The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) introduced a new deduction for individuals, estates and trusts that own interests in so-called “pass-through” business entities for 2018 through 2025. The deduction can equal up to 20% of an owner’s share of qualified business income (QBI) from an interest in one or more pass-through business entities. The QBI […]
In a dramatic pre-dawn raid, federal agents arrested illegal immigrant janitors at Wal-Mart stores across the country. That same morning in 2003, they also obtained a search warrant and seized several boxes of documents from the corporation’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas. The Constitution And “Unreasonable” Searches The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution limits the power of federal, state […]
Before 401(k) plans burst onto the employee benefit scene in the 1980s and traditional pension plans had not yet gone nearly extinct, there were profit-sharing plans. The purpose of these plans, as the name suggests, was to spread some of your profits around the workforce. But as 401(k) plans emerged, they were often incorporated into an […]
There’s a common form of job discrimination that isn’t illegal. Job-seekers returning to the workforce after putting their careers on pause complain about it all the time. It’s discrimination against them by employers sceptical about whether their knowledge and skills required for an open position are up to date. While it’s disconcerting to job-seekers, it’s understandable […]
At about the time the United States was founded, there was great disagreement among the Founding Fathers about the proper scope, size and jurisdiction of the federal judiciary. In view of this controversy, the Founding Fathers resolved to limit the jurisdiction of the federal courts. An Independent Judiciary The Founding Fathers felt an independent federal judiciary was […]
Let’s say one of your employees comes to you with an idea for a new product. After some in-depth research and consultation with your company’s corporate technology experts, you decide to sink some cash into development. What’s the next step? Typical Board Questions What are the market potential and commercial impact? What degree of development is […]
In the past, home office deductions were available to a wide range of taxpayers, including certain employees who worked from home. But the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has effectively eliminated home office deductions for employees through 2025. Fortunately, many self-employed individuals can still claim deductions — even if they don’t itemize deductions on their […]
Passive job candidates aren’t lazy. They’re just people who aren’t actively looking for work because they’re happy where they are. But that doesn’t mean they might not be even happier working for you. You might assume luring people to join your team would require you to give them a hefty raise, but that’s not necessarily true. […]
When using non-compete clauses in employment contracts, company managers should be mindful that such provisions are better able to withstand legal challenges if they are narrowly tailored. When an employee challenges a non-compete covenant, courts often look at whether the agreement is reasonably limited in terms of time and geographic scope. If it is too broad, a court may […]
Many incidents of fraud are discovered inadvertently. For example, a staff member may notice something that doesn’t seem right and mentions it to a manager. Upon investigation, internal theft is found. But considering the potential damage that fraud can inflict on a company, it is obviously better to do more than depend on mere chance. 1. Unfair […]
Are you thinking about buying a business? How you structure the deal will affect the taxes owed by the buyer (you) and the seller (the other party). The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) brought sweeping changes to the federal income tax rules for businesses, including some changes that affect the taxation of mergers and […]
Does your company use non-disclosure agreements to protect your intellectual property and trade secrets? These agreements can help keep inside information from being misused by customers, vendors, employees, independent contractors and joint venture partners. In one case, a company learned that non-disclosure agreements are enforceable but found out the documents must be carefully worded. The case […]