It’s no secret that fraud schemes and attempts are becoming increasingly more frequent across the banking industry. More and more, monitoring and detection tools are becoming vital parts of a financial institution’s risk management processes…and it seems that Nacha agrees.

Your businesses may have a choice between using the cash or accrual method of accounting for tax purposes. The cash method often provides significant tax benefits for those that qualify. However, some businesses may be better off using the accrual method. Therefore, you need to evaluate the tax accounting method for your business to ensure that it’s the most beneficial approach.

Many businesses have established employee assistance programs (EAPs) to help their workforces deal with the mental health, substance abuse and financial challenges that have become so widely recognized in modern society.

Navigating the complexities of tax law can be difficult, especially when faced with an unexpected tax bill due to the errors of a spouse or ex-spouse. The reason for such a bill has to do with the concept of “joint and several” liability. When a married couple files a joint tax return, each spouse is liable for the full amount of tax on the couple’s combined income. Therefore, the IRS can come after either spouse to collect the entire tax — not just the part that’s attributed to one spouse or the other. This includes any tax deficiency that the IRS assesses after an audit, as well as any penalties and interest.

For a couple decades or so now, companies have been urged to “get on the cloud” to avail themselves of copious data storage and a wide array of software. But some businesses are learning the hard way that the seemingly sweet deals offered by cloud services providers can turn sour as hoped-for cost savings fail to materialize and dollars left on the table evaporate into thin air.

Federal estimated tax payments are designed to ensure that certain individuals pay their fair share of taxes throughout the year. If you don’t have enough federal tax withheld from your paychecks and other payments, you may have to make estimated tax payments. This is the case if you receive interest, dividends, self-employment income, capital gains, a pension or other income that’s not covered by withholding.

There’s no one-size-fits-all benefits package for today’s businesses. The optimal combination of tax-friendly fringe benefits depends on various factors, including the size and demographics of your workforce. One option to consider, if you haven’t already, is an adoption assistance program.

Most businesses have websites today. Despite their widespread use, the IRS hasn’t issued formal guidance on when website costs can be deducted.

Savings bonds are purchased by many Americans, often as a way to help fund college or show their patriotism. Series EE bonds, which replaced Series E bonds, were first issued in 1980. From 2001 to 2011, they were designated as “Patriot Bonds” as a way for Americans “to express support for our nation’s anti-terrorism efforts,” according to the U.S. Treasury Department.

College football and back to school season are upon us, so that means many families will soon have the daunting task of paying for an upcoming year of college. Thankfully, the Internal Revenue Code provides options that can alleviate some of that stress through the use of qualified tuition programs, also known as 529 plans.