Resource Search

Much has been written comparing the administrative, financial, and programmatic criteria of private foundations and donor advised funds. It is often presented as an “either/or” choice. It’s important to know that the two can be used in tandem to achieve complementary goals of families and other donors. Some examples are illustrated to show how it can be done.

Every year during tax season the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) releases the “Dirty Dozen” list of tax scams. With the increased number of data breaches, it is important to remain vigilant when sharing your personal data and responding to demands for tax payments. Here are some tips to help you avoid tax scams and identity theft.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act was signed into law in December and made sweeping changes to many laws affecting tax-exempt organizations. Several changes combined to eliminate the tax incentive for many taxpayers to make charitable contributions. With anticipated declines in contributions, charities may be looking for more creative sources of fundraising to sustain their operations, such as advertising online and in publications, promoting or hosting events with for-profit companies, selling products, engaging in restaurant nights, or providing consulting or other services.

No matter where your business is located or operating, if your company suffers a data breach you may have legal compliance and reporting obligations or face possible fines and lawsuits. With legislation passing in South Dakota and Alabama at the beginning of April 2018, all 50 states now have data breach notification laws that businesses are required to follow should their data be breached. And failure to understand the nuances contained in each law could be costly.

It is not uncommon for a related or “friendly” party to desire to make a loan at a lower interest rate than what is available in an arms-length transaction on the open market. This is often the case when loans are made between relatives, business owners and their businesses, and employers and their employees. However, if the lender does not charge enough interest, the transaction may give rise to unforeseen and unintended tax liabilities.

After the stress of planning for next steps following high school graduation, including the college application process or other life planning, many parents feel as though they are “done.” But many families are not aware of important legal issues that affect their 18-21 year olds, including those who will be entering college, taking a gap year, entering the military, or pursuing other career opportunities. A few measures taken by parents and young adults can help avoid potential problems.

For centuries, corporate and consumer lending has followed a traditional model in which financial institutions act as centralized counterparties, making loans funded by deposits. Around 2006, this model was turned on its head by a new breed of fintech companies leveraging the network effect of the internet to directly connect lenders with borrowers. Today the marketplace lending model is evolving into a new phase, as institutional investors are increasingly allocating capital to marketplace loans in search of higher yield and diversification.

Since the age of 14, Angus McRae had been the sole caretaker of the Markham family lodge and its surrounding 800 acres, where the Markham family connected and bonded. The original Markham brothers had bought the property in rural Quebec Province from Angus’ forebears who were the first people to settle the area. Five generations of the Markham family had known Angus, and the current generation wanted to honor him by documenting his stories and the history only he knew.

One of the most important elements in portfolio construction is positioning the portfolio properly to allow it to meet personal and investment liquidity needs under various market conditions. Understanding how volatility impacts cash management—including reviewing cash flow sources and uses typically contained in liquidity planning—is critical in building a solid framework for your investment portfolio.

Family office investment vehicles often are organized as limited partnerships or LLCs treated as partnerships for federal income tax purposes. Typically, the manager of such a partnership receives an interest in the partnership’s profits (a carried interest) in connection with the management services, in addition to management fees paid by the partnership. With the new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the tax treatment of such carried interests and management fees have changed.