CPA Now Blog

A case before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court is a threat to the ability of the Commonwealth to limit its exposure to liability through the enactment of damages caps. This is important because uncapped liability verdicts could wipe out funds set aside for critical government services, leading to ever higher taxes.

Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 permits taxpayers to defer paying tax on gain for federal income tax purposes when they invest in real estate and exchange one property for another property. In Pennsylvania, whether or not taxpayers can defer gain pursuant to Section 1031 for state personal income tax purposes has been contested for years. In Pearlstein v. Commonwealth, the decision from the state Supreme Court will be a test as to whether the DOR can effectively ignore the language of its own statutes and corresponding regulations.

Any given property contains a multitude of different assets, and each of them can be expected to have a different useful life. In a cost segregation study, engineers identify and quantify building assets and then assign each asset a cost. These costs are then segregated into different categories. By segregating assets into shorter-lived categories, they can be depreciated more quickly, resulting in tax savings and increased cash flow.

When it comes to paying college tuition for your children, the best strategy is to save as much as possible as early as possible. One of the best ways to save for higher education in Pennsylvania is the PA 529 College and Career Savings Program. The Pennsylvania Treasury Department offers two PA 529 plans.

As we increasingly rely on digital transactions in business, the risk of fraudulent activity escalates. This blog offers tips on how you can fortify your defenses against payment fraud.

In a human-centered, inclusive, and collaborative work environment, successes in business and leadership are defined by relationships, values, and the kindness shown to others. This blog highlights the humanistic leadership characteristics of trust, leading by example, and kindness.

When most people hear the word “feedback” they commonly think of something a manager or supervisor provides. But feedback can encompass more than top-down managerial observation. Peer feedback allows colleagues, who are commonly a group of equals, to provide each other with input to enhance collaboration and improve a project, process, or skill.

On Dec. 5, 2023, the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Moore v. United States. At the heart of the case is Internal Revenue Code Section 965, a repatriation tax enacted in 2017 as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Tax scholars have been writing extensively on the far-reaching federal tax implications of the potential decision to come.

CPAs are not just financial experts; they are guardians of trust. In today's rapidly evolving financial landscape, it is crucial for CPAs to not only master their craft but also to embody the essential values that guide their personal conduct, shape the culture of their firms, and elevate the standards of the CPA profession.

Technology, for all its fantastic potential, cannot replace the basic need for humans to connect on an emotional level. Understanding this will lead you to understanding that business development and true networking – the things that build real trust – are all about relationships.

Single audits are required when a governmental or nonprofit entity expends more than $750,000 of federally allocated funds in their fiscal year. In recent years, the number of single audits has increased significantly. This blog looks at four areas of focus to conduct an effective single audit.

The number of leaders in CPA firms who want to become partners and owners is declining. One way to encourage the next generation of leaders is to help them view ownership as smart business. This blog shares five ways to motivate potential internal successors to view ownership as a smart, lucrative, and rewarding path.

Pennsylvania’s Keystone Saves Program was introduced to the General Assembly in 2023. The plan would introduce a statewide voluntary retirement savings plan that would have all features of a well-designed employer retirement plan. Part of the benefit of Keystone Saves is that it provides a basic financial education and a low-cost comprehensive framework for investing in the future.

Most get-on-the-AI-train articles don’t share with readers how to actually incorporate these tools, rarely going beyond broad and generic claims of how AI will improve efficiency, problem-solving, and decision-making. Well, in this blog, the author shares how he actually has been using ChatGPT in his public accounting practice.

For decades, Pennsylvania has deviated from federal income tax laws by specifically prohibiting grantor trust tax status for irrevocable trusts. Act 64 of 2023 simplifies the rules for irrevocable trusts to mirror those in other jurisdictions.

The potential for international students to fortify the accounting pipeline cannot be overstated. These students would contribute fresh perspectives, innovative ideas, and diverse viewpoints into the profession.

Act 122 of 2022 introduced significant changes to Title 15 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes applicable to Pennsylvania businesses. The most notable include requiring all registered Pennsylvania entities to file an annual report , permitting the exculpation of corporate officers for certain breaches of fiduciary duty, and permitting the renunciation of the business opportunity doctrine.

An alarming number of high school graduates enter adulthood and the workforce without the appropriate knowledge of basic financial concepts. To help alleviate this crisis in knowledge, Pennsylvania high schools now have a new graduation requirements: completion of a personal financial economics course. State Sen. Chris Gebhard discusses the need for this step and what he hopes will be accomplished through the new law.

When a gray tax position is challenged by the IRS or another taxing authority, taxpayers and CPAs incur a risk for increased tax, penalty, and interest. One tool that may help taxpayers mitigate these risks is tax insurance.

Sometimes we need to trick ourselves into being ready to do difficult work. There are psychological games we can play on ourselves to help us get unstuck and in the mood to do something. Rituals are one of those psychological tools we have at our disposal.