What if …? How stress testing can help your business prepare for economic uncertainty

Even financially sound businesses can be vulnerable to market volatility and unexpected disruptions. Many companies discover too late that their financial position, internal controls or contingency plans aren’t built to withstand sudden shocks, potentially leading to cash shortfalls, debt covenant violations and reduced profitability. A “stress test” models how your cash flow, liquidity and overall […]

Running a Business with Your Spouse? Know the Tax Rules

If you and your spouse operate a profitable, unincorporated small business, you face some unique tax issues. The IRS will generally classify your business as a partnership for federal tax purposes. So, you’ll have to file an annual partnership return and both you and your spouse must receive Schedules K-1, which allocate taxable income, deductions […]

Make the Most of the 2026 Gift Tax Exclusion

If you want to transfer some of your wealth to your adult children or other family members, one of the simplest tools available is the gift tax annual exclusion. For 2026, the exclusion is $19,000 per recipient. If you’re married and your spouse consents to a joint gift, also called a “split gift,” the exclusion […]

Could an Installment Sale Reduce Your Tax Bill?

Selling investment or commercial real estate can trigger a hefty tax bill, but an installment sale may help soften the impact. If you’ve owned the property for more than one year, your gain may qualify for favorable long-term capital gains tax rates of 15% or 20%, depending on your taxable income. Receiving payments over multiple […]

Cost segregation studies can reveal substantial tax savings

Businesses that own commercial real property may be sitting on an overlooked treasure chest of tax savings — and a cost segregation study can be the key to unlocking it. This is a strategic tool that combines accounting and engineering techniques to identify building costs that are properly allocable to tangible personal property rather than […]

Is Your Business Protected from Tax Identity Theft?

Tax identity theft can victimize businesses as well as individuals. Perpetrators might file fraudulent returns using your organization’s employer identification number. Or they may impersonate your executives to steal employee W-2 data and create new, “synthetic” identities to file returns and apply for credit. To help prevent financial losses and the inconvenience of repairing your […]

A Smarter Way to Give to Charity

Qualified charitable distributions (QCDs) let traditional IRA owners age 70½ and older make tax-free distributions directly to eligible charities. QCDs also can count toward required minimum distributions (RMDs). Because QCDs don’t increase reportable income, they can reduce or eliminate the risk that RMDs will trigger income-based reductions of various tax breaks. For example, the $6,000 […]

Taking a strategic approach to price increases

Rising labor, materials and operating expenses continue to pressure margins across industries. To relieve that pressure, you might consider a price increase. The prices of your products and services should evolve with your business and market conditions while reflecting customer demand. Adjusting prices can protect profitability, but poorly timed or overly aggressive increases can erode […]

Hiring Seasonal Employees? Don’t Overlook These Tax Rules

Hiring seasonal employees can help businesses meet peak demand, but it also comes with important tax responsibilities. Employers must verify work eligibility, properly classify workers as employees (not independent contractors), withhold payroll taxes and report wages on the appropriate tax forms. Seasonal employees are generally subject to the same federal payroll tax rules as year-round […]

How the FTC handles fraud complaints