Association health plans (AHPs) are health benefit policies made available to small employers through a group purchasing arrangement to the benefit of association members and their employees. Last October, the Trump Administration started to develop AHP’s as an alternative for employers to provide health insurance to their workers. Under the previous rules, AHPs were only available  Continue Reading »

Many state legislatures are now in session. One of the major issues that state lawmakers face this year is whether to conform their state income tax systems to the many changes included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Some states are giving consideration to, or have already adopted legislation to address the following key  Continue Reading »

r2 Advisors, LLC v. Equitable Oil Purchasing Co. (In re Red Eagle Oil, Inc.) When the distributor of Exxon-branded fuel ran into financial trouble, it agreed to transfer its rights to supply several retail stores to the defendant in exchange for the latter’s assumption of the debtor’s liability to Exxon. After the debtor filed for  Continue Reading »

The one thing that never changes is that life is always changing. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has made huge changes to the federal income tax rules for individuals. But how will you, your family, and your business be affected? It depends on your specific circumstances. Major life changes, both personal and business,  Continue Reading »

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), enacting in 2010, has been controversial since the start. The latest legal attack raises the question as to whether insurance carriers will continue to be required to issue coverage with individuals no matter their pre-existing medical conditions, and how much pricing flexibility carriers may have based on a covered groups  Continue Reading »

Are your employees having enough money withheld from their regular paychecks? The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) has made a number of significant changes to the tax rules for individuals for 2018 through 2025. Consequently, many taxpayers, in Maine and elsewhere, who previously itemized their deductions are likely to claim the standard deduction starting  Continue Reading »

  A new U.S. Supreme Court ruling paves the way for states such as Maine to require Internet sellers to collect sales tax from consumers — even when they don’t have a physical presence in the state. (South Dakota v. Wayfair, No. 17-494, June 21, 2018) With this ruling, the Court has reversed the long-standing, albeit controversial,  Continue Reading »

Bair v. Bair When appraisers deal with the issue of appreciation of nonmarital property, they often think in terms of “active versus passive.” A Florida divorce case shows that the rigid adoption of this framework may result in an erroneous valuation. Cannot pick and choose: The parties fought over the valuation of the marital portion  Continue Reading »

Summer jobs remain an effective way for kids to learn about fiscal responsibility, save for college or even retirement, and supplement their spending money for the next school year. If you’re a Maine business owner, think about hiring your child or grandchild as a legitimate employee. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) it  Continue Reading »

The widespread belief that pay discrimination is rampant in Maine and across the country, regardless of the underlying facts, is what puts many employers at risk for litigation based on charged of unequal compensation. A recent Pew Research poll found 77% of women agreeing with this statement: “This country needs to continue making changes to give  Continue Reading »