The CFO'S Perspective

We recently covered the cost of tax compliance in this recent article.  The costs are a direct result of how companies face a myriad of tax compliance issues, even in the wake of tax reform that is supposed to boost bottom line results. The top ten federal tax compliance issues for businesses haven't changed much in the wake of this reform. These are:

We are privileged to provide our clients with the best finance experts in the region. Not only are they experts in the field, they are also authentic, caring and generous people. We want to honor them by giving you the opportunity to get to know them a bit better.

Our firm is well known for our philanthropic contributions to our communities.  One of our core values centers on philanthropy.

Even small companies have an obligation to re-invest in the communities where they earn their living,”  
- Tom Varga, CFO Selections Founder

What you may not know is how our team goes even further by giving of their own time and talent after hours. The stories of their causes are below.

We are continuing on the topic of tax compliance from the previous article.

If there is one thing most of us can agree on, it is that this nation's tax code is complicated! In 1955, the Internal Revenue Code was just 409,000 words, which already sounds daunting. By 2017, it had ballooned to nearly six times that size, clocking in at over 2.4 million words. According to the Tax Foundation, there are also roughly 60,000 pages of tax-related case law that are vital to understanding this nation's tax code.

The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax."
- Albert Einstein

Every business is required to file tax returns and make payments on income at the state and federal level. While each organization has its own requirements, ignorance of the rules is not an excuse for non-compliance.

Not only is it vital that a company dedicate resources to federal tax compliance, it is also costly. Since tax rules tend to change frequently, there is a high risk of mistakes as well as the potential to miss opportunities, both situations that could hurt your company's bottom line.

Make sure you pay your taxes; otherwise you can get in a lot of trouble."
- Richard Nixon

In years past, a company's financial leader was largely disregarded when it came to strategic planning. In fact, many CEOs believed that a solid group of accountants could negate the need for a CFO altogether. Fortunately, these ideas have evolved.

Your company may have the most ground-breaking products or services and eye-popping marketing campaigns, but this is not enough to ensure financial success. This requires a closer relationship between the CEO and CFO, as well as the supporting roles within your company's finance team.

When business disruptions occur, it can be expensive. Most business owners and CEOs have a model for success in mind, but what about the other side of the coin? Failing to prepare or put contingencies in place for unexpected events can turn a potential blip into a catastrophe.

Increasingly, business owners and leaders are leaning more on their financial teams to help prepare the company for uncertainty. Specifically, the business's CFO is taking on a broader role that includes making sure that your firm will be able to weather unexpected events.

A CFO is responsible for budgeting and accurate cash flow projections. While not necessarily an HR expert, the matter of salaries and raises is an area that a CFO must navigate in collaboration with the company’s HR team. We are sharing our thoughts on this area from a CFO’s perspective.

Most small to medium-sized companies are owned and run by business leaders who are highly skilled in some key aspect of their business - such as technology, sales, or manufacturing - but are less savvy in financial matters. Financial performance measures are essential because they indicate whether a company's strategy, implementation, and execution are contributing to bottom-line results.

Whether it is your company's number one goal or not, the notion of turning a profit is sure to be in your top five short and long-term objectives. The only way to know if you are achieving your financial goals is to regularly assess your business. Are things running smoothly? If not, where are the bottlenecks? What parts of the business are acting as growth catalysts? Many of these questions can be answered by reviewing regular financial reports.