Nonprofits have a multitude of compliance standards to juggle, and constructing a comprehensive nonprofit purchasing policy is no exception. Maintaining tax-exempt status requires adherence to very specific behaviors, and written policy should be reviewed periodically to ensure your organization meets or exceeds standards. Under the new procurement standards, all NPOs receiving federal awards must have a written procurement policy that outlines ... more
Big CPA Firm or Local Firm: Which Career Move is Best For You?
After years of late nights, hitting the books to earn your degree while doling out an unfathomable amount of money to pay for that education, you are finally ready for your first career position in accounting. Now what? Perhaps you’ve already passed a couple of parts of your CPA exam and are on your way to being licensed. Or maybe not. Instead, perhaps you prepared a few tax returns or participated in auditing a company while apprenticing at an ... more
Webinar Round-Up: Risk Identification Matrix Unveiled
S. Scott Seamands, partner at Lindquist von Husen & Joyce, LLP, and Julie Goldfine, COO/CFO at Mutual Housing California, revealed a risk identification matrix currently under development by our firm that serves as an information network for financial learning in the nonprofit affordable housing industry. After years of interviews and discussions with CFOs about their approach to risk, we are creating this comprehensive tool designed to help ... more
The Evolution of a CPA’s Career
The skills a CPA needs at the beginning of their career shifts over the years and depends heavily on the path chosen. Let’s a take a look at that shift as a CPA career progresses. Early Stages of a CPA’s Career In the beginning of a CPA’s career, the skills and expertise are developing and growing. It can seem a bit intimidating when you’re just getting started but there’s no need to panic. Just set a few goals to achieve each year and in just ... more
Pandemic Heightens Sustainable Affordable Housing Efforts
Since the PATH Act in 2015, no major federal legislation has come about to address massive shortages in affordable housing across the U.S. While the House and Senate introduced many bills since then, legislation seems to die in committee or across the aisle. Much more legislation is enacted at the state level, but we know that new affordable housing can be a tough sell at the neighborhood level. There is still a public perception that ... more
Five Ways to Add Inspiration to Your Accounting Career
Like anything in life, a career ebbs and flows. You go through stages where you feel invincible and ready to take on the world, but there are also those times where you may feel like you don’t have the same fire as when you started out. These are the times when being creative and proactive can add some fresh inspiration into your accounting career. Connect with a mentor or become a mentor No matter what stage you are at in your career, a mentor ... more
How Affordable Housing Really Happens: Finance + Community
An article last fall in the New York Times demonstrated what billions can and can’t do to bring about more affordable housing in a large metropolitan area. It can’t, for example, convince community groups to allow development in their neighborhoods or local government leaders to support it. Money alone also can’t ensure that a deal is properly structured to support sustainable affordable housing. Citing efforts by tech giants Apple, Google and ... more
FASB Updates Post COVID
As a result of COVID-19 and the disruption it is causing, FASB has issued an Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-05, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) and Leases (ASC 842) Effective Dates for Certain Entities regarding deferral of effective dates for Revenue from Contracts with Customers and Leases. Revenue from Contracts with Customers (ASC 606) According to FASB, “The deferral of the effective date applies to private ... more
Pitfalls of Revenue Recognition for Nonprofits
One of the challenges many not-for-profit organizations face is determining whether or not revenue falls under the category of a contribution or exchange transaction. In some cases, it’s a pretty straight forward determination, but the waters can occasionally become a bit murky. In June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB) issued the Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-08, Clarifying the Scope and the Accounting Guidance ... more
SBA Revises Forms for PPP Loan Forgiveness, Including New EZ Form
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has issued a revised Form 3508, Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan Forgiveness Application. The SBA also released a streamlined PPP Loan Forgiveness Application, Form 3508EZ. The newly issued application forms were needed to address the changes brought upon by the PPP Flexibility Act (PPPFA) of 2020. Form 3508EZ This new three-page form reduces the documentation and calculations required to apply ... more
Webinar Round-Up: PPPFA Forgivable Loan Accounting
Partners S. Scott Seamands and Stanley Woo hosted our quarterly virtual affordable housing roundtable, along with our client Mutual Housing of California. We have hosted these quarterly roundtables since the early 1990’s but in the current environment the roundtables have become virtual meetings. This quarter we outlined the issues related to obtaining loan forgiveness and other aspects of the SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). We also ... more
Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020
The Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (PPPFA) was signed into law on June 5, 2020, to modify certain provisions related to the forgiveness of loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). One change allows recipients of loan forgiveness under PPP to also defer a portion of 2020 payroll taxes, but there are several other modifications. The following chart summarizes the key provisions compared to the original CARES Act ... more
PPP Loan Forgiveness Application and Instructions Now Available
The Small Business Administration (SBA) has finally released the much-anticipated guidance on how borrowers can request forgiveness of their Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Borrowers will file SBA Form 3508, Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application. Form 3508 is an 11-page application with instructions that provide guidance on calculating the amount of loan forgiveness. The application form consists of four components: ... more
CDFI Fund Seeks Comment on Proposed Certification Standards
The Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI Fund) is seeking public comment through August 5, 2020, on proposed changes to the CDFI Certification Application and two additional Certification reports that are intended to improve the process for certifying, evaluating and recertifying CDFIs. CDFIs are certified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to deliver capital and credit to families, businesses and communities ... more
SBA Provides New Safe Harbor for PPP Loans, Extended Repayment Date
Ever since the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act introduced the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) in late March 2020, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) continues to release piecemeal guidance to the public. One major concern for the borrowers is whether they had met the requirement that the loan was necessary, as borrowers not meeting the necessity requirement could be subject to fines and criminal ... more
Affordable Housing FAQ Resource for Multifamily Landlords and Managers
The coronavirus pandemic has created a disruption to the housing market. Many multifamily and affordable housing landlords and managers are seeing missed rent payments as tenants are losing income. Even if tenants are paying there is an uncertainty around whether or not they will be able to continue. In many markets, evictions are not lawful at this time, even for nonpayment of rent. As a result, there are efforts to provide assistance ... more
CARES Act Key Tax Provisions for Individuals and Businesses
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was signed into law on March 27, 2020. The CARES Act is a $2 trillion relief package aimed at providing relief to the American economy in combating the effects of the coronavirus pandemic. While the CARES Act is not a tax relief measure, it does include provisions that center on tax relief to individuals and business owners. Following are some of the more noteworthy tax provisions ... more
Changes to Sec. 163(j) that Impacts LIHTC Partnerships under CARES Act
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) amended Section 163(j) to allow many taxpayers to deduct more business interest expense for taxable years beginning in 2019 and 2020 by increasing the limitation from 30% of Adjusted Taxable Income (ATI) to 50% of ATI. For partnerships, the increase to 50% of ATI applies to years beginning in 2020 only, and not to years beginning in 2019. The LIHTC partnership may elect to not ... more
Changes to Filing of Amended Partnership Returns Under Revenue Procedure 2020-23
On April 8, 2020, the IRS issued Revenue Procedure 2020-23 (Rev. Proc. 2020-23), which allows an eligible partnership to file an amended partnership return for taxable years beginning in 2018 and 2019 using Form 1065, U.S. Return of Partnership Income (Form 1065), with the “Amended Return” box checked, and issue an amended Partner’s Share of Income, Deductions, Credits, etc. (Schedule K-1), to each of its partners. Eligible partnerships are only ... more
Expanded Relief for Tax Filing and Payment Due Dates
The IRS has issued a series of notices (Notice 2020-17, Notice 2020-18 (superseded Notice 2020-17), Notice 2020-20, and Notice 2020-23) in an effort to provide administrative relief to those taxpayers affected by COVID-19. Collectively, these notices extend the filing and payment deadlines to July 15, 2020 for various returns and payments. The latest IRS Notice 2020-23 amplifies the earlier notices and greatly expands the July 15, 2020 ... more
Paycheck Protection Program Part II
The Senate passed a bill of nearly $480 billion on Tuesday afternoon to extend funding for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provide additional funding for hospitals, and expand funding for COVID-19 testing. Some $310 billion is earmarked for the PPP, which last week had exhausted all of the program’s initial $349 billion funding in less than two weeks due to overwhelming demand. The bill now goes to the House, which is expected to vote on ... more
Accounting for Forgivable Loans and Other Revenue
With recent passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, 501(c)3 non-profit organizations and 501(c)19 veterans organizations with 500 or fewer employees (or that meet SBA size industry standards) can apply for emergency relief. Part of that relief comes in the form of potentially forgivable loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration. In our last blog post on revenue recognition, we talked about how to ... more
Pitfalls of Revenue Recognition for Nonprofits
One of the challenges many not-for-profit organizations face is determining whether or not revenue falls under the category of a contribution or exchange transaction. In some cases, it’s a pretty straightforward determination, but the waters can occasionally become a bit murky. In June 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued the Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2018-08, Clarifying the Scope and the Accounting Guidance for ... more
LvHJ’s COVID-19 Update
We hope you and your loved ones are well! It has been an unprecedented week for California. We are all learning how to adjust to our new circumstances; both professionally and personally. In the wake of Governor Newsom's Stay-at-Home order for California, we have had no choice but to further restrict our activities to stay in compliance. Our doors at both 301 Howard St and 111 Pine St will remain closed for an indefinite period and will only ... more
OMB Provides Single Audit Extension Due to COVID-19
The US Office of Management and Budget (OMB) released memorandum M-20-17 on March 19, Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) due to Loss of Operations. This memorandum is addressed to federal awarding agencies and instructs that the federal awarding agencies are authorized to take certain actions, as they deem appropriate and to the extent ... more
Manage Your Partnership Interests: Technical Termination Rules for California
On July 1, 2019, California’s Governor, Gavin Newsom, signed Assembly Bill 91 (A.B. 91) into law. This bill conforms selective tax laws in California to the changes made under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA). These changes impacted technical terminations for partnerships as follows: Repeals the partnership technical termination provision to conform to federal income tax law, as amended by the TCJA, applicable for tax years beginning ... more
Don’t Risk Having Procurement Costs Disallowed
Federal grantee procurement standards, as stipulated in the “Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards,” impose strict requirements on not-for-profits receiving federal funds. These standards have significantly altered nonprofit purchasing policy and documentation. After a lengthy grace period to allow more time for implementation, the requirements became effective in calendar year 2018 or ... more
Affordable Housing Outlook Cites Concern Over IRS Bond Caps
At a recent boot camp for affordable housing accountants, we heard several leaders voice concerns and some optimism for the coming year of affordable housing development finance and legislation. In California and its biggest cities, there are several new laws put forth to support new construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing, but concerns over lack of available land is dampening some optimism. Of biggest concern to CFOs, however, ... more
12 Days of Business Planning Before December 31
Before we know it, the new year will arrive. Rather than make resolutions, use the last few days of the year to take action on tax opportunities and business planning — bringing real benefits and results for your business. Just to make it fun, we have come up with 12 days of year-end planning for your business. These tips may remind you to take action on business items you have ignored or delayed. Add these to your list, or contact LvHJ for ... more
Make your Nonprofit Stand out on National Day of Giving
National Day of Giving is a great opportunity for nonprofits and philanthropic organizations to procure donations before the end of the year. However, it has become a popular day on the calendar and many organizations like yours are looking to benefit from this day created just for them. For 2019, National Day of Giving, also known as Giving Tuesday, falls on December 3rd. Start your planning with these tips to make your nonprofit stand out from ... more