Tax Season Stress Relievers –

It’s almost that time of year that we all look forward to, especially accountants buckling down with their survival kits! It goes without saying that money and stress go hand in hand. For that reason it is easy to understand that the tax preparation season can be a stressful time of year for CPAs. It is not uncommon for them to put in 70-80 hours/week during the tax season including sleepless nights, lots of coffee, and weekends at the office. To help reduce some stress for our CPAs this tax season, we have put together a list of tips to help ease the stress and make these coming weeks as painless as possible: Read More

Today, there currently are nearly 3,000 tax credits and incentives programs in the United States, sponsored by federal, state and local governments to drive job creation, employee training, capital investment and new business development. These statutory and negotiated opportunities – including point-of-hire tax credits, to property & sales tax incentives, to utility & infrastructure abatements, to name a few – are available to companies of all sizes, across a broad range of industries.

But a relatively small number of companies, regardless of their size or financial sophistication, are benefiting fully from the tax credit and incentive-related benefits to which they are entitled. Industry estimates suggest that fewer than 25 percent of eligible US businesses participate in Read More

Governor Brown has signed AB 10 which will increase the minimum wage from $8 an hour to $9 an hour on July 1, 2014 and again to $10 an hour starting January 1, 2016.

An unintended consequence of the legislation will be an increase in the amount of Enterprise Zone tax credits qualified employers will be able to claim. Employers may still claim credits for qualified employees hired through December 31, 2013 for up to five years of employment. The credit is calculated as a function of the hourly wage with a limit of 150% of the minimum wage per hour. Currently, the maximum credit an employer can claim is $12 for an hour of qualified work; starting in July of next year that cap will increase to $13.50. Read More