Resources For Employers
COVID-19 RESOURCE CENTER
L. Brent Kolb Named Managing Director of DunlapSLK
DunlapSLK is pleased to announce that L. Brent Kolb, CPA, MT has been named as the firm's new Managing Director. Brent succeeds Dennis Dunlap, who will continue in his role as one of the firm’s Shareholders. Dennis' focus will be on continuing to serve clients while...
President Trump’s tax plan: What proposals are being discussed in Washington?
resident Trump and the Republican Congress plan to act swiftly to make broad changes to the United States — including its federal tax system. Congress is already working on legislation that would extend and expand provisions of the sweeping Tax Cuts and Jobs Act...
The standard business mileage rate increased in 2025
The nationwide price of gas is slightly higher than it was a year ago and the 2025 optional standard mileage rate used to calculate the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business has also gone up. The IRS recently announced that the 2025 cents-per-mile...
DOL’s final rule on overtime eligibility appears doomed
In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced it was rolling out a new final rule on eligibility for overtime pay. The move prompted mixed reactions from observers, much concern among employers and, inevitably, legal challenges from its staunchest...
Federal court rules against DOL’s “white collar” overtime rule
A federal district court judge has struck down the Biden administration’s new rule regarding the salary threshold for determining whether certain employees are exempt from federal overtime pay requirements. The first phase of the rule took effect for most employers in...
Five ways to keep your business running smoothly with accounting efficiency
Managing daily accounting operations with limited time and resources is a common challenge for businesses. Improving efficiency not only alleviates the pressure of an overwhelming task load but also ensures that the most valuable information is available for...
Taxes take center stage in the 2024 presidential campaign
Early voting for the 2024 election has already kicked off in some states, but voters are still seeking additional information on the candidates’ platforms, including their tax proposals. The details can be hard to come by — and additional proposals continue to emerge...
Federal court rejects FTC’s noncompete agreement ban
In April 2024, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved a final rule prohibiting most noncompete agreements with employees. The ban was scheduled to take effect on September 4, 2024, but ran into multiple court challenges. Now the court in one of those cases has...
Is it time to upgrade your business’s accounting software?
By now, just about every company uses some kind of accounting software to track, manage and report its financial transactions. Many businesses end up using several different types of software to handle different accounting-related functions. Others either immediately...
Coordinating Sec. 179 tax deductions with bonus depreciation
Your business should generally maximize current year depreciation write-offs for newly acquired assets. Two federal tax breaks can be a big help in achieving this goal: first-year Section 179 depreciation deductions and first-year bonus depreciation deductions. These...
IRS ramps up compliance enforcement against certain businesses
The Inflation Reduction Act provided the IRS with billions of dollars of additional funding to reduce the so-called “tax gap” between what taxpayers owe and what they actually pay. The tax agency has already launched numerous initiatives aimed at this goal, including...
4 ways businesses can better control cash flow
From the minute they open their doors, business owners are urged to keep a close eye on cash flow. And for good reason — even companies with booming sales can get into serious trouble if they lack the liquidity to compensate employees and pay their bills. Here are...
SECURE 2.0: Which provisions went into effect in 2024?
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) 2.0 Act was signed into law in December 2022, bringing more than 90 changes to retirement plan and tax laws. Many of its provisions are little known and were written to roll out over several years...
DunlapSLK Volunteers at Feed My Starving Children MobilePack
DunlapSLK team members volunteered to hand pack meals at Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) MobilePack event. On May 20 thirty-six of our team members joined teams of other local volunteers to hand-pack meals at the Feed My Starving Children (FMSC) MobilePack event,...
Timelines: 3 ways business owners should look at succession planning
Business owners are rightly urged to develop succession plans so their companies will pass on to the next generation, or another iteration of ownership, in a manner that best ensures continued success. Ideally, the succession plan you develop for your company will...
An overview for employers of the FTC’s new ban on noncompetes
As technology has rapidly evolved, and the value of intellectual property has skyrocketed, so has employers’ use of noncompete agreements. Many different types of organizations have deployed these agreements to prevent employees from taking valuable information and...
Federal regulators expand overtime pay requirements, ban most noncompete agreements
UPDATE: As of July 1, 2024, the DOL final rule is now in effect. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has issued a new final rule regarding the salary threshold for determining whether employees are exempt from federal overtime pay requirements. The threshold is slated...
Business owners, your financial statements are trying to tell you something
Business owners are commonly and rightfully urged to regularly generate financial statements in compliance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). One reason why is external users of financial statements, such as lenders and investors, place greater...
President Biden’s proposed budget highlights his tax agenda
President Biden has released his proposed budget for the 2025 fiscal year, including numerous tax provisions affecting both businesses and individual taxpayers. While most of these provisions have little chance of coming to fruition while the U.S. House of...
Applying for a commercial loan with confidence
Few and far between are businesses that can either launch or grow without an infusion of outside capital. In some cases, that capital comes in the form of a commercial loan from a bank or some other type of lender. If you and your company’s leadership team believe a...
If you didn’t contribute to an IRA last year, there’s still time
If you’re gathering documents to file your 2023 tax return and you’re concerned that your tax bill may be higher than you’d like, there might still be an opportunity to lower it. If you qualify, you can make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA right up...
Independent contractor vs. employee status: The DOL issues new final rule
The U.S. Department of Labor’s (DOL’s) test for determining whether a worker should be classified as an independent contractor or an employee for purposes of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) has been revised several times over the past decade. Now, the DOL...
Update on IRS efforts to combat questionable Employee Retention Credit (ERC) claims
The Employee Retention Credit (ERC) was introduced back when COVID-19 temporarily closed many businesses. The credit provided cash that helped enable struggling businesses to retain employees. Even though the ERC expired for most employers at the end of the third...
The standard business mileage rate goes up slightly in 2024
The optional standard mileage rate used to calculate the deductible cost of operating an automobile for business went up by 1.5 cents per mile in 2024. The IRS announced that the cents-per-mile rate for the business use of a car, van, pickup or panel truck will be 67...
Businesses: Do you have to comply with the new corporate transparency reporting rules?
Your business may have to meet new reporting requirements that took effect on January 1, 2024. Under the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA), enacted in 2021, certain companies will be required to provide information related to their “beneficial owners” — the individuals...
Strategies to cut your company’s 2023 tax bill
On the tax front, 2023 (as of now) has not seen any major legislation. This means fewer tax changes in 2023 than in years past. As always, there is a potential for that to change before the end of the year. As another year ends with interest rates and markets in flux,...
IRS suspends processing of ERC claims
In the face of a flood of illegitimate claims for the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERC), the IRS has imposed an immediate moratorium through at least the end of 2023 on processing new claims for the credit. The reason the IRS cites for the move is the risk of honest...
What’s in the Fiscal Responsibility Act?
President Biden has signed into law the new debt ceiling agreement that he reached with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA). The Fiscal Responsibility Act (FRA) suspends — as opposed to raising — the debt ceiling until 2025, after the next...
President Biden’s proposed budget includes notable tax provisions
President Biden has released his proposed budget for the federal government for the 2024 fiscal year. The budget, which aims to cut the deficit by nearly $3 trillion over 10 years, includes numerous provisions that would affect the tax bills of both individuals and...
U.S. Supreme Court rules against the IRS on critical FBAR issue
The U.S. Supreme Court recently weighed in on an issue regarding a provision of the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) that has split two federal courts of appeal. Its 5-4 ruling in Bittner v. U.S. is welcome news for U.S. residents who “non-willfully” violate the law’s...
Links to Government Resources
U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program Loans FAQs
U.S. Small Business Administration Three-Step Process: SBA Disaster Loans
PA Department of Labor Form UC-1921W Refusal of Suitable Work Notification
PA Employer UC & COVID-19 FAQs
PA Department of Community and Economic Development
US Department of Labor (DOL) Poster for Employers
US Department of Labor (DOL) Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions & Answers
PA Industry Operation Guidance
(Life-Sustaining Businesses)
Bucks Back to Work Small Business Grant
Montgomery County MontCo Strong Small Business Grant Program: Eligible small businesses in Montgomery County can apply for up to $25,000 to help with making rent or mortgage payments, meeting payroll expenses, and covering utility bills.