New Study Confirms the Prevalence and Cost of White Collar Crime
The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) has been publishing studies every two years for the past 20 years to raise awareness of occupational fraud, and the role strong internal controls can play in limiting these schemes. The 2016 Report to the Nations on...
Save Taxes with Employer-Provided Transportation Fringe Benefits
Some worthwhile tax breaks for transportation-related employee fringe benefits are being allowed by the Internal Revenue Code. They're intended to persuade you to “go green” and give up your gas-guzzling vehicle when commuting to work. If your employer offers these...
The Current State of Minimum Wage Laws
Since 1991, the $7.25 per hour federal minimum wage has been in place. The inflation-adjusted wage would have to be $12.68 to have the same purchasing power today, according to the CPI Inflation Calculator from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. President Obama has...
Strict Tax Rules for Swapping Intellectual Property
The exchange of intangible property involves a two-part test. Yes, you can arrange a tax-deferred exchange of your company's intellectual property -- for example, copyrights, patents or trademarks -- with another company. However, the IRS imposes strict requirements...
Expert’s Application of Asset Approach ‘Defies Common Sense’
In re Marriage of Hartung, 2015 Iowa App. LEXIS 688 (Aug. 5, 2015) Valuation methodology also was at the center of an Iowa divorce case in which the trial court found one method entirely inappropriate for the situation at hand and the other flawed in the way the...
Covenants Not to Compete and Personal Goodwill
A covenant not to compete prevents the seller from competing in the same industry for a specified time period and within a specified geographic range, and on the part of the seller, is similar to title insurance to the buyer of the business. In this sense, it protects...
New Overtime Rules Issued: What it Means for You
A sneak preview of proposed modifications to the rules governing overtime was provided last year, but a change has been coming for two years. On May 18, the Department of Labor (DOL) came out with its new final rules, which take effect on December 1, 2016. The rules...
Transfer Business Ownership or Remain Boss?
Estate planning can be a challenge for many Maine family business owners. Often times, wealth is tied up in their companies, which creates a conflict between the desire to transfer ownership to the next generation and the desire to stay in control. Recapitalizing the...
Chancery Gives High Marks to Financial Advisor’s Merger Work
In re Dole Food Co., 2015 Del. Ch. LEXIS 223 (Aug. 27, 2015) (Dole III) In sharp contrast to some of its earlier decisions reprimanding financial advisors for generating outcome-driven valuations, the Delaware Court of Chancery recently extolled the conduct of the...
How to Wrap Up an Estate
Sometimes, estate proceedings continue to be open for years with no end in sight. If you're an executor or personal representative of an estate, or even an heir, eventually you want closure. There are certain steps that must be taken to close the estate. This article...