Implementing the FASB’s Accounting Standards Update The updated accounting standard for leases, released back in 2016, is finally taking effect this year for all organizations, including nonprofits, that haven’t already adopted it. You might be surprised at how many “leases” you have under the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB) Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2016-02, Leases…
Tag: Accounting
3 Tips for Getting Your Budgeting Back on Track
The pandemic has wreaked havoc with many nonprofits’ budgets over the past two years. Some organizations have taken a more permissive approach to budgeting, but they can’t afford to continue it indefinitely. If your nonprofit is in this position, it’s time to buckle down. Here are three tips to help you develop the realistic budgets…
Employee Retention Credit: Get the Credit You Deserve
In response to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CARES Act established the employee retention credit (ERC) to encourage employers — including nonprofits — to keep employees on the payroll. The credit has been expanded and increased for 2021, but it’s also not too late for eligible employers to amend their 2020 employment…
IRS clarifies royalty exception to UBIT
Provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act have brought renewed attention to nonprofits’ potential liability for unrelated business income tax (UBIT). Organizations generally are subject to a 21% tax on unrelated income, but exceptions apply — including one for royalties. Although “royalties” aren’t defined in the U.S tax code or regulations, a recent IRS…
The CARES Act: What’s in it for Nonprofits?
When Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in late March, much attention was paid to Economic Impact Payments for individuals and various types of assistance for businesses. But the 880-page law also contains some assistance that could prove critical to nonprofits as they struggle to deal with the financial impact…
CFOs Deliver Financial Know-how — But Does Your Nonprofit Really Need One?
Some executive directors, board members and others in nonprofit leadership roles may look at the financial side of their organization and muse, “We could do so much better.” You may think you can boost financial performance by hiring a chief financial officer to help “run the show.” But there’s a lot to consider before taking…
Program Service or Supporting Activity? Get Your Expense Allocation Right
The push for more transparency from nonprofits has placed a greater emphasis on how an organization’s expenses break down — in other words, how it uses its resources. In 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) released a new rule that reflects this priority. While the rule has been in effect for almost two years,…
Gifts to Donor-advised Funds Continue to Bloom
Fully understand these popular gifts before acceptance Donor-advised funds (DAFs) are flourishing, at a rate not observed before by fund followers. According to a 2018 report from the National Philanthropic Trust, “For the eighth consecutive year, there was growth in all key metrics: the number of individual donor-advised funds, total grant dollars from them, total…
IRS Issues Guidance for Excise Tax on Executive Compensation
The passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in late 2017 brought several unwelcome developments for nonprofits, including a new excise tax on certain executive compensation. To answer the many questions about the tax, the IRS has issued interim guidance that is largely unfavorable for organizations with highly paid executives or so-called “excess…
Sharpening Your Organization’s Accounting Function
Your nonprofit may be exempt from income tax, but financial and accounting responsibilities still abound: There are budgets to project and results to monitor. There are financial statements to prepare and payroll taxes to collect. And these are only some of the responsibilities that fall under the accounting umbrella. Are these tasks, and others, being…