Hard Asset Value Best Captures Worth of Family Business
Starling v. Starling, 2013 Va. App. LEXIS 248 (Sept. 10, 2013) (slip op.) Because the trial court found neither spouse’s expert offered a convincing valuation for a family business, it opted to adopt the liquidation value the company’s CPA proposed. On appeal, the...
Profit from an Energy Audit
Business owners routinely evaluate opportunities to reduce expenses. However, many organizations are unaware of the savings that can result from a business energy audit. Many of the savings from an energy audit are sustainable, and usually they are well received by...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Handle Payroll Taxes Very Carefully
If you operate a business that collects payroll taxes from employees, always remember this: No matter what your corporate financial situation is, don't borrow from the withholding tax fund. If that money isn't there when it's due, the IRS will crack down hard. All...