Archives for Newsletter and Updates

WFY Welcomes New Audit Senior

We are pleased to announce a new Audit Senior who is joining our Audit Department: Robert Caicedo. Welcome to the WFY team! Robert Caicedo Robert Caicedo joined WFY in mid-January as an Audit Senior. In 2013, Robert graduated from UCSD with a Bachelor’s degree in Management Science and Economics.  He continued going to school at night while working in the accounting department of one of his previous jobs to be able to take the CPA exam.  His experience in accounting is mainly ERISA audits, private industry audits, and non-profits. In his free time, Robert likes to mountain bike, play soccer,
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Categories: Company News and Newsletter and Updates.

New COVID Relief Bill Expanded Employee Retention Credit Benefits

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner   The recently enacted stimulus law expands and clarifies the CARES Act Employee Retention Credit (ERTC), key details are as follows: Beginning on January 1, 2021 and through June 30, 2021, the provision: Increases the credit rate from 50% to 70% of qualified wages. Expands eligibility for the credit by reducing the gross receipts decline from 50% to 20% over a prior quarter. Qualified wages are increased from $10,000 in total per employee to $10,000 per quarter per employee. Qualified wage restrictions apply at 500 employees, rather than 100. Removes the 30-day wage
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.

Six New Hires Join WFY

Wright Ford Young & Co. would like to welcome six new hires to our firm. We have Jerry Owens and Andrew Campos joining our Audit Department; Shannon Zhu, David Pak, and Renee Qiu joining our Tax Department; and Kirsten Capps joining our administrative team. We are pleased to welcome these new hires to our WFY team. Jerry Owens In January, Jerry Owens joined WFY in our Audit Department as Audit Staff. He recently graduated from Cal Baptist with a Masters of Science degree in Accounting. Before his position as Audit Staff, he worked at a company in logistics while completing
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Categories: Company News and Newsletter and Updates.

2021 Payroll Tax and Standard Auto Mileage Rate Changes

Bonnie Thompson   Beginning January 1, 2021, the following changes go into effect for the withholding of payroll taxes and reimbursement of auto mileage. SOCIAL SECURITY The wage base for withholding social security tax has increased to $142,800. The social security tax rate will be 6.2% for both employers and employees for a maximum expense of $8,853.60  For Medicare, the rate is still 1.45% each for employers and employees with no limit this year. Continuing in 2021, employees earning in excess of $200,000 will be subject to a mandatory additional 0.9% medicare tax withholding regardless of their individual tax filing
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.

New COVID Relief Bill Signed Into Law

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner   The House and Senate passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (CAA, 2021) which is expected to be signed into law by the President. The CAA, 2021 bill includes the renewal and expansion of popular provisions in earlier COVID relief bills with the significant provisions summarized as follows: Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) forgivable loan expenses allowed as a tax deduction (overriding IRS ruling disallowing the deduction). Uncertainty remains whether California and other states will conform. Reopen PPP for first time borrowers who have not yet applied or who previously withdrew their application. Second
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.

New California Sales Tax Relief Announced for Small Businesses

Ryan Working, CPA, MST Tax Director   Back in April 2020, the Governor allowed taxpayers to apply for sales tax penalty and interest relief for 90 days for any taxpayer reporting less than $1 million in sales on their sales tax return. The Governor has now directed the California Department of Tax and Fee administration (CDTFA) to provide additional and expanded temporary tax relief for eligible small businesses impacted by COVID-19.   This temporary relief includes the following: Automatic three-month sales tax extension for taxpayers filing less than $1 million in sales tax. Interest and penalties will not accrue on the
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.

Applying and Qualifying for CA Small Business Hiring Tax Credit

Cameron Lee Tax Staff   Applications have recently opened on December 1st, 2020 to apply for California’s small business hiring tax credit. This past September, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 1447 allowing qualifying small business owners to claim a $1,000 credit for each net increase in monthly average employees. Each employer is limited to no more than $100,000 total credit under this program. In order to qualify for the credit, taxpayers must meet the following: Have 100 or fewer employees on December 31, 2019 (all employees, including part-time employees). Have experienced a 50% decrease in gross receipts from April to
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.

CA Proposition 19 and the Qualified Personal Residence Trust

Nancy Van Lanen, CTFA, EA Estate & Trust Director   The recently passed Proposition 19 in California provides expanded property tax benefits by allowing homeowners who are disabled, over 55 years of age, or whose homes were damaged in wildfire or other natural disasters, to transfer their property tax base value to a replacement residence of any value anywhere in the state.   This new law becomes effective on April 1, 2021. However, Proposition 19 limits the availability of the parent-child exclusion for purposes of real estate tax assessments.  It now requires inherited homes that are not used by the child
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.

WFY Welcomes New E&T Director

Wright Ford Young & Co. would like to introduce the newest addition to our firm. Nancy Van Lanen comes to WFY as our new Estate & Trust Director. We are pleased to welcome her to the WFY team. Nancy Van Lanen In November, Nancy Van Lanen started with WFY as the Estate & Trust Director. She has over 20 years of working in tax and accounting especially in Estate and Trust. She specializes in high net worth individuals, trusts, estates, and gift tax work. When she’s out of the office, she enjoys many outdoor activities with her family.   Interested
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Categories: Newsletter and Updates.

PPP Loan Forgiveness Taxability in 2020

Richard A. Huffman, CPA, MST Tax Partner Tony Maldonado, CPA Tax Senior   While the current law states forgiven Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans are tax-free, the Internal Revenue Service previously issued guidance stating that the qualifying expenses paid with the forgiven loan funds are nondeductible for income tax purposes.  There has been uncertainty as to whether the qualifying expenses would be non-tax deductible when paid in 2020 or when the loan is forgiven which could go into 2021. The IRS just recently released awaited guidance stating if your business received a PPP loan and there is a reasonable expectation
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Categories: Industry News and Newsletter and Updates.