Small Business Tax Strategy: Heavy Vehicle Plus a Home Office
Small business owners are often looking for additional ways to lower their taxes. One simple and effective tax planning technique that is available thanks to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is to purchase a “heavy” vehicle, work from a qualifying home office, and...
Safeguard Your Company from Defective Product Suits
Does your Maine business deal with products instead of services? You need to make sure to factor in the potential liability for defective product claims. From state to state, laws regarding defective products vary, but in general, a product is considered defective if...
Last Chance to Claim the Domestic Production Activities Deduction
The U.S. corporate tax rate has historically been among the highest in the world. The DPAD (domestic production activities deduction) was created by Congress years ago to help even out the playing field between American manufacturers and their competitors operating in...
Move to Exclude Damages Expert at Class Certification Stage Fails
In re Stericycle Financial expert testimony is critical to class actions, which are their own breed of lawsuits. What is still an unresolved issue is whether courts must perform a full Daubert inquiry at the class certification stage. A contract case illustrates the...
Supreme Court Sides with Employers on Arbitration Agreements
The Supreme Court often agrees to rule on issues where individual appeals courts have come to different conclusions, in order to create a uniform national legal standard. This was the situation when the court passed down a 5-4 decision for Epic Systems Corp. v. Lewis....
New Tax Benefits of Hiring Your Kid
Summer jobs remain an effective way for kids to learn about fiscal responsibility, save for college or even retirement, and supplement their spending money for the next school year. If you’re a Maine business owner, think about hiring your child or grandchild as a...
Florida Court Rejects Active-Passive Framework in Appreciation Analysis
Bair v. Bair When appraisers deal with the issue of appreciation of nonmarital property, they often think in terms of “active versus passive.” A Florida divorce case shows that the rigid adoption of this framework may result in an erroneous valuation. Cannot pick and...
Be Careful When Setting Up an ‘English-Only’ Policy
When your company’s staff is culturally diverse, it can be tempting to require all employees to only speak English during the workday. You may be thinking it’s easier to promote unity and teamwork when everyone speaks the same language. It may not be legal though....
IRS Encourages Taxpayers to Check Withholding
Are your employees having enough money withheld from their regular paychecks? The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has made a number of significant changes to the tax rules for individuals for 2018 through 2025. Consequently, many taxpayers, in Maine and elsewhere, who...
Is an Association Health Plan Right for Your Company?
Association health plans (AHPs) are health benefit policies made available to small employers through a group purchasing arrangement to the benefit of association members and their employees. Last October, the Trump Administration started to develop AHP’s as an...