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With the holidays and flu season just around the corner, many employees will be taking time off from their jobs for both vacations and illnesses. Business owners will need to be aware of the rules surrounding accrual, recognition, and measurement of these absences.

A contingency refers to a condition, situation, or set of circumstances where it is uncertain whether or not a gain or loss will occur in the future. The result of the current condition, situation, or set of circumstances, is unknown until future events occur (or do not occur). Contingencies are different from estimates, even though both involve a level of uncertainty. Calculating depreciation using an estimated useful life or amounts accrued for services received are not contingencies.

One of the most common retirement plan errors is a missed deferral opportunity, or MDO. This occurs when an employer fails to execute an employee’s election to defer amounts to a qualified retirement plan.

On January 12, a final Department of Labor (DOL) rule went into effect that amends the regulations governing the selection of retirement plan investments by fiduciaries under ERISA. Some important changes were made to the Final Rule from the proposed rule that was first issued a year ago.

There are many costs associated with starting and running a business, and determining whether those costs should be capitalized or expensed can provide challenges. Below is a summary of U.S. generally accepted accounting principles related to capitalization of start-up costs and website development costs.

The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement Enhancement (SECURE) Act that was signed into law in late 2019 included a number of provisions designed to expand retirement plan coverage to more employees. One of these provisions requires employers to let certain part-time employees participate in the company’s 401(k) plan starting in 2024.

Last October, new legislation titled Securing a Strong Retirement Act of 2020 was introduced in the House of Representatives. Commonly referred to as the SECURE Act 2.0, this legislation contains a number of provisions designed to increase retirement saving opportunities for Americans as well as ease plan administrative burdens for employers.

In 2019, the AICPA issued Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 136, Forming an Opinion and Report on Financial Statements of Employee Benefit Plans Subject to ERISA. SAS 136 prescribes certain new performance requirements for financial statement audits of ERISA employee benefit plans.

Another requirement of Statement on Auditing Standards (SAS) No. 136 is that auditors cannot release final financial statements until they have received and approved Form 5500. This raises the question: What is the auditor’s responsibility when it comes to reviewing Form 5500?

If an auditor detects discrepancies or deficiencies while performing an employee benefit plan audit, the auditor will communicate these to the plan sponsor in a management letter included with the audit.