Archives for coronavirus

Tax Update on Business Meals Being 100% Deductible in 2021

June 15, 2021 | by | Comments Off on Tax Update on Business Meals Being 100% Deductible in 2021

Angela Tang, CPA Estate & Trust Supervisor   The cost of business meals were considered a deductible expense since 1986, the problem is only 50% of such costs were allowed as a deduction until now.  The latest 2020 stimulus bill saw many changes and one of the which is the business meal deduction.  A temporary exception for 2021-2022 is the 100% business meal deduction for meals “provided by a restaurant.”  The government is attempting to help the restaurant industry impacted by the Covid-19 shutdown by intentionally incentivizing business owners to patronize restaurants. In order to qualify for the business meal
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, business, business meal, business meal deductible, business meal deduction, ca, california, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, deductible, deduction, expense, firm, IRS, irvine, oc, orange county, pandemic, reimbursement, restaurants, small business, so cal, southern california, tax, tax firm, taxation, taxes, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

Is Your Company Eligible for the Employee Retention Tax Credit?

April 23, 2021 | by | Comments Off on Is Your Company Eligible for the Employee Retention Tax Credit?

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner By retaining employees during the pandemic, your company may be eligible for a payroll tax credit of up to $5,000 per employee in 2020 and $28,000 per employee in 2021. The employee retention tax credit (ERTC) is a fully refundable payroll tax credit for employers who meet certain requirements that is based on qualified wages paid between March 13, 2020 to December 31, 2021. The qualifications and credit thresholds are segmented into two time frames, March 13, 2020 to December 31, 2020 and January 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021. The two separate
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, business, ca, california, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, employee credit, employee retention credit, ertc, firm, irvine, law, newsletter, oc, orange county, pandemic, small business, so cal, southern california, tax, tax firm, tax law, taxation, taxes, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

Significant Tax Provisions from Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act

March 18, 2021 | by | Comments Off on Significant Tax Provisions from Biden’s American Rescue Plan Act

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner   The American Rescue Plan Act signed into law by President Biden includes the following significant tax provisions: Business tax provisions: Family and sick leave credits – Extends tax credits through 9/30/21. Employee retention credit – Extended through 12/31/21, program criteria as follows: To qualify experienced a full or partial suspension of business operations due to COVID-19 governmental orders or incurred at least 20% decline in quarterly gross receipts as compared to the 2019 year quarter. Main benefits for employers with up to 500 full-time employees (limited benefits for employers with more than
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, american rescue plan act, biden, business, ca, california, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, firm, individual, IRS, irvine, law, oc, orange county, pandemic, ppp, small business, so cal, southern california, stimulus bill, stimulus plan, tax, tax bill, tax firm, tax law, tax provisions, tax reform, taxation, taxes, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

CA Lawmakers Reach COVID Relief Deal Including Partial PPP Conformity

February 18, 2021 | by | Comments Off on CA Lawmakers Reach COVID Relief Deal Including Partial PPP Conformity

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner   The long awaited recently announced California pandemic relief package includes the following benefit highlights for businesses and individuals: California partial conformity to federal tax treatment of Paycheck Protection Plan loans allowing companies to deduct up to $150,000 in expenses covered by the PPP loan (including Economic Injury Disaster Loan grants). Increase the funds available for the small business and nonprofit grant program (2018 or 2019 gross revenues less than $2.5M) from $500 million to more then $2 billion.  Information regarding this grant program can be found at the following link: https://www.grants.ca.gov/grants/california-small-business-covid-19-relief-grant-program/. Two
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, business, ca, california, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid, covid relief, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, firm, irvine, newsletter, oc, orange county, pandemic, pandemic relief package, ppp, small business, so cal, southern california, tax, tax firm, taxation, taxes, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

New COVID Relief Bill Signed Into Law

December 22, 2020 | by | Comments Off on New COVID Relief Bill Signed Into Law

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner   The House and Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021) which is expected to be signed into law by the President. The CAA, 2021 bill includes the renewal and expansion of popular provisions in earlier COVID relief bills with the significant provisions summarized as follows: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loan expenses allowed as a tax deduction (overriding IRS ruling disallowing the deduction). Uncertainty remains whether California and other states will conform. Reopen PPP for first time borrowers who have not yet applied or who previously withdrew their application. Second
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, business, ca, caa, california, certified public accountants, consolidated appropriations act, coronavirus, covid, covid relief, covid relief bill, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, firm, irvine, newsletter, oc, orange county, pandemic, ppp, ppp loans, small business, southern california, tax, tax deduction, tax firm, taxation, taxes, trump, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

New California Sales Tax Relief Announced for Small Businesses

December 17, 2020 | by | Comments Off on New California Sales Tax Relief Announced for Small Businesses

Ryan Working, CPA, MST Tax Director   Back in April 2020, the Governor allowed taxpayers to apply for sales tax penalty and interest relief for 90 days for any taxpayer reporting less than $1 million in sales on their sales tax return. The Governor has now directed the California Department of Tax and Fee administration (CDTFA) to provide additional and expanded temporary tax relief for eligible small businesses impacted by COVID-19.   This temporary relief includes the following: Automatic three-month sales tax extension for taxpayers filing less than $1 million in sales tax. Interest and penalties will not accrue on the
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountants, accounting, ca small business, cdtfa, coronavirus, covid, cpa, cpa firm, irvine, orange county, pandemic, sales tax credit, small business, so cal, tax, tax credit, tax firm, tax relief, tax return, taxation, taxpayer, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

PPP Loan Forgiveness Taxability in 2020

November 20, 2020 | by | Comments Off on PPP Loan Forgiveness Taxability in 2020

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner Tony Maldonado, CPA Tax Senior   While the current law states forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans are tax-free, the Internal Revenue Service previously issued guidance stating that the qualifying expenses paid with the forgiven loan funds are nondeductible for income tax purposes.  There has been uncertainty as to whether the qualifying expenses would be non-tax deductible when paid in 2020 or when the loan is forgiven which could go into 2021. The IRS just recently released awaited guidance stating if your business received a PPP loan and there is a reasonable expectation
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, business, ca, california, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, firm, irvine, law, newsletter, oc, pandemic, ppp, ppp loan, small business, so cal, southern california, tax, tax firm, tax law, tax planning, tax reform, taxation, taxes, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

Healthcare Providers Receive CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

November 11, 2020 | by | Comments Off on Healthcare Providers Receive CARES Act Provider Relief Fund

The CARES Act allocated $175 billion in grants to support hospital and healthcare providers on the front lines of the coronavirus response to recover lost revenue and increased expenses as a result of the pandemic. Certain grants do not require repayment just as long as the recipient submits documentation sufficient to ensure that the funds were used for healthcare-related expenses or lost revenue attributable to the coronavirus and expended by June 30, 2021.  Appropriate records and cost documentation should be maintained for potential audit. All recipients of Provider Relief Fund payments are required to comply with reporting requirements issued by
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Categories: Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, business, ca, california, cares, cares act, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, firm, healthcare, irvine, oc, orange county, pandemic, relief fund, so cal, southern california, tax, tax firm, tax law, taxation, taxes, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

Partner Andy Bautista Featured in Podcast Discussing COVID-19 Topics

October 1, 2020 | by | Comments Off on Partner Andy Bautista Featured in Podcast Discussing COVID-19 Topics

As we continue through this global COVID-19 pandemic, challenges can arise for businesses that were not visible a few months ago.  Our Tax Partner, Andy Bautista, recently contributed to a podcast that discusses common challenges that businesses are facing throughout the pandemic. In this episode of The Business Talks Podcast, Andy begins his discussion on the important tax impacts this year at the 8 minute mark of the podcast. He touches base on topics such as tax planning for 2020, PPP loans, higher potential tax rates with an administration change, and more.  Andy joined other local business specialists Michael Krengel,
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Categories: Company News and Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, accounting firm, business, ca, california, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, irvine, newsletter, oc, orange county, pandemic, small business, southern california, tax, tax firm, taxation, taxes, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.

Why Gifting During an Economic Downturn May Be Right for You

May 14, 2020 | by | Comments Off on Why Gifting During an Economic Downturn May Be Right for You

Janelle Tokunaga, CPA, MST Tax Supervisor   While it may seem like there has been a shortage of good news lately, we wanted to bring your attention to a few bright spots that have come about during our current economic downturn.  With the extra time you have at  sheltering in place, it may be a good time to revisit your current estate and gift plan. To recap: the 2020 Federal lifetime exemption is $11.58 million per person, including inflation, and the 2020 annual Federal gift exclusion is $15,000 per donee and donor.  The current economic market is showing decreased values
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Categories: Newsletter and Updates.
Tags: accountant, accountants, accounting, ca, california, certified public accountants, coronavirus, covid19, cpa, cpa firm, estate, estates, firm, gift plan, gifting, irvine, oc, orange county, plan, small business, southern california, tax, tax firm, tax planning, taxation, taxes, trusts, wfy, wright ford young, and wright ford young & co.