Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (HR 2808) – Introduced by Rep. John Rose (R-TN) on April 10, the House passed this bill on June 23, and the Senate passed it on Aug. 2. Signed into law on Sept. 5, this bipartisan bill prohibits a consumer reporting agency from selling a mortgage applicant’s personal information to other lenders without their explicit consent. The legislation is designed to safeguard homebuyers’ personal financial information and eliminate the frequent bombardment of other lender marketing offers during the financing process underway with the applicant’s existing lender.
SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (HR 2483) – This bill renews billions of dollars in federal funding for programs responsible for preventing overdoses and further strengthening treatment and recovery services. The renewal of funds to nationwide county programs is timely, given the current behavioral health and substance abuse disorder crises. The bill was introduced by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) on March 31, passed in the House on June 4 and in the Senate on Sept. 18; it currently awaits signature by the president.
TRAVEL Act of 2025 (HR 3400) – Also known as the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans’ Essential Lifecare Act, the purpose of this bill is to enable VA physicians and specialists to travel to hard-to-reach areas in U.S. territories for up to one year. The Act is designed to help fill critical gaps in VA medical services across the Pacific territories by compensating providers with travel bonuses. The legislation was introduced by Representative Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands) on May 14. It passed in the House on Sept. 15 and currently lies with the Senate.
Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 (S 306) – Introduced by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on Jan. 29, this legislation would establish a fire weather program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The new program would enable scientists to better predict wildfires, fire weather, and fire risk via forecasting, detection, and modeling, as well as respond quickly to prevent devastation to families, homes, and businesses due to wildfires. The legislation was passed in the Senate on Sept. 10 and is now under review in the House.
Enhancing First Response Act (S 725) – This bill was introduced on Feb. 25 by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and passed in the Senate on Sept. 10. The law would reclassify 911 dispatchers as public safety workers from their current role as office and administrative support in the federal Standard Occupational Classification system. In addition, the bill contains provisions to improve access to the 911 call system during major disasters and make the system more resilient against outages and disruptions. The fate of this bipartisan bill now rests in the House.
National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act (S 433) – This Act was introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on Feb. 5. It seeks to establish a working group of representatives from industry, labor, and academia to advise Congress on policies and programs to enhance domestic manufacturing despite the challenges of global competition, U.S. supply chain issues, and the current tariff solution. The bipartisan legislationwas passed unanimously in the Senate on July 14 and is currently under review in the House.
Alan F Burke CPA
Enhancing Homebuyer Protections, Wildfire Risks, 911 Response and Domestic Manufacturing
October 1, 2025 · Blog, Congress at Work
⏱ 3 min read
Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (HR 2808) – Introduced by Rep. John Rose (R-TN) on April 10, the House passed this bill on June 23, and the Senate passed it on Aug. 2. Signed into law on Sept. 5, this bipartisan bill prohibits a consumer reporting agency from selling a mortgage applicant’s personal information to other lenders without their explicit consent. The legislation is designed to safeguard homebuyers’ personal financial information and eliminate the frequent bombardment of other lender marketing offers during the financing process underway with the applicant’s existing lender.
SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025 (HR 2483) – This bill renews billions of dollars in federal funding for programs responsible for preventing overdoses and further strengthening treatment and recovery services. The renewal of funds to nationwide county programs is timely, given the current behavioral health and substance abuse disorder crises. The bill was introduced by Rep. Brett Guthrie (R-KY) on March 31, passed in the House on June 4 and in the Senate on Sept. 18; it currently awaits signature by the president.
TRAVEL Act of 2025 (HR 3400) – Also known as the Territorial Response and Access to Veterans’ Essential Lifecare Act, the purpose of this bill is to enable VA physicians and specialists to travel to hard-to-reach areas in U.S. territories for up to one year. The Act is designed to help fill critical gaps in VA medical services across the Pacific territories by compensating providers with travel bonuses. The legislation was introduced by Representative Kimberlyn King-Hinds (R-Northern Mariana Islands) on May 14. It passed in the House on Sept. 15 and currently lies with the Senate.
Fire Ready Nation Act of 2025 (S 306) – Introduced by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) on Jan. 29, this legislation would establish a fire weather program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The new program would enable scientists to better predict wildfires, fire weather, and fire risk via forecasting, detection, and modeling, as well as respond quickly to prevent devastation to families, homes, and businesses due to wildfires. The legislation was passed in the Senate on Sept. 10 and is now under review in the House.
Enhancing First Response Act (S 725) – This bill was introduced on Feb. 25 by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and passed in the Senate on Sept. 10. The law would reclassify 911 dispatchers as public safety workers from their current role as office and administrative support in the federal Standard Occupational Classification system. In addition, the bill contains provisions to improve access to the 911 call system during major disasters and make the system more resilient against outages and disruptions. The fate of this bipartisan bill now rests in the House.
National Manufacturing Advisory Council Act (S 433) – This Act was introduced by Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) on Feb. 5. It seeks to establish a working group of representatives from industry, labor, and academia to advise Congress on policies and programs to enhance domestic manufacturing despite the challenges of global competition, U.S. supply chain issues, and the current tariff solution. The bipartisan legislationwas passed unanimously in the Senate on July 14 and is currently under review in the House.
Disclaimer
These articles provide general information on tax, accounting, and financial topics for small businesses and individuals. They are educational in nature and are not specific legal, accounting, financial, tax, or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such. This content was prepared by Service2Client and may have been reviewed or edited by the website owner for accuracy and compliance. Look for a trust mark below for verification details. No representation is made that any approach described will achieve a particular result, and no regulatory or professional body has reviewed or endorsed this content. Because each situation is different, readers should consult a qualified professional about their specific circumstances before acting. Images accompanying these articles are protected by copyright and may not be copied or reused.
When it comes to running a business, having outstanding invoices that turn into uncollectible receivables or simply bad debt is a fact of life. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a safe harbor that permits businesses to reduce consideration of such bad debt from taxation if it qualifies. However, understanding how to determine if a business is eligible is essential to making the most of it when a business files its taxes.
Defining the Nonaccrual Experience Method (NAE)
When businesses perform a service, they expect to be paid. However, they sometimes have unpaid invoices that are uncollectible. One provision within the IRS’s Internal Revenue Code (IRC) is that of the nonaccrual experience method (NAE) and how it intersects with bad debts.
How It Works
Once a company sees bad debt in its system after customers fail to pay their invoices, it calculates the amounts it projects it won’t be able to collect. Projecting bad debt is accomplished by the company looking at previous experiences with its payees. It’s important to note that this accounting is used by businesses for only a portion of their projected uncollectable customer bad debt; businesses similarly project the remaining percentage they expect to collect from outstanding invoices in the future.
One important step for businesses to determine their eligibility for relief from the accrual segment of uncollectible revenue, per the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), is by determining their industry classification. Sample industries include legal professionals, engineers, performance art professionals, architects, and actuaries.
It’s important to note that if businesses don’t use this method, they may charge off such debts. Charge-offs are when a company writes the debt off its balance sheet and expenses the uncollectible funds on the income statement. Companies must also adhere to the following criteria to take advantage of the safe harbor:
The company must currently use the accrual method of accounting when recording revenues, and not the cash method to account for revenue.
The company, in a single year, within the past 36 months, has earned up to, but no more than $5 million in gross receipts.
IRS Guidance
Beginning in September 2011, the Internal Revenue Service permitted taxpayers to use the NAE method to determine applicability by applying a factor of 95 percent to their allowance for bad debts via their past 60 months of financial documents. This permits businesses to exclude qualifying uncollectible revenues from their taxable income, which is beneficial for lowering the amount of taxes owed. It is often easier for NAE-specific designated industries to qualify; however, only companies with the appropriate amount of historical information to substantiate are eligible.
Further Considerations and Conclusion
One example of this safe harbor includes having financial information that’s expertly tracked for the past 60 months via financial statements. If the company can’t substantiate it, they won’t be able to qualify. Similarly, eligible services provided or the resulting receivables that have interest and/or financial penalties attached are ineligible.
When it comes to navigating the IRS code, the NAE can provide another way for eligible companies to maximize filings and tax obligations.
Alan F Burke CPA
A Look at the Nonaccrual Experience Method
October 1, 2025 · Accounting News, Blog
⏱ 3 min read
When it comes to running a business, having outstanding invoices that turn into uncollectible receivables or simply bad debt is a fact of life. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a safe harbor that permits businesses to reduce consideration of such bad debt from taxation if it qualifies. However, understanding how to determine if a business is eligible is essential to making the most of it when a business files its taxes.
Defining the Nonaccrual Experience Method (NAE)
When businesses perform a service, they expect to be paid. However, they sometimes have unpaid invoices that are uncollectible. One provision within the IRS’s Internal Revenue Code (IRC) is that of the nonaccrual experience method (NAE) and how it intersects with bad debts.
How It Works
Once a company sees bad debt in its system after customers fail to pay their invoices, it calculates the amounts it projects it won’t be able to collect. Projecting bad debt is accomplished by the company looking at previous experiences with its payees. It’s important to note that this accounting is used by businesses for only a portion of their projected uncollectable customer bad debt; businesses similarly project the remaining percentage they expect to collect from outstanding invoices in the future.
One important step for businesses to determine their eligibility for relief from the accrual segment of uncollectible revenue, per the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), is by determining their industry classification. Sample industries include legal professionals, engineers, performance art professionals, architects, and actuaries.
It’s important to note that if businesses don’t use this method, they may charge off such debts. Charge-offs are when a company writes the debt off its balance sheet and expenses the uncollectible funds on the income statement. Companies must also adhere to the following criteria to take advantage of the safe harbor:
The company must currently use the accrual method of accounting when recording revenues, and not the cash method to account for revenue.
The company, in a single year, within the past 36 months, has earned up to, but no more than $5 million in gross receipts.
IRS Guidance
Beginning in September 2011, the Internal Revenue Service permitted taxpayers to use the NAE method to determine applicability by applying a factor of 95 percent to their allowance for bad debts via their past 60 months of financial documents. This permits businesses to exclude qualifying uncollectible revenues from their taxable income, which is beneficial for lowering the amount of taxes owed. It is often easier for NAE-specific designated industries to qualify; however, only companies with the appropriate amount of historical information to substantiate are eligible.
Further Considerations and Conclusion
One example of this safe harbor includes having financial information that’s expertly tracked for the past 60 months via financial statements. If the company can’t substantiate it, they won’t be able to qualify. Similarly, eligible services provided or the resulting receivables that have interest and/or financial penalties attached are ineligible.
When it comes to navigating the IRS code, the NAE can provide another way for eligible companies to maximize filings and tax obligations.
Disclaimer
These articles provide general information on tax, accounting, and financial topics for small businesses and individuals. They are educational in nature and are not specific legal, accounting, financial, tax, or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such. This content was prepared by Service2Client and may have been reviewed or edited by the website owner for accuracy and compliance. Look for a trust mark below for verification details. No representation is made that any approach described will achieve a particular result, and no regulatory or professional body has reviewed or endorsed this content. Because each situation is different, readers should consult a qualified professional about their specific circumstances before acting. Images accompanying these articles are protected by copyright and may not be copied or reused.
It can be hard to build up your own business, but it can be harder to sell it for what it’s worth. In fact, only around three in 10 family-owned businesses survive for the next generation. Whether family-owned or in a partnership of non-family owners, business succession is no easy feat.
Succession Planning
It is very important to have a succession plan, even if the business is fairly new. That’s because it gives heirs a roadmap for what to do if the owner dies unexpectedly. The first step is to figure out who you want to run the business after you. If you want to pass it on to one or more family members, be sure to ask if they’d like to own it. Note that the family route may need to be considered a year or more before the transfer to ensure the successive owner has time to learn the ropes.
If you decide to sell the business to a third party, consider if you want to sell it outright or retain partial ownership and continue to get a share of the profits. Also, think about whether or not you want to participate in running the business once ownership changes hands.
Business Owner Partners
In the case of a shared business, a succession plan can help clarify the intent of both owners and provide a legal path of succession if one owner dies. In a worst-case scenario, instead of the surviving partner taking the reins to run the business on his own, he may end up having to run it alongside the deceased owner’s spouse, who might not possess the skills, experience, or proclivity for the business. Or maybe the surviving spouse decides not to sell the business but receive a share of the profits without doing any work.
Key Man Insurance
If the surviving owner would simply like to buy out the deceased owner’s interest in the business, there are certain financial strategies available in the event he doesn’t have the assets to do so. One vehicle is called key man insurance, which refers to policies paid for by the business to cover the death of the business owner. Death proceeds are specifically earmarked to keep the business operating upon the death of the owner.
Buy-Sell Agreement with Life Insurance
A succession plan that includes a Buy-Sell Agreement contract specifies what will happen to the business shares of the owner upon his death. In most cases, the surviving business partner will use the life insurance proceeds to buy the shares at a predetermined value, which ensures that the deceased’s family is adequately paid for his share of the business upon his death.
Family-Owned Business
In the case of a family-owned business, a family member who is active in the business may take out an insurance policy on the owner and use the proceeds to buy out the interests of the non-active family members after the owner dies.
Private Annuity
Another option is a private annuity, in which the owner sells his business to his children in exchange for a fixed annuity income, based on IRS interest rates, for the rest of the owner’s life and, if elected, that of his spouse. If the owner outlives his life expectancy, the children may end up paying him more than the business is worth. However, if the owner dies sooner, they may pay less than the business is worth.
Family Limited Partnership
With a family limited partnership, the business owner transfers some or all of his business to individual family members while he is alive. When the owner dies, the portion of the business that has been transferred is no longer considered a part of the owner’s estate and is therefore not subject to estate taxes.
Seller Financing
If the owner has trouble selling the business to a third party, including perhaps a valuable employee who would like to take over, consider a seller financing agreement. Instead of paying the owner a lump sum, the buyer pays him a fixed, regular payment over a set number of years. Future business revenue secures the note, and the current owner would be qualified to know how well business revenues might hold up under the new ownership. Some sellers set up a finance agreement for just five years or so, after which time the buyer is expected to qualify to refinance with a conventional loan. It’s also possible for the financier to sell the new owner’s note if he decides down the road to get out of the financing role. The good news is that, should the buyer default on the loan, the seller would still own the company.
Alan F Burke CPA
Ideas for Small Business Succession Planning
October 1, 2025 · Blog, Financial Planning
⏱ 4 min read
It can be hard to build up your own business, but it can be harder to sell it for what it’s worth. In fact, only around three in 10 family-owned businesses survive for the next generation. Whether family-owned or in a partnership of non-family owners, business succession is no easy feat.
Succession Planning
It is very important to have a succession plan, even if the business is fairly new. That’s because it gives heirs a roadmap for what to do if the owner dies unexpectedly. The first step is to figure out who you want to run the business after you. If you want to pass it on to one or more family members, be sure to ask if they’d like to own it. Note that the family route may need to be considered a year or more before the transfer to ensure the successive owner has time to learn the ropes.
If you decide to sell the business to a third party, consider if you want to sell it outright or retain partial ownership and continue to get a share of the profits. Also, think about whether or not you want to participate in running the business once ownership changes hands.
Business Owner Partners
In the case of a shared business, a succession plan can help clarify the intent of both owners and provide a legal path of succession if one owner dies. In a worst-case scenario, instead of the surviving partner taking the reins to run the business on his own, he may end up having to run it alongside the deceased owner’s spouse, who might not possess the skills, experience, or proclivity for the business. Or maybe the surviving spouse decides not to sell the business but receive a share of the profits without doing any work.
Key Man Insurance
If the surviving owner would simply like to buy out the deceased owner’s interest in the business, there are certain financial strategies available in the event he doesn’t have the assets to do so. One vehicle is called key man insurance, which refers to policies paid for by the business to cover the death of the business owner. Death proceeds are specifically earmarked to keep the business operating upon the death of the owner.
Buy-Sell Agreement with Life Insurance
A succession plan that includes a Buy-Sell Agreement contract specifies what will happen to the business shares of the owner upon his death. In most cases, the surviving business partner will use the life insurance proceeds to buy the shares at a predetermined value, which ensures that the deceased’s family is adequately paid for his share of the business upon his death.
Family-Owned Business
In the case of a family-owned business, a family member who is active in the business may take out an insurance policy on the owner and use the proceeds to buy out the interests of the non-active family members after the owner dies.
Private Annuity
Another option is a private annuity, in which the owner sells his business to his children in exchange for a fixed annuity income, based on IRS interest rates, for the rest of the owner’s life and, if elected, that of his spouse. If the owner outlives his life expectancy, the children may end up paying him more than the business is worth. However, if the owner dies sooner, they may pay less than the business is worth.
Family Limited Partnership
With a family limited partnership, the business owner transfers some or all of his business to individual family members while he is alive. When the owner dies, the portion of the business that has been transferred is no longer considered a part of the owner’s estate and is therefore not subject to estate taxes.
Seller Financing
If the owner has trouble selling the business to a third party, including perhaps a valuable employee who would like to take over, consider a seller financing agreement. Instead of paying the owner a lump sum, the buyer pays him a fixed, regular payment over a set number of years. Future business revenue secures the note, and the current owner would be qualified to know how well business revenues might hold up under the new ownership. Some sellers set up a finance agreement for just five years or so, after which time the buyer is expected to qualify to refinance with a conventional loan. It’s also possible for the financier to sell the new owner’s note if he decides down the road to get out of the financing role. The good news is that, should the buyer default on the loan, the seller would still own the company.
Disclaimer
These articles provide general information on tax, accounting, and financial topics for small businesses and individuals. They are educational in nature and are not specific legal, accounting, financial, tax, or other professional advice, and should not be relied upon as such. This content was prepared by Service2Client and may have been reviewed or edited by the website owner for accuracy and compliance. Look for a trust mark below for verification details. No representation is made that any approach described will achieve a particular result, and no regulatory or professional body has reviewed or endorsed this content. Because each situation is different, readers should consult a qualified professional about their specific circumstances before acting. Images accompanying these articles are protected by copyright and may not be copied or reused.
Homebuyers Privacy Protection Act (HR 2808) – Introduced by Rep. John Rose (R-TN) on April 10, the House passed this bill on June 23, and the Senate passed it on Aug. 2. Signed into law on Sept. 5, this bipartisan bill prohibits a consumer reporting agency from selling a mortgage applicant’s personal information to other lenders without their explicit consent. The legislation is designed to safeguard homebuyers’ personal financial information and eliminate the frequent bombardment of other lender marketing offers during the financing process underway with the applicant’s existing lender.
When it comes to running a business, having outstanding invoices that turn into uncollectible receivables or simply bad debt is a fact of life. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has a safe harbor that permits businesses to reduce consideration of such bad debt from taxation if it qualifies. However, understanding how to determine if a business is eligible is essential to making the most of it when a business files its taxes.
It can be hard to build up your own business, but it can be harder to sell it for what it’s worth. In fact, only around three in 10 family-owned businesses survive for the next generation. Whether family-owned or in a partnership of non-family owners, business succession is no easy feat.