Access the 2020 Anders Tax Pocket Guide for this year’s corporate and individual tax rates, retirement plan contribution limits and more, including: Estate tax and lifetime gift tax exemption increase to $11,580,000 AMT exemption increase Standard deduction increase View the 2020 Anders Tax Pocket Guide. Contact an Anders advisor to learn how these rates affect you...

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AP Photo/Evan Vucci

• More than a dozen people who may work near President Trump and Vice President Pence have tested positive for the coronavirus this week.
• On Friday, Pence's press secretary Katie Miller tested positive for the virus. Eleven Secret Service agents have also tested positive for COVID-19, along with one of President Trump's valets. Ivanka Trump's assistant has also caught the coronavirus, but that person has been working remotely for weeks. 
• Because the virus spreads easily when people are in close contact, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urges anyone who's been exposed to someone who's caught the coronavirus to stay home for 14 days.
• FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who worked with Miller recently, said he'll stay home for the next two weeks, but the President and Vice President remain out and about. 
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The coronavirus arrived at the White House this week.

Vice President Mike Pence's Press Secretary, Katie Miller, tested positive for the virus on Friday. 

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• The US taught the world public health. Now it's getting schooled.
• New research found coronavirus antibodies in over 99% of recovered patients. Here's what science says about immunity.
• The CDC is warning of potential measles outbreaks as kids miss getting vaccines while in lockdown

AP Photo/John Minchillo

• The Ohio State University will pay $40.9 million to settle lawsuits brought by 162 men who allege a former university team doctor sexually abused them.
• An independent investigation in 2019 found that Dr. Richard Staruss sexually abused at least 177 students during his tenure from 1979 to 1997.
• The investigation found that OSU personnel had knowledge of allegations against Strauss and repeatedly failed to act.
• Strauss died by suicide in California in 2005.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Ohio State University announced on Friday it will pay out $40.9 million as part of a settlement of a combined series of lawsuits brought on by 162 men who said a team doctor who worked at the university for nearly two decades sexually abused them.

"The university of decades ago failed these individuals — our students, alumni and members of the Buckeye community," university President Michael V. Drake said in a statement. "Nothing can undo the wrongs of the past, but we must do what we can today to work toward restorative justice."

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

NOW WATCH: Inside London during COVID-19 lockdown

See Also:

• The best Showtime TV shows of the last decade — and the worst
• Online learning is growing faster than ever — we compared 4 of the top platforms leading the way
• 37 perfect graduation gifts for her — as recommended by a recent college graduate

Netflix

• This week's most popular movies on Netflix include its original thriller "Dangerous Lies" and "Den of Thieves."
• Netflix introduced daily top lists of the most popular titles on the service in February.
• Streaming search engine Reelgood keeps track of the lists and provides Business Insider with a rundown of the week's most popular movies on Netflix every Friday.
• Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Netflix action movie "Extraction" is pacing to be the streaming giant's biggest movie premiere ever, but it was dethroned this week as the service's most popular movie. Another Netflix original, "Dangerous Lies," stole the crown.

Netflix introduced daily top 10 lists of its most viewed movies and TV shows in February (it counts a view if an account watches at least two minutes of a title).

Every week, the streaming search engine Reelgood compiles for Business Insider a list of which movies have been most prominent on Netflix's daily lists that week. On Reelgood, users can browse Netflix's entire movie library and sort by IMDb or Rotten Tomatoes ratings.

This week's list also includes "Den of Thieves," another movie starring Gerard Butler after his "Angel Has Fallen" enjoyed a few weeks on the list.

But the real winner this week is Netflix itself, as five of the seven movies on the list are Netflix originals. 

7. "The Willoughbys" (2020 — Netflix original)

Netflix description: "Four siblings with horribly selfish parents hatch a plan to get rid of them for good and form a perfectly imperfect family of their own."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 89%

What critics said: "Though the film-makers are indebted to Edward Gorey and Lemony Snicket — and pay musical homage to Mark Mothersbaugh's work on The Royal Tenenbaums — they find their own voice, when it counts." — London Evening Standard

6. "Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story" (2020 — Netflix original)

Netflix description: "After 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown is sentenced to life in prison, questions about her past, physiology and the law itself call her guilt into question."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 75%

What critics said: "A moving reflection of what criminal justice reform means in personal terms." — New York Times

5. "Arctic Dogs" (2019)

Netflix description: "When he stumbles upon evil Otto Von Walrus's scheme to melt the Arctic, ambitious delivery fox Swifty assembles a ragtag crew to protect the planet."

Rotten Tomatoes critic score: 13%

What critics said: "There's really not much to recommend about this film: the animation lacks texture, the score is overwrought, the plotting is scattershot, and the character design is uninspired." — AV Club

See Also:

• The top 19 TV shows people have started watching while social distancing, from 'Schitt's Creek' to 'Breaking Bad' and 'Ozark'
• Nicolas Cage will play Joe Exotic of 'Tiger King' in a scripted TV series
• The top 5 TV shows returning in May, from 'Homecoming' to 'Dead to Me'

SEE ALSO: Insiders say major questions hang over DC Universe as its parent company prepares to launch Netflix rival HBO Max

In the US, store closures are at an all-time high. 

Business Insider Intelligence

With 88% of total sales, brick-and-mortar is still the dominant driver of retail spend in the country, but in-store earnings aren't growing fast enough to keep the doors open.

See the rest of the story at Business Insider

See Also:

• The best Showtime TV shows of the last decade — and the worst
• Amazon's ad business looks strong despite the pandemic
• Amazon posts highest e-commerce growth in over three years

More contractors go bankrupt due to cash flow than they do because of profitability. Given the unprecedented events of COVID-19, the construction industry is particularly prone to major cash flow issues that could easily bankrupt your business. During this webinar session we will address critical cash flow considerations. This webinar is co-hosted by NECA and the Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA). The presenter is Michael McLin, Managing Director at Maxim Consulting Group responsible for leading several service line teams within the firm.

The recipients of the 2020 Recognition of Achievement in Safety Excellence and Recognition of Achievement in Zero Injury programs will be posted on the NECA Recognition of Safety Achievement Program website in the near future. There were 159 Recognition of Achievement in Safety Excellence and 90 Recognition of Achievement in Zero Injury winners for 2020. These recipients will each receive plaques commemorating their accomplishment and be recognized during a session at the 10th Annual NSPC in Chicago, IL later this year. Thank you to all the companies that submitted their applications and continue to strive for Safety Excellence and Zero Injuries in the Electrical Industry.

Now October 5-7, 2020 in Chicago, IL

NECA has made the difficult decision based on the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic to postpone the 10th Annual NECA Safety Professionals Conference (NSPC), originally scheduled to take place in May in Scottsdale, AZ. Instead, the conference will run concurrent with the NECA Convention and Trade Show in Chicago, IL, on October 5-7, 2020. Much of the original lineup and all the general sessions remains on the agenda. Please make plans to attend this 10th Annual Celebration of the NSPC. Visit https://www.necasafetyconference.com/ for up to date information. 

The Treasury Department issued additional guidance (#43 on FAQ) on the Paycheck Protection Program. The Treasury department postponed the Safe Harbor repayment deadline to May 14, 2020, as requested by NECA.

With a large salary comes a large tax liability for athletes, and that could be going up following tax reform. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act brought benefits to many individuals, but athletes may notice some negative effects from it.… Read More

The post Tax Reform May Bring Bigger Tax Liability for Athletes appeared first on Anders CPAs.

MLB Spring Training is in full swing, and one of the most buzzed about topics down in Florida this year was Bryce Harper signing the biggest MLB contract in history. With a 13-year contract of $330 million, you can only… Read More

The post Spring Training 2019: New Tax Law Swings Away at Top Earning Players appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Professional gamblers and hobby gamblers are now on the same playing field in the eyes of the IRS. Under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), changes were made to how expenses and losses are deducted against gambling winnings. Previously… Read More

The post Tax Reform for Individuals: Changes in Deducting Gambling Losses appeared first on Anders CPAs.

The new Qualified Business Income (QBI) deduction is an area of tax reform that may affect how some business owners structure their entities. This new deduction puts flow-through businesses on a level playing field with C Corporations. In its simplest… Read More

The post Tax Reform for Businesses: Qualified Business Income Deduction appeared first on Anders CPAs.

There has been a lot of buzz about tax reform changes and how they will affect companies in the coming tax years. Some of these changes include the reduction of the corporate and individual tax rates, the repeal of the… Read More

The post Tax Reform for Businesses: Tax Rates and AMT for C-Corporations appeared first on Anders CPAs.

More manufacturers may be exempt from the Uniform Capitalization (UNICAP) rules following tax reform. The UNICAP rules from Code Section 263A generally require that certain direct and indirect costs associated with real or tangible personal property manufactured by a business… Read More

The post Tax Reform for Manufacturers: UNICAP Exemption Changes appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Manufacturing companies that sell equipment to the federal government or government contractors could be eligible for a tremendous tax benefit. The opportunity can help reduce sales/use taxes paid for consumables purchased in support of such government contracts.
The federal government… Read More

The post How Manufacturers Can Save on Sales/Use Tax for Government Contracts appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Activision Blizzard had a solid Q1, so much so that the company has raised its forecasts for the full year as a result. ...

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is changing the way organizations do business, including not-for-profit organizations. To help you prepare for the changes and take advantage of new benefits, the Anders Not-for-Profit Group has compiled a chart on the most… Read More

The post Tax Reform: Impact on Not-for-Profits appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Anders is continually monitoring the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to determine how it will affect individuals, businesses and organizations. Our tax experts are closely studying the new law and its impact on a variety of industries and created… Read More

The post Tax Reform Resources for Navigating the New Tax Plan appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Many not-for-profits organizations have been concerned about the taxability of parking and transportation benefits as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Fortunately, the IRS recently issued interim guidance around the treatment of these benefits incurred after December… Read More

The post How Not-for-Profits Can Take Advantage of New Guidance on Taxable Parking Benefits by March 31, 2019 appeared first on Anders CPAs.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) significantly changed the tax benefits of donating to your favorite charity starting in 2018. Now that we’ve seen a full year with the new provisions, not-for-profit organizations are taking a look at the… Read More

The post Charitable Giving is Down Following Tax Reform: How Not-for-Profits Should React appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Many not-for-profits organizations have been concerned about the taxability of parking and transportation benefits as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Fortunately, Congress recently moved to repeal the dreaded “parking tax” on fringe benefits, such as free… Read More

The post Unpopular Parking Tax on Not-for-Profits May Be Repealed appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Finnish mobile studio Dazzle Rocks has secured $6.8 million in Series A funding to boost development on its unnamed social sandbox MMO. ...

All over Oakland right now people are wearing Warriors shirts and flying their Warriors flags from their cars, and as much as we like our hometown team here at 99pi, we've been following these NBA finals for another design-related reason. When you watch the games in Toronto the whole stadium is filled with people wearing red raptors jerseys, but every now and then you'll see these little flashes of purple. Those bold fans are wearing one of the most polarizing jerseys in the history of sports. A jersey that we actually did a whole episode about last year. So in honor of the Toronto Raptors, and the beautifully ugly jersey they gave the world, we're gonna rerun that episode for you today, along with an update from our new 99pi team member Chris Berube, a Torontonian and Raptors fan since he was a kid.

The Barney Design Redux

This is the newly updated story of a curvy, kidney-shaped swimming pool born in Northern Europe that had a huge ripple effect on popular culture in Southern California and landscape architecture in Northern California, and then the world. A documentary in three parts with a brand new update about how this episode resulted in a brand new skate park in a very special city.

The Pool and the Stream Redux

In the 1930s, Lester Gaba was designing department store windows and found the old wax mannequins uninspiring. So he designed a new kind of mannequin that was sleek, simple, but conveyed style and personality. As a marketing stunt, he took one of these mannequins everywhere with him and she became a national obsession. “Cynthia” captivated millions and was the subject of a 14-page spread in Life Magazine. Cynthia and the other Gaba Girls changed the look and feel of retail stores.

Mannequin Pixie Dream Girl

Make your mark. Go to radiotopia.fm to donate today.

It was the middle of the night on March 27, 1964. Earlier that evening, the second-biggest earthquake ever measured at the time had hit Anchorage, Alaska. Some houses had been turned completely upside down while others had skidded into the sea. But that brief and catastrophic quake was just the beginning of the story. This is the story of one woman who held a community together.

This is Chance! Redux

Buy Jon Mooallem’s This is Chance!

In general, the coronavirus shutdowns have been terrible for academic research. Trips have been canceled, labs have shut down, and long-running experiments have been interrupted. But there are some researchers for whom the shutdowns have provided a unique opportunity—a whole new data set, a chance to gather new information, or to look at information in a new way. And so, this week, we’re bringing you stories very different academic fields, about researchers who are using this bizarre, tragic moment to learn something new about the world.

The Natural Experiment

On April 30, 2020, the IRS issued guidance to change one of the key benefits related to the tax treatment of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan program. This benefit is that loan proceeds which are forgiven under the program are nontaxable income to the business. With other types of loans, loan forgiveness results in taxable...

The post IRS Provides Guidance on Expenses Funded by PPP Loan Proceeds appeared first on Anders CPA.

Take Action: Tell the Senate to Vote on NECA-Supported Cadillac Tax Repeal!

1. NECA Wins in Year-End Funding Bills

On December 17, 2019, Congress passed two funding bills, H.R. 1158, FY2020 Consolidated National Security Appropriations Package and H.R. 1865, FY2020 Consolidated Domestic and International Assistance Package, both resulting in big wins for NECA contractors.

NECA’s Look Ahead: In addition to ensuring the full operation of the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2020, several of NECA’s top legislative priorities were included:

• Full repeal of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA’s) 40 percent “Cadillac Tax”

• Allowing 529 savings accounts to be used for costs associated with Department of Labor (DOL) registered apprenticeship programs

• Seven-year reauthorization of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Program

• Extension of the National Flood Insurance Program

• Full repeal of health insurance tax (HIT) and the medical device excise tax

• Seven-year authorization of the U.S. Export-Import Bank

• An extension of 179D energy efficiency tax deduction retrospectively from 2017 and prospectively through 2020

• $1 billion for Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants

Summaries of the package can be found below:

Full Package Summary – H.R. 1158

Full Package Summary – H.R. 1865

Division Q – Summary (Revenue Provision Amendment)

2. USMCA Passes the House

On December 19, 2019, the House passed, in a 385 to 41 vote, the NECA-supported United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), H.R. 5430, to replace the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

NECA’s Look Ahead: Now that the USMCA has passed the House, it will move to the Senate. Under the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), the bill procedurally spends up to 15 legislative session days in the Senate Finance Committee. Then, there are up to 15 session days for the Senate to vote on the floor. With Impeachment Articles passed from the House taking precedent, USMCA is unlikely to see a Senate vote any time before late February.

3. Impeachment Update

On December 18, 2019, the House of Representatives took up impeachment procedure and  passed H. Res. 755 – “Impeaching Donald John Trump, President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors” by a vote of  230 – 197, 1 for Article I and by a vote of 229 – 197, 1 for Article II.

NECA’s Look Ahead: It remains unclear when the two articles of impeachment will reach the Senate. When they do arrive to the Senate, it is expected that the Senate will begin the trail immediately.  

1. Congress Passes Legislation to Increase Funding for PPP

On April 23, 2020, the House passed, in a 388 to 5 vote, the Senate Amendment to H.R. 266 – Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act. This legislation reauthorizes the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was passed in the Senate by unanimous consent on April 21, 2020. NECA advocated for additional funding and are confident that this amendment will continue to help NECA contractors keep their employees on payroll during this crisis.

NECA’s Look Ahead: The NECA-supported bill is expected to be signed into law by the President immediately. A detailed section by section summary can be found here. NECA has also compiled some FAQs on this loan program. NECA is continuing to work with congressional leaders on upcoming Phases of COVID-19 response bills. A major Phase IV bill is expected sometime in May.

2. NECA Weighs in on Main Street Lending Program

A group of congressional allies sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Vice Chairman for Supervision of Federal Reserve Board of Governors, Randal Quarles, requesting the inclusion of S corporations, LLCs, and partnerships in utilizing the Main Street lending facilities announced by Treasury and the Federal Reserve. 

NECA’s Look Ahead: The letter was organized in response to a coalition letter, which NECA supported, to Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Texas) on the issue. NECA will update its members once we have received a formal response from the Department of the Treasury.

3. Register Today for the Upcoming Government Affairs Webinar

On May 5, 2020 at 2PM ET, NECA’s Government Affairs team will brief participants on NECA’s requests for Congress in the Phase IV coronavirus response legislation, then participants can take action and send a letter to their Member of Congress requesting help for the electrical construction industry to remain viable during this crisis. Participants will also hear messages from key Members of Congress on the current legislative response to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Register Today! 

Yahoo has announced the launch of Yahoo Livetext, a video texting app with no audio.

Read more on howtoweb.com

Dropbox has filed for an IPO. They will trade under the Nasdaq ticker symbol DBX.

Read more on howtoweb.com

Eidos Montreal's Mary DeMarle chats about art and business of writing Deus Ex: Mankind Divided, a game about conspiracy theories, terrorism, and fear released into a world awash in the same. ...

Valorant executive producer Anna Donlon offers a refreshing take on how toxicity needs to be dealt with in online games, and explores why a perfect solution is so difficult to create. ...

The IRS recently released guidance on the CARES Act employment tax deposit deferral. Below are the highlights of the deferral, including eligibility, timeline and use with other incentives.
Deferral Eligibility
The CARES Act allows employers to defer deposits and payments… Read More

The post IRS Defers Employment Tax Deposits and Payments Through 2020 appeared first on Anders CPAs.

One of the biggest areas of CARES Act that benefits businesses is the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). With big benefits, comes many questions around one detail specifically: loan forgiveness.
Which loan expenses are forgivable?
According to the CARES Act, if… Read More

The post Using PPP Loan Proceeds to Maximize Loan Forgiveness appeared first on Anders CPAs.

With the COVID-19 pandemic impacting businesses across industries, this is an ideal time to look for other ways to find funds to be able to recover quickly and get business back to normal. One way to do that is through… Read More

The post Sales and Use Tax Reviews Provide Opportunity for Businesses to Recover Overpaid Taxes appeared first on Anders CPAs.

Airship is currently seeking a Senior VFX artist to help drive the creation and quality of VFX across the studio on multiple projects. If you have the experience and enjoy working with a focused group of talented and passionate game devs, then we're the place for you!Responsibilities Creation of stylized, hand-crafted 3D VFX for characters, action combat, and supernatural environments Implementation of, and technical setup of all work using Unreal and related tools Troubleshooting work and optimization of effects for performance on multiple platforms (PC and consoles) Collaboration with art leads to collect feedback and iterate on work Collaboration with other disciplines to ensure timelines and coverage across the game Self-regulation of time and resources to keep pace with project needs Oversight on outsource VFX resources, including direction, feedback, and integration Required Experience building 3D VFX in Unreal 5+ years of commercial game development experience At least one notable shipped title, demonstrating the ability to take a project to completion Proficiency with all tools necessary to create (from scratch) stylized, hand-painted 3D VFX assets Knowledge of modern 3D game engines and the tools required to implement VFX in-game, including the creation and use of shaders and/or scripting A demo reel that shows significant relevant work Pluses Shipped titles on PC and consoles Airship is located in sunny, thriving Austin, Texas. If you have experience making games and want to work on compelling, creative multi-platform titles, this might be the place for you.Some of the benefits we offer: Full health benefits including medical, dental and vision Profit sharing Generous PTO 401k plan Relocation packages Plus... Office movie lunches Snacks on snacks on snacks Work on a small team of experienced devs with a lively atmosphere Please note, due to a high volume of applicants we cannot reply to each individually. Only those in consideration for a position will receive a reply. Thank you!

Dun & Bradstreet has created a COVID 19 impact index for businesses.

Members of our small business community have tips for transforming your business in 2020.

Support organizations that can leverage the power of the smartphone in order to transform their contact center can not only gain key insights to help streamline support operations but can also make agents more effective

There is still a lot of speculation around Microsoft's new knowledge management service, Project Cortex

When you try to develop a machine learning application that affects people, you quickly learn that fairness is far more complex than we usually think, and also that fairness almost always requires us to make difficult trade-offs

Understanding natural language processing, common obstacles faced, and methodologies to overcome them

By making the most relevant information shareable and reusable across the organization, AI-infused KM tools can bring an organization closer to the holy grail of frictionless service