Summer started early for university campuses across the country. Many closed their campuses well in advance of the end of the semester in efforts to protect students and faculty from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Summer started early for university campuses across the country. Many closed their campuses well in advance of the end of the semester in efforts to protect students and faculty from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Topics: non-for-profit, Non-profits, nonprofit, Mark McCarthy, CCR, Construction, Construction Cost Review, Coronavirus, COVID-19
On March 27, 2020 the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) extended the mandatory 403(b) plan document restatement deadline from March 31, 2020 to June 30, 2020 due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. All organizations that sponsor 403(b) retirement plans must restate their plan documents by this new date using either the IRS’s pre-approved document or an individually designed plan document.
Not-for-profit organizations have an opportunity during the restatement period to align their retirement plan procedures with their written plan documents to help ensure that their retirement plans are following best practices. Changes may need to be made to the operations of the plan, the provisions in the plan documents, or both. The following can help organizations with their review process.
Topics: not-for-profit, IRS, 403(b), NFP, nonprofit, 403(b) Plan Document Restatement, Department of Labor, DOL, Internal Revenue Service, COVID-19, extension, deadline
In response to the financial damage related to the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). Among its other provisions, the CARES Act enhanced lending programs and offerings for not-for-profit organizations, which have particularly been affected by the stay-at-home orders and financial uncertainty caused by the coronavirus disease.
There are several loan programs available that may benefit your organization. We have compiled some frequently asked questions to help capture information on how your not-for-profit can take advantage of the relief provisions.
Topics: Bernard Kaplan, nonprofit, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Main Street Lending Program, Economic Injury Disaster Loan Funding, EIDL, disaster relief, loan
The landscape has shifted for charitable giving. As individuals feel the effect of the Tax Cut and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 on their personal tax situation, charities making requests for donations will need to respond in kind. Development departments are having to adjust their “ask” to meet the challenges brought on by the reduced tax incentive to make charitable gifts. Donors often respond with their hearts and minds when giving to their favorite causes, but financial reality will play an important role when deciding where to spend their limited charitable dollars.
Topics: charitable donations, Amy O’Loughlin, Not-for-Profits, nonprofit, benchmarking, charitable giving, Charitable contribution planning, TCJA, donors, artificial intelligence
Not-for-profit organizations must be vigilant and careful shepherds of their monetary resources. Sometimes sound financial management takes some outside-of-the-box thinking. Not-for-profits do not have the same avenues to offset rising operational costs that for-profits might. They cannot, for example, raise additional revenue through price increases, product or packaging enhancements, or even service line extensions.
Topics: non-for-profit, Non-profits, nonprofit, Mark McCarthy, CCR, Construction, Construction Cost Review
Not-for-profit organizations drew the short end of the stick when the new tax law commonly known as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) made parking expenses incurred on behalf of their employees a taxable increase to unrelated business taxable income (UBTI). Commercial enterprises were equally affected by this law change, but for many not-for-profits, the change comes as a shock. The UBTI inclusions are likely to lead to tax bills at year-end, which is particularly surprising for organizations that historically had no UBTI. Fortunately, the IRS heard the collective pleas for change, and may be remodeling its approach to give not-for-profits some relief.
Topics: not-for-profit, NFP, nonprofit, Tax Reform, TCJA, parking expenses
The countdown to revised ERISA employee benefit plan auditing standards officially began this summer when the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board (ASB) released Statement on Auditing Standards No. 136, Forming an Opinion on Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA (EBP SAS). The new standard takes effect for plan years ending on or after Dec. 15, 2020. Generally, it will affect audits of calendar year 2020 plans subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) that are performed in 2021.
Topics: not-for-profit, NFP, employee benefit plan, nonprofit, Form 5500, ERISA, EBP audit
Several members of the CBIZ and MHM Not-For-Profit Practice attended the AICPA’s not-for-profit conference in Washington D.C. this summer. The annual conference covers hot topics in accounting, tax, and financial advisory, and other industry trends that practitioners and their clients should have on their radar.
Topics: AICPA, not-for-profit, NFP, single audit, nonprofit, liquidity, grant guidance
Alternative investments offer attractive features for employee benefit plan sponsors. Investments in real estate, businesses, and partnerships tend to yield higher rates of return when compared to traditional investment vehicles like stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. But those alternative investments could also come with tax consequences. Plan sponsors may not be aware that their plan investments are generating unrelated business taxable income (UBTI), which could lead to compliance issues.
Topics: tax-exempt, not-for-profit, IRS, UBTI, unrelated business taxable income, NFP, nonprofit, UBIT, Lisa Burke
Not-for-profit organizations, private companies, and smaller reporting companies received welcome news on July 17. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) voted to issue proposals that would delay the effective date for changes to leasing, current expected credit loss (CECL), and hedge accounting. A second proposal would delay accounting for long-term insurance contracts as well.
Topics: not-for-profit, NFP, nonprofit, Leasing, leasing standard