Business Insights, Research & Perspectives

Opportunity Zones are one of the hottest investment topics in the tax world because they offer not one, not two, but three tax saving opportunities. But is it as easy as just investing in a Qualifying Opportunity Fund? And what happens when an investment partially qualifies for tax benefits? Recent IRS guidance provides insight into these pressing questions.

Software publishers have historically relied on organizations to pay for what the organizations thought they were using. But many publishers are realizing that when left unchecked, most organizations will at some point get out of compliance with their licensing terms. This growing awareness of software license noncompliance raises your risk of having to undergo a software license audit.

Environmental activities can trigger many risks, including increased and different storm events, flooding and sea-level rise. Larger storm events and changes in precipitation amounts and type (rain vs. snow) can greatly affect water supplies, storm-water design and landscaping options for developers. Property owners will want to ensure that risks are properly assessed and mitigated.

Commercial real estate developers are in a prime time to save money on their tax bills. The tax reform law commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) enhanced the bonus depreciation percentage to 100% for qualifying materials placed in service from Sept. 28, 2017 through Dec. 31, 2022.

Nelson Guzman, President and National Physicial Practice Leader, warns that tough times await for those that need medical malpractice insurance.

The challenge with the new lease accounting standard won’t end with the initial adoption. Tracking and monitoring lease data and modifications may mean that traditional approaches to lease management aren’t feasible anymore. Lease accounting software provides a solution, provided you know what to look for in your tool.

We may be a ways off from having anything like the GDPR in the U.S., but support grows for federal privacy protection laws. Companies should brace themselves for potentially stringent data protection requirements. You can help position your organization for new regulations by answering some tough data security questions.

Small business job growth slowed in July, according to the latest CBIZ Small Business Employment Index.

The City of Pittsburgh passed a Paid Sick Days Ordinance in August, 2015.  Local restaurants and businesses challenged the City's authority.  Two lower courts found in favor of the challengers.  However, on July 17, 2019, the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania overruled the lower courts in favor of the City’s right to enforce the ordinance.  This means that Pittsburgh employers will be required to provide a paid sick leave benefit.  In Texas, the City of San Antonio enacted a paid sick leave ordinance about a year ago that was to take effect on August 1, 2019.  A group of San Antonio businesses challenged the City and sought an injunction.  As part of a compromise between the City and the business groups, the implementation date of the ordinance is now delayed.  Meanwhile, the Dallas Earned Paid Sick Time Ordinance is still set to take effect August 1, 2019.

A new law enacted in Nevada provides paid leave “for any purpose”, which bears semblance to the general paid leave program enacted in Maine.  In a nutshell, when the law takes effect on January 1, 2020, eligible employees in Nevada would be entitled to accrue up to 40 hours per benefit year that can be used for “any purpose”.