Articles

by Michael D. Koppel, CPA, PFS, CITP, MBAOriginal Article Published in the AICPA “Tax Adviser” Newsletter on December 1, 2013 Worker classification has been a major concern for businesses for many years. Reasons a business would prefer independent contractor status include avoiding the payment of payroll taxes, and eliminating the need of providing employee benefits

by Dana Fortini, SupervisorGray, Gray & Gray, LLP Banks are bending over backward to make life easier for their customers. Extended hours, branches open on weekends, and a host of online banking services all help to save customers time. Among the most innovative and convenient of these new services is the ability to deposit checks

If your company offers its employees Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRA), reimbursed group health plans, or health Flexible Spending Arrangements (FSA), you’ll need to pay careful attention to how these benefits will be treated under the Affordable Health Care Act. Recently the U.S. Department of Labor issued Technical Release 2013-03 to provide guidance on the application of certain

By Michael D. Koppel, CPA, MBA, MSA, PFS, CITP, Tax Advisor Gray, Gray & Gray, LLPAugust 2013 For a number of years, most state tax authorities have “piggybacked” on federal tax laws when it comes to estate and gift tax. It was often easier for the state and less complex for the taxpayer to duplicate

By Michael D. Koppel, CPA, MBA, MSA, PFS, CITPGray, Gray & Gray, LLPAugust 2013 The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), more commonly called “Obamacare,” requires large employers to provide qualified health insurance for their full-time employees. Among other rules, the health insurance which is provided must be affordable for the employee. “Large” employers

Nothing sends a chill up the spine like the words “IRS audit.” That’s why every year we hear from clients who want to know what the odds are that they will be audited. The IRS uses a variety of criteria to decide which returns will receive further scrutiny. Among the most common “red flag” is

Using financial statements to better manage your architectural practiceBy Richard Hirschen, CPAGray, Gray & Gray, LLP There are many ways to measure success in an architectural or engineering practice. Winning important and highly visible projects. Generating a steady flow of RFPs. Working on interesting and exciting designs. Being honored with awards and accolades. But none

By Michael D. Koppel, CPA, MBA, MSA, PFS, CITPGray, Gray & Gray, LLPJune 2013 “The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest.” – Albert EinsteinEvery day we see another statistic that indicates most people have not saved enough to retire comfortably. Many people have simply not paid enough attention to retirement saving and planning until

By Michael D. Koppel, CPA, MBA, MSA, PFS, CITPGray, Gray & Gray, LLPMay 2013 Many insurance companies were originally formed as mutual insurance companies.  Instead of issuing stock the company was, in effect, owned by its policyholders – the people and entities that purchased policies.In the past 15 or so years, approximately 35 insurance companies