COVID-19 Employment Challenges With the COVID-19 outbreak, employers are facing many questions related to managing their workforces, protecting their employees, and navigating the effect of government efforts to contain the spread of the virus. This situation evolves daily, and employers’ legal obligations continue to change as the pandemic grows. The flood of information can be

The COVID-19 coronavirus is impacting every aspect of the economy, and construction will not be exempt.  Materials and deliveries may be slowed, crews quarantined and unavailable, and projects delayed.  We view COVID-19 as an event beyond the control of a party (an “act of G-d”), falling within the force majeure provision of most contracts.  Some

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 created a lucrative new tax incentive for certain business owners: the ability to deduct up to 20% of their qualified business income. Thus, a business owner who qualified for the deduction could earn a taxable income of $500,000 but pay tax on as little as $400,000, resulting in tax savings of nearly $40,000.

Like nearly all provisions of the tax code, however, the deduction is subject to a myriad of exceptions, limitations, and special rules. Among other things, the deduction is reduced or even eliminated depending on the owner’s income, the nature of the business, how the business is organized (the deduction is only available to pass-through businesses such as partnerships, S corporations, and sole proprietorships), how much the business pays in wages, and how much property it uses.

When the deduction was added to the tax code, construction business owners, in particular, faced uncertainty about whether they qualified for the deduction if their income exceeded a specified amount, whether they could combine multiple trades or businesses into a single business (or separate a single business into multiple businesses), and whether income from rental activities qualified for the deduction.  Recent IRS regulations have clarified these and other issues, generally in taxpayer-friendly ways.
Continue Reading Construction Business Owners Can Benefit from the Qualified Business Income Deduction

At the CEA’s 98th Annual Clambake on October 24, Hahn Loeser’s Andy Natale was honored by the Construction Employers’ Association (CEA) with its Distinguished Service Award, elevating him to the ranks of the CEA’s Hall of Fame. Andy has devoted his entire career to working in the construction industry, representing general contractors, design/builders, surety companies,