News

Kemper CPA Group is pleased to announce that we have again been recognized as one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 CPA firms in the nation. Kemper CPA Group was ranked No. 91 in the publication’s annual ranking of accounting firms by net revenue, up from No. 94 in 2021.

In late January, a survey entitled “Audit Committee Practices Report: Common Threads Across Audit Committees” was published by Deloitte and the Center for Audit Quality, an affiliate of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. The survey analyzed 246 responses, including 86% of respondents who served on audit committees of public companies. Here are some key findings from that survey.

The IRS has announced additional relief for pass-through entities required to file two new tax forms — Schedules K-2 and K-3 — for the 2021 tax year. Certain domestic partnerships and S corporations won’t be required to file the schedules, which are intended to make it easier for partners and shareholders to find information related to “items of international tax relevance” that they need to file their own returns.

One goal of estate planning is to avoid or minimize probate. This is particularly important if you own real estate in more than one state. Why? Because each piece of real estate titled in your name must go through probate in the state where the property is located.

The credit for increasing research activities, often referred to as the research and development (R&D) credit, is a valuable tax break available to eligible businesses. Claiming the credit involves complex calculations, which we can take care of for you. But in addition to the credit itself, be aware that the credit also has two features that are especially favorable to small businesses:

According to blockchain data company Chainalysis, cryptocurrency transactions associated with illegal activity topped $14 billion in 2021. That’s almost double 2020 numbers — and the momentum shows no signs of slowing. In addition to outright cryptocurrency theft, these crimes include investment fraud and ransomware scams that affect businesses.

If you’re concerned about the impact of transfer taxes on your gifts, consider making "net gifts" to your loved ones. A net gift is simply a gift for which the recipient agrees to pay the gift tax, thereby reducing the value of the gift for tax purposes. It may also be possible to reduce its value further through the "net, net gift" technique.

Spring is the time of year that calendar-year-end businesses issue financial statements and prepare tax returns. This year, take your financial data beyond compliance. Here’s how financial statements can be used to be proactive, not reactive, to changes in the marketplace.

Do you want to withdraw cash from your closely held corporation at a minimum tax cost? The simplest way is to distribute cash as a dividend. However, a dividend distribution isn’t tax-efficient since it’s taxable to you to the extent of your corporation’s “earnings and profits.” It’s also not deductible by the corporation.

Footnotes appear at the end of a company's audited financial statements. These disclosures provide insight into account balances, accounting practices and potential risk factors — knowledge that’s vital to making well-informed lending and investing decisions. Here are examples of key risk factors that you might unearth by reading between the lines in a company's footnotes.

If you’re in business for yourself as a sole proprietor, or you’re planning to start a business, you need to know about the tax aspects of your venture. Here are eight important issues to consider:

April 18, 2022, is the deadline for filing your federal income tax return. Keep in mind that the gift tax return deadline is on the very same date. So, if you made large gifts to family members or heirs last year, it’s important to determine whether you’re required to file Form 709.