Let’s Zoom: The legal challenges of the videoconferencing explosion
Videoconferencing isn’t exactly new, and many people have been using Skype or FaceTime for face-to-face conversations for quite some time. But it’s no secret that the pandemic opened many more businesses to regular videoconferencing through a host of readily available tools, including Zoom. What many business owners might not be thinking about are the possible […]
Sole Proprietorship: The Good, the Bad, and the Legal Reality
What Dreams Are Made of? Being your own boss is a dream for many. It is also a pleasant daydream to many more stuck in stifling offices or unfulfilling careers. In addition to freedom from an unsympathetic supervisor’s requirements, owning a business appeals to so many because of the opportunity for greater creative expression in […]
Why You Need a Lawyer for FSBO Residential Transactions
When It Comes to Home Sweet Home, Don’t Go On Your Own Owning a home is not just the dream of millions of Americans, but it is also the key to growing wealth. Purchasing a home is one of the largest expenditures most people will ever make, but it is also the largest investment they […]
Using Depreciation to Control a Loan Forgiveness Tax Surprise
Bonus depreciation and Section 179 expense can be a valuable tool to help you manage your business’ profit margin this year. Here are some thoughts to consider. The problem Many businesses struggling during the pandemic took out Small Business Association Payroll Protection Program loans (SBA PPP loans). The SBA’s willingness to forgive these loans is […]
Ideas For Better Savings Rates
Before the housing bubble burst in 2008, you could find high yield savings accounts that were paying rates over 5.0 percent. Today? These same banks are paying less than .10 percent. So where are you supposed to put your money? Is there anywhere else you can put your hard-earned cash and generate a modest return? […]
A Happy Banker Makes for a Happy Business
With the onset of COVID-19, small business banks are more nervous about potential loan losses than ever. Here are several tips for your business to maintain a great working relationship with your lender. These same tips can also be used if you want to plant seeds with your banker for potential future loans. Produce timely […]
Common IRS Surprises
No one likes surprises from the IRS, but they do occasionally happen. Here are some examples of unpleasant tax situations you could find yourself in and what to do about them. An expected refund turns into a tax payment. Nothing may be more deflating than expecting to get a nice tax refund and instead being […]
Turn Your Home Office Into a Tax Deduction
If you are working from home for the first time in 2020, you may be wondering if your home office is tax deductible. The bad news? If you’re working from home for an employer, you normally can’t deduct your home office expenses. Here’s a quick look at the basic requirements to be able to deduct […]
Who Needs to Shovel that Walkway? Landlord Responsibility for Pathway Maintenance
Saving Yourself from Slip, Trip, and Fall Lawsuits With colder weather approaching, if you are a Massachusetts residential landlord, it pays to review your responsibilities for clearing snow and other weather-related debris from rental properties. Contrary to what you may assume, Massachusetts law does not specifically assign responsibility for shoveling snow out of walkways or […]
Estate Planning Basics: Comparing Powers of Attorney and Living Wills
No Time Like the Uncertain Present to Prepare for the Certain Future While it is always the time to get your affairs in order, since putting off these important decisions can lead to financial and emotional pain for your survivors, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has brought mortality to the forefront of many minds and has […]