Recent Articles

Cybersecurity threats proliferating for midsize and smaller businesses

Smaller organizations are targets for hacking and phishing attacks to get information that can harm them or bigger companies they do business with.  This July 2017 Journal of Accountancy publication addresses these increasing threats.

Why would cyberthieves target a company other than the very largest - big enterprises with big payoffs?  It's a question that many small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) ponder, arriving at the wrong answer.

Hackers have SMBs in their crosshairs as much - if not more so - than the world's biggest enterprises.  Here's one reason:  Small companies in the business-to-business space that serve large organizations often connect to the latter's networks and systems.  In effect, the SMB is a potential conduit to the larger company's data assets. 

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Francis Zaharieva and Connor Quinn join Audit & Review Department

Dugan & Lopatka recently welcomed Francis Zaharieva and Connor Quinn to the firm as staff auditors. 

Francis received her Bachelor of Arts in Finance degree from Calvin College and was previously a staff auditor for Castro & Company, an accounting firm in Alexandria, Virginia.  She also served as a staff accountant for the National Rifle Association Foundation and Colonial Parking.

Connor is a 2017 graduate of Aurora University where he received his Bachelor of Science in Accounting degree.  During his college career he served as a public accounting intern for Porte Brown in Elgin and as a corporate tax intern for the metal processing and distribution firm, Ryerson, located in Lisle.  

Their responsibilities as Dugan & Lopatka’s newest members of the Audit & Review Department will include assisting a variety of companies and not-for-profit organizations including religious, educational, and professional associations with their audit requirements and accounting needs.

Summertime tax savers

Summer may be one of the best times to review your taxes, because taking the time now could result in 2017 tax savings. Here are just a few tax-saving ideas to consider.

• If you and your spouse work and are considering sending your children to a summer day camp, the cost may qualify for the dependent care tax credit.
• Do you own a boat or recreational vehicle? As long as the vehicle has sleeping space, a bathroom, and cooking facilities, you may be able to claim it as a second home and deduct the interest payments on your loan.
• If you have vacation/rental property, you can control your tax deductions by changing the number of days you use your vacation home. In planning your vacations, be sure to find out how many days of personal use will lead to the best tax deductions on your property.

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A handy guide to expensing roofing costs

Roof work can be a major project if you own commercial or residential property. Many people incorrectly assume that a substantial roof project should always be capitalized and depreciated. Often times, roofing costs can be 100% deducted in the year the work is completed. This article from a June 22 post in The Tax Advisor nicely lays out factors to evaluate in determining whether your roof work needs to be capitalized or if it can be expensed.

Each year, tax professionals who deal with real estate must evaluate the most recent building expenditures and determine which items should be written off as a repair expense or capitalized. The most common, and often significant, item that is evaluated is roofing-related work. In many cases, only a portion of the roofing system is replaced, and depending on the facts, those costs may be deducted as repairs. When compared to the alternative option of depreciating the cost over a 27.5-year life for residential rental real estate or a 39-year life for commercial real estate under the modified accelerated cost recovery system, an incorrect conclusion may lead to a significant overpayment of tax liability.

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Children, taxes, and their new job

Is your child thinking about taking on a job for extra money this summer? If so, both of you may have questions about taxes. The following are a few tax tips to help you prepare.

For 2017, your child can earn as much as $6,350 and not pay a dime in federal income tax. If your child's earnings won't exceed this amount, consider having the child claim "student–exempt" when completing the "Federal Withholding Allowance Certificate" (Form W-4). As long as your child's total income doesn't exceed the $6,350 limit, he or she may not need to file a 2017 tax return.

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Midyear tax planning more important than ever

Summertime usually makes us think of vacations, backyard barbecues, and general relaxation. Tax planning may not be on the top of your summertime to do list, but this year you may want to consider making time for it.

Major tax reform is being considered in Washington for the first time in thirty years. Current proposals include changes to the tax bracket structure, personal deductions, exemptions, and childcare credits.

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