Meal Deductions: Tax Rest for the Weary
In one significant case, the Tax Court allowed a taxpayer to claim deductions for meals that stretch the limits of the traditional "sleep-or-rest" rule for business travelers. (Bissonnette, 127 TC No. 10) Background Generally, you can deduct 50 percent of your meals...
Stay on Top of Your Business’s Credit Rating
These days, anyone looking to form a new business relationship, especially one that involves credit, is wise to check out the risk involved first. After all, we know that even giant companies that once seemed untouchable may be teetering on too narrow a pedestal. With...
Maintain a Healthy Cash Flow
In today's economic environment, one major concern for many businesses, in Maine and everywhere, is maintaining a healthy cash flow. If your small business is feeling the pinch of a tight economy, and tight credit, its ability to manage cash flow is critical....
Reeling in Tax Deductions for Company Outings
A "working condition fringe benefit" is tax-free to your employees and deductible by your Maine-based company. To qualify for this tax-favored treatment, however, the expense must be "ordinary and reasonable" under the circumstances. In addition, if the benefit...
In Daubert Attack, Valuation Expert Portrayed As Mere Mouthpiece
Marine Travelift, Inc. v. Marine Lift Systems, Inc., 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 91268 (June 28, 2013) Valuation experts often build on someone else’s assumptions to make reliable calculations. But can an expert simply evaluate and validate information from others without...
Eight Legal Risks Facing Businesses
Operating in today's business world can sometimes seem like you're navigating a legal minefield. You must be aware of, and comply with, numerous laws and regulations. A misstep can result in expensive and time-consuming legal challenges. Filler & Associates have...
Fall Back on Bad Debt Deductions
If your Maine-based small business has customers that don't pay their bills, there could be a last resort: You can deduct a bad business debt in the year it becomes worthless, as long as you've tried everything to collect. In order to get the write-off, you have to...
Reliable or obsolete? DE Chancery Scrutinizes Precrisis Projections
Towerview LLC v. Cox Radio, Inc., 2013 Del. Ch. LEXIS 139 (June 28, 2013) Five years after the 2008 economic meltdown, observers look back with a good deal of hindsight. But when the Delaware Court of Chancery recently assessed the reliability of prerecession...
Shave Payroll Costs for Shared Employees
If you run your Maine-based business operations through two or more corporations, the different entities may share some of the same employees. If so, you may be able to save payroll taxes by using a common paymaster. This means that instead of having each business pay...
When Nonqualified Stock Options Have a Leg Up
Incentive stock options offer tax advantages to employees, but they come with a tax price for your Maine-based company. The plan must meet numerous strict requirements spelled out in the law, and the company gets no deduction at any time. To receive preferential...