Timelines: 3 ways business owners should look at succession planning
Business owners are rightly urged to develop succession plans so their companies will pass on to the next generation, or another iteration of ownership, in a manner that best ensures continued success.
Ideally, the succession plan you develop for your company will play out over a long period that allows everyone plenty of time to adjust to the changes involved. But, as many business owners learned during the pandemic, life comes at you fast. That’s why succession planning should best be viewed from three separate but parallel timelines:
1. Long term. If you have many years to work with, use this gift of time to identify one or more talented individuals who share your values and have the aptitude to successfully run the company. This is especially important for keeping a family-owned business in the family.
As soon as you’ve identified a successor, and that person is ready, you can begin mentoring the incoming leader to competently run the company and preserve your legacy. Meanwhile, you can carefully determine how to best fund your retirement and structure your estate plan.
2. Short term. Many business owners wake up one day and realize that they’re almost ready to retire, or move on to another professional endeavor, but they’ve spent little or no time putting together a succession plan. In such a case, you may still be able to choose and train a successor. However, you’ll likely also want to explore alternatives such as selling the company to a competitor or other buyer. Sometimes, even a planned liquidation is the optimal move financially.
In any case, the objective here is less about maintaining the strategic direction of the company and more about ensuring you receive an equitable payout for your ownership share. If you’re a co-owner, drafting a buy-sell agreement is highly advisable. It’s also critical to set a firm departure date and work with a qualified team of professional advisors.
3. In case of emergency. As mentioned, the pandemic brought renewed attention to emergency succession planning. True to its name, this approach emphasizes enabling businesses to maintain operations immediately after unforeseen events such as an owner’s death or disability.
If your company doesn’t yet have an emergency succession plan, you should probably create one before you move on to a longer-term plan. Name someone who can take on a credible leadership role if you become seriously ill or injured. Formulate a plan for communicating and delegating duties during a crisis. Make sure everyone knows about the emergency succession plan and how it will affect day-to-day operations, if executed.
As with any important task, the more time you give yourself to create a succession plan, the fewer mistakes or oversights you’re likely to make. Our firm can help you create or refine a plan that suits your financial needs, personal wishes and vision for your company.
© 2024
Inflation enhances the 2025 amounts for Health Savings Accounts
The IRS recently released guidance providing the 2025 inflation-adjusted amounts for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs). These amounts are adjusted each year, based on inflation, and the adjustments are announced earlier in the year than other inflation-adjusted amounts, which allows employers to get ready for the next year.
Fundamentals of HSAs
An HSA is a trust created or organized exclusively for the purpose of paying the qualified medical expenses of an account beneficiary. An HSA can only be established for the benefit of an eligible individual who is covered under a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). In addition, a participant can’t be enrolled in Medicare or have other health coverage (exceptions include dental, vision, long-term care, accident and specific disease insurance).
Within specified dollar limits, an above-the-line tax deduction is allowed for an individual’s contribution to an HSA. This annual contribution limitation and the annual deductible and out-of-pocket expenses under the tax code are adjusted annually for inflation.
Inflation adjustments for 2025
In Revenue Procedure 2024-25, the IRS released the 2025 inflation-adjusted figures for contributions to HSAs, which are as follows:
Annual contribution limits. For calendar year 2025, the annual contribution limit for an individual with self-only coverage under an HDHP will be $4,300. For an individual with family coverage, the amount will be $8,550. These are up from $4,150 and $8,300, respectively, in 2024.
In addition, for both 2024 and 2025, there’s a $1,000 catch-up contribution amount for those who are age 55 or older by the end of the tax year.
High-deductible health plan limits. For calendar year 2025, an HDHP will be a health plan with an annual deductible that isn’t less than $1,650 for self-only coverage or $3,300 for family coverage (these amounts are $1,600 and $3,200 for 2024). In addition, annual out-of-pocket expenses (deductibles, co-payments and other amounts, but not premiums) won’t be able to exceed $8,300 for self-only coverage or $16,600 for family coverage (up from $8,050 and $16,100, respectively, for 2024).
Heath Reimbursement Arrangements
The IRS also announced an inflation-adjusted amount for Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs). An HRA must receive contributions from an eligible individual (employers can’t contribute). Contributions aren’t included in income, and HRA reimbursements used to pay eligible medical expenses aren’t taxed. In 2025, the maximum amount that may be made newly available for the plan year for an excepted benefit HRA will be $2,150 (up from $2,100 in 2024).
Collect the benefits
There are a variety of benefits to HSAs that employers and employees appreciate. Contributions to the accounts are made on a pre-tax basis. The money can accumulate tax-free year after year and can be withdrawn tax-free to pay for a variety of medical expenses such as doctor visits, prescriptions, chiropractic care and premiums for long-term care insurance. In addition, an HSA is “portable.” It stays with an account holder if he or she changes employers or leaves the workforce. Many employers find it to be a fringe benefit that attracts and retains employees. If you have questions about HSAs at your business, contact us.
© 2024
House rich but cash poor? Consider a reverse mortgage strategy
Are you an older taxpayer who owns a house that has appreciated greatly? At the same time, you may need income. Thankfully, there could be a solution with a tax-saving bonus. It involves taking out a reverse mortgage.
Reverse mortgage basics
With a reverse mortgage, the borrower doesn’t make payments to the lender to pay down the mortgage principal over time. Instead, the reverse happens. The lender makes payments to you and the mortgage principal gets bigger over time. Interest accrues on the reverse mortgage and is added to the loan balance. But you typically don’t have to repay anything until you permanently move out of the home or pass away.
You can receive reverse mortgage proceeds as a lump sum, in installments over a period of time or as line-of-credit withdrawals. So, with a reverse mortgage, you can stay in your home while converting some of the equity into much-needed cash. In contrast, if you sell your highly appreciated residence to raise cash, it could involve relocating and a big tax bill.
Most reverse mortgages are so-called home equity conversion mortgages, or HECMs, which are insured by the federal government. You must be at least 62 years old to be eligible. For 2024, the maximum amount you can borrow with an HECM is a whopping $1,141,825. However, the maximum you can actually borrow depends on the value of your home, your age and the amount of any existing mortgage debt against the property. Reverse mortgage interest rates can be fixed or variable depending on the deal. Interest rates can be higher than for regular home loans, but not a lot higher.
Basis step-up and reverse mortgage to the rescue
An unwelcome side effect of owning a highly appreciated home is that selling your property may trigger a taxable gain well in excess of the federal home sale gain exclusion tax break. The exclusion is up to $250,000 for unmarried individuals ($500,000 for married couples filing jointly). The tax bill from a really big gain can be painful, especially if you live in a state with a personal income tax. If you sell, you lose all the tax money.
Fortunately, taking out a reverse mortgage on your property instead of selling it can help you avoid this tax bill. Plus, you can raise needed cash and take advantage of the tax-saving basis “step-up” rule.
How the basis step-up works. The federal income tax basis of an appreciated capital gain asset owned by a person who dies, including a personal residence, is stepped up to fair market value (FMV) as of the date of the owner’s death.
If your home value stays about the same between your date of death and the date of sale by your heirs, there will be little or no taxable gain — because the sales proceeds will be fully offset (or nearly so) by the stepped-up basis.
The reverse mortgage angle. Holding on to a highly appreciated residence until death can save a ton of taxes thanks to the basis step-up rule. But if you need cash and a place to live, taking out a reverse mortgage may be the answer. The reason is payments to the lender don’t need to be made until you move out or pass away. At that time, the property can be sold and the reverse mortgage balance paid off from the sales proceeds. Any remaining proceeds can go to you or your estate. Meanwhile, you stay in your home.
Consider the options
If you need cash, it has to come from somewhere. If it comes from selling your highly appreciated home, the cost could be a big tax bill. Plus, you must move somewhere. In contrast, if you can raise the cash you need by taking out a reverse mortgage, the only costs are the fees and interest charges. If those are a fraction of the taxes that you could permanently avoid by staying in your home and benefitting from the basis step-up rule, a reverse mortgage may be a tax-smart solution.
© 2024
Why businesses may want to integrate ESG into strategic planning
When business owners and their leadership teams meet to discuss strategic planning, the primary question on the table is usually something along the lines of, “How can we safely grow our company to reach the next level of success?”
That’s certainly a good thing to ask and answer. But in today’s highly transparent world, where businesses can be cast in a negative light by inadvertently failing to see the big picture in any number of ways, there are other things to consider. One of them is the environmental, social and governance (ESG) concept.
3 critical activities
ESG generally refers to how companies handle three critical activities:
- Environmental practices, including the use of energy, production of waste and consumption of resources,
- Social practices, which may include fair labor practices; worker health and safety; diversity, equity and inclusion; and other aspects of your business’s relationships with people, institutions and the community, and
- Governance practices, including business ethics, integrity, openness, transparency, legal compliance, executive compensation, cybersecurity, and product or service quality and safety.
Missteps or miscommunications in these areas could draw public scrutiny or raise compliance issues with regulatory agencies.
Many potential advantages
On the bright side, there may be advantages to integrating robust ESG practices into your strategic planning and daily operations. Doing so, in some cases, could lead to stronger financial performance thanks to benefits such as:
Higher sales. Many customers — particularly younger ones — consider ESG when making purchasing decisions. Some may even be willing to pay more for products or services from businesses with stated ESG policies.
Reduced costs. Focusing on sustainability can help companies identify ways to reduce their energy consumption, streamline their supply chains, eliminate waste and operate more efficiently. Other ESG initiatives may help businesses avoid the costs and bad publicity associated with government intervention and liability concerns, such as product- or service-related lawsuits, discrimination or harassment claims, and boycotts.
Improved access to capital. Clear and demonstrable ESG practices may provide growing companies with access to low-cost capital. Some investors consider ESG when adding businesses to their portfolios. Plus, companies that implement transparent ESG initiatives may be perceived as lower-risk investments.
More success in hiring and retaining employees. As climate change continues to reveal itself and weigh on some people’s minds, certain job candidates may favor companies that can clearly demonstrate sound environmental practices. Once hired, these employees will likely be more inclined to stay loyal to businesses that are addressing the issue.
Other aspects of ESG also speak to the current concerns and values of workers. Many of today’s employees want more than a paycheck. They expect employers to care for their well-being and protect them from threats such as corruption, unethical behavior and cybercriminals. Comprehensive ESG practices may reassure such employees and keep them in the fold.
Your call
Not everyone agrees on ESG’s importance. Precisely how any business handles it, or whether ESG is formally addressed at all, is up to every company’s ownership and leadership team. Again though, as your business engages in strategic planning and looks to the future, considering the impact of ESG-related issues will likely be time well spent.
© 2024
The tax consequences of selling mutual funds
Do you invest in mutual funds or are you interested in putting some money into them? If so, you’re part of a large group. According to the Investment Company Institute, 116 million individual U.S. investors owned mutual funds in 2023. But despite their widespread use, the tax rules involved in selling mutual fund shares can be complex.
Review the basic rules
Let’s say you sell appreciated mutual fund shares that you’ve owned for more than one year. The resulting profit will be a long-term capital gain. As such, the maximum federal income tax rate will be 20%, and you may also owe the 3.8% net investment income tax. However, most taxpayers will pay a tax rate of only 15% and some may even qualify for a 0% tax rate.
When a mutual fund investor sells shares, gain or loss is measured by the difference between the amount realized from the sale and the investor’s basis in the shares. One challenge is that certain mutual fund transactions are treated as sales even though they might not be thought of as such. Another problem may arise in determining your basis for shares sold.
A sale may unknowingly occur
It’s obvious that a sale occurs when an investor redeems all shares in a mutual fund and receives the proceeds. Similarly, a sale occurs if an investor directs the fund to redeem the number of shares necessary for a specific dollar payout.
It’s less obvious that a sale occurs if you’re swapping funds within a fund family. For example, you surrender shares of an income fund for an equal value of shares of the same company’s growth fund. No money changes hands, but this is considered a sale of the income fund shares.
Another example is when investors write checks on their funds. Many mutual funds provide check-writing privileges to their investors. Although it may not seem like it, each time you write a check on your fund account, you’re making a sale of shares.
Figuring the basis of shares
If an investor sells all shares in a mutual fund in a single transaction, determining basis is relatively easy. Simply add the basis of all the shares (the amount of actual cash investments), including commissions or sales charges. Then, add distributions by the fund that were reinvested to acquire additional shares and subtract any distributions that represent a return of capital.
The calculation is more complex if you dispose of only part of your interest in the fund and the shares were acquired at different times for different prices. You can use one of several methods to identify the shares sold and determine your basis:
- First-in, first-out. The basis of the earliest acquired shares is used as the basis for the shares sold. If the share price has been increasing over your ownership period, the older shares are likely to have a lower basis and result in more gain.
- Specific identification. At the time of sale, you specify the shares to sell. For example, “sell 100 of the 200 shares I purchased on June 1, 2020.” You must receive written confirmation of your request from the fund. This method may be used to lower the resulting tax bill by directing the sale of the shares with the highest basis.
- Average basis. The IRS permits you to use the average basis for shares that were acquired at various times and that were left on deposit with the fund or a custodian agent.
As illustrated, mutual fund investing may result in complicated tax situations. We can answer any questions you may have and explain how the rules apply to your situation.
© 2024
4 ways businesses can better control cash flow
From the minute they open their doors, business owners are urged to keep a close eye on cash flow. And for good reason — even companies with booming sales can get into serious trouble if they lack the liquidity to compensate employees and pay their bills. Here are four ways businesses can better control cash flow.
1. Stick with the budget
Although creating and maintaining a detailed annual budget can be tedious and contentious, it’s fundamental to good cash flow management.
Items in your budget should align with your stated strategic goals for the year. If you can’t effectively argue how an item enables a particular goal, question its merit. Doing so will help you avoid unnecessary spending and keep funds available for valid business needs.
Also bear in mind that, for analytical purposes, a budget is useful only if you update it regularly to accurately reflect actual spending. For example, you may have overbudgeted or underbudgeted on some items and, thus, spent more or less than anticipated.
2. Check your statement of cash flows
Most companies should generate financial statements, preferably those that conform to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). Financial statements that comply with GAAP typically have three major parts:
- The income statement,
- The balance sheet, and
- The statement of cash flows.
Naturally, when monitoring cash flow, you’ll want to focus on that last one.
The purpose of this document is to report your business’s net increase or decrease in cash. The statement factors in the cash inflows and outflows of daily operations, asset purchases, sale proceeds, and financing activities. Because it excludes noncash accounting items, you can use it to catch potential cash flow problems.
If you want to get the most from your statement of cash flows, generate one monthly. But quarterly or, at the very least, annual statements can be useful for identifying cash flow trends.
3. Exercise expense management
Maintaining accurate, up-to-date expense records will keep you in a strong position to effectively manage cash flow and strive for profitability. As you review the data, look for ways to reduce day-to-day operating expenses. For example, you may save money by outsourcing areas of the business such as human resources, payroll and benefits management, or information technology support.
If you have inventory, reconsider your approach to its management. Under the “just-in-time” approach, for instance, businesses buy items or materials only when necessary. As a result, your carrying costs for storage, insurance, interest payments and other factors are lowered. This approach isn’t feasible for every company. But if logistical support in your market has improved in recent years, it may be a beneficial option.
4. Mind your timing
At the end of the day, cash flow is all about the timing of revenue coming in and payments going out. Look for ways to stabilize the two.
For instance, conduct credit and reference checks on new customers to validate their payment histories and minimize collection risks. Also, prevent invoicing errors and costly collection delays by maintaining current and accurate customer account data.
Send invoices promptly, using electronic billing methods as much as possible. Establish sound, methodical procedures for following up on past-due accounts. Don’t wait until they’re 60 or 90 days late.
Watch your payables, too. Generally, you shouldn’t pay invoices earlier than required unless offered a discount. As feasible, use your buying power for large-volume or frequent purchases as leverage to negotiate discounts, free or low-cost financing, or extended payment terms.
Go with the flow
Effective cash flow management is something many small to midsize businesses struggle with. But there are ways to put and keep the odds in your favor. For help succeeding at this mission-critical task, contact us.
© 2024
Social Security tax update: How high can it go?
Employees, self-employed individuals and employers all pay Social Security tax, and the amounts can get bigger every year. And yet, many people don’t fully understand the Social Security tax they pay.
If you’re an employee
If you’re an employee, your wages are hit with the 12.4% Social Security tax up to the annual wage ceiling. Half of the Social Security tax bill (6.2%) is withheld from your paychecks. The other half (also 6.2%) is paid by your employer, so you never actually see it. Unless you understand how the Social Security tax works and closely examine your pay statements, you may be blissfully unaware of the size of the tax. It’s potentially a lot!
The Social Security tax wage ceiling for 2024 is $168,600 (up from $160,200 for 2023). If your wages meet or exceed that ceiling, the Social Security tax for 2024 will be $20,906 (12.4% x $168,600). Half of that comes out of your paychecks and your employer pays the other half.
If you’re self employed
Self-employed individuals (sole proprietors, partners and LLC members) know all too well how hard the Social Security tax can hit. That’s because they must pay the entire Social Security tax bill out of their own pockets, based on their net self-employment income. For 2024, the Social Security tax ceiling for net self-employment income is $168,600 (same as the wage ceiling for employees). So, if your net self-employment income for 2024 is $168,600 or more, you’ll pay the maximum $20,906 Social Security tax.
Projected future ceilings
The Social Security tax on your 2024 income is expensive enough, but it could get worse in future years — much worse, according to Social Security Administration (SSA) projections. That’s because the Social Security tax ceiling will continue to go up based on the inflation factor that’s used to determine the increases. In turn, maximum Social Security tax bills for higher earners will go up. The latest SSA projections for Social Security tax ceilings for the next nine years are:
- $174,900 for 2025,
- $181,800 for 2026,
- $188,100 for 2027,
- $195,900 for 2028,
- $204,000 for 2029,
- $213,600 for 2030,
- $222,900 for 2031,
- $232,500 for 2032 and
- $242,700 for 2033.
These projected ceilings are not always accurate (they could be higher or lower). If the projected numbers pan out, the maximum Social Security tax on wages and net self-employment income in 2033 will be $30,095 (12.4% x $242,700).
Your future benefits
Despite what you pay in, you might receive more in Social Security benefits than you pay into the system. An Urban Institute report looked at some average situations. For example, a single man who earned average wages every year of his adult life and retired at age 65 in 2020 would have paid about $466,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes. But he can expect to receive about $640,000 in benefits during retirement. Of course, there are many factors involved and each situation is unique. Plus, these calculations don’t account for the interest the Social Security tax dollars would have earned over the years.
Some people think the government has set up an account with their name on it to hold money to pay their future Social Security benefits. After all, that must be where those Social Security taxes on wages and self-employment income go. Sorry, but this is incorrect. There are no individual accounts — just a promise from the government.
Is the Social Security system financially solid? It’s on shaky ground. Congress has known that for years and has done nothing about it (although there have been many proposals on how to fix things). A Social Security Administration report states that “benefits are now expected to be payable in full on a timely basis until 2037, when the trust fund reserves are projected to become exhausted. At the point where the reserves are used up, continuing taxes are expected to be enough to pay 76% of scheduled benefits.”
The agency adds that “Congress will need to make changes to the scheduled benefits and revenue sources for the program in the future.” These changes could include a higher age to receive full benefits, additional Social Security tax hikes in the form of higher rates, some tax-law revision that effectively implements higher ceilings or a combination of these.
Stay tuned
The Social Security tax paid by many individuals will continue to go up. If you operate a small business, there may be some strategies than can potentially cut your Social Security tax bill. If you’re an employee, you need to take Social Security into account in your financial planning. Contact us for details.
© 2024
How family businesses can solve the compensation puzzle
Every type of company needs to devise a philosophy, strategy and various policies regarding compensation. Family businesses, however, face additional challenges — largely because they employ both family and nonfamily staff.
If your company is family-owned, you’ve probably encountered some puzzling difficulties in this area. The good news is solutions can be found.
Perspectives to consider
Compensation issues in family businesses are often two-pronged because they can arise both 1) within the family and 2) between family and nonfamily employees. Salary inequities among siblings, for example, can breed resentment and fighting. However, simply paying them all the same salary can also create problems if one works harder and contributes more than the others.
Second, family business owners may feel it’s their prerogative to pay working family members more than their nonfamily counterparts — even if they’re performing the same job. Although owners naturally have the best interests of their loved ones at heart, these decisions may inadvertently lower morale among essential nonfamily employees and risk losing them.
Nonfamily staff may tolerate some preferential treatment for family employees, but they could become disgruntled over untenable differences. For instance, nonfamily employees often reach a breaking point when they feel working family members are underperforming and getting away with it, or when they believe family employees are behaving counterproductively or unethically.
Ideas to ponder
Effectively addressing compensation in a family business calls for a clear, objective understanding of the company’s distinctive traits, culture and strategic goals. A healthy dash of creativity helps, too. There’s no one right way of handling the matter. But there are some commonly used strategies that may be helpful in determining compensation for the two major groups involved.
When it comes to family employees, think beyond salary. Many family businesses intentionally keep salaries for these individuals low and make up the difference in equity. Because working family members are generally in the company for the long haul, they’ll receive increasing benefits as their equity shares grow in value. But you also must ensure their compensation is adequate to meet their lifestyle needs and keep up with inflation.
Incentives are usually a key motivator for family employees. You might consider a combination of short-term rewards paid annually to encourage ongoing accomplishments and long-term rewards to keep them driving the business forward.
On the other hand, nonfamily employees typically recognize that their opportunities for advancement and ownership are generally more limited in a family business. So, higher salaries and a strong benefits package can be important to attracting and retaining top talent.
Another way to keep key nonfamily staff satisfied is by giving them significant financial benefits for staying with the company long term. There are various arrangements to consider, including phantom stock or nonqualified deferred compensation plans.
You can do it
If your family business has been operating for a while, overhauling its approach to compensation may seem overwhelming. Just know that there are ways to tackle the challenges objectively and analytically to arrive at an overall strategy that’s reasonable and equitable for everyone. Our firm can help you identify and quantify all the factors involved.
© 2024
What might be ahead as many tax provisions are scheduled to expire?
Buckle up, America: Major tax changes are on the horizon. The reason has to do with tax law and the upcoming elections.
Our current situation
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), which generally took effect in 2018, made sweeping changes. Many of its provisions are set to expire on December 31, 2025.
With this date getting closer each day, you may wonder how your federal tax bill will be affected in 2026. The answer isn’t clear because the outcome of this November’s presidential and congressional elections is expected to affect the fate of many expiring provisions. A new political landscape in Washington could also mean other tax law changes.
Corporate vs. individual taxes
The TCJA cut the maximum corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%. It also lowered rates for individual taxpayers, with the highest tax rate reduced from 39.6% to 37%. But while the individual rate cuts expire in 2025, the law made the corporate tax cut “permanent.” (In other words, there’s no scheduled expiration date. Tax legislation could still change the corporate tax rate.)
In addition to lowering rates, the TCJA revised tax law in many other ways. On the individual side, standard deductions were increased, significantly reducing the number of taxpayers who benefit from itemizing deductions for certain expenses, such as charitable donations and medical costs. (You benefit from itemizing on your federal income tax return only if your total allowable itemized write-offs for the year exceed your standard deduction.)
In addition, through 2025, certain itemized deductions are eliminated. Others are more limited, including those for home mortgage interest and state and local tax (SALT).
For small business owners, one of the most significant changes is the potential expiration of the Section 199A qualified business income (QBI) deduction. This is the write-off for up to 20% of QBI from noncorporate pass-through entities, including S corporations and partnerships, as well as from sole proprietorships.
The expiring provisions will affect many taxpayers’ tax bills in 2026, unless legislation extending them is signed into law.
Possible scenarios
The outcome of the presidential election in less than five months, as well as the balance of power in Congress, will determine the TCJA’s future. Here are four possible scenarios:
- All of the TCJA provisions scheduled to expire will actually expire at the end of 2025.
- All of the TCJA provisions scheduled to expire will be extended past 2025 (or made permanent).
- Some TCJA provisions will be allowed to expire, while others will be extended (or made permanent).
- Some or all of the temporary TCJA provisions will expire — and new laws will be enacted that provide different tax breaks and/or different tax rates.
How your tax bill will be affected in 2026 will partially depend on which one of these scenarios becomes reality and whether your tax bill went down or up when the TCJA became effective back in 2018. That was based on a number of factors including your income, your filing status, where you live (the SALT limitation negatively affects more taxpayers in certain states), and whether you have children or other dependents.
Your tax situation will also be affected by who wins the presidential election and who controls Congress. Democrats and Republicans have competing visions about how to proceed when it comes to taxes. Proposals can become law only if tax legislation passes both houses of Congress and is signed by the President (or there are enough votes in Congress to override a presidential veto).
The tax horizon
As the TCJA provisions get closer to expiring, it’s important to know what might change and what tax-wise moves you can make if the law does change. We’ll keep you informed about what’s ahead. We’re here to answer any questions you may have.
© 2024
Businesses have options for technology leadership positions
To say that technology continues to affect how businesses operate and interact with customers and prospects would be an understatement. According to the Business Software Market Size report issued by market researchers Mordor Intelligence, the global market size for commercial software is projected to reach $650 million this year and $1.10 trillion by 2029.
And that’s just software. Companies must also contend with technological issues such as hardware, skilled labor, strategy and cybersecurity. Just one of the resulting demands that this pressure is putting on businesses is a keen need for tech leadership.
If your company has grown to the point where it could use an executive-level employee with specialized knowledge of and laser focus on technology issues, you have plenty of options.
Positions to consider
Here are some of the most widely used position titles for technology executives:
Chief Information Officer (CIO). This person is typically responsible for managing a company’s internal IT infrastructure and operations. In fact, an easy way to remember the purpose of this position is to replace the word “Information” with “Internal.” A CIO’s job is to oversee the purchase, implementation and proper use of technological systems and products that will maximize the efficiency and productivity of the business.
Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In contrast to a CIO, a CTO focuses on external processes — specifically with customers and vendors. This person usually oversees the development and eventual production of technological products or services that will meet customer needs and increase revenue. The position demands the ability to live on the cutting edge by doing constant research into tech trends while also being highly collaborative with employees and vendors.
Chief Digital Officer (CDO). For some companies, the CIO and/or CTO are so busy with their respective job duties that they’re unable to look very far ahead. This is where a CDO typically comes into play. The primary purpose of this position is to spot new markets, channels or even business models that the company can target, explore and perhaps eventually profit from. So, while a CIO looks internally and a CTO looks externally, a CDO’s gaze is set on a more distant horizon.
Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO). Did you really think you were going to make it through a technology article without reading about AI? Yes, more and more businesses are taking on executives whose primary responsibility is to create the company’s overall AI strategy and ensure it:
- Aligns with the business’s overall strategic goals, and
- Enhances the company’s digital transformation, which many businesses are continuing to undergo as they adapt to new technologies.
CAIOs are also typically responsible for understanding the global and national regulatory environments regarding AI, as well as ensuring the business uses AI ethically.
Big decision
Adding an executive-level position to your company is clearly a big decision. Along with making a sizable outlay for compensation and benefits, you’ll likely spend considerable time and resources on the search and onboarding processes. So be sure to discuss the matter thoroughly with your existing leadership team and professional advisors. Our firm can help you identify and project all the costs involved.
© 2024