Newsletter and Updates Archives

Seven New Hires Join WFY Team

Wright Ford Young & Co. is proud to announce we are adding seven new hires to our team. We have Gina Kotzbach and Cheryl Shelton joining our estates & trusts department, and Brody Alcanter, Marzeh Khanjari, Rajbir Singh, Linh Trinh and Diane Waxler-Milne joining our tax department. WFY is pleased to welcome these new hires to our team.

Gina Kotzbach

Gina Kotzbach joined WFY in January as an Estates & Trusts Director in our estates & trusts department. She went to Chapman University School of Law and graduated cum laude with her J.D. with a Tax Law/Estate Planning emphasis. Over 12 years, Gina has worked in all areas of estates and trusts including estate planning, trust administration, estate settlement, and tax return preparation. When Gina is out of the office, she enjoys jogging and hiking.

Cheryl Shelton

In January, Cheryl Shelton started with WFY as an Estates & Trusts Supervisor in our estates & trusts department. She graduated from Cal State Fullerton and continued her education at Western State Law School. Cheryl has worked in accounting for over 15 years. In her spare time, she volunteers with a local dog resue doing adoption events and fostering dogs.

Brody Alcanter

Brody Alcanter joined WFY in January as a Tax Senior. He graduated from Northwood University with a Bachelor’s degree for Business Administration, Accounting, and moved to Orange County shortly after graduating. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf.

Marzeh Khanjari

In January, Marzeh Khanjari started with WFY as a Tax Senior. She received her degree in Business Administration with emphasis in Accounting, and has been working as a tax professional for almost 15 years. While she’s away from the office, she likes to travel, watch movies, and play ping pong.

Rajbir Singh

Rajbir Singh joined WFY as a Tax Staff in January. He graduated from University of California, Riverside, with a degree in Business Administration and Psychology. Rajbir’s hobbies are working out and traveling with his family.

Linh Trinh

Joining us again at WFY as a tax intern is Linh Trin. She is graduating from Cal State Fullerton this Spring and will become a full-time Tax Staff at WFY after she graduates. During her free time, she likes to play the piano.

Diane Waxler-Milne

Diane Waxler-Milne joins WFY for this upcoming tax season as a tax intern. She is currently attending Cal State Fullerton as a senior and will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. When she’s out of the office and away from school, Diane enjoys time with her husband and three daughters.

Interested in joining WFY in one of our departments? f you are interested and qualified for the position above, please email your resumes careers@cpa-wfy.com or go to our Careers page.

WFY’s 2019 Charitable Contributions

For over 12 years, Wright Ford Young & Co. has made it a priority to contribute to many non-profits locally and nationally.

Since 2007, WFY has been helping to give back by donating 1% of our gross revenues each year to charities as a way to help improve the lives of those around us and those less fortunate. We have donated over $1,253,000 since the program’s formation. In 2019, WFY made donations to over 20 non-profit organizations – our biggest number of charities to date.

We would like to thank all the organizations for everything they do and how much they give to those in need.

Here is the list of organizations WFY contributed to in 2019:

IN STEPPS Academy

Women Helping Women

Big Brothers Big Sisters of OC

Blind Children’s Learning Center

Wetlands & Wildlife Care Center

Veterans Legal Institute

44 Women for Orangewood

The Autism Community in Action

Unplugged Camp

ProSearch – Under the Big Top

Marconi Foundation for Children

OC Community Foundation

Maxloveproject.org

Free Wheel Chair Mission

Stand Up for Kids

Project ALS

Thomas House

Open Medicine Foundation

Olive Crest

Samaritan’s Purse

Family Promises of OC

To learn more about our charitable contributions, click here.

Changes with 2020 Payroll Tax and Standard Auto Mileage Rate

January 9, 2020/in Industry News, Newsletter and Updates /by Scott Robinson

written by WFY Accountant, Bonnie Thompson

Beginning January 1, 2020, the following changes go into effect for the withholding of payroll taxes and reimbursement of auto mileage:

SOCIAL SECURITY

The wage base for withholding social security tax has increased to $137,700 The social security tax rate will be 6.2% for both employers and employees for a maximum expense of $8537.40 For Medicare, the rate is still 1.45% each for employers and employees with no limit this year. Continuing in 2020 employees earning in excess of $200,000 will be subject to a mandatory additional 0.9% Medicare tax withholding regardless of their individual tax filing status. This withholding does not require the employer match.

STATE DISABILITY INSURANCE (SDI)

The taxable wage limit has increased to $122,909. The tax rate will remain at 1%. Maximum to withhold is $1229.09

FEDERAL AND STATE UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE

Both the Federal and State of California taxable wage bases remain the same for 2020 at $7,000. You will receive notification of your state tax rate. The FUTA tax rate is .06 all year.

STANDARD AUTO MILEAGE RATE

At this time the standard auto mileage rate for reimbursement of deductible costs of operating an auto for business will be 57.5 cents per mile.

For those clients for whom we prepare quarterly tax returns and annual information returns, please submit the necessary information as soon as possible to assist us in preparing your forms on a timely basis. Please be sure that you have given us the most current information on names and addresses of W-2 and 1099 recipients.

We are available to answer any questions you may have regarding the proper reporting and withholding of payroll. Please feel free to contact our office should you need assistance.

WFY Donates Items to Orangewood Foundation’s Holiday Gift Drive

December 23, 2019/in Company News, Newsletter and Updates /by Scott Robinson

It’s a time for giving and WFY has done just that. This holiday season, WFY collected dozens of gifts to be donated to Orangewood Foundation’s annual Holiday Gift Drive.

For every holiday season, the Orangewood Foundation collects items off a wish list they curated to help young adults transition from the foster system into independent adulthood. Items such as pillows, cooking utensils, portable chargers, etc. are gathered by dozens of people each year. This gift drive helps prevent the ongoing cycle of homelessness with young adults in the Orange County area which many experience in their lifetime.

WFY makes an effort each year to collect items off the wish list to contribute to Orangewood Foundation’s holiday gift drive. We’ve donated many of these items as well as hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards to help their cause.

If you’d like to contribute or learn more, go to Orangewood Foundation’s website here.

NYCM Runner Sabrina Reguero Raises Money for Team for Kids

December 12, 2019/in Newsletter and Updates /by Scott Robinson

At Wright Ford Young & Co., we are proud to support our community whether it’s locally or nationally. Sabrina Reguero, the daughter of WFY’s tax director Melodie Reguero, decided to run for a cause at the New York City Marathon on Sunday November 3^rd.

The marathon course started from Staten Island and went all the way to Central Park in Manhattan. Sabrina ran the 26.2 mile marathon in 5 hours and 7 minutes. She raised approximately $3,000 for the organization Team for Kids on her behalf, almost $400 more than her required minimum. WFY and its employees generously contributed to the organization by donating to Sabrina’s cause.

Team for Kids is a national organization that helps support programs that help build students’ motivation and desire to be physically active for life. The funding helps pay for training of teachers and coaches, program and practice supplies, and student incentives.

To learn more about TFK, click here.

Tax Director Melodie Reguero on Tax Planning at Bruin Professionals

December 11, 2019/in Company News, Newsletter and Updates /by Scott Robinson

On Wednesday, November 20^th, our WFY Tax Director Melodie Reguero presented at the Orange County Bruin Professionals meeting.

Ms. Melodie Reguero spoke on tips about year-end tax planning along with Cheryl Gee from UBS. Year-end tax planning is especially critical this time of year to proactively reduce a taxpayer’s risk exposure and tax liability before the new year. If you are interested in tips about year-end tax planning, read our article on Year-End Tax Saving Moves for Individuals.

Reguero regularly attends Bruin Professionals meetings, which is diverse group of UCLA alumni who are established in business. The group focuses on commerce, camaraderie, and community. They have several chapters spread all over California. If you are interested in learning more about Bruin Professionals, click here.

Proud Sponsor of the OCCF’s 30th Anniversary Annual Meeting

November 27, 2019/in Company News, Newsletter and Updates /by Scott Robinson

Wright Ford Young & Co. was proud to be a Gold Partner sponsor of the Orange County Community Foundation’s 30th Annual Meeting at the Hotel Irvine on November 20th.

Over 730 attendees shared in the inspirational tributes and recognized success of the OCCF’s philanthropic impact on Orange County individuals, families, and businesses over the last three decades. The Wright Ford Young & Co. colleagues and guests who joined the celebration were Bob Wright, Dean Smith, Andy Bautista, Richard Huffman, Scott Robinson, Janet Kim, Albert Yang, Darin Schott, Carissa DeLuca and Brad Weber.

To find out more about OCCF, click here.