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Summer hours are in effect: Our offices close at NOON on Fridays from May 17th to July 12th
Please note: Our offices will be closed on July 16 and 17 for Employee Appreciation Days.
Summer hours are in effect: Our offices close at NOON on Fridays from May 17th to July 12th
Please note: Our offices will be closed on July 16 and 17 for Employee Appreciation Days.
Stay on top of filing and reporting deadlines with our tax calendar! Our tax calendar includes dates categorized by employers, individuals, partnerships, corporations and more to keep you on track.
With school out, parents and grandparents may be swimming in planning summer activities. The beginning of summer vacation is also a good time to think about Coverdell Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) — especially if the children are in grade school or younger.
One major advantage of ESAs over another popular education saving tool, the Section 529 plan, is that tax-free ESA distributions are not limited to college expenses; they also can fund elementary and secondary school costs. That means you can use ESA funds to pay for such qualified expenses as tutoring and private school tuition.
Other benefits
Other key ESA benefits include:
A sibling or first cousin is a typical example of a qualifying family member, if he or she is eligible to be an ESA beneficiary (that is, under age 18 or has special needs).
Limitations
The ESA annual contribution limit is $2,000 per beneficiary. The total contributions for a particular ESA beneficiary cannot be more than $2,000 in any year, no matter how many accounts have been established or how many people are contributing.
However, the ability to contribute is phased-out based on income. The phase-out range is modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) of $190,000–$220,000 for married couples filing jointly and $95,000–$110,000 for other filers. You can make a partial contribution if your MAGI falls within the applicable range, and no contribution if it exceeds the top of the range.
If there is a balance in the ESA when the beneficiary reaches age 30 (unless the beneficiary is a special needs individual), it must generally be distributed within 30 days. The portion representing earnings on the account will be taxable and subject to a 10 percent penalty. But these taxes can be avoided by rolling over the full balance to another ESA for a qualifying family member.
To learn more about ESAs or other tax-advantaged ways to fund your child’s — or grandchild’s — education expenses, please contact your tax advisor.
The statistics are sobering: You’re much more likely to become disabled than to die during your practice years. The cost of disability insurance can be daunting — anywhere from two percent to four percent of the income you are trying to replace. Still, few physicians are prepared to rely solely on their personal savings during an extended period of disability. With that in mind, consider these steps for ensuring you have a source of income should you become disabled:
Most employers provide some form of group disability coverage, and a basic employer-sponsored plan certainly helps when you are starting out in practice. Coverage under a basic employer-sponsored plan usually is limited and policies are not portable if you change employers. Well-informed medical and dental professionals treat this type of coverage as supplemental to a more comprehensive personal policy.
Personal policy premiums are higher than group plans, but the coverage and flexibility are superior. Coverage is customizable and provides substantially more control. Individual polices follow you throughout your career and can be designed around your particular practice specialty and lifestyle needs. Unlike group policies, individually owned plans are generally non-cancellable, non-taxable and benefits cannot be reduced.
What is the cost/benefit value of the policy?
Is the policy guaranteed for renewal? Is it non-cancellable?
Is the definition of disability in the policy for a “true and pure” occupation, modified occupation or regular occupation?
What is the definition of income in the policy? Is only base pay (not incentive pay) considered?
Is the policy specialty-specific?
What restrictions or exclusions are included in the policy?
Does the policy include provisions that would reduce the benefit under certain circumstances?
Does the policy include partial benefits?
Does the policy include recovery benefits?
Is the company writing the disability contract financially sound?
Consider beefing up coverage with policy riders to ensure that you obtain benefits specific to your needs and for as long as possible. A rider for Own-Occupation protects you if you are unable to perform the duties of "your own medical specialty" and continues to pay benefits if you are forced to practice a new specialty or even a new occupation because of disability. A Future Purchase Option gives you the right to purchase a pre-determined amount of coverage in the future. In particular, it allows residents and early-career physicians to increase coverage as their income grows without having to go through additional medical underwriting.
If you are working in a solo or small medical group practice, consider overhead continuation insurance for you and your partners. This insurance is relatively affordable and is designed to help pay a professional’s share of office expenses for a period of disability without the need to dip into personal or family savings, or take on more debt.
Work with an agent who specializes in disability insurance for medical and dental professionals. Consider working with an independent agent who can shop your coverage with several disability insurance companies. Each company will look at your location, gender and medical specialty a little differently, so it’s critical to request a variety of quotes.
There really is no time like the present. Because an insurer’s underwriting decisions are based on your age, current health status and accident/illness history, the best time to purchase disability coverage is when you are young and healthy.
Ultimately, the best disability policy is one that is tailored to your specific income replacement needs and specialty. If you choose your options wisely, you may have a reliable source of income even if an illness or injury forces you to stop practicing.
As you consider disability insurance options, you can turn to our firm for guidance on determining the right amount of coverage and options.
Did you know that you face a much higher probability of becoming disabled than of dying during your working years?
Considering that the average long-term disability absence lasts 2.5 years, your family’s finances — and your practice — could take a hit if you are disabled and have not prepared.
The Council for Disability Awareness’ most recent Long-Term Disability Claims Review shows that the following conditions are the leading causes of new disability claims:
You can use the calculator developed by the Council for Disability Awareness to calculate your own “disability quotient.” Access the calculator here.
You may have heard this before: Your health is your wealth. Your most important asset, as a medical or dental professional, is your intellectual capital and your ability to work. Even with basic disability insurance, you will probably be able to replace only 50 to 60 percent of current income, and monthly benefits will probably be capped.
To mitigate the risk of that loss, consider how a disability of any duration would impact your finances — and what you can do to prepare.
1. Review your current income and monthly expenses.
Start with an honest appraisal of your lifestyle. If your income stream was disrupted, would you be able to maintain financial commitments such as private schools for the kids, philanthropic undertakings and planning for a comfortable retirement? What about any lingering educational debt? Then, factor in the normal costs of living (mortgages, healthcare, etc.) and ask yourself if your assets and income will cover expenses.
Action: Determine how expenses could be adjusted to eliminate unnecessary spending in the event of disability. Review potential sources of income to replace your current paycheck and help weather the disability crisis.
2. Consider the long-term impact of a disability.
A disability can potentially rob you of the ability to earn a living. In the case of a permanent disability, the potential loss of income can run into the millions of dollars for a physician or dentist whose career spans 20-30 years. At the same time your earning potential dries up, medical and other bills related to the disability only increase. For example, there may be costs for specialized transportation, ongoing care and alterations to accommodate your disability.
Action: Determine the income you would need to replace and the potential expenses that would need to be covered in the event of your disability. Then figure out if you have the personal savings, investments or other financial resources to cover them.
3. Consider the impact on your practice.
What about the income of the practice? For example, if you are a sole practitioner and a disability keeps you from generating revenue for any length of time, you might not have a practice to return to.
Action: Think through what would happen if you needed to use personal assets to keep the practice open. Last-resort options might include using credit cards to pay expenses, obtaining a second mortgage, using a home-equity line of credit or withdrawing money from a retirement plan.
4. Salt away some savings.
Long-term disability insurance typically kicks in only after 90 or 180 days, so it is important to be able to cover expenses until the elimination period has been completed and benefits start flowing.
Action: If you haven’t already, make sure you have access to enough liquid funds to cover anywhere from three to nine months of living expenses. This could be CDs, Treasury Bills or even a line of credit.
After you’ve reviewed the impact of disability and your current disability coverage, determine what additional disability coverage and overhead continuation insurance you might need.
The threat of disability is real. Let our experienced accounting professionals help you run the numbers to see if you are prepared to weather a disruption in income.
Donors from households with net assets of $1 million or more — or those that bring home at least $200,000 annually — on average made donations totaling $25,509 in 2015 compared to an average of $2,124 from the general population, according to the 2016 U.S. Trust® Study of High Net Worth Philanthropy. And, on average, these high net worth households gave to eight different nonprofits. Also, wealthy donors who volunteered gave 56% more, on average, than those who didn’t volunteer. And 83% of wealthy donors plan to give as much or more in the next three years.
Large organizations such as United Way and the American Red Cross are turning to online appeals to reach Millennial donors who are “rewriting the rules of fundraising,” Adweek reports. One of the biggest challenges is engaging these donors through new fundraising channels. The not-for-profits are responding by ramping up efforts in crowdfunding, mobile and other digital modes of giving. United Way, for example, raised $570,000 for its “Restore Baltimore” campaign via crowdfunding.
According to this year’s Nonprofit Employment Practices Survey™ from Nonprofit HR and GuideStar, the ability to pay competitive wages ranks as the top staffing challenge faced by nonprofits for the fifth consecutive year. Since 2014, the second largest challenge has been finding qualified staff.
Organizations have the most trouble retaining employees in direct services (positions that work directly with clients), followed by fundraising development. And these are areas where the most job growth is expected in the coming year, suggesting the possibility of more staffing problems going forward. The survey report asserts that the increasing number of “entities that are blending purpose and profit” (for example, Ben & Jerry’s and Patagonia) means job seekers have more opportunities to engage in mission-driven work than ever before.
When the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB’s) new revenue recognition standard was released in 2014, it caused quite a stir across industries. But the standard applies only to revenue from “exchange transactions,” also known as reciprocal transactions. Contributions to nonprofits are nonreciprocal, and your grants may be, too — meaning different rules apply.
In Accounting Standards Update (ASU) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, the FASB defines a contribution as an unconditional transfer of cash or other assets to an entity in a voluntary nonreciprocal transfer. It specifically distinguishes contributions from exchange transactions, which it describes as reciprocal transactions where each party receives and sacrifices approximately equal value.
That means that contributions don’t fall within the rules in ASU 2014-09, including its voluminous disclosure requirements. Instead, you generally should report contributions in the period you receive the pledge or commitment to donate. Restrictions imposed — directions given by the donor — as to how or when the funds may be used do not change the timing of recognition.
However, when the donor’s gift is available only after certain requirements are met by your organization, the timing may be different. Specifically, you should not recognize a conditional promise to give as revenue until the conditions are substantially satisfied. For example, a promise to give, requiring a minimum matching contribution, can not be recognized until the match is received.Transfers of assets with donor-imposed conditions should be reported as refundable advances until the conditions are substantially met or explicitly waived by the donor.
But you can recognize a conditional promise to give upon receipt of the promise, if the possibility is “remote” that the condition will not be met. An example is a grant requiring you to submit an annual report to receive subsequent annual payments on a multiyear promise.
Determining whether a grant is an exchange transaction, where the grantor expects goods and services for its money, or a type of restricted or conditional contribution, where the grantor intends to make a gift to support the organization, can be more complicated. For example, a grant based on the number of meals or beds a nonprofit provides its client population could be considered an exchange transaction because it is essentially a contract to provide goods or services. Similarly, a research and development grant could be characterized as an exchange transaction, if the grantor retains intellectual property rights in the outcomes.
A grant that is an exchange transaction is subject to ASU 2014-09’s five-step framework:
1. Identify the contract (or contracts) with a customer.
2. Identify the performance obligations in the contract.
3. Determine the transaction price.
4. Allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract.
5. Recognize revenue when (or as) you satisfy a performance obligation.
Say you received a fixed-fee grant to perform specific research for a governmental agency, and the agency will own the outcome. The grant is a contract because each party receives something of equal value (grant funds and research) (step 1). The provision and delivery of the research is the performance obligation under the contract (step 2). The fixed fee is the transaction price (step 3). With only one performance obligation, the entire transaction price is allocated to it (step 4), and you will recognize the grant revenue when you deliver the research to the agency (step 5).
This is a simplified example. Nonprofits can find it challenging merely to determine whether a grant is an exchange transaction or a contribution — or a combination of the two, requiring bifurcation for proper accounting treatment. And, when a grant is an exchange transaction, it can be tough to identify the performance obligations, when they’re satisfied and the proper allocation of the transaction price to those obligations.
ASU 2014-09 will take effect for some nonprofits as soon as 2018. Now is the time to start analyzing all of your revenues to determine when and how you should report them.
Determining how and when to recognize grant and contribution revenue can be tricky for many nonprofits, particularly those receiving government funds. The good news is that the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) is at work on an Accounting Standards Update that will provide more guidance. As part of its “Revenue Recognition of Grants and Contracts by Not-for-Profit Entities” project, the board is considering two main issues:
• How to distinguish between grants and similar contracts that are exchange transactions (subject to the FASB’s five-step revenue recognition framework) and those that are contributions (not subject to the framework), and
• How to distinguish between conditions and restrictions for contributions.
Although still in the early stages of the project, the FASB has tentatively decided that a donor-imposed condition will require: 1) a right of return (either a return of the assets transferred or a release of the donor from its obligation to transfer the assets), and 2) a barrier that must be overcome before the recipient is entitled to the assets transferred or promised. (For example, the recipient must raise a threshold amount of contributions from other donors.) A final ASU is expected in first quarter 2018.
With baby boomers — the largest and wealthiest generation in U.S. history — expected to transfer trillions of dollars worth of assets in the next few decades, this could be the right time to launch an endowment. Nonprofits have long turned to endowments for help providing the necessary financial resources to carry out their mission, now and into the future.
All endowments are not created equal. With a permanent endowment, the original gift is usually intended to be held into perpetuity, with only certain income available for use in operations. With a term endowment, you are generally allowed to also use the principal after the designated term has ended. Either way, though, you need to consider several key issues before making the move.
Endowments appeal to nonprofits for several reasons. For example, the funds provide financial stability and can help ensure that programs stay focused on areas your board and donors rank as most important. An endowment also can reduce the headaches and uncertainty often experienced when you are forced to rely solely on work-intensive annual campaigns, special events and fundraising. Moreover, less event planning often equals more time to devote to your actual mission!
Endowments can help you attract additional donors, too. They demonstrate that your not-for-profit has earned the trust of other donors and will be around for the long haul. Endowments may also provide the added benefit of approaching donors from a position of strength and confidence, rather than neediness.
Be forewarned, however: An endowment can turn off potential donors, who might think your organization does not really need their contributions. Administrative tasks also could consume staff time, diverting it from the organization’s current needs.
Not surprisingly, endowments come with some restrictions. The Uniform Prudent Management of Institutional Funds Act (UPMIFA) lays out the standards for managing and investing endowments. You wil need to establish a written investment policy for your endowment that satisfies those standards by addressing, among other things, asset allocation and spending.
Your board’s investment committee, with input from an investment advisor, should determine the best allocation across asset classes (for example, stocks, bonds and real estate) to earn your desired return on investment. If board members do not have expertise in this area, consider hiring an investment manager to advise you. Each investment decision must be made in the context of the endowment’s total portfolio, taking into account the risk and return objectives of the endowment and the organization.
When it comes to spending, UPMIFA lets you spend or accumulate at a rate the board determines is prudent for the endowment’s uses, benefits, purposes and duration — subject to seven specific criteria. These include the purposes of the organization and the endowment, general economic conditions and the organization’s other resources. And UPMIFA lets you base spending on the expected total returns of the endowment, including earnings on original principal and appreciation.
If a traditional endowment does not seem like a good fit, do not worry — you are not necessarily out of luck. You can establish a “quasi endowment,” also known as a board-designated endowment or funds functioning as endowments. A quasi endowment could work well if your organization isn’t quite ready for a full-blown endowment campaign but wants the financial stability and other benefits associated with endowments, and has the funds to set aside for this purpose.
Unlike traditional endowments, quasi endowments are established by the board — not a donor. They are usually funded by unrestricted donor gifts or excess operating funds, and are not subject to UPMIFA. A quasi endowment may be more flexible than permanent or term endowments because the board can change its designation(s) at any time and for any reason.
If you decide to pursue an endowment of any kind, keep in mind that the arrangements are more complicated than for funds raised through ordinary fundraising or capital campaigns. You will need to make sure you have, or can acquire, the requisite expertise in areas such as drafting investment policies, managing the investments and related financial reporting.
Successful nonprofits typically proceed along a standard life cycle. Their early stage precedes a growth period that runs several years, followed by maturity. The maturity (or governance) stage generally begins around an organization’s eighth year. By this time, the nonprofit has built its core programs and achieved a reputation in the community.
But no organization can afford to rest on its laurels. In fact, mature not-for-profits often face a critical fork in the road. The next step can lead to renewal — or stagnation and eventual decline.
If you lead a nonprofit in the maturity stage, you should set your sights toward sustainability. By now, your organization should have a good handle on its current resources and be adept at forecasting its needs. From a financial perspective, that means maintaining sufficient cash on hand to support daily operations, as well as adequate operating reserves. This also may be the time to initiate your planned giving and endowment efforts to sustain programs into the future.
Your organization probably requires more funds than ever. However, a nonprofit of this age must be wary of “mission drift,” which happens when an organization begins to make compromises to generate funds rather than stick to its mission.
At this point, organizations often may need more program and operational coordination and more formal planning and communications. Your nonprofit also may explore the possibility of alliances with other organizations. Such affiliations can both extend your organization’s impact and increase its financial stability. Alliances also can help reinforce your mission focus and prevent your nonprofit from getting too bogged down by policy and procedures.
Another way to increase financial stability is to add members to your board. A mature nonprofit’s brand identity may enable it to attract more wealthy, prestigious and well-connected members. Ideally, these members will have more to offer than simply money, such as expertise in a certain area or a strong personal commitment to your mission.
As your executive director and staff concentrate more on operations, your board needs to take an even greater leadership role by setting direction and strategic policy. The board may become more conservative, though. (The boards of younger nonprofits are usually more entrepreneurial and willing to take risks because less is at stake.)
When it comes to programming, mature nonprofits must take care not to be lulled into complacency. It is important to regularly review your programming, including the actual curriculum or content, for relevance and effectiveness. Your strategic plan should focus on the long range and may outline new opportunities.
Surveys can be a good way of keeping up to date on your constituents’ needs and interests, which can change over time. The results might lead to dramatic changes. One literacy nonprofit, for example, stayed relevant to its community by shrinking its literacy programming and offering more English as a Second Language services instead.
In today’s competitive environment, any nonprofit that makes it to maturity has reason to celebrate. To continue to serve your mission, though, your organization must be strategic in both financial and program planning.
It’s an age-old conundrum: determining whether a worker is an employee or an independent contractor. While it might seem like a simple question, it’s not. And the IRS is hot on the heels of any contractor who doesn’t understand the difference.
For example, in the traditional employer-employee relationship, the employer is responsible for a number of tasks, such as withholding federal and state income taxes, paying unemployment taxes (FUTA), withholding the employee’s share of FICA and Medicare taxes, remitting the amounts withheld, and paying both the employee and employer portions of FICA and Medicare taxes.
Independent contractors are responsible for their own taxes. In addition to making estimated tax payments for their federal and state income tax liabilities, they’re subject to self-employment tax, which covers both the employer and employee shares of FICA. (They are, however, entitled to a deduction for the “employer’s” portion.)
Because it’s easier and cheaper to collect taxes from a single employer than from multiple independent contractors, the IRS has a strong preference for employee status. If the IRS reclassifies independent contractors as employees, it can go after your company for back taxes that should have been paid, payroll and income taxes that should have been withheld, and penalties and interest.
Additional penalties may apply if the IRS finds that you intentionally disregarded your tax obligations. And, of course, your state may impose penalties of its own. Finally, “responsible persons” — including certain officers, partners and managers — could be personally liable for uncollected taxes.
Even if workers you treat as independent contractors have paid their taxes, you’re not necessarily safe. If the IRS finds they should have been classified as employees, it still may hit you with penalties equal to 20% of your tax liability.
The simplest way to avoid these consequences is to treat workers as employees unless they clearly qualify as independent contractors. The IRS typically examines and weighs numerous factors to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor. These considerations indicate to the agency the degree of control exercised by the employer and the degree of independence of the worker.
For instance, the IRS looks at behavioral control such as instruction (employees usually receive detailed instructions about when, where and how to work) and training (employees often receive training on how to perform their job duties).
The type of relationship is also important. Does the individual receive benefits? Is he or she working for the business indefinitely? Are his or her services critical to the company’s ongoing operations? Affirmative answers to any or all of these questions would bolster an IRS case that the person in question is an employee, not an independent contractor.
Another important issue is financial control. The IRS will look for unreimbursed business expenses, which are usually incurred by independent contractors, not employees. Independent contractors often make significant investments in facilities and equipment as well. Employees don’t.
In addition, employees are usually paid by the hour, week or some other period. But independent contractors generally receive a flat fee or submit an invoice for services. So method of payment is a key consideration. Independent contractors will also often continue marketing themselves while working on a given project and risk suffering a profit loss on every job.
Ultimately, no one factor controls the outcome. You need to examine and weigh all the factors to determine whether a particular worker is an employee or independent contractor.
If you are uncertain about the status of your workers, contact your tax advisor. He or she can help you determine which workers are truly employees and which are independent contractors. In the event that contractors are misclassified, your tax professional can advise you whether the IRS Voluntary Classification Settlement Program is a good option for you.
For additional information on determining status, see the IRS guidelines here.
One of the most common inquiries clients have for their accountants is “What documents do I need to save, and for how long?” Retaining, organizing, and filing old records can become a burden, both at the business and individual levels. As we all strive to achieve a more “paperless” process, how do we determine what warrants taking up valuable office and storage space and what does not?
Records should be preserved only as long as they serve a useful purpose or until all legal requirements are met. To keep files manageable, it is a good idea to develop a schedule so that at the end of a specified retention period, certain records are destroyed.
At Stockman Kast Ryan + Co., we have developed records retention schedules we think you will find helpful. Although it doesn’t cover every possible record, it does cover the most common ones. As always, please feel free to ask us should you have specific questions or concerns.