Accounting

Could your organization be the next victim of fraud in an increasingly tense global marketplace? No one wants to believe that their trusted employees would steal assets or manipulate financial information for criminal purposes. But fraud is more common — and costly — than you might think, especially for smaller organizations.

A new study sheds light on some eye-opening statistics about fraud in the workplace, along with ways to prevent and detect occupational fraud scams.

College is a major investment. But, if campuses remain shuttered in the fall due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, will your student get his or her money’s worth from virtual classes? Though universities may provide rebates for unused room and board costs, they’re unlikely to offer discounts on tuition costs if classes remain online.

Businesses across America that have been shut down due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic may now (or soon) have the option to reopen. Since no two businesses are alike — even those in the same industry and location — what makes sense for one company could be a disaster for another. But many questions that business owners are asking could be applicable to all organizations. Here are 10 questions to keep in mind as you decide whether and how to open up.

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has caused difficulties for millions of businesses — from family-owned restaurants and niche manufacturers to multinational airlines and oil companies. As the economy slowly reopens across the country, old ways of doing things clearly won’t work for most business operations.

Even while conditions in some states have improved enough to allow some workers in exile to begin returning to their workplaces, life isn’t likely to return to normal for a long while, thanks to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis.

Few businesses have been left unscathed by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Unfortunately, many have been mortally wounded. Some may be living on life support thanks to financial help from the government, but their long-term survival is in doubt. That may not be inevitable, however, particularly for businesses that are proactive.

The $2.2 trillion Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act delivers good news to individuals and businesses, including valuable tax-relief measures. Some of that tax relief is retroactive. These provisions can affect 2018 and 2019 returns that have already been filed. One retroactive provision can, in some cases, go all the way back to 2013. Some taxpayers that file amended returns may receive a tax refund from prior years.

Until recently, the number one concern for many employers was finding and retaining top talent. Today, to fight the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), many of those same companies are being forced to shed workers en masse. If you haven’t yet pared down your workforce or need to do some more trimming, what are your options? How you carry out a workforce reduction — and how you maintain contact after the cutbacks — can either engender loyalty and keep employees wanting to come back, or it can send them away feeling disgruntled.  

With much of the country currently on lockdown due to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, many nonessential businesses have been shuttered. As a result, millions of small business owners find themselves on the brink of financial disaster. For those with business interruption insurance policies in place, now may seem like the ideal time to submit a claim.

However, as it stands currently, there’s much disagreement regarding whether business interruption insurance policies should cover the loss of income triggered by the pandemic.

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has shut down many sectors of the U.S. economy, causing widespread job losses. Over 10 million Americans applied for unemployment benefits in March, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. And far more claims are expected in April. Some economists predict that the unemployment rate could rise to Depression-era levels of 10% to 15% before the crisis ends (compared to 3.5% in February 2020).