Supreme Court Spotlights Employee Status: Exempt or Not?
Fewer than 100 of the thousands of cases appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court each year get a full-blown hearing and ruling. Encino Motorcars v. Navarro is one case that did make it through in the current court term. We wrote about this previously in relation to the...
6 Cool Ways to Save Taxes during the Hot Summer Months
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) may have interfered in some of your summer plans by scaling back or eliminating certain tax breaks. But individuals and small business owners in Maine still have lots of opportunities to save on their taxes. Check out these six ideas...
New Tax Law Boosts Appeal of Qualified Small Business Corporations
Would you be interested in investing in a business that allows you to later sell your stock tax-free? It may be an option for qualified small business corporation (QSBC) stock that was acquired on or after September 28, 2010. Sales of QSBC stock may be eligible for a...
Got Bitcoin? Virtual Currency Complicates Tax Reporting
Bitcoin has been around for almost 10 years. But the tax rules associated with "virtual currency" are constantly evolving. In 2018, tax matters will become even more complicated for because relevant provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act take effect starting in 2018....
Court Dismisses S Corp Tax Argument in Fair Value Buyout
Matter of Digeser v. Flach A New York statutory fair value decision involving a construction company highlighted key differences in the experts’ income-based valuations. The parties’ appraisers disagreed over the applicable earnings period, normalization for...
Know the Rules Before Checking Employee Medical Records
Step carefully when employees request time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The FMLA is a minefield in a number of ways, including how eligibility for leave should be documented. According to the Department of Labor, an employee qualifies for time...
Self-Audit Program May Help Employers Correct Wage Errors
Thanks to a pilot program from the Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD), eligible employers may now be able to conduct a self-audit of certain wage practices. This program — called Payroll Audit Independent Determination (PAID) — was launched recently to...
The Outlook for Internships is Looking Up
In early January, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) put out a fact sheet that details how the agency is aligning its policy on intern employment status with new rulings by several U.S. appellate courts. In the past, it would have been much more difficult to bring...
Value of IP Mash-Up Takes Spotlight in Michael Jackson Case
The trial involving the Michael Jackson estate has started in Tax Court in California. One of the issues in the case is the fair market value of Jackson’s posthumous right of publicity, which includes his name and image. The estate valued this at $2,105 because the...
Court: Company President Is Liable for Unpaid Employment Taxes
A recent ruling by the U.S. District court recently stated that a company president was a "responsible person" who was liable for the trust fund recovery penalty. The court found that the president's failure to pay over employment taxes was willful despite the fact...