Blog

April 30 to May 6 is National Small Business Week.  According to Forbes magazine*, small businesses generate nearly three-fifths of net new jobs in the United States, driving a big share of U.S. employment growth.  In total, small businesses employ 58 million, or 47.8 percent of all private-sector employment growth.

It's that time of year!  The weather is changing and school is about to be out for the summer.  That also means it's time for our 2nd annual Summer Leadership Program, SC Summer Summit- coming up on July 19!

by Amy Efroymson

In 2016 Washington voters approved Initiative 1433, which made changes in the state’s minimum wage and paid sick leave policies. As a business owner, or employer, it is imperative that you are in compliance with these new laws as of January 1, 2018.

One of the things Sweeney Conrad is most passionate about is helping the community in which we live. In late 2016, when we rolled out our One Good Deed Deserves Another program, we were excited about the concept and hopeful that it would be a success.  Now nearly a year and a half later, we are excited to announce that our program has made a difference in over 25 different organizations both locally and around the country.

 by Thomas Jones

You know your cryptocurrency trades are reportable, you’ve got your Coinbase report in hand, and you’re bracing yourself to find out how much tax you’ll owe on your 2017 Bitcoin gains.  But are you forgetting something?  Depending on how involved you are in cryptocurrencies, you may also need to file an information report with your return for any coins held in overseas accounts.

In honor of International Women's Day today, we asked Sweeney Conrad women for words that describe what it's like to be a woman in 2018.  Together we came up with a powerful graphic that touches on the many hats we wear, and emotions we experience trying to find balance and success both personally and professionally.  What is a word you would use to describe being a woman?

Left to right: Sakura Mamiya, Josie Parkhurst, Billy Tan, Tim Cotton and Ardian Adili

by Thomas Jones

The IRS just released some helpful tools for employees to plan for 2018 taxes.  Back in January, the IRS provided employers guidance for adjusting income tax withholding based on existing W-4s that employees have on file.  By now, you should already be seeing slightly higher paychecks as a result in the tax decrease.  But that isn’t the tax panacea for all employees.

By Tenly Krakoff

Headed to a Sounders game with a client? Off to a “working lunch” with your team?  Do you provide round-the-clock snacks for your employees during busy seasons? The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act makes some notable, though targeted, changes to one of the common expenses most businesses incur, meals and entertainment. These changes should be kept in mind when you are looking at your meals and entertainment budget for 2018 and beyond.

by Jeff Windus

Many provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act received very little press, but may have a significant impact on your tax liability. One such provision is the new excess business loss limitation rules that will affect individual business owners of pass-through entities (i.e. sole proprietors, partnerships, and S-Corporations) beginning on 1/1/2018.