Steve Landsman, of local accounting firm Squar Milner, shares important tips on how business owners can plan for the upcoming tax season. TAX PLANNING FOR BUSINESS OWNERS Bonus Depreciation Put new business equipment and machinery in service before year-end to qualify for the 50% bonus first-year depreciation allowance. Unless Congress acts, this bonus depreciation allowance won’t …
SCD presented an entertaining and informative mock trial presentation that examined a secret off-site romantic relationship between a supervisor and his subordinate. Once the relationship ended badly, the employer was faced with claims of wrongful termination, retaliation, and discrimination. The trial developed into a heated legal battle that included a pretrial motion, opening statements, witness testimony, …
How Much Pregnancy Disability Leave is Enough? The Fair Employment & Housing Act (“FEHA”) prohibits discrimination on a variety of grounds including sex and physical disability. “Sex” is defined to include pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions. FEHA also requires employers to provide reasonable accommodation for an employee’s known disability unless such accommodation would cause an undue …
How the Workforce is Impacted by the APA Expansion of Mental Disorders By Robyn McKibbin, Esq. The American Psychiatric Association (“APA”) recently published the fifth version of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (“DSM-5”). It includes several diagnostic categories not included in prior editions, which means more employees may qualify for protection under …
Many thanks to Patrick Carroll, experienced founder of TCIG Pacific Insurance Services, who was kind enough to provide us with insight on the impact the Affordable Care Act will have on small businesses. The ACA (Federal healthcare reform) will have dramatic effects on small employer group health plans in California. Several major carriers including HealthNet and Blue Shield …
California has amended section 1182 of the Labor Code and raises California’s minimum wage in two $1 increments: from the current $8 per hour to $9 per hour effective July 1, 2014, and from $9 per hour to $10 per hour effective January 1, 2016.