Estate planning can be a challenge for many Maine family business owners. Often times, wealth is tied up in their companies, which creates a conflict between the desire to transfer ownership to the next generation and the desire to stay in control. Recapitalizing the business into voting and nonvoting shares is one potential solution, as  Continue Reading »

It happens all the time. Shortly after filing their tax returns, many taxpayers discover a deduction they overlooked or some income that should have been included. You might find yourself needing to change things on your tax return; maybe due to a discovery of a deduction that was overlooked on a federal tax return that has already  Continue Reading »

K.T. v. M.T., 2015 Tex. App., LEXIS 8558 (Aug. 13, 2015) Can a solo practice have commercial goodwill, and how do fair market value and the notion of a covenant not to compete (CNTC) fit into the picture? A recent Texas divorce case raised all of these questions and resulted in a predictable outcome. Non-transferable  Continue Reading »

In divorce cases it’s common for an interest in a closely held business or professional practice to be the marital estate’s most valuable asset. In many states, a valuator may be called upon to distinguish between active appreciation in the business’s value (which is generally subject to division) and passive appreciation (which generally isn’t) when the  Continue Reading »

Under the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015, many tax breaks have been retroactively expanded for 2015 and beyond, and in some cases been made permanent. Now that the new law has settled, individuals and small business owners can plan ahead with these 10 midyear tax strategies inspired by the recent legislation. 5  Continue Reading »

The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015 locked in favorable depreciation rules for business use of “heavy” SUVs, pickups and vans. You may be able to write off the entire business-use portion of a heavy vehicle’s cost in the first year by taking advantage of these rules. Here’s how it works. Heavy Vehicle  Continue Reading »

This is a useful library of some IRS publications covering issues that can affect businesses and employers. The rules are often complicated and can be difficult to implement. Contact your tax adviser for more information.   Title Publication Number Description Basis of Assets 551 The amount of your investment in property used to figure depreciation,  Continue Reading »

Rowe v. DPI Specialty Foods, 2015 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 110605 (Aug. 19, 2015) Causation confounds even experienced valuators. A common mistake is not to address it at all and risk exclusion under Daubert. But a recent decision presents the opposite situation: an expert who made causation his be-all and end-all and improperly expanded the role  Continue Reading »

In this article we will discuss two appellate court cases that teach valuable lessons that apply when valuing a business interest in divorce. Legal precedent related to the use of expert witnesses and business appraisals in divorce tends to vary from state to state. But it’s important to monitor case law across the country for emerging  Continue Reading »

This election season, there seems to be great deal of disagreement, but there is one thing the majority of voters are agreeing on—95% of voters, regardless of which U.S. presidential candidate they favor, support American-made products. According to the Alliance for American Manufacturing, the vast majority of Americans also favor training programs, trade enforcement, tax incentives  Continue Reading »