundation
December 19, 2023
Data is fueling the emerging artificial intelligence age — build the right data infrastructure and you will find yourself moving forward much faster.
Connecticut CPA Magazine Excerpt: The Role Accountants Can Play in Preparing for Future ESG Requirements
December 18, 2023
The business world is undergoing a profound transformation that extends far beyond traditional financial statements and profit margins. The pace of societal change and environmental impacts has elevated the focus around the impact of business activities on the environment and society. Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) considerations have often become embedded into the enterprise risk management process, influencing investment decisions, shaping corporate reputations, and impacting regulatory requirements.
Connecticut Supreme Court Upholds Constitutionality of Local Vehicle Tax on Massachusetts Business
December 18, 2023
The Connecticut Supreme Court, last week, upheld the constitutionality of a local property tax on vehicles registered to a business in Massachusetts.
FASB releases 2024 reporting taxonomies
December 18, 2023
FASB released its three annual taxonomies: the 2024 GAAP Financial Reporting Taxonomy (GRT), the 2024 SEC Reporting Taxonomy (SRT), and the 2024 [Data Quality Committee] Rules Taxonomy (DQCRT).
Information-reporting penalty safe harbor finalized
December 18, 2023
The IRS issued final regulations on Monday that provide a de minimis safe harbor from the penalties for failure to file correct information returns under Sec. 6721 and failure to furnish correct payee statements under Sec. 6722 (T.D. 9984).
Key Workplace Trends You Need To Know For 2024
December 18, 2023
As we near the end of 2023, many leaders and employees are asking the same question: What will the workplace look like in 2024?
What can AI do, anyway?
December 18, 2023
So, let's assume we've somehow, someway, all come to agreement on what AI is (see previous story) and is not (see previous story). Not sure how we managed to actually accomplish that, but we did, at least in this thought experiment. So we've operationalized all our variables and we can finally say we understand the fundamentals of AI.
Charting CT: Is your town getting older or younger?
December 15, 2023
The median age in Connecticut was 40.9 in 2022, making it the seventh-oldest state in the country, according to Census Bureau estimates released this year.