July 2017 - HBL CPAs

Jul
31
2017

Should your nonprofit accept digital currency donations?

When United Way began accepting Bitcoin contributions a few years ago, many not-for-profits started to rethink their policy against accepting digital (also known as virtual and crypto) currency donations. It’s understandable if your organization remains wary of money that’s neither printed nor backed by a central bank or government. But there are potential advantages to accepting this uniquely 21st century form of support.

Brave new benefits

Accepting virtual currencies may allow your nonprofit to receive donations of any size from people worldwide who don’t have easy access to global financial systems.

Jul
28
2017

3 midyear tax planning strategies for individuals

In the quest to reduce your tax bill, year end planning can only go so far. Tax-saving strategies take time to implement, so review your options now. Here are three strategies that can be more effective if you begin executing them midyear:

1. Consider your bracket

The top income tax rate is 39.6% for taxpayers with taxable income over $418,400 (singles), $444,550 (heads of households) and $470,700 (married filing jointly;

Jul
26
2017

3 midyear tax planning strategies for business

Tax reform has been a major topic of discussion in Washington, but it’s still unclear exactly what such legislation will include and whether it will be signed into law this year. However, the last major tax legislation that was signed into law — back in December of 2015 — still has a significant impact on tax planning for businesses. Let’s look at three midyear tax strategies inspired by the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act:

Jul
24
2017

Nonprofits: Harness the power of the personal appeal

You’ve probably heard it before: People don’t give to causes — they give to those asking on behalf of a cause. That’s why a personal appeal continues to be such a powerful not-for-profit fundraising tool. In fact, requests from friends or family members typically drive most charitable donations. By appealing to their networks, board members can be particularly effective fundraisers.

4 strategies

Here are some time-tested strategies for improving the effectiveness of your board’s outreach:

Jul
21
2017

Nonqualified stock options demand tax planning attention

Your compensation may take several forms, including salary, fringe benefits and bonuses. If you work for a corporation, you might also receive stock-based compensation, such as stock options. These come in two varieties: nonqualified (NQSOs) and incentive (ISOs). With both NQSOs and ISOs, if the stock appreciates beyond your exercise price, you can buy shares at a price below what they’re trading for.

The tax consequences of these types of compensation can be complex.

Jul
19
2017

All fringe benefits aren’t created equal for tax purposes

According to IRS Publication 5137, Fringe Benefit Guide, a fringe benefit is “a form of pay (including property, services, cash or cash equivalent), in addition to stated pay, for the performance of services.” But the tax treatment of a fringe benefit can vary dramatically based on the type of benefit.

Generally, the IRS takes one of four tax approaches to fringe benefits:

1. Taxable/includable.

Jul
17
2017

When does your nonprofit owe UBIT on investment income?

In recent years, the IRS has increased its scrutiny of not-for-profits’ unrelated business income (UBI). Dividends, interest, rents, annuities and other investment income generally are excluded when calculating unrelated business income tax (UBIT). However, there are two exceptions where such income is taxable.

1. Debt-financed property

When your nonprofit incurs debt to acquire an income-producing asset, the portion of the income or gain that’s debt-financed is generally taxable UBI.

Jul
14
2017

Own a vacation home? Adjusting rental vs. personal use might save taxes

Now that we’ve hit midsummer, if you own a vacation home that you both rent out and use personally, it’s a good time to review the potential tax consequences:

If you rent it out for less than 15 days: You don’t have to report the income. But expenses associated with the rental (such as advertising and cleaning) won’t be deductible.

If you rent it out for 15 days or more: You must report the income.

Jul
12
2017

3 breaks for business charitable donations you may not know about

Donating to charity is more than good business citizenship; it can also save tax. Here are three lesser-known federal income tax breaks for charitable donations by businesses.

1. Food donations

Charitable write-offs for donated food (such as by restaurants and grocery stores) are normally limited to the lower of the taxpayer’s basis in the food (generally cost) or fair market value (FMV), but an enhanced deduction equals the lesser of:

The food’s basis plus one-half the FMV in excess of basis,

Jul
10
2017

Why your nonprofit must avoid excess benefit transactions

Not-for-profits that ignore the IRS’s private benefit and private inurement provisions do so at their own peril. These rules prohibit an individual inside or outside a nonprofit from reaping an excess benefit from the organization’s transactions. Violation of such rules can have devastating consequences.

Defining terms

A private benefit is any payment or transfer of assets made (directly or indirectly) by your nonprofit that’s beyond reasonable compensation for the services provided or the goods sold to your organization,