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Do You Need an Appraisal for Your Charitable Donation Tax Deduction?
Yes, if your non-cash donation is worth more than $5,000, the IRS requires a qualified written appraisal before you can claim the deduction. Cash gifts have lighter rules: keep a bank record for any amount, and get a written acknowledgment for gifts of $250 or more....
The SALT Cap Is Back in Play: What the New $40,000 Limit Means for Annual Planning
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) raised the federal SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 for 2025, increasing to $40,400 in 2026 and rising 1% annually through 2029 before snapping back to $10,000 in 2030. High earners get less benefit: the cap phases down...
Stop Confusing Tasks for Business Growth
Episode Transcript Speaker: 00:00:00 Hello, everyone. Welcome to another edition of the Empowering Entrepreneurs Podcast. I'm Glenn Speaker: 00:00:03 Harper. Julie Smith. You look a little fired up over there, Julie. What's going Speaker: 00:00:07 on?...
Understanding Conflicting Business Decision-Making Styles
Episode Transcript Speaker: 00:00:00 Hello, everyone. Welcome to another edition of the Empowering Entrepreneurs Podcast. I'm Speaker: 00:00:04 Glenn Harper. Julie Smith. You look like you're ready to roll. Speaker: 00:00:07 Well, you don't know...
IRS Raises Mileage Rates for the Second Half of 2026: What Business Owners Need to Know
The IRS increased the standard business mileage rate to 76 cents per mile, effective July 1, 2026 - up 3.5 cents from the 72.5-cent rate that applied earlier in the year. The medical and moving mileage rate also rose, to 23.5 cents per mile, while the charitable...
How Entrepreneurs Handle Hard Talks With Family and Teams
Episode Transcript GLENN HARPER 0:01 Hello, everyone. Welcome to another edition of the Empowering Entourage podcast. I'm Glenn Harper. JULIE SMITH 0:05 Julie Smith. GLENN HARPER 0:06 Go on, Julie. You're early today. JULIE SMITH 0:08 I mean,...
How Chasing Every Opportunity Can Ruin Your Business
Episode Transcript GLENN HARPER 0:00 Hello, everyone. Welcome to another edition of the Empowering Pondrepreneurs podcast. I'm Glenn Harper. JULIE SMITH 0:05 Julie Smith. GLENN HARPER 0:05 What's going on, Julie? Looking ready for scrapping for a...
Does Your Business Have Unclaimed Funds Sitting in Ohio? Here’s How to Find Out
Ohio is currently holding $4.8 billion in unclaimed funds, and a real slice of that belongs to businesses that have no idea it exists: old vendor refunds, utility deposits, and uncashed checks that quietly got turned over to the state. You can search for your...
Scaling Up or Staying Small: The Truth About Business Growth
Episode Transcript Speaker: 00:00:00 Hello, everyone. Welcome to another edition of the Empowering Entrepreneurs Podcast. I'm Glenn Speaker: 00:00:04 Harper. Julie Smith. What's going on, Julie? It's been a bit since we've been in Speaker: 00:00:08 these seats....
Ohio BWC True-Up: What Ohio Employers Need to Know Before the August Deadline
If you're an Ohio employer with workers' compensation coverage through the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), your annual payroll True-Up is one of the most important compliance deadlines of the year. The process reconciles your estimated payroll with your...
IRS CP53E Notice Explained: Why Your Refund Wasn’t Issued (+ What to Do)
IRS CP53E Notice Explained: Why Your Refund Wasn't Issued (+ What to Do) An IRS CP53E notice means the IRS could not issue your tax refund through direct deposit because banking information was missing, invalid, or could not be verified. In some cases, the IRS may...
IRS issues final regulations on tips tax break
Last year, a new income tax deduction for qualified cash tips went into effect under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The break is scheduled to expire after 2028. In September 2025, the IRS released proposed regulations to provide guidance for taxpayers....
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Entrepreneurial Success Formula: How to Avoid Managing Your Business From Your Bank Account