Webinar: Key International Tax Development Update

Our webinar will recap hot topics, technical matters, and other current events that have a bearing on international tax planning and compliance. We will highlight emerging best practices and other tips to help you navigate through these areas.

Court Ruling Indicates SALT Cap Not Going Anywhere

A recent court opinion deals a blow to efforts to overturn the so-called state and local tax cap. The following is a closer look at the reasons the court gave for supporting tax reform provision.

The Importance of Data Security for Private Equity and Venture Capital Firms

Cybersecurity is a concern for all industries, but some sectors like private equity and venture capital tend to be targeted more than others due to the nature of their business. The following are some of the top data security considerations for PE/VC firms.

Takeaways from 2019’s Biggest Information Security Incidents

Major cybersecurity incidents from 2019 can tell us a lot about the current information security landscape. Here are some of the top lessons we have gleaned from some of the year’s most disruptive cyber attacks.

The Top 6 Practical Expedients for Revenue Recognition

Practical expedients in the revenue recognition accounting standard are designed to make adoption easier for private companies, but they come with some considerations. Evaluating your practical expedient options can help make the transition to Topic 606 easier, and also helps with compliance in the standard in the long-term.

10 Questions Lessees Should be Asking About Their Leases

Some companies will have a harder time making the changes in the new lease accounting standard than others. Reviewing these 10 questions may help illuminate lease features that may make adopting ASC Topic 842 more complicated for lessees.

5 Things Board Members Need to Know About Their Organization’s Cybersecurity Strategy

October is cybersecurity month, a good reminder for not-for-profits and their boards to re-examine their information security strategies. The following are five ways a not-for-profit’s board can help with data protection.

Are Donor Disclosure Rules Going to Change?

A recent court decision put a pause of an IRS regulation that would have allowed some not-for-profit organizations to forgo including the names and addresses of major donors in their annual information filings. But the decision does more than question a rule change; it speaks to how complicated it is to balance financial transparency with donor privacy protections.

4 State and Local Income Tax Concerns for Private Equity and Venture Capital Firms

Tax planning season is almost here. Private equity and venture capital firms will have a lot to sift through but one element that should not be overlooked are funds’ state and local income tax obligations.

Not-for-Profits Wanting to Reduce Spend? Take a Look at Contracts

Cost containment strategies may help not-for-profit organizations reduce their overhead expenses. Three avenues in particular may be ripe for cost recovery opportunities: construction contracts, accounts payable practices, and telecommunications contracts.

Qualified Opportunity Zones: 2020 and Beyond!

The tax reform law’s Qualified Opportunity Zone program is gaining popularity, but individuals, business operators, and real estate developers who are looking to take advantage of the program’s benefits should note that both the Qualified Opportunity Zone Funds and the businesses they support come with compliance requirements for 2020. The following gives a preview of what to expect.

Watch Out for These Revenue Recognition Pain Points

As private companies gear up for their revenue recognition adoption, they will want to be aware of some of the thornier elements of the new accounting standard. Being aware of the nuances around contract features will help ensure companies complete their adoption in time.

Webinar: Trends in SOC Reporting and How Organizations are Effectively Reducing Data Security Risks

Breaches in data security continue to increase worldwide, making it more and more important for service providers to take a proactive approach to safeguarding their data as well as their clients’ data. System and Organization Controls (SOC) Reports can be an efficient and effective way to provide your customers with the assurance they need today.

What France’s Digital Services Tax Says about Tech and Taxes

July nearly turned into a tit for tat between the United States and France that involved Google, Facebook, French wine, and a tax on digital services revenue. The two sides resolved the disagreement over France’s Digital Services Tax, but the root of the France-U.S. conversation remains: Should the U.S. change the way digital business activities are taxed?

Parking Expense and Food Cost Relief Could Be on the Way

One of the big sore points with the 2017 tax reform law involved the elimination of some business write-offs, including the deductibility of parking expenses and employer-provided food costs. At a recent event, a spokesperson from the IRS indicated that it may be adjusting its approach to give taxpayers some relief.

How Professional Sports Stadiums Are Affected by the Leasing Standard

New professional sports stadium builds like the ones in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Dallas could look very different under the forthcoming changes to lease accounting. The following is a closer look at some of the implication the standard changes could have on professional sports teams and their local governments.

AI's Implications for the Accounting Experience

Artificial intelligence technologies could reshape the world of accounting as we know it, but we may never get to the point where AI completely replaces the human accountant. The most promising AI accounting technology available today requires human-machine collaboration. Here’s how it may be affecting your organization.

The 2020 Campaign and Taxes Part 6: The Price of an Economic Safety Net

A recent proposal from a Democratic presidential candidate sounds good in theory—$1,000 per month per citizen—but the provision designed to be an economic safety net would come at a huge cost. Even its proposed economic benefits would not be enough to make it affordable. Our analysis takes a closer look at why the concept of universal basic income is so difficult.

Relief Coming for Parking Expenses? Not-for-Profits Hold Out Hope

Not-for-profit organizations drew the short end of the stick when the new tax law commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made parking expenses incurred on behalf of their employees a taxable increase to unrelated business taxable income (UBTI).

5 Ways the New ERISA Employee Benefit Plan Audit Standards Will Affect Your Plans

Changes are coming to auditing standards for employee benefit plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). While most of the updates affect plan auditors, there are implications for your management team. Here are some changes ERISA plan sponsors should expect for their employee benefit audits starting in 2021.

How Tech Will Change Cyber Defense in 2020

Goran Kovacevic, a director at CBIZ, looks ahead to 2020 and how tech trends will impact cybersecurity and risk management.

The Challenge of Valuing a Deferred Revenue Liability - Part 1: Definition and Basic Valuation Principles

Advance payments happen every day, from subscription services to purchasing airfare or tickets to a sports game. For the companies accepting the advance payments, however, the deferred revenue liability that comes from those sales presents certain challenges, particularly if those companies were to undergo a business combination while holding the deferred revenue.

Webinar: Key Issues Facing Public Companies in 2020

The AICPA Conference on Current SEC and PCAOB Developments, held December 9-11 in Washington D.C., highlights current key topics that will have an impact on SEC registrants and other public business entities moving forward into 2020. Members of our team who attended the conference will provide a debrief on the key points, tips and other guidance shared at the conference.

How to Ensure Estimated Discount Rates for Lease Liabilities Hit the Mark

The forthcoming lease accounting changes will require companies with leased assets to record a lease liability. For most lessees, the only option they will have to calculate their lease liability will be to estimate an incremental borrowing rate. Careful analysis is needed to estimate an incremental borrowing rate. The following factors should be part of that evaluation.

Do Your FATCA & CRS Due Diligence

Private equity and venture capital (PE/VC) firms can save a lot of grief with their international tax requirements by setting up parameters for their investor onboarding and reporting processes.

Get A Jump-Start on Planning for Your 2019 Tax Bill

While the 2018 tax filing season has come and gone, it is never too soon to start thinking about filing for next year’s taxes.

IRS Announces New Comprehensive Withholding Estimator

After a tax season with some unwelcome withholding tax surprises, the IRS created a new tool to help. Taxpayers can use the Tax Withholding Estimator to complete their Form W-4 so that they get the desired income tax withholding outcome: a refund or a zero balance. But the new tool is only as good as the information supplied.

Improve Your Revenue Recognition Assessment Speed

In the race to adopt the revenue recognition accounting changes, the initial impact assessment is your course map. Knowing how to conduct your revenue recognition assessment—from selecting the sample contracts to applying the five-step accounting model itself—can help your organization get to the adoption finish line faster.

Washington Simplifies Economic Nexus Standards

Washington recently joined the growing number of states that are adjusting state tax policies around remote retailers and marketplace facilitators. The state made updates that will likely increase the number of out-of-state vendors who would be subject to the state’s Business and Occupation tax.

Webinar: Colorado - An Example of Post-Wayfair Complications

Using Colorado as an example, our one-hour webinar explores how Wayfair affected sales and use tax requirements and the types of state-specific factors that make sales and use tax reporting in 2019 so difficult.

Maximizing the Tax Benefits of Qualified Opportunity Zone Fund Investments

Opportunity Zones are one of the hottest investment topics in the tax world because they offer not one, not two, but three tax saving opportunities. But is it as easy as just investing in a Qualifying Opportunity Fund? And what happens when an investment partially qualifies for tax benefits? Recent IRS guidance provides insight into these pressing questions.

Prepare for the Growing Demand for U.S. Data Protection Laws

We may be a ways off from having anything like the GDPR in the U.S., but support grows for federal privacy protection laws. Companies should brace themselves for potentially stringent data protection requirements. You can help position your organization for new regulations by answering some tough data security questions.

Select a Lease Accounting Software Solution That Works for You

The challenge with the new lease accounting standard won’t end with the initial adoption. Tracking and monitoring lease data and modifications may mean that traditional approaches to lease management aren’t feasible anymore. Lease accounting software provides a solution, provided you know what to look for in your tool.

CBIZ & MHM Named to Construction Executive’s Top 50 Construction Accounting Firms

Construction Executive Magazine, a publication from Associated Builders and Contractors, recently named CBIZ and MHM to its list of the Top 50 Construction Accounting Firms in the nation.

4 Major Takeaways from the 2019 AICPA Not-for-Profit Conference

Several members of the CBIZ and MHM Not-for-Profit Practice attended the AICPA’s not-for-profit conference in Washington D.C. this summer. The annual conference covers hot topics in accounting, tax, and financial advisory, and other industry trends that practitioners and their clients should have on their radar.

Reduce Accounting Challenges with the VIE Accounting Alternative

For many private companies, the evaluation of the variable interest entity (VIE) guidance to their brother and sister entities has been a confusing and difficult process.

The 2020 Campaign and Taxes Part 5: Your Taxes and the Federal Budget

The tax plans for each of the candidates in the 2020 Presidential campaign involve some varied and unique proposals, including a wealth tax, a tax on securities trading transactions, and new refundable credits for low-income housing.

New Lease Accounting to be Delayed?

Good news for private companies, nonprofits, and smaller public companies: the FASB is planning to delay the roll-out of its accounting updates to leasing, credit loss impairment standard, hedge accounting, and long-term insurance contracts. Discussions by board members also indicate the FASB may be leaning toward a new approach for future complex accounting standards.

Webinar: Important Revenue Recognition Implementation Issues for Not-for-Profit Organizations

Most not-for-profit organizations with calendar year ends must adopt the revenue recognition standard by Dec. 31, 2019, and fiscal year ends have an adoption deadline that’s not too far behind. In our free webinar, we will cover the final steps that not-for-profit organizations will need to take to ensure they are in compliance with their reporting requirements.

Webinar: Eye on Washington Quarterly Update Q3 2019

Our Eye on Washington webinars assist CEOs, CFOs, financial executives and advisors, and other interested parties in navigating the complex tax environment.

Opportunity to Lessen Tax Liability for Fulfillment By Amazon Sellers In California

As online sales surge, more sellers are using larger online marketplaces to provide their products online, oftentimes using the popular Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) program.

Are Your Benefit Plan’s Alternative Investments Generating Taxes?

Unexpected UBTI & the Flip Side to Alternative Investments in Your Benefit Plan is designed to help plan sponsors understand how the tax on unrelated business income may affect their plan and what they can do to minimize compliance risks.

Not-for-Profit Organizations Granted Private Company Accounting Alternatives

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently extended relief for goodwill and intangible asset accounting to not-for-profit organizations.

The Revenue Recognition Lesson Not-for-Profits Can Apply to Leasing

Accounting changes to ASC Topic 842, Leases share many of the characteristics that made the revenue recognition updates in Topic 606 so challenging.

9 Ratios to Help Measure Your Not-for-Profit's Financial Health

More not-for-profit organizations are recognizing the benefit of financial performance measurement as a strategy for evaluating operations, programs, services and financial stability.

Today’s Trends for Not-for-Profits

Not-for-profit organizations benefited from a stronger economy and higher per capita disposable income in recent years.

What Auditor Form and Content Changes Mean for Your 2020 Audit

The AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board (ASB) recently released SAS No. 134, Auditor Reporting and Amendments, Including Amendments Addressing Disclosures in the Audit of Financial Statements, which updates the form and content of a financial statement auditor’s report.

4 Ways to Improve Your Cybersecurity Strategy

Cybersecurity, data security, and data privacy continue to be hot topics for all market segments. Information security incidents put a lot at stake and can cause financial harm, brand and reputational damage, increased regulatory scrutiny and personal liability for business leaders, and of course, repercussions for customers, clients and others in the value chain.

How the Tax Reform Law Revitalizes the Qualified Small Business Stock Incentive for PE/VC

Tax reform may have made investments in qualified small businesses more appealing for private equity and venture capital firms.

Selecting the Right Lease Discount Rate for You

Companies have options when it comes to the lease discount rate they use when applying the new leasing standard. Here's what to consider.