Numerous banking institutions, insurers, and financial trade organizations support the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) proposed response to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. In comment letters on Proposed Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2018-210, Income Statement — Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects From Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income, groups like the American Bankers Association urged the FASB to approve its proposed amendment. Proposed ASU No. 2018-210 aims to reduce the accounting effects of complying with the new tax law and simplify financial statements for investors. Read More

As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”) signed into law on December 22, 2017, some important changes have been made with respect to the deductibility of business interest expense for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017. Under prior law, business interest expense was generally deductible in the year in which the interest was paid or accrued, except that corporations were subject to certain limitations under IRC Section 163(j) (“the earnings stripping rules”). TCJA created a new limitation, which replaces the “earnings stripping rules” and applies to all businesses, regardless of form, on the deductibility of net business interest expense that exceeds 30% of a taxpayer’s “adjusted taxable income.” Read More

Ron Wainright Jr, Tax Advisor

Banks holding less than $1 billion in assets could receive an exemption from the auditor attestation requirements of Section 404(b) under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Under S. 1962, the Community Bank Access to Capital Act of 2017, the proposed Senate bill frees smaller banks from the more complicated and expensive reforms under Sarbanes-Oxley. S. 1962 also requires public companies to hire an external auditor to attest to management’s internal controls over financial reporting. The bill’s co-sponsor, Senator Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), stated the proposed measure would promote growth among community banks and help them support their communities. Read More