Category: Law firm
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Is a small business tax crisis looming?
I am increasingly concerned about the possibility of a small business crash ahead. The early warning sign is the difficulty I see in so many small business client in making their last year’s tax payments. This year, more than half of my small business clients than ever before cannot currently meet their 2021 sales tax,…
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Introduction to tax planning for professionals
You didn’t benefit from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act? Your business and personal income taxes are still way too high? Don’t give up. Plan a new approach to build tax free income and a secure financial future. I’ve helped dozens of business and professional clients increase the portion of their earnings that they keep…
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2019 Tax Saving Checklist for Attorneys
Forecast 2019 taxes now based on 2018 year-to-date results. (If you don’t have 2018 YTD then we really need to talk). Use a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA) for tax-free payments of out-of-pocket expenses Use a Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSEHRA) for insurance assistance Add a Health Savings Account (HSA) for long term health…
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Bigger isn’t better when it comes to tax advice
Small law firms and accounting firms sometimes feel ‘pushed out’ when it comes to a client’s largest transactions like the sale of a business or estate property. That’s usually not a good thing. “reliance on a promoter takes the good faith out of good-faith reliance.” – Tax Court Justice Holmes There’s a powerfully clear and simple…
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Tax planning checklist for attorneys
The purpose of tax planning is to reduce tax liability by taking measures that cost less than the benefits received. The tax planning process typically begins with an analysis of the taxes paid now or in the last period, then moves to a pro-forma calculation of taxes in the current and future periods. It is always…
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Receivables management for accountants and attorneys
In my first meeting with Philadelphia’s David Rubin in early 2017, he made me realize that my vision of accounts receivables management was shortsighted. His professional approach opened my eyes to the availability of a better way to manage this necessary task! I really did not know this service was available and didn’t imagine it…
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Addressing lawyer wellness
Lawyers in solo practice or in small firms often face high levels of stress. That stress comes from multiple sources and this dilemma isn’t easy to diagnose or address. The observed high incidence of depression – reported in more than one in four lawyers – and substance abuse are evidence of the problem. Positive forces…
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Who benefits the most from tax planning?
Our tax laws provide more opportunity to some people than others. I find that some people can save tens of thousands of dollars with little effort through active tax planning while others might save only a thousand dollars or so. Obviously these high impact people are the ones that tax planners like me want to…
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Unreimbursed partnership expenses revisited
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act triggers changes to the tax treatment of unreimbursed partnership expenses for 2018. Partnerships should revisit their policies to ensure that partners and employees maximize tax savings under the new law. Under former law a partner could deduct the expenses of the partnership on his or her individual income tax…
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Law firm productivity: the missing six hours
How to boost law firm productivity Industry results are consistent with last year The nation’s law firms share the same business productivity problems as I have observed and written about in small accounting practices like mine, according to industry data compiled by Clio1. The findings are substantially the same as a similar report in 2016.…