On September 27, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010. The Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 not only increases and extends a number of the tax incentives originally included in the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (“2009 Recovery Act”), but also adds some new [...]

The new health reform laws (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act) enacted in March of 2010, give certain eligible small employers a tax credit if the employer provides health care coverage to their employees. The tax credit applies to employers with less than 25 full-time employees with average wages below $50,000 per year. To receive the tax credit, the employer must pay at least half the health insurance premiums for their employees and meet various other eligibility requirements which are highlighted [...]

In United States v. Easterday, 539 F.3d 1176 (9th Cir. 2008), the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeal affirmed a conviction and 30-month prison sentence for Mr. Easterday’s willful failure to pay about $20,000 in withheld employee payroll taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Easterday operated multiple nursing homes in California. Although Easterday accurately stated the corporation’s tax liabilities in its tax filings, and acknowledged that he repeatedly failed to pay the full amount of payroll taxes [...]

Fraud statutes exist so those who have been defauded have legal recourse. If a hacker empties an individual's personal account, the bank usually must cover most, if not all, of the losses sustained. But the fraud protections implemented to protect the consumer have left businesses completely on their own. Unlike personal deposits which are regulated, commercial deposits have very little legal protection. Regulation E of the Federal Electronic Funds Transfer Act (the "Act") requires banks to reimburse consumer [...]

On March 18, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act (HIRE Act). The HIRE Act provides both immediate and deferred tax benefits to employers who hire certain previously unemployed workers (“qualified employees”).

Who is a Qualified Employer?

As stated above, a qualified employer is any employer, other than a federal or state governmental entity.

Who is a Qualified Employee?

A [...]