When a business is being valued, sometimes working capital can be overlooked. It is important to remember, however, as it can have a material effect on value. Working capital is defined as the difference between a business’ current assets and current liabilities. If an appraiser is using the income or market approach to determine a  Continue Reading »

After five years of being stuck at $14,000, the annual gift tax exclusion will be $15,000 per recipient for 2018 — its highest point ever. According to the announcement by the IRS, it’s rising due to inflation. Here’s what the recent increase in the exclusion may mean for you, including how annual gift-giving can lower  Continue Reading »

In re OM Group, Inc. Stockholders Litig., 2016 Del. Ch. LEXIS 155 (Oct. 12, 2016.) Shareholders protesting what they considered a rushed sale at a bargain basement price suffered defeat in the Delaware Court of Chancery when the court ruled strong shareholder approval of the proposed merger had taken care of any problematic conduct on  Continue Reading »

You can currently make extra “catch-up” contributions to certain types of tax-favored retirement accounts if you are age 50 or over. Over time, these contributions can make a significant difference in your retirement-age wealth. What about tax reform? After President Trump and other lawmakers stated that they wouldn’t tinker with retirement plan contribution tax breaks,  Continue Reading »

In re Books a Million Stockholders Litig., 2016 Del. Ch. LEXIS 154 (Oct. 10, 2016) The Delaware Court of Chancery dismissed a minority shareholder challenge to a going-private merger, concluding the defendant directors did not act in bad faith when they favored the controlling shareholders’ bid over a third-party buyer’s higher offer. The dispute arose  Continue Reading »

According to the International Glossary of Business Valuation Terms, goodwill is defined as: “That intangible asset arising as a result of name, reputation, customer loyalty, location, products, and similar factors not separately identified.” The remainder of value after subtracting identifiable tangible and intangible assets is goodwill. So when a business is valued under either the  Continue Reading »

Some Maine-based small business may be going through some hard times. Borrowing from payroll taxes that have been withheld from employee paychecks might seem like an easy way to get cash temporarily. Business owners might think they’ll just borrow enough to pay urgent expenses and pay it right back later. That can, however, be a  Continue Reading »

There’s still time to take steps to significantly reduce your Maine business’s 2017 income tax bill and possibly lay the groundwork for tax savings in future years. Here are five year-end tax-saving ideas to consider, along with proposed tax reforms that might affect your tax planning strategies. 1. Juggle Income and Deductible Expenditures If you  Continue Reading »

What happens if you’re the owner of a limited liability company (LLC) that generates tax losses, and you don’t spend a lot of time in the activities of the business? The losses might be classified as passive, and your ability to currently deduct them might be severely restricted by the passive activity loss (PAL) rules.  Continue Reading »

Many Maine-based small business owners know some of the theory behind business valuation, but they might not know all of the procedures involved in the analysis and preparation of a report.  Clients and attorneys who understand how the valuation process works are better equipped to anticipate their experts’ needs and appreciate why valuators need to  Continue Reading »