H2R CPA Blog

Waiver of Penalties on Accelerated Sales Tax Prepayments

To assist the business community as the Commonwealth responds to the COVID-19 outbreak, the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is waiving penalties for businesses that are required to make Accelerated Sales Tax (AST) prepayments by the deadline of Friday, March 20. Additionally, for April sales tax payments, the department is waiving the AST prepayment requirement and asking … Read more

Federal and State Tax Filing and Payment Deadline Extensions

For the Federal government and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the tax filing deadline and the corresponding payment for 2019 balances due and estimated taxes has been extended to July 15, but other states may or may not follow the July 15 date. This may impact the timing of your tax filing or extension if you do business … Read more

Families First Coronavirus Response Act – Highlights

President Trump has signed into law the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. Among other things, the new law temporarily requires certain employers to provide expanded paid sick and family leave for employees affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Employers’ increased costs will be offset by new tax credits, which also may be available to self-employed … Read more

Tax Relief for Small Businesses – COVID-19

Businesses across the country are being affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19). Fortunately, Congress recently passed a law that provides at least some relief. In a separate development, the IRS has issued guidance allowing taxpayers to defer any amount of federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, until July 15, 2020, without penalties or … Read more

Tax Payment Deadline Extended; Taxes Must Still Be Filed by April 15

Editor’s Note: Although the tax payment deadline has been extended, the April 15 filing deadline remains. The AICPA is pressing for relief on the April 15 filing deadline. The situation will likely continue to evolve and H2R CPA will monitor and evaluate the next steps. The majority of the states will likely follow the direction … Read more

Coronavirus Relief – House Passes Bill, Senate Expected to Act Soon

Several arms of the federal government have taken, or are weighing, significant steps to help the country deal with the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) and the implications for individuals and businesses. On March 14, the U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan 110-page bill that has received support from President Trump and, as … Read more

Electing S Corporation Status – Key Considerations

Operating a business as an S corporation may provide many advantages, including limited liability for owners and no double taxation (at least at the federal level). Self-employed people may also be able to lower their exposure to Social Security and Medicare taxes if they structure their businesses as S corps for federal tax purposes. But … Read more

Tax Law Fixes and Extenders: Uncertainty Continues

Congress has yet to tackle several outstanding uncertainties frustrating both businesses and individual taxpayers. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), for example, contains several “glitches” requiring legislative fixes. Congress also has neglected to pass the traditional “extenders” legislation that retroactively extend certain tax relief provisions that expired at the end of an earlier year, in this case 2017.

Mergers, Acquisitions and Taxes

Merger and acquisition activity has been brisk in recent years. If your business is considering merging with or acquiring another business, it’s important to understand how the transaction will be taxed under current law. Stocks vs. assets From a tax standpoint, a transaction can basically be structured in two ways: 1. Stock (or ownership interest). A … Read more

Updated Overtime Rule Proposed by Department of Labor

The Trump administration has released its long-awaited proposed rule to update the overtime exemptions for so-called white-collar workers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. The rule increases the minimum weekly standard salary level for both regular workers and highly compensated employees (HCEs). It also increases the total annual compensation requirement for HCEs that’s required to … Read more