Articles


	Articles Listed below are VLS articles* (Some articles require PDF Reader):

	Ted Collins Shares Tips on Business Valuations in The Business Press Column entitled: "Tips for managing your business value in difficult times" with Eugene E. Valdez It is important for business owners to recognize that valuation is both art and science. A business value largely rests in the eyes of the beholder and given the challenging environment for M&A it just makes sense for an owner to pay some attention to how value might be perceived by a buyer.

	Mary Ann Quay — Head of VLS Tax Practice — Awarded New Credential by the National Association of Estate Planners and Councils By Abigail Stokes Palsma — Knowledge Manager Co-managing Partner of Vicenti, Lloyd and Stutzman LLP, Mary Ann Quay, CPA, MBA, has recently been chosen by the Estate Planning Council of Pomona Valley to receive the designation Accredited Estate Planner, or AEP.

	Ted Collins � Director of our Valuation Group � Confirms Why a Business Needs a Succession Plan in Financial Empowerment Podcast Series Produced by: California Society of CPAs and the CalCPA Institute �An owner really needs to have a well-thought out approach to managing a transition. So having a plan in place increases the odds that the business will continue on into perpetuity�An owner should really take some time in solitude and really consider the �What if�s?� in the context of their business. And, those �What if�s� are: What if I were to die? Or, what if I were to get disabled? Or, what if I just get tired and want to sell the business?� said Collins.

	Ted Collins Shares Insights on Business Valuation in the Inland Empire Business Journal Column entitled: "The Business Doctors" �Business valuation is essentially an appraisal of the business to determine what the fair market value of the business is� When an owner is considering selling, a business valuation can provide good insight into market price and how the company is viewed�Most owners naturally focus their attention on cash flow�but spending more time on understanding the risk in their business is equally critical,� said Collins.

	Royce Stutzman � Chairman of Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman, Leading Advisor of our Valuation Group and President of Exit Transition Strategies � Discusses Whether You Should Sell Your S-Corporation in The Business Press Guest Column by: Royce Stutzman �Should you sell your S-Corporation in 2010? Maybe so. Here�s why. On Feb. 17, 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. An interesting and somewhat strange provision was included which shortens the built-in-gain recognition for S-Corporations for taxable years 2009 and 2010. This creates an opportunity for business owners to sell in 2010 and not be subject to taxes on the related gains,� said Stutzman.

	Ted Collins Discusses How General Market Conditions Impact a Business Valuation By Ted Collins, CPA/ABV, MBA — Director of our Valuation Group �The overall climate has a direct impact on pricing multiples considered by the appraiser. It also impacts discounts for lack of marketability when an appraiser is making a judgment about how long it might take to sell a business in the climate�2009 was a year marked with slow activity in the M&A world. This can be seen in the private equity market for closely held companies,� said Collins.

	Saving Money on Tangible Property Taxes By Danielle Witten, CPA — Senior Manager and Abigail Stokes Palsma Is your business paying too much in property taxes? With some careful attention to definitions and details, business owners can find opportunities to lower the tax on tangible personal property that is paid every year.

	Year End Tax Planning Makes Dollars and Sense By Tim Evans, CPA, MS in Taxation — Senior Manager November 2009 As we approach the end of 2009, spending some time on year end planning could save money on your 2009 income taxes. The key is to strategize effectively to maximize deductions and credits.

	Unique Pairing: Former FBI Agent and Former Riverside DA Partner Together To Investigate Financial Fraud and Find Criminal Activity By Abigail Stokes Palsma San Bernardino County Bar Association, November 2009 Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP joined forces with the law firm of Best Best & Krieger LLP to investigate suspected fraud within a company that began with the suspicions of an astute manager.

	Fraud Zone Defense: An effective anti-fraud program can protect against painful losses By Linda Saddlemire, CPA, CFE, CFF, MBA — Partner, with Abigail Stokes Palsma California Schools, Winter 2009 Linda's column discusses that the occurrence of fraud in the education industry will continue to rise and explains the five essentials for establishing an effective anti-fraud program.

	Roth IRA offers tax benefits By Tim Evans, CPA, MS in Taxation — Senior Manager San Gabriel Valley Tribune, October 11, 2009 Tim's column can help you determine if it makes sense to convert from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA. Tim also talks about the advantages of converting from a non-deductible IRA to a Roth IRA.

	The Insidious Impact of Fraud — How to retro-fit district structure for prevention and detection By Abigail Stokes Palsma, Communications Specialist, VLS Fraud Solutions California Special Districts Alliance, July-August 2009 Let's set the record straight. Fraud is occurring in special districts. Are you burying your head in the sand, assuming that your district is safe?

	Tracking fraud San Gabriel Valley Tribune, June 12, 2009 Mention forensics and most people think of the hit TV series "CSI." But in the corporate world, many of the same principles used in police work are being applied to tracking financial abuse at companies, both large and small.

	Estate Tax Proposed Legislation On January 9, 2009, Representative Pomeroy introduced estate tax legislation called "Certain Estate Tax Relief Act of 2009 (HR 436). Depending on how you look at it, the bill has good and bad news.

	Your Antifraud Program, Will It Pass the Test? Based on the new auditing standard, SAS 99-Consideration of Fraud in a Financial Statement Audit, your auditor is now required to assess your Antifraud program. The new auditing standard, which is part of the AICPA's new antifraud and corpoarate responsibility program, does a good job of telling the CPA's what they should be doing during an audit to consider the risk of material misstatement to the financial statements due to fraud, but what about management's role?

	Auditing Standards No. 102 - 114: A Client Update on Recently Issued Auditing Standards Since the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX), auditing has become a more heavily regulated industry. Even though SOX primarily impacted public companies, there has been a significant "trickle down" effect for all organizations both large and small resulting in major changes in auditing standards.

	Size doesn't always matter - Companies of all sizes can be affected by fraud The high-profile corporate fraud cases of Enron, Tyco and WorldCom made front page news. However, it is not just large conglomerates that are susceptible to fraud. Companies of all sizes and across all sectors, including governmental agencies and nonprofit organizations, can be affected by fraud...

	Gimme Shelter - How to use tax breaks to recruit and retain employees Offering your employees a tax sheltered retirement plan makes sense on multiple fronts. Not only will such a plan encourage employees to save for their retirement while providing several tax advantages for both you and your staff members, but it also helps recruit and retain good workers...

	New accounting practices - How a new auditing standard can affect your business The enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 has spurred heavier regulation in the auditing industry. A new auditing standard, SAS 112, affects how auditing work is conducted. Among other things, SAS 112 redefines the types of internal control issues that are reportable...

	Exit strategies - Make sure your exit strategy protects your heirs if they sell the business Every business owner knows that he or she will eventually exit the business. However, they often fail to properly plan their exit strategy, and that can have major repercussions...

	Money matters - Treating your business as an investment It's no surprise that a special bond exists between business owners and their creations. After all, it is their blood, sweat and tears that make the visions possible...

	Risk management - How reduced risk can help a potential sale — and more When it comes to selling a business, the perception of risk significantly impacts value. The less risk involved, the higher the selling price will be...

	Money matters - How does the new pension law affect your retirement plans? Earlier this year, President Bush signed into law the Pension Protection Act of 2006. The reform is designed to ensure greater retirement security for American workers. While the title implies that the act only affects employee benefits matters, it also addresses charitable giving...

	Financial accountability - How Sarbanes-Oxley can help improve corporate status It's been four years since the Sarbanes-Oxley Act was signed into law. Although private companies and nonprofit organizations are generally exempt from its provisions, many such organizations have found that certain aspects of the act can enhance their overall operations...

	A multi-year activity - How to take advantage of tax planning Pro-actively tackling taxes is a wise decision for any business. As the end of the year approaches, taking advantage of tax breaks can reduce your 2006 tax liability...

	Instilling Ethics - Consider a fraud hotline in your business to set the tone from the top. Fraud is a major concernt among business executives. But how do you ensure your employees and management team practice ethical behavior?...

	Surging interest rates - Maybe it's time to reassess cash-flow projections Rising interest rates are a frequent topic in the news. While much of the handwringing about spiraling rates has to do with the housing sector, businesses of all kinds are affected by the increases. As interest rates rise, the cost of borrowing also increases, which leads to lower profits and, ultimately, a slowdown in demand for products and services of all types...

	Accountants be advised - New federal tax law has several significant changes Ben Franklin once famously said, "Nothing in life is certain except death and taxes." While certainly unavoidable, both can be kept at bay to some extent. Whereas healthy habits can help keep the Grim Reaper from making a premature visit, keeping attuned to the shifting tax code can reduce outlays to Uncle Sam...

	Charitable giving - Seeing your money be put to good use by others One of the biggest rewards of giving to charitable organizations is seeing your money being put to good use by helping others. Of course, you want to make sure that your contributions are going to a well-run organization that manages its assets effectively and follows through on the programs that it promises...

	The cost of corporate fraud - How corporate fraud can affect all businesses, and what can be done to stop it Corporate fraud is not limited to high-profile cases like Enron, Tyco and WorldCom. According to the PricewaterhouseCoopers Global Economic Crime Survey 2005, 45 percent of 3,634 companies reported being subject to one or more significant economic crimes during the previous two years...

	Exit strategies - How to leave the business intelligently Regardless of a company's size, structure, financial conditions or longevity, it is crucial to have a viable exit strategy in place. Without one, the true value of a business can be diminished when it comes time to sell...

	Cash management - Proper cash flow management is critical to any business Managing cash flow effectively is a crucial component to the success of any business. Not only does the monitoring of profits pave the way for meeting normal cash obligations, but effective management of receivables, payables and inventory also can safeguard against unanticipated problems...

	What's it worth? - Determining the value of your company A business valuation is akin to a publicly traded stock in at least one sense. Both, to some extent, are measured by estimated future cash flows in an effort to arrive at a meaningful valuation...

	Planning ahead - Considerations for estate planning Estate planning is a useful tool in preserving financial resources for future generations. It is also a dynamic process...

	*NOTE: No articles may be reprinted without the express written consent of Vicenti, Lloyd & Stutzman LLP.