11.28.18
Entity Choice: Is It Time for a Switch?
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowers the federal income tax rate for C corporations to a flat 21%. This fundamental change has caused some manufacturers to ask whether it still makes sense to continue to operate as a pass-through entity.

10.18.18
Deducting Travel and Entertainment Expenses with Confidence
When owners, managers and salespeople attend trade shows, call on customers and evaluate suppliers, they may incur travel and entertainment expenses. Here are the rules for deducting these costs, including how they have changed under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

09.28.18
Employee or Independent Contractor? Worker Classification Matters
There’s a fine line between employee and independent contractor. The distinction may take on even greater importance under the new tax law as some employees try to shift ordinary income into business income to be eligible for the new qualified business income deduction. Here’s an overview of this issue and the characteristics that distinguish employees from contractors.

11.13.18
Manufacturing and Distribution Group Newsletter – Fall 2018
Our Manufacturing & Distribution Group's Fall 2018 Newsletter explains the new limitations on business interest expense deductions, as well as the benefits of consulting employees for solutions regarding potential operating problems within your company.

08.21.18
Manufacturing and Distribution Group Newsletter – Summer 2018
Vendor Fraud: Know the Warning Signs Brandon Vahl, CPA, CFE When fraud strikes, the culprit might be sitting in your purchasing department. This department is particularly vulnerable to fraud because of the volume of transactions it processes and the varying pricing and billing policies that vendors use. Phony vendors A common type of purchasing scheme […]

05.22.18
Manufacturing and Distribution Group Newsletter – Spring 2018
Compilation, review or audit: Select the right level of assurance Joel Herman, CPA The term “financial statement assurance” refers to how much confidence lenders and other stakeholders have that a company’s financial statements will be reliable, informative and in conformity with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) or another appropriate financial reporting framework. Higher levels […]

07.30.18
ORBA Named Among Top 200 Public Accounting Firms for 2018 by INSIDE Public Accounting
CHICAGO – Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), one of Chicago’s largest public accounting firms, has been named as one of the country’s Top 200 Firms for 2018 by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA). ORBA is ranked #125 on the list in the annual report. IPA 100, 200 and 300 firms are ranked by U.S. net revenues […]

07.11.18
ORBA Elects New Directors
CHICAGO — Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), one of Chicago’s largest public accounting firms, is proud to announce that Adam Pechin, CPA, MST, and Thomas Vance, JD, LLM, have been promoted to Directors of the firm effective July 1, 2018. “We are excited to have Adam and Tom join our growing group of young, […]

05.30.18
ORBA Wins Association of Accounting Marketing Achievement Awards
CHICAGO — Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), one of Chicago’s largest accounting firms, is the recipient of the Association of Accounting Marketing (AAM) Marketing Achievement Award in three separate categories: Website, Digital Advertising, and Collateral and Content Marketing. The awards were announced at AAM’s annual conference in Portland, Oregon. ORBA was recognized for its […]

12.05.18
Treasury Department Proposes Regulations on Business Interest Expense Limitation
The IRS released temporary guidance about the new interest expense limitation in April. Now, proposed regulations have been published that significantly expand on the temporary guidance. Among other notable provisions, the proposed regulations provide a very broad definition of “interest”.

11.26.18
Year-End Tax Planning for Businesses in the New Tax Environment
The passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) in late 2017 brought significant changes to the tax landscape. As the first tax season under the law looms on the horizon, new year-end tax planning strategies are emerging. Meanwhile, some of the old tried-and-true strategies have changed and others remain viable.

10.29.18
IRS Proposes Regulations for Opportunity Zone Tax Incentives
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) includes a provision that Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin said should lead to $100 billion in capital investments in distressed areas. The provision allows taxpayers to defer tax on capital gains by investing in such Opportunity Zones. The IRS unveiled proposed regulations on October 19, 2018 that should help investors capture this tax incentive.

07.30.18
Various Media – ORBA Ranked Among IPA Top 200 Public Accounting Firms
ORBA was mentioned in the media for being named among the Top 200 Public Accounting Firms of 2018 by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA). Reporting media include: Yahoo! Finance, MarketWatch, Chicago Business News, the Daily Herald, and Chicago CityRoom  

07.13.18
Various Media – ORBA Elects New Directors
ORBA  is proud to announce that Adam Pechin, CPA, MST, and Thomas Vance, JD, LLM, have been promoted to Directors of the firm effective July 1, 2018. Reporting media include Accounting Today, the Washington Business Journal, the Triangle Business Journal, Yahoo! Finance, the Daily Herald, and Chicago City Room. Click here to view the official press release.

05.31.18
Various Media – ORBA Wins Association of Accounting Marketing Awards
ORBA was recently mentioned in the media for winning the Association of Accounting Marketing (AAM) Marketing Achievement Awards in three separate categories: Website, Digital Advertising, and Collateral and Content Marketing. Reporting media include Yahoo!, the St. Louis Business Journal, the New York Business Journal, the Cincinnati Business Courier, the Dayton Business Journal, and Chicago Business News.

07.30.18
ORBA Named Among Top 200 Public Accounting Firms for 2018 by INSIDE Public Accounting
CHICAGO – Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), one of Chicago’s largest public accounting firms, has been named as one of the country’s Top 200 Firms for 2018 by INSIDE Public Accounting (IPA). ORBA is ranked #125 on the list in the annual report. IPA 100, 200 and 300 firms are ranked by U.S. net revenues […]

07.11.18
ORBA Elects New Directors
CHICAGO — Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), one of Chicago’s largest public accounting firms, is proud to announce that Adam Pechin, CPA, MST, and Thomas Vance, JD, LLM, have been promoted to Directors of the firm effective July 1, 2018. “We are excited to have Adam and Tom join our growing group of young, […]

05.30.18
ORBA Wins Association of Accounting Marketing Achievement Awards
CHICAGO — Ostrow Reisin Berk & Abrams, Ltd. (ORBA), one of Chicago’s largest accounting firms, is the recipient of the Association of Accounting Marketing (AAM) Marketing Achievement Award in three separate categories: Website, Digital Advertising, and Collateral and Content Marketing. The awards were announced at AAM’s annual conference in Portland, Oregon. ORBA was recognized for its […]