Originally published in INSIDE Public Accounting Difficult times bring out the best in people. Necessity is the mother of invention. There is no education like adversity. While these maxims might be cliché, their insights ring true. There is no going back to how companies operated pre-pandemic: long commutes, a typical 9-to-5 workday, daily face-to-face interaction [...]

Honest conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace are difficult and uncomfortable at times. But having them is the first step to create a better workplace for all. Companies looking to create a better diversity, equity and inclusive strategy should know two things: You will not always get it right all at once, and that is OK. Your str [...]

Launching a bottled water brand can be daunting, especially with established giants in the industry already taking up shelf space. In 2015, Fortune reported an $18 billion loss for the top-25 U.S. food and beverage companies that was driven by Millennials seeking healthy alternatives with cleaner labels. But with an eye for sustainability and a belief in the sacrednes [...]

President Biden recently proposed to increase the capital gains tax rates for high earners as part of The American Families Plan. Surprisingly, this proposed rate increase is slated to be effective as of the date of announcement, April 28, 2021. WHAT’S CHANGING The proposed change would tax long-term capital gains and qualified dividends of taxpayers with adjusted g [...]

Originally published in Bloomberg Tax. A question soon to be asked to all is, “What did you do during the pandemic?” Individuals might comment on the number of puzzles they completed or drive-by COVID-19 birthdays they attended. Companies will regard transitioning to remote work and the high volume of incoming and outgoing Zoom calls. But what this question is really [...]

Originally published in HR Daily Advisor. The pandemic presented significant challenges this past year. Many employees had to live and work at home while socially distanced from close family and friends. Companies also had to adjust by moving to remote work environments to keep employees safe while still responding to issues surrounding equity, diversity, and inclusi [...]

As part of the American Rescue Plan Act, passed in March 2021, $28.6 billion are earmarked for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (the Fund), which will provide tax-free grants to food service businesses. With an estimated $250 billion reduction in revenues since the onset of the COVID-19, the foodservice industry is one of the hardest hit during the pandemic, and the [...]

Originally published in CPA Practice Advisor The last year has come with unprecedented challenges but also brought great opportunities for innovation and growth. For small to mid-sized accounting firms, the workplace of the future will continue to evolve and look different than the past. How firms respond will become either a permanent setback or setup for long ter [...]

Originally published in the Los Angeles Business Journal. For those struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic, the billions of dollars that both the federal and state governments provided to individuals and businesses has offered meaningful relief. The bad news is that in the rush to quickly get funding into the hands of those who needed it, even the most basic fraud p [...]

Many U.S. tax preparers have marked March 15 on their calendars, which is the first major due date for the 2021 tax season. Domestic flow-through entities such as partnerships and S Corporations with a calendar year-end must file their 2020 income tax returns or extensions by March 15, 2021. From the U.S. international tax compliance perspective, most foreign reportin [...]