Pannone Lopes Devereaux & O’Gara
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End-Of-Year Tax Planning Tips And What You Should Know For 2020
As we approach the end of 2019, taxpayers need to be mindful to position themselves to minimize their state and federal income tax liability, which is due by April 15 of 2020.This is accomplished by accelerating deductions and deferring income. To accelerate deductions, an individual taxpayer should make sure all property tax payments for the...
General Assembly Eliminates “Open and Obvious” As Complete Defense To Personal Injury Claims
In legislation approved by the Governor on July 15, 2019, the General Assembly amended section 9-20-4 of the General Laws (the Comparative Negligence statute) such that the open and obvious defense to personal injury claims can no longer act as a complete bar to recovery. Previously, when a plaintiff voluntarily exposed himself or herself to the...
The Increasing Sweep of Opioid Litigation
States are now one step closer to holding the Sackler family individually liable for the role they and their pharmaceutical corporation, Purdue Pharma, played in creating and facilitating the nation’s opioid epidemic. In a decision issued on October 8, 2019, Massachusetts Superior Court Justice Janet L. Sanders denied a motion to dismiss...
Changes In The Wind for Retirement Benefits – Possible
Last spring the United States House of Representatives by an over whelming majority passed the most significant changes to the IRA/401(k) laws since their original passage in the mid 1970’s. If signed into law these changes will: allow part-time workers who work less than 1,000 hours a year to contribute to a 401(k) plan; allow contributions to...
RI Creates New Tax Credit for Small Business Investment Companies
The Rhode Island General Assembly recently created a new program designed to promote private funding for Rhode Island small businesses. The program creates a tax credit for Small Business Investment Companies (“SBIC”) that invest in eligible Rhode Island businesses. An SBIC is an investment fund recognized by federal law (15 U.S.C. § 681) and...
Estate Planning Ideas in a Low Interest Rate Environment
With the Fed’s recent interest rate cut and more interest rate reductions likely on the way, this may be a good time to take advantage of the low interest rate environment to transfer assets to your beneficiaries with minimal tax consequences and significant benefits to your beneficiaries. One strategy is to create a trust called a grantor...
New Rhode Island Law Limits Non-Compete Agreements
Rhode Island recently joined a growing list of states with laws limiting the ability of employers to use non-compete agreements in the workplace. Employers often insist that employees sign non-compete agreements which would restrict an employee’s ability to work in the same field and geographic area as the employer for a limited period of time,...
Supreme Court Rules States Cannot Tax Trust Income Solely Based on Beneficiary’s Residence
In N.C. Dep’t of Revenue v. Kimberley Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision on June 21, 2019 holding the State of North Carolina may not tax a beneficiary on the income of a trust merely because the beneficiary resides within its borders. In Kaestner, an individual domiciled in New York formed a...
New Deadlines Announced for Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave Law
In 2018, Massachusetts passed a new law that provides workers with paid family and medical leave (the “PFML Law”). With limited exceptions, it applies to most Massachusetts employers, large and small, and includes both W-2 employees and some independent contractors who receive Form 1099MISC. Earlier this month the Massachusetts Department of...
Artificial Intelligence – What The Developing Landscape Means For Your Business
The Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) industry is rapidly emerging as one of the most interesting new advancements likely to impact a broad array of industries. AI is well beyond the nascent stages of development, and is quickly taking center stage as a gateway profit maximizer for forward-thinking business leaders. In short, AI has arrived. While...
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