In early March, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), the fourth economic relief package passed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. It contains several provisions to help families, businesses, and local governments deal with the resulting challenges, including a $350B State and Local Fiscal Recovery Fund, $10B Capital Projects Fund, $21B for emergency rental assistance, and expansion of the Employee Retention Credit.

While many sectors have started to recover from the devastating blow brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, it appears that the construction industry is still struggling. The details of how this is happening are outlined in the March 2021 AGC Coronavirus Survey, published by the Associated General Contractors of America.

Audits are a necessary but sometimes disruptive part of running your business or nonprofit organization.  Meeting with your auditor, gathering documents, and scheduling time for the auditor to do their fieldwork all have to be considered.  Here are some tips to help make your audit more efficient, saving everyone time, money, and stress.

Much of the attention around the recently announced American Jobs Plan (Plan) has focused on how the federal government intends to pay the massive $2.3T price tag. As outlined in the plan, corporate taxes would be increased to 28%, enforcement activities expanded, and several new taxes on large companies would also be implemented. This has shifted attention away from the legislation’s purpose: to upgrade, repair, and bolster the nation’s physical and digital infrastructure

For New Jersey and Pennsylvania-area businesses substantially affected by COVID-19, the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) has been a valuable incentive to keep employees on the payroll. Since it was introduced in March 2020 as part of the CARES Act, the ERC has undergone several modifications and extensions, including those made in the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Tax Relief Act of 2020 (Relief Act) and again in March 2021 under the American Rescue Plan Act.

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA), signed into law on March 11, 2021, not only contained provisions that affected individuals, businesses, and governmental entities, but it also had implications for accountants in regards to Single Audits.  A Single Audit is an examination of an entity that spends $750,000 or more in governmental assistance per year, through funding such as grants and awards, to ensure that the funds are being spent properly and the entity complies with laws and regulations. 

On April 8, 2021, the IRS issued Notice 2021-25 in conjunction with the Taxpayer Certainty and Disaster Relief Act of 2020.  This Act grants a temporary exception to the 50% deduction limit for businesses on food and beverages provided by restaurants.

On March 31, 2021, the Biden Administration released an overview of The American Jobs Plan (Plan), which broadly outlines a proposed $2T modernization investment in the nation’s transportation, environmental and digital infrastructure and spread over eight fiscal years. The Plan includes fixing highways, upgrading ports, airports, and other transit centers. It calls for the modernization of public buildings, including federal facilities, upgrades to water delivery infrastructure, and revitalization of American manufacturing and innovation.

In New Jersey, nonprofit organizations that reach a specific threshold of the gross revenue received must comply with certain reporting requirements, including the mandatory submission of an audit conducted by an independent certified public accountant.

When the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed into law on March 11, 2021, it included a provision that allows taxpayers that earned less than $150,000 in modified adjusted gross income to exclude up to $10,200 of unemployment compensation claimed in 2020 on their 2020 individual tax returns (up to $20,400 for married couples filing jointly if both received benefits).