#compliance
Compliance
Navigate regulatory compliance and maintain audit-ready financial records
Section 170(h) Conservation Easements: 40% Penalties, the 2.5x Partnership Limit, and the 6% Court Allowance Rate
Section 170(h) lets landowners deduct the diminution in fair market value caused by a perpetual conservation easement, but syndicated versions now face a 2.5x partnership-basis cap under SECURE 2.0, a 40% gross valuation misstatement penalty, and an average 6% Tax Court allowance rate at trial.
Section 415(c) Annual Additions Limit for 2026: The $72,000 Cap Explained
Section 415(c) caps total 2026 annual additions to a defined contribution plan at $72,000 — covering employee deferrals, employer matches, and after-tax contributions. The math behind the mega backdoor Roth, the catch-up rules that sit outside the cap, and the EPCRS correction order if the limit is blown.
Section 4942 Private Foundation 5% Payout Rule: How Form 990-PF Trustees Calculate Minimum Investment Return, Qualifying Distributions, and Avoid the 30% Initial Excise Tax
Private foundations must distribute 5% of average non-charitable-use assets each year as qualifying distributions or face a 30% initial excise tax under IRC Section 4942. A trustee's working guide to Form 990-PF Part XII, set-asides, five-year carryovers, and the 100% additional tax.
Single Audit Compliance Under 2 CFR Part 200: Why $1 Million in Federal Funds Triggers a SEFA Audit
A practical walkthrough of the Single Audit Act, the new $1 million federal expenditure threshold effective for fiscal years beginning on or after October 1, 2024, the SEFA's role, the four-step risk-based major program selection, the 12 compliance areas auditors test, and the steps nonprofits and local governments should take before crossing the threshold.
The $1 Million Single Audit Trap: Uniform Guidance, SEFA, and How Nonprofits and Governments Pass Federal Compliance
OMB raised the single audit threshold to $1 million in federal expenditures starting October 1, 2024. This guide explains the Subpart F audit under 2 CFR 200, SEFA reporting, four-step major program determination, the 40 and 20 percent coverage rules, and the nine-month Federal Audit Clearinghouse submission deadline for nonprofits and state and local governments.
State Apportionment Formulas for Multistate Businesses: Single Sales Factor, Three-Factor, and Market-Based Sourcing Explained
How U.S. states divide multistate corporate income using single sales factor, three-factor, and market-based sourcing rules — including throwback and throwout traps, P.L. 86-272 limits, and the bookkeeping detail required to file accurately.
State Corporate Income Tax Apportionment in 2026: How Single Sales Factor and Market-Based Sourcing Reshape SaaS Tax Bills
A guide to state corporate income tax apportionment in 2026 — why 34 of 44 corporate-tax states now use single sales factor, how market-based sourcing rules in California, Kansas, and Arkansas shift SaaS and service company tax bills toward customer location, and five strategies to manage the exposure.
The 90-Day Letter: How Small Businesses Challenge IRS Audit Findings Without Paying First
A Statutory Notice of Deficiency gives a small business 90 days to petition the U.S. Tax Court before the IRS assesses additional tax. This guide explains the CP3219A deadline, Form 5564 waiver, S-case election, and the four realistic responses every owner should weigh.
Subpart F Income and Controlled Foreign Corporations: Why U.S. Owners Get Taxed on Foreign Profits Before the Cash Comes Home
Subpart F forces U.S. shareholders of a controlled foreign corporation to recognize foreign profits as current-year income, even when no cash is distributed. This guide covers the 10 percent threshold, the four triggering income categories, Section 958 constructive ownership traps, Form 5471 penalties, and how the 2026 OBBBA rewrite (NCTI, restored 958(b)(4), 40 percent Section 250 deduction) reshapes the rules.
Subpart F Income and CFC Rules: U.S. Tax on Foreign Corporation Profits Under NCTI in 2026
How U.S. shareholders of foreign corporations are taxed on undistributed profits in 2026: the 10 percent threshold, Section 958 constructive ownership, Form 5471 filing duties, and the OBBBA rewrite that replaced GILTI with Net CFC Tested Income (NCTI).
The 2026 WISP Playbook for Tax Pros and Bookkeepers: Building an FTC Safeguards Rule-Compliant Data Security Program Without a CISO
A 2026 guide for solo tax preparers and small bookkeeping firms to build a Written Information Security Plan that satisfies the FTC Safeguards Rule's nine elements, the IRS PTIN attestation, and the 30-day breach notification requirement — using IRS Publication 5708 as the scaffold and a 90-day rollout.
WISP Compliance: Why Every Tax Pro Needs a Written Information Security Plan in 2026
A practical guide to building a Written Information Security Plan that satisfies the FTC Safeguards Rule and IRS Publication 5708 — covering the nine required elements, technical controls like MFA and encryption, penalty exposure up to $46,517 per violation per day, and a six-week roadmap for tax preparers, CPAs, and bookkeepers.