Knowledge Center

• 05.09.2012 - 2011 Form 90-22.1 Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)
  The purpose of this alert is to remind you of the requirement to file the 2011 United States (U.S.) Treasury Department Form 90-22.1 for non-U.S. bank and financial accounts if the aggregate value of the financial account(s) exceeds $10,000 at any time during the year.
• 05.09.2012 - A Difficult Tax Year Behind Us, But 2012 Could Be Even Harder
  Another grueling tax season has passed, this one more difficult than the previous one. Thanks to new increased disclosure filing requirements for Schedule D, brokerage statements that came later than usual, and the mere fact that there was an extra day due to Leap Year, made this year’s season seem longer and much more of a challenge. It’s great to have it behind us, but now is the time – believe it or not – to start looking towards next year.
• 05.09.2012 - The Death of SAS70 - The Birth of SSAE16 Standards
  In 1980 the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) implemented the Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70, commonly known as SAS No. 70, to review and evaluate the internal controls of a service organization. SAS No. 70 quickly became a standard for the user organizations to obtain assurance that their data was being protected and managed in a secure manner. At the same time, service organizations were using SAS No.70 as a way to show existing and potential customers that they were utilizing industry best practices.
• 05.03.2012 - Five Massachusetts Organizations Selected to be Pioneer ACOs
  The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a General Fact Sheet on the Pioneer Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Model, which disclosed the 32 selected organizations participating in the Pioneer ACO Model. Five of the organizations chosen are from Massachusetts: Atrius Health Services, Beth Israel Deaconess Physician Organization (BIDPO), Mount Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Association (MACIPA), Partners Healthcare and Steward Health Care System.
• 05.03.2012 - An Attempt to Right Size Connecticut Long-Term Care
  While the 2012 legislative session winds down in the next month, a key element of last year’s session continues to be analyzed. Section 17b-369 of the State of Connecticut General Statues was revised last year, and requires the Commissioner of Social Services to develop a strategic plan to rebalance long-term care supports and services between those provided in institutions (nursing facilities) and those provided in home and community based settings.
• 04.30.2012 - Survey Results: Addressing Your Business Needs for 2012 and Beyond
  At BlumShapiro, we are committed to providing our clients and friends with the most relevant and current information available in the industry. Throughout the year, BlumShapiro regularly conducts surveys of manufacturing, distribution and retail companies to understand how the economic, regulatory and fiscal environment impacts business.
• 04.27.2012 - Are Healthcare Costs Still on the Rise?
  Are rising healthcare costs still outpacing general inflation? What is really pushing costs upward, and is there an end in sight? What about healthcare reform? Won’t that limit cost increases? For those of us in the industry, these questions are asked almost daily. They reflect the concerns of many employers and employees, along with their families. Depending upon which healthcare cost study you review, the answers are similar.
• 04.27.2012 - Solar Power: Forward Thinking Businesses See a Growing Benefit
  There are signs that the national economy may be slowly digging its way out of its long-term slump, and now could be a good time to review fixed business expenses with an eye toward stability and predictability.
• 04.27.2012 - Business Software Technology Alignment
  In our last newsletter we introduced the concept of reviewing and assessing the alignment of your business software technology with your business strategy, processes and people. You might wonder how your business software could get out of alignment in the first place and what impact it could have on your business. It is important to understand how to recognize the symptoms and be able to make critical business decisions for your business when the time comes.
• 04.11.2012 - HITECH HIPAA — It’s Only Just Begun
  Doesn’t it seem like HIPAA has been around forever? It has been nine years since the HIPAA privacy act was enacted in April 2003 and seven years since the HIPPA security act was implemented. From the regulators’ perspective, the compliance results from those acts were less than favorable, so the government followed up with HITECH HIPPA in 2009.
• 04.09.2012 - IRS Increases Examinations of Tax-Exempt Bonds for Educational Institutions
  The Internal Revenue Service has recently increased its examinations of tax-exempt bonds, including those issued by educational institutions in our area.
• 04.03.2012 - The ABCs of Cloud Computing
  The term “cloud computing” is the new buzz word and hot topic among many businesses and professionals. Unfortunately, many people do not truly grasp its capabilities, limitations and benefits.

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