Posts

lawyers for warriors

WFY Title Sponsors Veterans Legal Institute’s Lawyers for Warriors Event

/in , /by

Wright Ford Young & Co. had the privilege of serving as the title sponsor to the Veterans Legal Institute’s annual Lawyers for Warriors event on Monday, September 23rd.  Senior audit partner Jeff Myers spoke on Wright Ford Young’s behalf to honor our ongoing partnership with the Veterans Legal Institute.

Lawyers for Warriors is an event that started four years ago where over 250 business leaders who represent legal, medical, financial, military, and other professional industries can network, enjoy wine and appetizers, and recognize those legal community leaders who have graciously offered their services to our veteran heroes.  All the proceeds of this event go to Veterans Legal Institute to continue their mission to ensure veterans can receive free legal services.

We want to congratulate the following people for their awards at this event: Stephens Friedland, LLP for Law Firm of the Year, Volunteers of America Los Angeles for Community Partner of the Year, Judge Lon F. Hurwitz for Veteran Advocate of the Year, and David Price, Esq. for Attorney of the Year.

If you’d like to learn more about Veterans Legal Institute or the Lawyers for Warriors event, please go to https://www.vetslegal.com/

 

meet the firms

WFY Attends Meet the Firms at CSUF and NAU

/in , /by

On Thursday, September 26th, a group of our Wright Ford Young & Co. employees attended California State University, Fullerton’s Meet the Firms event as well as Northern Arizona University’s Career & Graduate School Expo.

These type of meet and greet events are a way for students and professionals in the accounting community to network with a wide range of firms from boutique to the Big Four.  We attend these events to educate students about WFY and what we do, and encourage them to get a hands-on learning experience with our firm.

Wright Ford Young & Co. thanks California State University, Fullerton and Northern Arizona University for another great Meet the Firms recruiting event on Thursday, September 26th.  We are very fortunate to have a long standing relationship with the accounting schools and hardworking students in which many of our employees are alumni.

 

angels game

WFY Attends Anaheim Angels Game

/in , /by

On Saturday, August 17th, Wright Ford Young & Co. attended the Anaheim Angels vs. Chicago White Sox game at the Angel Stadium in Anaheim.

Our audit, tax, and all other departments came together to celebrate one of our core values: we have fun!  About 150 friends, family, and employees of WFY attended the exciting game during a perfect day for baseball. Everyone enjoyed the game with popcorn, hot dogs, nachos, and other delicious baseball game treats.

The game started off slow with a tied game by the end of the 2nd inning, but the White Sox took a 4-1 lead by the end of the 3rd inning. The 7th inning came and the Angels scored three runs to get them to a 6-5 lead.  At the top of the 9th inning, the White Sox couldn’t lock down any more runs which ended with an Anaheim Angels victory.

A special thanks to our Partners Kahni Bizub and Jeff Myers for putting this special event together for WFY.

If you’d like to check out upcoming Anaheim Angels games, you can check them out here.

calcpa

Cyndi LeBerthon Appointed Chair of CalCPA Peer Review Committee

/in , /by

Wright Ford Young & Co.’s Audit Partner, Cyndi LeBerthon, has been appointed Chair of the CalCPA Peer Review Committee for the term 2019 through 2021.

This committee of 20 members is responsible for overseeing all peer reviews of CPA firms in California, Arizona and Alaska administered by CalCPA. The peer review committee evaluates the results of the peer reviews, determines the need for follow up remedial or corrective actions, and oversees the performance of AICPA qualified peer reviewers in California, Arizona and Alaska. These measures taken ensure compliance with the AICPA Peer Review Program. Cyndi has served on the peer review committee since 2015 and is honored to be able to give back to the accounting profession through this volunteer, invitation-only role.

Congratulations, Cyndi!

If you’d like to learn more about WFY’s Audit Partner, Cyndi LeBerthon, click here.

New Partnership Audit Rules for 2018 Tax Filing Year

/in /by

For the 2018 tax filing year, there are new Internal Revenue Service (IRS) partnership audit rules [also adopted by the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB)] in which the partnership, not its members, will now be responsible for tax adjustments under audit.

There is a very narrowly defined opt-out provision that many partnerships do not qualify for.  Please consider amending the partnership operating agreement to designate a “partnership representative” to represent the company in disputes with the IRS or the FTB.  Also, you should consider including language regarding the responsibility of tax audit adjustments pursuant to the three allowable methods: “amend”, “pull in”, and “push out.”

Below is a chart which discusses the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

MethodProsCons
Election OutPartnership out of CPARLimited to small partnerships with limited kinds of partners
Must elect on annual basis
AmendSimple to implementPartnership can’t compel partners to amend

Partnership can’t monitor who amends and who doesn’t

Pull InSimple to implement

Partnership can act as clearing house for convenience of partners (allows partnership to monitor which partners have pulled in)

Partnership can’t compel partners to pull in
Push OutPartnership can compel reviewed-year partners to pay tax on their share of imputed underpaymentShort time frame to elect and comply

Large administrative burdern on partnership

Partners pay additional 2% penalty

To discuss your situation under the new partnership audit rules, please contact a WFY tax expert at (949) 910-2727 or info@cpa-wfy.com

© Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

hires

Estates & Trusts Departments Welcomes Three New Hires

/in /by

As tax season starts, WFY welcomes three new hires to our Estates & Trusts department: Lisa Marking, Heena Shah, and Ann Doan.  We are pleased to welcome these new hires to the WFY team.

Lisa Marking

Lisa Marking joined Wright Ford Young & Co.’s Estates and Trusts department as an Estates & Trusts manager.  She went to Pepperdine University to receive her undergraduate degree as well as her law degree.  Lisa also attended University of Southern California to receive her Master’s degree in Taxation.  During her free time, Lisa likes to travel and attending music concerts.

Heena Shah

This month, Wright Ford Young & Co. team had the pleasure of Heena Shah joining the Estates & Trusts Department as an Estates & Trusts supervisor.  She comes from a background of 14 years of tax experience specifically in tax compliance and tax planning for high net worth individuals, trusts, and small businesses.  Heena earned her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and is an enrolled agent and a certified financial planner.  On her time off, she enjoys working out, cooking, and traveling.

Ann Doan

At the end of January, Wright Ford Young & Co. welcomed Ann Doan to the Estates and Trusts Department as Estates & Trusts staff.  Ann has a Juris Doctorate degree from Whittier Law School and a Masters of Law in Taxation from Chapman University.  Her experience with taxation includes representing taxpayers in matters before the IRS and California Board of Equalization as well as working in bankruptcy and creditors’ rights litigation. Out of the office, Ann loves to travel internationally and go to vegan food festivals.

If you think you’d be a great addition to WFY, please go to our Careers page and submit your résumé.

Rental Real Estate Owners-Guidance Related to the 20% Pass-through Deduction

/in , /by

On January 18, 2019, the IRS issued a notice providing “safe harbor” conditions under which rental real estate activities will be treated as a trade or business for purposes of the IRC Section 199A deduction.

To qualify for the safe harbor:

  1. Separate Books and records must be maintained for each rental real estate enterprise.
  2. At least 250 hours of rental services must be performed by the taxpayer and/or workers for the taxpayer during the tax year for each rental real estate enterprise. To clarify, a real estate enterprise may be one rental or multiple rentals.  Commercial and residential rentals cannot be combined in the same real estate enterprise.  Qualifying rental services counting toward the 250 hour requirement include advertising, negotiating and executing leases, verifying tenant applications, collecting rent, daily operation, maintenance and repair of the property, management, purchase of materials for repairs and supervision of employees and independent contractors.  The services can be performed by owners, employees, agents and/or independent contractors working for the owners.  We recommend filing 1099s by January of the following year for any services performed by non-owners.
  3. The taxpayer must maintain contemporaneous records including time reports, logs or similar support to document the hours of services performed, a description of the services performed, dates on which the services were performed and who performed the services. This will require tracking everything, your personal time and the time of those you employ.  A log book and a file for all invoices from others should be maintained.

Further clarification in the notice:

Triple Net Leases are not eligible for the safe harbor.

Vacation rentals (residences used by the owners) are not eligible for the safe harbor.

A statement is required to be attached to the taxpayer’s tax return and be signed by the taxpayer declaring that all the safe harbor requirements have been met and must include the following language:  “Under penalties of perjury, I declare that I have examined the statement and to the best of my knowledge and belief, the statement contains all the relevant facts relating to the revenue procedure and such facts are true, correct and complete.”

Lastly, an enterprise that fails the safe harbor requirements may still qualify as a trade or business under the regulations for purposes of the 199A deduction.  If you are unsure about your rental real estate enterprise, consult with a WFY tax advisor.

© Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

wfy grows

WFY Grows Tax Department Before 2018 Tax Season

/in /by

WFY grows their firm with eight new hires: Michael Montgomery, Jennifer Nguyen, Karla Young, Alice Wang, Jeff Hwang, Linh Trinh, and Farheen Kolsy.  All these new hires are joining WFY’s tax department as tax staff or tax interns.  WFY is pleased to welcome these new hires to the WFY team.

Michael Montgomery

Joining the WFY tax staff is Michael Montgomery. Michael graduated from CSU Fullerton in 2015 and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, with a concentration on Accounting.  With his experience in accounting, he has mainly worked in offices that specialize in small businesses and individuals.  During the off season, Michael and his wife, Katie, enjoy traveling and attending Anaheim Ducks and Anaheim Angels games.

Jennifer Nguyen

Jennifer Nguyen graduated from CSU Fullerton last fall after interning with WFY last year. We welcomed Jennifer back to WFY as an addition to our tax staff. Jennifer plans to start studying for her CPA exams this year, and continues to foster kittens from WAGS Animal Shelter and Animal Services in Westminster.

Karla Young

Our third tax staff addition to WFY is Karla Young. She graduated from University of the Philippines with a degree in Development Studies. Karla is well versed in IT and Marketing, but switched to developing her career in accounting once she moved to Orange County. Other than developing her skills in accounting, she also likes to send out typewritten letters to friends and family.

Alice Wang

Alice Wang joins the WFY team as one of our newest tax staff.  She received her Master’s degree in Accounting from CSU Fullerton, and has worked in accounting for four years.  Outside of the office, Alice loves to read and travel.

Jeff Hwang

For the 2018 tax season, Jeff Hwang joins the WFY team as a tax intern. Jeff is currently attending CSU Fullerton and working on his Master’s degree in Taxation.  Other than practicing taxation, Jeff enjoys watching sports games and attending comedy shows.

Linh Trinh

Linh Trinh is starting with WFY as a tax intern in our tax department.  She’s currently attending CSU Fullerton and plans to graduate in the Spring of 2020 with her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.  Other than working towards her degree, Linh is also an active member of Accounting Society at CSU Fullerton.

Farheen Kolsy

Our fourth tax intern to join our WFY tax department is Farheen Kolsy. She’s a senior on the road to graduating from CSU Fullerton in May of 2019 with a degree in Business Administration concentrating in Accounting. On her down time, Farheen likes to hang out with friends and hike.

We are always looking to grow our firm. If you would like to see our open positions in audit, tax, and estates and trusts, please head to our Careers page.

New IRS Partnership Audit Rules Prompt New Look at Operating Agreement

/in , /by

The IRS introduced a new set of partnership auditing rules which take effect in the financial year 2018 and are meant to make it easier for the agency to uncover and collect underpaid taxes from partnership entities.  The previous audit system was challenging for the IRS because it was difficult to pin down who owed the tax under a complex partnership structure.

Small partnerships with less than 100 members can opt out if no partner is a pass-through entity.

The IRS will begin reviewing tax filings in line with the new procedure in 2019, so audits could start as soon as 2020.

When a partnership underpays its taxes, the leftover bill has to be dealt with by a designated individual. If a partnership fails to make that designation, the IRS will select one on its behalf. Designating a representative to deal with the IRS if and when an audit arises could benefit partnerships from having the IRS select one for them.  The IRS promised that it won’t designate its own employees, agents, or contractors.

A partnership without a designated representative may end up relying on outside legal counsel to contact what could be hundreds of partners to determine the needed tax adjustments. Re-evaluating a partnership agreement that has been working all this time is hard to sort out, but it comes down to the potential cost in legal fees in sorting the issue that could possibly come up down the road.

To discuss your situation under the new audit regime, please contact Wright Ford Young & Co. at (949) 910-2727 or info@cpa-wfy.com

© Copyright 2019. All rights reserved.

Making Large Gifts Now Won’t Harm Estates After 2025

/in , /by

On November 20th, the IRS announced individuals taking advantage of the increased gift and estate tax exclusion amounts in effect from 2018 to 2025 will not be adversely impacted after 2025 when the exclusion amount is scheduled to drop to levels before 2018.

The Treasury Department and the IRS issued proposed regulations which implement changes made by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA).  As a result, individuals planning to make large gifts between 2018 and 2025 can do so without concern that they will lose the tax benefit of the higher exclusion level once it decreases after 2025.

In general, gift and estate taxes are calculated, using a unified rate schedule, on taxable transfers of money, property and other assets. Any tax due is determined after applying a credit – formerly known as the unified credit – based on an applicable exclusion amount.

The applicable exclusion amount is the sum of the basic exclusion amount (BEA) established in the statute, and other elements (if applicable) described in the proposed regulations. The credit is first used during life to offset gift tax and any remaining credit is available to reduce or eliminate estate tax.

The TCJA temporarily increased the BEA from $5 million to $10 million for tax years 2018 through 2025, with both dollar amounts adjusted for inflation. For 2018, the inflation-adjusted BEA is $11.18 million. In 2026, the BEA will revert to the 2017 level of $5 million as adjusted for inflation.

To address concerns that an estate tax could apply to gifts exempt from gift tax by the increased BEA, the proposed regulations provide a special rule that allows the estate to compute its estate tax credit using the higher of the BEA applicable to gifts made during life or the BEA applicable on the date of death.

To discuss more about your gift and estate tax situation, contact WFY’s Estates and Trusts Partners, Marisa Alvarado and Kevin Wiest, at info@cpa-wfy.com or (949) 910-2727.

© Copyright 2018. All rights reserved.