Nonprofit Blog

The Department of Labor (DOL) has implemented the first phase of its new Fiduciary Rule, extending the scope of retirement plan fiduciary duties. In part, the Fiduciary Rule aims to mitigate conflicts of interest that arise from financial advisors' recommendations regarding retirement accounts. Because of the sweeping changes the Fiduciary Rule brings to the financial advice industry, it has been the subject of great controversy. The primary provisions of the Fiduciary Rule took effect on June 9, 2017, though certain exemption provisions will take effect on January 1, 2018.

A contractor in a busy urban area was worried. A local electrical subcontractor, with whom he’d worked, had been victimized by fraud. Over a period of years, two employees had been stealing inventory, tools and equipment. The loss had amounted to more than $100,000.

If you have construction equipment that’s sitting idle in your yard, it’s costing you money to store, maintain and insure. Although a certain amount of downtime is inevitable when project workflow varies, you’re wise to look for ways you can put idle assets to profitable use.

They say you can’t predict the future. Technically, that’s true — no one can say, within every minute detail, what will happen tomorrow. But, when it comes to their cash flow, contractors have to at least try.

Every business has some degree of ups and downs during the year. But cash flow fluctuations are much more intense for seasonal businesses. So, if your company defines itself as such, it’s important to optimize your operating cycle to anticipate and minimize shortfalls.

Our recent real estate and construction survey focused primarily on Metro Atlanta, but Georgia’s small towns are getting some attention, too. This year the State Legislature approved House Bill 73, a tax credit created to help revive fading rural towns. Known as the RURAL (Revitalizing Underdeveloped Rural Areas Legislation) bill, the intent behind the incentive is to build new opportunities for rural economic development.

As Georgia and the nation’s economy continues to bounce back from the financial crisis a few years ago, growth in Atlanta and the state is thriving. Natives and newcomers alike have become accustomed to data that tells them people are flocking to the peach state. And the evidence is reflected at every turn; highways are multiplying, cranes are lifting and buildings are gleaming. Needless to say, development in Georgia is one hot topic. 

We often hear and acknowledge that it’s important for an accounting firm to be a business’ “trusted advisor,” but what we're beginning to hear more about is the emerging role of commercial real estate professionals as trusted advisors.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"2911","attributes":{"alt":"","class":"media-image","height":"360","style":"float: right; margin: 15px;","typeof":"foaf:Image","width":"360"}}]]

The future of the restaurant industry will be driven by consumers’ appetite for delivery, experience and speed. 

The following quick reference chart provides a basic outline on how to calculate depreciation on certain improvements, equipment and/or tangible property and discusses what qualifies for bonus and/or Section 179. Further, it provides rules and definitions of qualified leasehold improvements, qualified restaurant property and qualified improvement property.