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Returning Value Blog

Marty Williams, CPA

Marty Williams has worked in the accounting profession for 27 years, almost all of which has been at Machen McChesney where he specializes in tax, 1031 exchanges and business advisory services. Industries expertise includes construction, manufacturing, real estate, professional services and healthcare. In addition to firm management, Marty works with business core processes and the Business Tax and Business Advisor Services groups on ways to consistently return value to Machen McChesney clients.

Recent Posts

We May Never See a Better Environment for Transferring Wealth

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Feb 15, 2024

We May Never See a Better Environment for Transferring Wealth … Here’s Why

It may seem that there will always be time to address estate planning. However, a unique opportunity to maximize the amount of wealth that can be tax-efficiently passed to heirs will expire at the end of 2025. Furthermore, legislation could curb lifetime exemption limits even sooner. The opportunity is even more pressing because the current market downturn represents an especially advantageous time to optimize your taxable estate before markets eventually recover.

Full Story

Posted in Retirement & Wealth Management Planning

New Requirement to Cover Long-Term Part-Time Employees in 401(k) Plans Enters into Effect.

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Jan 26, 2024

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement Act of 2019 (SECURE Act of 2019) and the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022 (collectively, SECURE) enacted a new mandate that, starting in 2024, long-term, part-time (LTPT) employees must be allowed to make salary deferrals into their employer’s 401(k) plan.

Full Story

Posted in Business Advisory

Planning Ahead for 2024: Should Your 401(k) Help Employees With Emergencies?

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Sep 05, 2023

The SECURE 2.0 law, enacted last year, contains wide-ranging changes to retirement plans. One provision in the law is that eligible employers will soon be able to provide more help to staff members facing emergencies. This will be done through what the law calls “pension-linked emergency savings accounts.”

Full Story

Posted in Retirement Planning

Selecting a Qualified Auditor for Your Employee Benefit Plan

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Aug 02, 2023

Does your organization offer health care and retirement benefits for its employees? Benefit plans with 100 or more participants are generally required to have their annual reports audited under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA). Here’s some guidance to help plan administrators fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities for hiring independent qualified public accountants to perform audits.

Full Story

Posted in Business Advisory

What's Driving Margin Erosion in Healthcare?

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Jul 12, 2023

Healthcare Has a Margin Erosion Problem

The past few years have significantly destabilized the healthcare industry’s financial footing. According to our 2023 Healthcare CFO Outlook Survey, 60% of healthcare CFOs could not meet the terms of their bond or loan covenants in 2022 — up from 41% in 2021.

Full Story

Posted in Business Advisory

Why Can't My Profitable Business Pay Its Bills?

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Jun 23, 2023

If your profitable business has trouble making ends meet, it’s not alone. Many business owners mistakenly equate profits with cash flow, leading to shortfalls in the checking account. The truth is that there are many reasons these numbers might differ.

Full Story

Posted in Business Advisory

Retirement Saving Options for Your Small Business: Keep It Simple

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Apr 14, 2023

If you’re thinking about setting up a retirement plan for yourself and your employees, but you’re worried about the financial commitment and administrative burdens involved, there are a couple of options to consider. Let’s take a look at a “simplified employee pension” (SEP) or a “savings incentive match plan for employees” (SIMPLE).

Full Story

Posted in Business Advisory

Key Tax Issues in M&A Transactions

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Feb 15, 2023

Merger and acquisition activity dropped dramatically last year due to rising interest rates and a slowing economy. The total value of M&A transactions in North America in 2022 was down 41.4% from 2021, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Full Story

Posted in Business Advisory

New Law Ushers in Major Retirement Changes

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Jan 12, 2023

There's been buzz about new retirement plan provisions for weeks, and now they're final, bringing about changes to various federal rules and adding flexibility for current and future retirees. The Secure 2.0 Act of 2022, part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023, includes the following modifications, some of which are immediate and others that will take effect in the future.

Full Story

Posted in Business Advisory

Intangible Assets: How Must the Costs Incurred Be Capitalized?

Posted by Marty Williams, CPA on Dec 16, 2022

These days, most businesses have some intangible assets. The tax treatment of these assets can be complex.

What makes intangibles so complicated?

Full Story

Posted in Business Tax

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