What are clients’ biggest questions about reform?

Tax reform’s dizzying array of changes seemed to confuse preparers, lawmakers and the IRS alike. But amid all the new laws, which one stands out to clients?

As with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act itself, answers can vary widely.

“Many are concerned with the non-deductibility of unreimbursed employee business expenses, along with other expenses that were subject to the 2 percent [AGI rule],” said Chris Hardy, an Enrolled Agent at Georgia-based Paramount Tax and Accounting.

“For individuals, it’s the lack of exemptions and particularly how that will affect taxpayers such as college students whom parents would normally claim but [who] still need to file their own return,” said EA Laurie Ziegler at Sass Accounting in Saukville, Wisconsin.

Burbank, California, CPA Brian Stoner finds clients chiefly concerned about two things. First, SALT limitations: “In California, almost every homeowner has way, way over $10,000 in real estate, state income taxes and personal property taxes,” he said.

And second, personal exemptions: “Especially if they have two or three dependents,” Stoner said, “but many will qualify for the Child Tax Credit because of a much higher income limitation or family credit on a lot of the dependents – so I have some good news for them.”

Client professions key

Many of Stoner’s clients are also in entertainment, paid by some of the large entertainment payroll companies. “Some are going to lose $30,000 to $60,000 in itemized [deductions] because unreimbursed employee business expenses are no longer deductible, plus financial advisor and tax preparation fees are also not deductible,” he said. “Many entertainment clients are looking into forming corporations as production companies to continue to deduct many of these expenses.

New York EA Phyllis Jo Kubey likewise has many clients in the performing arts. “While they’re freelancers, because of union contracts with many venues they’re treated as employees for some work, receiving a W-2, and as independent contractors, receiving a 1099-Misc for other work,” Kubey said. “Since they’re doing the same thing, they’re tremendously confused about what’s an employee business expense – no longer deductible under TCJA – and what’s a business expense related to their [self-employed] income [that is] deductible under TCJA.”

Another wrinkle: Some clients think that they can deduct nothing anymore. “I have to keep reminding them what is and isn’t deductible for 2018,” Kubey said. “My clients are also confused, even with detailed explanations and 2018 tax projection worksheets I’ve provided, about whether they’ll still itemize deductions.” In New York City, where real estate carrying costs are dizzying, “even with the SALT limitation many will still itemize their deductions on what used to be Schedule A,” Kubey said.

Define ‘specified’…

Another major confusion for clients remains one pivotal detail of reform’s pass-through income deduction. “Lots of clients have expressed concern and confusion with the new 199A deduction,” said Jake Alexander, an EA and owner of Alexander Financial in Largo, Florida. “There’s been a lot of confusion for them establishing who qualifies for it, what it means if they do and how it will affect them.”

“Certainly for my small businesses, it’s 199A,” Ziegler added. “There are so many questions about how it works and who it includes, especially in light of the exclusion for certain professions.”

Recently proposed regs do attempt to narrow the scope of service businesses ineligible for the deduction. “Ineligible consulting business” has been limited to businesses that provide advice and counsel, for example. Experts say tricky areas remain when an activity rises to the level of a trade or business, and possibly banking when banks provide multiple services beyond lending and paying interest on deposits.

John Dundon, an EA and president of Taxpayer Advocacy Services in Englewood, Colorado, sees the most questions over the definition of a “specified service, trade or business,” which is key to the new pass-through income deduction. “The proposed regulations are less than fully clear, and many industries are not addressed or incompletely addressed,” he said. “As an example, the practice of law is deemed to be an SSTB, but what if all the lawyer did was trust administration, work that does not require a law degree? Is that lawyer performing duties [that are] an SSTB? Many think not.”

Post-reform, no matter their questions, “clients will need a lot of hand-holding from their tax pros as we go into the 2019 filing season for 2018 returns,” Kubey said.

IRS offers guidance on meals and entertainment deduction after tax reform

The Internal Revenue Service released guidance Wednesday on the business expense deduction for meals and entertainment in the wake of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was supposed to eliminate deductions for expenses pertaining to activities generally considered entertainment, amusement or recreation.

The IRS said taxpayers can still deduct 50 percent of the cost of business meals if the taxpayer (or an employee of the business) is present at the meal, and the food or beverages aren’t considered to be “lavish or extravagant.” The meals can involve a current or potential business customer, client, consultant or a similar business contact. Food and beverages provided during entertainment events won’t be considered entertainment if they’re bought separately from the event.

Before 2018, a business was able to deduct up to 50 percent of entertainment expenses directly related to the active conduct of a trade or business or, if they’re incurred immediately before or after a bona fide business discussion, associated with the active conduct of a trade or business. That changed, however, with the passage of the tax code overhaul last December.

Section 274 of the tax code now generally disallows a deduction for expenses with respect to entertainment, amusement or recreation after passage of the new tax law. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act doesn’t specifically address the deductibility of expenses for business meals.

The Treasury Department and the IRS plan to publish proposed regulations that will clarify exactly when business meal expenses are deductible and what constitutes entertainment. Until those proposed regulations take effect, taxpayers can rely on guidance in Notice 2018-76, which the IRS issued Wednesday in conjunction with the announcement.

Source: accountingtoday.com Written by: M Cohn

Small businesses need major tax help

Despite the widespread belief that small businesses are a target for IRS audits, nearly a third of small-business owners think they overpay their taxes, according to a survey by B2B research firm Clutch of over 300 small-business owners and managers.

“If they think they’re paying too much, they’re questioning the accuracy of their tax return,” said Roger Harris, president of Padgett Business Services. “They’re somehow missing a deduction, or there are parts of the code they just don’t know about. If a business owner did their own accounting and bought a piece of equipment in October 2017, what’s the chance they knew the rules for the new 100 percent bonus depreciation?”

The small businesses in the survey listed unforeseen expenses (35 percent) as their top financial challenge, followed by the mixing of business and personal finances (23 percent) and the inability to receive payments on time (21 percent). Clerical errors in financial records, and outdated financial records, were both listed by 11 percent of respondents.

The majority of small businesses in the survey said they use the accrual method for tracking finances, although the smallest businesses, with fewer than 10 employees, were more likely to use the cash basis method.

“Actually, use of the cash method versus the accrual method has nothing to do with number of employees but with revenue,” said Harris. “In fact, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the ability to use the cash method for businesses with up to $25 million in annual revenue. Cash accounting is available to many businesses, and many small businesses prefer it because it’s simpler. They like taxable income to track as closely as possible to their checkbooks. In fact, most of our clients would be happy with a simple profit and loss financial statement: Money in minus money out equals money left, or what some of them call ‘my money.’”

“But the accrual method creates expenses that sometimes aren’t yet paid and sometimes defers costs that are already paid, and defers them into the future,” he continued. “In that case, taxable income can vary dramatically from using the cash method.”

“The cash method is easier for everyone to understand,” he said. “Money in is income, money out is expense, and what’s left is your money, which is what you pay taxes on.”

Most use a hybrid method — accrual for income because they have inventories, and cash for expenses, according to Harris.

“If I asked what method of accounting they use, most small-business owners would just stare at me,” Harris said. “But if I explained it to them and they made a pick, most would choose cash. I would be stunned if I asked a small-business owner without giving a choice, and anyone said ‘accrual.’ Most of them wouldn’t even know the term. If you go to the coffee shop in your building and ask the owner what method they use, they won’t know what you’re talking about.”

“In a classroom or to an accountant, the accrual method is favored,” said Harris. “But in the eyes of most owners, if they don’t have the money it’s not income, and if they haven’t paid money, it’s not an expense.”

Surprisingly, the survey found that more than a quarter — 27 percent — of small-business owners and managers said they do not have a separate bank account for their business. Naturally, established businesses are more likely to have separate bank accounts than start-ups. Nearly 80 percent of small-business owners of five years or more said they have separate accounts, compared to 68 percent of small-business owners of two years or less.

Source: accountingtoday.com Written by: R. Russell

Tech will lead the way with new lease accounting guidance

Accounting professionals, as the stewards of financial information, have a unique opportunity to take the lead in adopting the new lease guidance and implementing lease accounting software. Approaching the adoption methodically, which includes collecting data, making policy decisions, and applying operational realities, accountants play a distinct role in developing the processes and implementing the systems that guide an organization into the future. In doing so, accountants can help companies capture the benefits of enhanced, centralized processes, improved lease management and increased data visibility that ultimately lead to cost savings and more accurate financial data and disclosures.

One of the keys to realizing these benefits is for accountants to embrace technology as part of the implementation process. Unlike cumbersome and error-prone spreadsheets, lease accounting software that is effectively implemented will allow accountants to efficiently analyze vast amounts of asset data and make informed decisions. Empowered by the centralized data from the lease accounting software, accounting professionals are positioned to add valuable insights on lease spend, advise on both operational and financial decisions and provide more in-depth and accurate financial analysis.

Selecting and implementing lease accounting software

Lease accounting software, when judiciously selected, enables accountants to help their organizations capitalize on streamlined data. At the highest level, the most appropriate solution will come from a financially stable vendor with lease experience and be SOC 1 compliant. When evaluating software options, understanding your company’s business requirements is critical. Specific items to consider include the lease portfolio characteristics, international reporting requirements and foreign currency translation needs. To cement the selection process, users need to be able to easily input data, navigate the modules, and produce disclosure reporting.

Beyond ensuring that a solution meets your company’s requirements, a system should be easy to implement. Employing a lease accounting system requires organizations, specifically accountants, to coordinate cross-departmental teams that will assess the current state and inform the development of future state processes around procurement, month-end close journal entries and asset management. Leading the implementation presents a strong opportunity for accountants to move beyond the numbers and partner with upstream functions that often do not understand how their processes impact financial information.

Enhanced, centralized processes

Creating more efficient, centralized processes to not only collect information but to accurately input data into a system will pay dividends. On the front end, by working with procurement and operations, accounting can implement processes that ensure compliance with the new standard. This approach paves the way for accountants to be the Center of Excellence and subject matter experts for advising both operational and financial decisions. For example, as part of a monthly or quarterly process, accountants can utilize a lease system to provide more timely and accurate analysis of lease spend, ultimately leading to cost savings and an improved bottom line.

Additionally, the new guidance has a significant impact to the financial statements and disclosures, requiring accountants to thoughtfully strengthen internal controls and improve reporting processes. For instance, lease information that previously resided only in the footnotes is now presented as a liability that will be subject to increased scrutiny from internal and external stakeholders. Through heightened attention and robust processes around lease terms and details of lease transactions, accountants can make certain the financial statements under the new guidance are accurate.

Improved lease management

Lease accounting software and centralized lease management allows accountants to monitor and make educated decisions on lease events. Typical events include amendments to add or remove assets, altering length of term and middle- or end-of-term options such as terminations or renewals. Specifically, with lease accounting software, companies can produce standardized and customized reports to assist in presenting actionable information. A common benefit to these operational reports are their assistance to inform decisions on whether to renew or end a lease agreement prior to the lease end date, ultimately reducing unwanted month-to-month lease expenses which may have previously gone unnoticed.

More complete and accessible lease data will position accountants to assist their companies with proactively managing assets. To illustrate, lease versus buy decisions may oftentimes be uninformed because of the lack of data and decentralized lease management, resulting in inefficiencies and overspending. The centralized monitoring of lease events will help inform lease versus buy strategies that produce efficiencies and cost savings related to common challenges like evergreen leases, vendor management for similar leases and end-of-term options such as lease extensions.

Increased data visibility

Cross-departmental collaboration and an effective lease accounting software implementation will lead to a more cohesive and efficient data flow. This improved workflow creates on-demand access into lease data and knowledge sharing between previously disconnected areas of an organization like purchasing, real estate, IT and accounting. Currently, accountants are often delayed in receiving information that could impact timely journal entries. In the case of leases, communication about a new contract may not occur until after the month closes, resulting in catch-up entries and the risk of misstatements in financial reporting. With a new lease accounting solution and efficient workflow, accounting groups will have visibility into upcoming and recently transacted agreements to influence management with concrete financial analysis on lease spend.

As accountants take leadership roles in the adoption of the new guidance and the system selection and implementation processes, companies will realize value from enhanced, centralized processes, more robust management of leases and more in-depth visibility to lease data. These improvements provide accountants with the opportunity to provide their companies with analysis and insights on critical capital-asset procurement and spending. Ultimately, successful adoption of the lease guidance will yield cross-departmental collaboration and efficiencies, more cost-effective lease decisions, and increased accuracy in financial reporting.

Source: accountingtoday.com Written by: Bill Maloney

Blockchain: A 'significant evolution' accountants can't afford to ignore

Blockchain might be the most buzzworthy word in accounting today, if its prominence at the Accounting and Finance Show L.A. last week is any indication.

Multiple sessions covered the emerging technology, with one keynote speaker, Robert Massey, a partner at Deloitte, giving a primer on the hot topic.

“Blockchain is one of the most significant evolutions we’ve seen,” said Massey, who leads the Big Four firm’s cryptocurrency and blockchain practice globally. “Blockchain is to value as the internet is to information. It’s an exponential change, to share information between decentralized parties, in real time. It decentralizes the ability to record information, and enable transactions. It’s the next step in the evolution of commerce.”

Massey finds it helpful to think of blockchain as a “big shared ledger” -- more specifically, “a distributed ledger which allows digital assets to be transacted in real time, in an immutable manner.”

Smarter agreements

Members of another panel on blockchain focused more on how accountants should plan to harness the technology within their practices.

Practitioners should start with educating themselves on the blockchain, all panelists agreed. David Cieslak, chief cloud officer and executive vice president at business consulting firm RKL eSolutions, suggested that firms add a blockchain leader, while Ron Quaranta, chairman of the Wall Street Blockchain Alliance, recommended seeking resources on the topic from the American Institute of CPAs.

“Technology has disrupted the profession previously — this is not a new conversation,” said Danetha Doe, founder of financial mentorship program Money and Mimosas. “It’s the speed of the change. The next generation is adopting quickly, and you’re going to start to see a shift in the profession … how blockchain can be applied to different use cases outside the box.”

“All of us need to be thinking a lot more about value, and a lot less about tasks, [which] are often much more transactional,” said Cieslak. “Blockchain is really going to accelerate that. How can we leverage the technology to bring that greater value?”

It was a question asked frequently throughout the two days of the Accounting and Finance Show, with speakers attempting to provide guidance on a bold, and still mysterious, new frontier. But the technology’s novelty and unrealized potential only energized both panelists and attendees.

The conference’s thought leaders were most enthusiastic about blockchain as it related to new ways of conducting business, such as its use in smart contracts.

Smart contracts take “key terms in a legal agreement, and embed [them] in software, creating link dependencies in the agreements,” Massey explained in his keynote session. He offered the example of a farmer buying crop insurance, which will pay him if it doesn’t rain for 100 days.

Smart contracts utilize blockchain to connect to outside, trusted “sources of truth” to facilitate, enforce and verify terms of an agreement, thus removing the need for third parties or middlemen. In Massey’s farmer example, one of those sources of truth would be regional weather data.

“Blockchain is very effective connective tissue,” Massey explained. “We see, in all industries, the use of smart contracts enabling better relationships.”

Smart contracts “are happening organically anyway,” he continued. “It’s not just the systems, but the organizations that are decentralized. It’s likely now that transactions are validated somewhere other than where management is sitting.”

“There’s a real variety of use cases, and those are what are super-exciting,” said Cieslak during the panel discussion. “Some of what is going to be done with blockchain, has never been done before.”

The implications are especially exciting for certain industries, like the recording industry, an example many speakers cited when describing how intellectual property, like songwriting credits, can be coded into blockchain-enabled smart contracts. Speakers and panelists urged attendees to educate themselves on the technology and assess how it can apply to their clients and industry verticals.

“Every company innovation in this space is putting forth solutions,” said Massey. “In L.A., in entertainment, in media, [you can] lock down intangibles like the rights of a song or movie. What if you lock that down in a blockchain solution, before you had to pay for it? It’s a significant evolution in song and movie rights. It’s hitting every industry. It’s relevant to every single one of them. Think about your clients, and what’s relevant to them.”

Crypto, currently

Many people are familiar with blockchain as the technology behind cryptocurrencies like bitcoin and ethereum, and Deloitte's Massey dedicated a portion of his session to addressing those virtual currencies, as did other panelists at the conference.

All panelists stressed the status of cryptocurrency as property, based on guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service in 2014.

Stephen Turanchik, an attorney in the tax practice at law firm Paul Hastings, spoke about the perplexing nature of cryptocurrency taxation during another conference session. He explained that virtual-currency exchanges are not required to report to the IRS, so “a lack of detection, and the ability to hide it, still exists.” But, he continued, “if you think that gives you the license to commit tax fraud, think again.”

On July 2 of this year, the IRS announced its virtual currency compliance campaign, and it will be conducting more audits on virtual currencies, Turanchik warned the audience.

The IRS is also stepping up outreach and education efforts, and soliciting taxpayer and practitioner feedback for these campaigns. The service is urging taxpayers with unreported virtual currency transactions to “correct their returns as soon as practical,” Turanchik reported, though the IRS is not contemplating voluntary disclosure programs.

“The IRS simply doesn’t have the technical expertise to give guidance in this area,” Turanchik said. He cited a “John Doe” summons the IRS served to virtual-currency exchange Coinbase in November 2016, seeking customer data. Before the petition was granted, the IRS had to narrow the scope of the summons, to Coinbase users with accounts of at least $20,000 in any one transaction type, in any single year between 2013-15.

Overall, Turanchik explained, there is a “significant lack of transparency” in the cryptocurrency space, which he said keeps him busy, and provides big opportunities for tax preparers.

Source: accountingtoday.com Written by: Danielle Lee

House passes repeal of medical device tax

The House approved a repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s medical device tax, along with a bill that prohibits the IRS from rehiring any employee who was fired for misconduct.

Implementation of the 2.3 percent excise tax has repeatedly been delayed by Congress ever since the passage of the ACA in 2010, in part thanks to lobbying by medical device manufacturers. The Senate isn’t expected to take up the bill before the end of the year, according to The Wall Street Journal. However, the latest moratorium on the tax means it won’t take effect until at least January 2020.

Repeal of the tax was supported across party lines, with a vote Tuesday of 283 to 132. Joining those in favor of repealing the tax were 57 Democrats.

“Minnesota’s innovators can breathe easier since we’re one step closer to ending the medical device tax for good,” said Rep. Erik Paulsen, R-Minn., who sponsored the bill, in a statement Tuesday. “Today’s vote shows strong bipartisan support for lifting this burden on innovators in an industry so important to Minnesota. I’m more optimistic than ever we’ll be successful in giving these job creators the certainty and predictability they need to thrive.”

Another bill passed by the House on Tuesday, the Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act, would prohibit the IRS from rehiring any employee who was “involuntarily separated” from the agency for misconduct. The bill was passed unanimously by the House. It was sponsored by Rep. Kristi Noem, R-S.D. “South Dakota taxpayers shouldn’t have to worry that someone who has already been fired for mismanaging their hard-earned dollars will be hired again,” Noem said in a statement Tuesday. “We need to know there is integrity in the IRS, and when they rehire people who have already mishandled our most sensitive data, that integrity is broken. This bill puts commonsense oversight provisions on the agency handling our personal information and makes sure people who don’t respect taxpayer resources don’t work at the IRS. I am hopeful the Senate will move quickly to put these practical protections in place.”

The House is also expected to take up legislation this week allowing taxpayers to pay for gym memberships, fitness classes, nonprescription over-the-counter drugs and menstrual care products with their health savings accounts and flexible spending accounts, as well as roll over money from an FSA from one year to another.

Source: Accountingtoday.com Written by: M. Cohn

5 tax reform twists businesses need to know more about

The Treasury Department has been directed to remove two existing regulations for every new one it issues going forward. While these moves are intended to reduce the volume of regulations and to clarify the new law, tax and regulatory executives at businesses of varied sizes are still looking for clarification across many key areas, particularly when it comes to the ramifications of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

While the size, entity type and geographic footprint of a business yields many company-specific questions and tax scenarios, what is known about the implementation of the new tax law today does permit the identification of some broad areas of observation and discussion. Here are several specific examples:

1. GILTI

When the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act became law, most of the discussion centered on individual and domestic business tax reform changes. However, several of the international tax provisions in this law may have a significant impact on taxpayers. A new category of income, “global intangible low-taxed income,” or GILTI, will require businesses to recognize a percentage of previously deferred foreign earnings via a minimum tax on a controlled foreign corporation’s income, offset by a 10 percent reduction roughly equal to the adjusted tax basis of the CFC’s depreciable tangible personal property. While conformity laws are expected in some states, not all states may conform to the federal GILTI provisions.

To prepare, taxpayers should analyze their existing foreign structures to ensure they have appropriate expense allocations and add GILTI implications into their tax rate forecasts and provisions. Similarly, as some of the offsets of this provision are only available to C corporations, taxpayers should examine their overall tax position to determine which alternative tax strategies could be required to mitigate the GILTI impact.

2. Section 162(m)

This section of the Tax Code prohibits publicly held corporations from deducting more than $1 million per year in compensation paid to each of certain covered employees. With an eye toward reining in performance-based compensation exceptions, the proposed revisions to this section stem from public outcry in the late 2000s over exorbitant executive bonus structures. Questions remain as to what might be grandfathered in from previous law and what might not. “There was always an exception for performance-based compensation,” said Ronnie Brown, vice president of tax at National Vision Inc., who teaches at Georgia State University’s J. Mack Robinson College of Business. “Those rules have been tightened a bit. Companies may look at their compensation structures more and make sure they look at the 162(m) regime.”

3. Transition taxes

To offset potential revenue from transitioning to a quasi-territorial tax regime, a one-time deferred income inclusion on previously deferred and untaxed income will be subject to a mandatory transition tax in the United States at either an 8 percent tax rate for illiquid assets or a 15.5 percent tax rate for earnings attributable to liquid assets measured at Nov. 2, 2017, or Dec. 31, 2017, whichever is higher. New sourcing rules also change where activities are considered taxed. The law changes the current worldwide taxation system (with some deferrals) to a participation exemption (via a dividend received deduction) with current taxation of some types of income. This tax will affect U.S. persons who own 10 percent of the vote or value of a specified foreign corporation. Therefore, this provision could impact not just U.S. corporations owning foreign subsidiaries, but also foreign private equity funds and their U.S. owners.

The relatively low rates of the transition tax are designed to facilitate the return of the estimated $2.5 trillion in accumulated foreign earnings – earnings that, under the higher tax rates of the prior tax law, were largely left tax-deferred in foreign subsidiaries. Early trends indicate that the law is achieving its desired impact. However, some companies may still not be able to bring this money back to the United States due to the working capital needs in their foreign operations, as well as withholding tax at the local level.

4. Section 163(j)

The deductibility of net business interest expense generally will be limited to 30 percent of adjusted taxable income. Moreover, there is no grandfather provision for loans made prior to the enactment of the law, so interest on these prior loans will also be subject to this new limitation. This may result in less borrowing by businesses with a corresponding turn to equity transactions, as not only will the interest deduction be limited but the deduction itself is not as valuable now that the corporate tax rate has been reduced to 21 percent. Additionally, the law does not address whether a consolidated group is treated as a single taxpayer in the calculation of this deduction, which requires further clarification.

5. Conformity laws

For companies operating across numerous states, new federal regulations present challenges if states do not conform with the federal provisions. The state income tax implications of the new legislation vary widely depending on states’ automatic or fixed conformity to the Internal Revenue Code and based on states’ appetite for amending their tax laws after the law’s enactment. Generally, however, the tax reform will have the effect of increasing most businesses’ effective state income tax rate due to the broadened federal income tax base without a corresponding reduction in the state tax rate. For example, Georgia recently enacted HB 918, which resulted in GILTI income being subject to tax despite Georgia’s historical stance of not subjecting foreign dividend income to taxation.

Shortly after taking office last January, the Trump administration set in motion a process requiring the Treasury to identify and reduce tax regulatory burdens. The Treasury has responded by proposing the removal of hundreds of burdensome or obsolete regulations. Under the requirement to remove two old regulations for every new one, the Treasury now can issue regulations to answer the many questions and provide the clarity that corporations will need as they plan for and comply with the provisions of the most significant tax legislation in the last 30 years.

Source: accountingtoday.com Author: J. Pickett

Top tips for working with tax pros

The National Association of Enrolled Agents asked its tax experts the best practices clients should follow when working with a tax professional, and gave some helpful advice from an online survey whose results were released Monday.

Twenty percent of the enrolled agents surveyed by the NAEA strongly agreed with the notion that all clients should sort their documents using an organizer or organizing system provided by their tax professional, while 21 percent agreed with the statement that “it is impractical to expect new clients to organize their materials using the system with which I am most comfortable.”

However, 47 percent strongly agreed with the statement, “I work more effectively with clients who are willing to learn and adjust the way they organize their documents so that I can serve them better.” In addition, 51 percent strongly agree that taxpayers should schedule an appointment with tax professionals early in the filing season to avoid undesirable outcomes.

“Your willingness to adapt the way you organize your tax documents will help you get the best result from your work with a tax professional, often at a lower cost,” said NAEA President James Adelman in a statement. “Have a conversation with your tax professional at the outset to clarify expectations and preferences on all sides.”

Eighty-three percent of tax pros said clients should use separate bank accounts for business and personal funds, while 81 percent recommended clients should keep their receipts in case their tax returns are examined, and 75 percent said clients should use a mileage log or smartphone app to record the business miles they have driven.

Identifying preferred communication channels and technologies is crucial, along with respecting deadlines and sharing time-sensitive information promptly are also essential. Ninety-six percent of the enrolled agents polled said clients should notify tax pros as soon as they receive a letter or notice from the IRS, while 82 percent said they should tell tax pros about significant life changes such as a retirement or divorce. Eighty percent said clients should consult with tax pros before starting a side job, while 78 percent said clients shouldn’t respond to notices from the IRS without consulting a tax pro.

Enrolled agents prefer to maintain a professional relationship with clients. The survey found 83 percent of the enrolled agents polled agreeing with the statement that advice from tax pros may be quite different from the tips that clients get from friends. Seventy percent of tax pros said their clients should not expect to get the same refund that a neighbor or coworker told them they had received, while 69 percent said “same as last year” is not an acceptable answer to questions from tax pros. In addition, 60 percent said tax pros cannot tell clients how the new tax bill impact their 2018 taxes until they run the numbers, while 52 percent agreed that a “quick question” a client asks a tax pro rarely has a quick or simple answer. 

Source: accountingtoday.com,  Michael Cohn

How is big business using the Trump tax cut? What we know so far

President Donald Trump’s corporate tax cuts are already having a big impact.

The main takeaway at the halfway point of earnings season is that corporations are going to make more money—lots more—as their statutory tax rate gets axed to 21 percent from 35 percent. Corporate chiefs already are making plans for the windfall, with some detailing specific investments in infrastructure or technology along with their one-time charges and benefits.

So far a record 75 percent of companies have raised their profit guidance, according to strategists at JPMorgan Chase & Co. Taking into account the benefits of lower corporate taxes, Wall Street expects U.S. firms to increase capital expenditures by as much as 6.8 percent this year—more than five times the projected growth in 2017.

There are other needs too beyond capital spending: Higher pay for workers in a tight labor market, balance-sheet repair and returns to investors through buybacks and dividends. Many of the big announcements so far represent multiyear plans with big headline numbers but only broadly sketched details.

Cash Flow

Citing the lower tax rate, AT&T Inc. said free cash flow this year will surge almost 20 percent to $21 billion, giving the phone carrier more financial flexibility.

The telecom giant had already announced it would invest an additional $1 billion in the U.S., helping the company prepare for the transition to a new fifth-generation mobile network, and give $1,000 bonuses to workers, thanks to reforms that Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson called “capital freeing.”

Chief Financial Officer John Stephens also made clear the company sees reform strengthening AT&T’s financial position. “We see a significant boost to our balance sheet, reducing $20 billion of liabilities and increasing shareholder equity by a like amount,” he said last week on a call.

Lockheed Martin Corp., the world’s largest defense contractor, is earmarking some of its expected windfall for pensioners. The company plans to contribute $5 billion in cash, satisfying its required obligations until 2021.

The company is also increasing its commitment to initiatives like employee training, charitable contributions for education in science and math, and the Lockheed Martin Ventures fund by $200 million, CEO Marillyn Hewson said on a call.

Lockheed projects earnings will more than double this year to $15.50 a share, buoyed by the U.S. tax cuts and higher deliveries of its F-35 Lightning II fighter jet.

Pharma’s Plans

Merck & Co. expects its tax rate will fall to about 20 percent from 35 percent, providing added flexibility for major capital expenditures, in addition to research and development.

The drugmaker expects to spend $12 billion over five years, including $8 billion in the U.S., with oncology, vaccines and animal health targeted for investment, CFO Rob Davis said on a call. Merck will also pay one-time bonuses to some of its 69,000 employees.

Priorities also include the dividend, business development deals and repurchases, to the extent possible.

Merck finished the year with $21 billion in cash, and plans to repatriate about $17 billion over time. The proceeds will be invested in the company, its dividend, and remaining money will go toward deals and share repurchases.

AbbVie Inc., maker of the top-selling drug Humira, plans to spend $2.5 billion on capital projects in the U.S. as a result of tax reform and is evaluating expansion of its U.S. facilities, according to CEO Richard Gonzalez. The drugmaker also will accelerate pension funding by $750 million and increase non-executive pay, though it didn’t provide details.

AbbVie said on Jan. 26 its tax rate will plummet to 9 percent this year. It was 19 percent in 2017. As a result the company boosted its annual profit guidance to as much as $7.43 a share, a 13 percent jump.

“U.S. tax reform enables more efficient access to our foreign cash, and the ability to deploy it in the United States,” Gonzalez said on the call.

Foreign Companies

Roche Holding AG’s tax rate will drop from 26.6 percent last year to the low 20 percent range. The tax cut means core earnings per share will rise by a high single-digit rate this year; without the reduction, earnings might have been little changed. The drugmaker didn’t announce any increase in investment.

“We do benefit from the U.S. tax reform,” Severin Schwan, CEO of Roche, said in a conference call. “We have been one of the biggest taxpayers in the United States.”

Diageo Plc, British American Tobacco Plc and Societe Generale SA also said the tax law would lower their rates. Lenovo Group Ltd. posted a surprise loss after taking a $400 million charge related to the tax-law changes, while adding that its U.S. operations may benefit from a lower rate in the longer term.

The Big Gorilla

The company with the biggest decision to make is Apple Inc., with a net cash position of $163 billion—the sum of its $285 billion cash hoard and debt of $122 billion. Apple’s aim is to reduce that to zero and will announce more specific plans when it reviews results for the current quarter ending in March, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said on a call.

“When you look at our track record of what we’ve done over the last several years, you’ve seen that effectively we were returning to our investors essentially about 100 percent of our free cash flow,” Maestri said. “And so that is the approach that we’re going to be taking.”

Last quarter, Apple paid $3.34 billion in dividends and repurchased more than $10 billion of its stock.

The company had no difficulty financing acquisitions before tax reform, he said, and doesn’t see any now, either. Apple made 19 acquisitions last year.

“It’s always the customer experience in mind, right, that we make acquisitions,” Maestri said. “We look at all sizes and we will continue to do so.”

—With assistance from Jing Cao, Mark Gurman, Blaise Robinson, Jared S. Hopkins, Julie Johnsson, Caroline Chen, Brandon Kochkodin, Phil Serafino and Scott Moritz

Source: Bloomberg News via Accounting Today

IRS to open filing season Monday with some extra warnings

The Internal Revenue Service is getting ready to open the tax filing season on Monday, Jan. 29, as it gears up to handle the new tax law.

This year, tax season will close on Tuesday, April 17, when individual tax returns and payments are due to the IRS.

The IRS advised tax professionals in an email Friday to bookmark the link to Basic Tools for Tax Professionals for filing instructions, access to forms, publications and reference materials, and information on power of attorney, transcripts, representation, due diligence, professional responsibility and more.

On Friday, the IRS marked the 12th annual Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Awareness Day with more than 250 total outreach events and activities promoting EITC Awareness around the country. The campaign aims to reach millions of low- and moderate-income workers who may be missing out on this significant tax credit. 

The IRS is particularly encouraging tax professionals who have clients with disabilities, or whose clients are parents of children with disabilities, to let them know they may be eligible for the EITC. Help them claim it if they qualify. Publication 4808 contains additional information.

In addition, victims of last year’s hurricanes, especially those who lived in areas affected by hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria may also qualify for the EITC.

Like last tax season, the IRS is also planning to delay refunds for tax returns claiming the EITC or the Additional Child Tax Credit, subjecting them to extra scrutiny to safeguard against identity theft and tax fraud. Clients who are claim the EITC or ACTC can expect their tax refunds to arrive starting Feb. 27. A new YouTube video provides more details.

The IRS is also warning tax professionals that wage statements and independent contractor forms must be filed with the government by Jan. 31. The date applies to both electronic and paper filers. Federal law requires employers file their copies of Form W-2 and Form W-3with the Social Security Administration by the end of January and others who paid compensation file Form 1099-MISC with the IRS to report non-employee compensation.

In addition, the IRS plans to warn tax professionals Monday to safeguard data security this tax season. “Filing season has now arrived and we thank you for all you will do for taxpayers and tax administration,” said the IRS. “Over the last two months, we have shared information about the importance of protecting your systems and client data from cyber intruders and identity thieves. Today, we want to provide a little information on what to do if the worst happens— your client information is compromised or your data system is breached. “We hope you never experience a data compromise—whether by cybercriminals, theft or accident—but if it happens there are certain steps you should take. These include notifying law enforcement, your local IRS stakeholder liaison, the Federation of Tax Administrators (who will assist in notifying all the states in which you prepare state returns), your clients, your insurer, the credit bureaus, and others. (For those who have employers or hold franchises, please ensure you know what is required by your employer or your contract.) For a complete list of who to contact, visit IRS.gov, keyword: Data Theft Information for Tax Professionals. For a list of local stakeholder liaison contacts, search: Stakeholder Liaison Local Contacts. Wishing you a productive, successful and safe filing season!”

Source: Accounting Today

Michael Cohn

Michael Cohn, editor-in-chief of AccountingToday.com, has been covering business and technology for a variety of publications since 1985.

How to prevent a client’s life insurance policy from expiring prematurely

I recently met a senior partner at a small CPA firm who was adamant about letting me know he never gets involved with a client’s life insurance, almost as if it were taboo to do so. I say to him and to others of a similar mindset: Since you are your client’s most trusted advisor and meet with your client at least once a year, you are in the best position to alert your client to the actions they need to take to prevent their life insurance from expiring years earlier than anticipated.

For those who purchased a life insurance policy between 1983 and 2003, there’s a 45 percent chance they purchased a “flexible premium/universal life” policy. Unlike its more expensive predecessor, “whole life insurance,” flexible premium life insurance was not guaranteed to last for the rest of one’s life.

Today approximately 23 percent of these policies are expiring prematurely due to reduced, sustained interest rates and neglect on the part of the amateur trustee. Usually a client’s eldest son or daughter who wasn’t aware that life insurance needed to be actively managed just like any other stock, bond or real estate portfolio. The American Bar Association referenced this situation in a Flagship book it published earlier this year, “The Life Insurance Policy Crisis.”

A recent Harris poll found that 65 percent of the insurance-buying population mistakenly thought the price initially established with an insurer for a universal life policy was set in stone and would last for the insured’s entire life. However, 70 percent of this group hasn’t reviewed the performance of their life insurance portfolio, including their expiring term policies, for more than 12 years. Lastly, over 90 percent of the trustees of all irrevocable life insurance trusts and special needs trusts are managed by the insured’s eldest son or daughter acting as the “amateur trustee,” often to avoid paying a fee to an institutional trustee. While these amateur trustees may be well intentioned, they rarely if ever have the skills or knowledge to do what’s in their beneficiary’s best interest, primarily because no one is advising them what needs to be done.

To make matters worse, many insurers are now exercising their contractual right to increase the internal cost of insurance, or COI, further exacerbating an already deteriorating situation for many insureds and their beneficiaries.

Why haven’t CPAs focused on this insidious growing problem that can so adversely affect the families and businesses they’ve been protecting for years? Why do many choose to draw the line at providing guidance concerning a client’s life insurance portfolio, when their values exceed upwards of 40 to 50+ percent of a client’s net worth?

There are many reasons why accountants have decided against including the subject of life insurance when counseling their clients about various financial matters.

Perhaps it’s the complexities and unique workings of a product many CPAs may not fully understand nor have the resources in place to refer a client to. Perhaps many accountants are under the misimpression that the agent or broker who sold their client a life insurance policy, or the insurance company itself, was monitoring the policy to make certain it would remain in force. However, that’s not the case. The agent is contracted with and obligated to the insurance company, not the insured. It’s the agent’s or broker’s job to merely market and deliver the insurance policy to customers. It’s the insurance company’s responsibility to merely provide coverage and an annual statement, not to manage the policy. Putting that aside, the insurer benefits significantly when a policy lapses, as it can keep the premiums and never have to pay a death claim.

It’s the responsibility of the insured, owner or trustee to manage the performance of their life insurance policy, but most aren’t aware there is an underfunding problem or an expiring term life insurance policy that requires attention. That’s where a client’s CPA can advise that the sooner a problem is discovered and addressed, the more options the client will have available, and the less costly it will be to fix the problem.

The accountant should first determine if the client’s policy is a non-guaranteed flexible premium universal policy, and if so suggest the client retain a trusted independent insurance consultant or their former agent or broker to order and review the policy’s “historic projection” to determine how much longer the current contract will remain in force based on the current and past premiums paid. They can then determine how much in additional premiums will be necessary to keep the policy in force for the duration desired.

There are three variables attributable to any universal policy: death benefit, premium and duration. Below are several alternatives to obtain the desired effect using a combination of options:

1. Clients can pay a higher premium to keep the same death benefit in force for a longer duration.

2. Clients can reduce the death benefit to maintain the same premium to keep the coverage in force to a specified time period.

3. Depending on the clients’ health, they can purchase a new policy, with various updated benefits as well as the ability to extend their guarantees until a later date.

4. If over age 70, they may be able to sell their life insurance policy as a life settlement in which case they may receive more than if the policy was merely surrendered for its cash value

5. An arbitrage strategy, where all or part of an existing life policy is sold in conjunction with the purchase of an additional life policy, at a reduced cost.

For more information, see this article in the August 2017 New York State Society of CPAs’ Tax Stringer publication.

Source: Accounting Today

Increasing the CPA pipeline through early-stage accounting education

Developing a pipeline of CPA candidates is critical, now more than ever. In July, the American Institute of CPAs responded to this need by announcing the acquisition of the Accounting Pilot and Bridge Project (APBP), a training program developed by Dr. Dan Deines of Kansas State to bring higher-quality accounting curriculum to high school educators across the country. The overall goal is to expand the number of state societies educating high school teachers so that they can begin teaching early-stage accounting fundamentals in the classroom.

Still, despite all-time highs in college-level accounting program enrollment, the number of candidates taking the CPA Exam has remained flat over the past five years. And even though last year’s exam numbers showed signs of life — participation was up 9 percent, according to NASBA’s 2016 Candidate Performance on the Uniform CPA Examination – Jurisdiction Edition — these numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, due to the significant exam changes that went into effect in April.

How can the industry increase the number of CPA Exam candidates on a year-over-year basis? The answer is simple: Broach the topic early and often while candidates are still learning the ropes.

EARLY STAGE AWARENESS

Considering the amount of time it takes to study for all four parts of the CPA Exam — on average, 300-400 hours — early awareness can only benefit candidates and, ultimately, the profession. If a college freshman or sophomore accounting student hears about the laborious process of earning a CPA credential after graduation, they would likely understand the importance of adopting exam-specific concepts sooner rather than later. Most students know whether accounting is their calling during their first few college years — based on family background or a specific interest in numbers — so being able to hear about the required steps and what it will take to succeed on the CPA Exam is to their advantage.

Furthermore, accounting professors are active participants in the community, and often, their work sparks students’ passions for careers in accounting, making professors best equipped to prepare the next generation of accountants for what lies ahead. If accounting professors incorporated a handful of exam questions — or expanded course curriculum to include exam specifics — during each required course after the intermediate level, student confidence in their ability to complete the exam changes drastically.

How can professors help change the narrative? Here are a few high-level ideas to incorporate into classroom dialogue:

• Make it personal. Share real life stories with students that showcase positive experiences (achievements/victories) about the education to profession transition, not just war stories of the exam.
• Gold-standard license. Explain the strength of the CPA credential and why it’s been the “gold standard” for decades.
• Now or later: Discuss the short- and long-term rewards of completing the exam and being able to fully focus on their career as close to graduation as possible.

WHERE TO START?

There are a number of accounting programs — St. John’s University and the University of California at Berkeley, to name a few — out in front of the CPA candidate pipeline issue that are already incorporating concepts at a baseline level. The starting pointing is easy: Speak up! Mentioning “The CPA Exam requires X, Y and Z and you will see 1, 2 and 3” is the most important step in the process. Planting the seed and managing expectations up front will not only allow professors to add to their expertise, but also increase their level of interaction with students.

There are a couple of easy ways that professors can add to existing accounting courses. Students in intermediate courses learn about a variety of topics they will also encounter on the CPA Exam and throughout their career — for example, the statement of cash flows. Based on the difficulty of the subject matter, students often welcome additional resources, such as video lessons and memory aids. By pairing these resources with exposure to CPA Exam questions, students are introduced to a difficult concept early on, helping expand their abilities to succeed on the exam.

In addition, the CPA Exam went through drastic changes in April, with the primary goal of ensuring that the exam better reflects the skills required of a newly licensed CPA. A great example of immediate application in the classroom has been in auditing courses and the new “Document Review Simulations.” Professors are now able to present the new question types to students, while also building bridges to the topics taught to the CPA Exam.

CONCLUSION

The reality is that the CPA community hasn’t seen a flat CPA pipeline like this before. There may not be a direct solution to the problem because there will always be changes that ultimately impact any industry. That said, there is a clear opportunity to bridge the concepts of the exam with the standard accounting curriculum. Encouraging early knowledge of the CPA Exam will provide students with a deeper understanding of the higher-level skills needed to make the transition from academia into the accounting business world as a CPA. After all, if students are already required to take a number of accounting course credits, why not integrate the concepts and questions that they’re more likely to be asked during the early stages of their career?

Increasing the CPA pipeline through early-stage accounting education