By Jacqueline L. Messler Does your YouTube station with tutorials teaching the perfect contouring makeup technique have a million subscribers and significant advertising revenue? Probably not. Do you store music, documents, or photos on the Cloud? Possibly. Do you conduct online banking? Probably. Do you have a Facebook, Instagram, Google, Yahoo,...
The H-1B visa program is in the crosshairs again. Over the past few weeks, The Department of Homeland Security (“DHS”), the Department of Labor (“DOL”) and - President Trump have all weighed in on whether to alter the H-1B landscape. Whether any of these moves result in changes to the H-1B program is yet to be seen, but employers would be wise to...
By Ann M. Rieger With the coming of a new administration in Washington, D.C., there has been much speculation regarding potential tax law changes. Below is a comparison of various revisions being discussed by both President Trump and the House of Representatives in the House blueprint known as the “Better Way for Tax Reform.” Final legislation...
By Jacqueline L. Messler The IRS has announced the 2017 inflation adjusted numbers for several important gift and estate tax exclusions. Each year, several key gift and estate tax exclusions are adjusted for inflations, including the estate tax exclusion, the annual gift tax exclusion, and the estate tax deduction for decedents dying with certain...
By Hugo P. Rojas This month marks the 30th anniversary of the adoption of the I-9 – the form that requires employers to check the immigration status of its prospective employees. While employers have become familiar with the process, over that time there have been 11 different versions of the I-9. So the introduction of the latest version,...
By Hugo P. Rojas Businesses, academic institutions and start-ups will be receiving a boost this year from the Department of Homeland Security. We are on the verge of the first new major business immigration benefit in several years. On August 31, 2016, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) proposed a new rule, which would...
By Joseph E. Tierney, IV The treatment of remodeling and repair costs has long been an area of controversy between the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and restaurant owners, retailers, and even landlords. A retailer seeking to remodel its premises to refresh its brand or a restaurant owner seeking to refresh its floor and décor faced a significant...
By Hugo P. Rojas This past April, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of United States v. Texas, a challenge to President Obama’s 2014 executive action on immigration. The decision will affect the legal status of millions of individuals. Specifically, the case concerns the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and Deferred...
By Hugo P. Rojas March, May and June Employer Affordable Care Act (ACA) Reporting Deadlines The revised deadline for employer ACA reporting is just around the corner. By the end of the month (March 31, 2016), employers required to report health care coverage offers must furnish a statement to employees who worked 130 hours or more in at least one...
Every business in the Food and Beverage Industry, large and small, should consider the effectiveness of the manufacturing deduction (also known as Section 199 deduction) as part of its business plan in 2016. The tax incentive represents an incredibly valuable benefit for businesses that perform manufacturing and other production activities. While...
