Insights

Emerging brands are constantly looking for ways to make their mark on the consumer product industry, but it can be challenging for these businesses to rely strictly on funding from founders, friends and family, and cash flow from operations to increase brand awareness. For the best opportunities for success, emerging brands have to make tough financing decisions to promote company growth. Both debt and equity financing are great options for consumer product brands to raise additional capital. Whether a brand just landed its first national account or is about to launch in major retailers, founders need to assess the pros and cons of each option to determine what is most suitable for their company. 

This is the third in a series of alerts by the Anchin Tax Credits and Incentives Team on the new Economic Opportunity Zones program created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in December of 2017 to encourage and incentivize long term investments in qualified low-income communities nationwide.  The program provides a tax incentive for investors to roll their capital gains into a Qualified Opportunity Fund (QOF), that in turn invests in certain economically distressed communities.

Parents of college-bound children may have a long summer to-do list to get their children ready for school. But amid the family vacations and mile-long shopping lists, parents may also want to think of ways to financially equip their children for college.

As a self-employed small business owner, you have numerous responsibilities on your plate that a salaried employee does not encounter.  One critical but easily overlooked responsibility is to plan for your post-career financial well-being, by establishing, maintaining and funding your own retirement plan. 

Challenges often occur in instances when a minor is designated as beneficiary — or contingent beneficiary — of a life insurance policy or retirement plan. While making a young child the beneficiary of such assets may seem like an excellent way to provide for him or her, in the case of a parent’s untimely death, doing so can have significant undesirable consequences.

Investment partnerships, private equity and real estate funds are tempting targets for cybercriminals thanks to their financial assets, sensitive customer information, and access to institutional counterparts. And the threat is growing quickly. Recent studies report that fifty five percent of limited partners in private equity funds expect a serious cyberattack on their firms within the next five years. How can you keep your fund safe? Let’s take a look at the current threats and latest recommendations from the SEC.

As a result of the federal Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the maximum deduction for state and local income taxes combined with real estate taxes on the federal return will be limited to $10,000 for years beginning in 2018. In an attempt to mitigate the negative consequences of this lost deduction for New Yorkers, the recently passed New York Executive Budget has several provisions that provide potential relief. 

Normally when appreciated business assets such as real estate are sold, tax is owed on the appreciation. But there’s a way to defer this tax: a Section 1031 “like kind” exchange. However, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) reduces the types of property eligible for this favorable tax treatment.

The 2018 Tax Act limits the deduction of business interest, therefore impacting the potential strategic value of being highly leveraged. According to the Act, beginning in years after 12/31/17, businesses will only be able to deduct interest expense up to 30% of its adjusted taxable income, plus its business interest income. 

The new tax law makes significant changes to the way real estate improvements and other business assets are depreciated for tax purposes. Unfortunately, in the rush to pass tax reform before Christmas, critical provisions were omitted, creating a disconnect between what Congress intended and the language of the act.