Author Archives: Angie Fenton

62nd Annual St. James Court Art Show Returns Oct. 5-7

With fall on the horizon, the 62nd Annual St. James Court Art Show is back and will again be held the first full weekend in October. What was once just a way for residents of the neighborhood to pay their bills has become a “Top 10 Fine Arts and Craft Show in the U.S.” – as ranked by Sunshine Artist Magazine (September 2017).

Howard Rosenberg has been named the new Executive Director of the St. James Court Art Show. Rosenberg has been an active member of the Old Louisville community since he moved there in the early 80s. He currently serves as the chair on the Old Louisville Neighborhood Council and the Garvin Gate Blues Festival. Rosenberg is also an active member of the Jewish Community Federation.

“I have felt it important to be involved in this extremely unique and beautiful historic neighborhood. I believe in the value that the SJCAS brings to this region,” says Rosenberg. “To be a part of this great event in a meaningful way is a life’s dream. To be able to contribute to the value that it brings to our community is humbling.”

The St. James Court Art Show takes place on Friday, Oct. 5 and Saturday, Oct. 6 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 7 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free, and the art show is a rain or shine event held in historic Old Louisville, one of the largest preserved districts of Victorian architecture in the United States. The show began on St. James Court and has since expanded to Belgravia Court, South Fourth Street, Third Street, 1300 Third Street Neighborhood Association and the West End Baptist Church.

In addition to the plethora of local Kentucky artists, hundreds of artists travel to Louisville from all around the world to participate in this incredible show, and only about one in four that apply are selected to show their work at St. James Court Art Show. During this three-day event guests will discover unique works of art in 17 artistic mediums, from clay to wood, and everything in between. Food and drink from local vendors will also be available for purchase.

In the early years of the art show, profits were around $700 and attendance was approximately 40,000. Today, the St. James Court Art Show attracts over 150,000 visitors and tops $3 million in sales, while showcasing more than 700 artists. A portion of those profits profits also help fund scholarships for the St. James Court Art Show H.S. Scholarship Competition, which annually awards over $52,000 total to six deserving high school art students. St. James Court Art Show also has a grant process that supports several other Old Louisville non-profits and events such as, The Cabbage Patch Settlement House, Garvin Gate Blues Festival, Old Louisville Springfest, Shakespeare in the Park, Central Park Clean Up and many others. Profits also benefit the preservation of the iconic St. James Court fountain and the Old Louisville neighborhood. The maintenance of the iconic St. James Court Fountain alone can cost $10,000-$30,000 a year, and the neighborhood is also responsible for maintaining the greens, trees, sidewalks, gas lights, lions and urns of the court. Those who live in Old Louisville benefit from the amenities of the neighborhood, as do the thousands of visitors.

Those traveling to Louisville for 62nd Annual St. James Court Art Show will find plenty to do after the art show concludes each night. Named “One of the Great Places in America,” by the American Planning Association, Old Louisville is located a few miles from other notable Louisville attractions such as the Kentucky Derby Museum, Churchill Downs, Louisville Slugger Museum and Factory, 21c Museum and Hotel, and numerous bourbon distilleries. Walking distance from the art show are a number of other local restaurants, bars, and businesses, like Old Louisville Brewery, Amici Café, Pizza Donisi, Granville Inn, Seafood Lady, and Old Louisville Tavern.

For more information about the St. James Court Art Show, visit stjamescourtartshow.com and follow on Facebook at facebook.com/StJamesCourtArtShow.

The St. James Court Art Show® is a juried fine arts and contemporary crafts show held among the country’s largest collection of Victorian homes in the heart of historic Old Louisville. St. James Court Art Show® was founded on October 12, 1957 by St. James Court Association president, Malcolm Bird. Back in 1957, St James Court Association was faced with an empty treasury, mounting debt for recent fountain repairs, and an immediate need to generate funds. The Art Show seemed to be a perfect means to generate funds and bring residents together. For over 60 years, the first full weekend in October has meant that it’s St. James Court Art Show time. What originally began as a way to pay the bills has become an autumn tradition that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors to see (and purchase) original art from talented artists.

Ron Grooms: A Proven Leader

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Sponsored Post

During his tenure as our State Senator, Ron Grooms has worked with colleagues to pass truly balanced budgets, encourage economic growth, create jobs, increase education funding, promote better access to health services, combat the opioid crisis, and improve our infrastructure. Thanks to sound fiscal management by Ron and his fellow legislators, Indiana was recently named as having the best state government in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The state budget is truly balanced, with $2 billion in reserves and two-thirds of our state debt eliminated. Hoosiers are keeping more of their hard-earned income thanks to a 5 percent reduction in income taxes, the elimination of the inheritance or “death tax”, and permanent property tax caps.

Ron has helped bring more than 3,500 new jobs to our communities with businesses such as Amazon. Due to his efforts, our region has a lower unemployment rate than both the state of Indiana and the nation (as of November 2017). Ron supported legislation that created Workforce Ready Grants to help Hoosiers obtain high-value industry certification that leads to high-paying jobs. A strong proponent of school choice, Ron believes Hoosier parents should have options from which to choose when deciding where to send their children to school and he is committed to making sure our schools are well-funded and teachers well-paid. In fact, more than half of every dollar in the state budget is spent on education, and funding for K-12 education has increased $1 billion during the last five years. He is also committed to ensuring Hoosier students receive the education they need to prepare them for the 21st Century workforce and supports programs that help students find the right career path for them, whether it be secondary education, technical school or other training.

Find more information on SenatorGrooms.com

Money Matters | Think Strategically When Donating to Charity

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Michelle Floyd, CFP, Financial Consultant

Planning ahead for taxes may help increase your charitable giving’s impact. A variety of strategies are available for incorporating tax planning into charitable giving. Your particular situation will help determine which strategy, or strategies, may be right for you.

Estate taxes are unlikely to be an issue

Although your primary goal in charitable giving is to help make the world a better place, keep in mind that being strategic in your giving may lead to a win-win situation for you and favorite causes.

You may have heard estate taxes are often a primary concern when considering a charitable giving program. By making gifts, an individual can reduce his or her estate’s value and potentially reduce or eliminate the federal estate taxes the heirs would eventually have to pay.

However, Congress changed laws governing federal estate taxes over the last several years so they now apply only to estates valued at $5,490,000 or more (in 2017). Married couples can help protect twice that amount from estate taxes by employing strategies designed for that purpose. (To learn more about these strategies, contact us.)

As a result of these changes, federal estate taxes are no longer an issue for most Americans. But when it comes to charitable giving, there are still other tax benefits to consider.

Avoid capital gains taxes to help maximize your gift’s impact

Charitable giving can be as simple as writing a check and dropping it in the mail. But before you pull out the checkbook, think about different ways to donate that may have tax benefits. Consider this example:

Suppose you’re holding in a taxable account $100,000 of stock you paid $10,000 for several years ago.[1] The IRS would call the $10,000 your “cost basis” in the stock. If you want to make a significant donation to a charity, you could:

Sell the stock
Pay long-term capital gains taxes of up to 20% on the difference between the proceeds and your cost basis
Donate what’s left to your favorite charity

On the other hand, you could simply give the stock directly to the charity and avoid the capital gains tax. The charity can then sell the stock without incurring capital gains tax and wind up having more than if you sold the stock yourself.

This illustrates what we’re talking about:

	Sell stock and donate proceeds	Give stock directly to charity
Proceeds from stock sale	$100,000	$100,000
Capital gains tax @ 15% on $90,000 gain[2]	($13,500)	($0)
Net received by charity	$86,500	$100,000

As you can see, the charity ends up with more if you simply donate the stock, and isn’t that the whole idea?

Help increase your investment income

Suppose you hold in a taxable account a substantial amount of stock that’s paying you little in the form of dividends and you’re looking to generate current income. As in the example above, you could sell the stock, pay any capital gains taxes, and use what’s left to purchase other investments or make charitable gifts.

However, if you’d like to avoid immediate capital gains taxes, one strategy to consider is a charitable remainder trust, or CRT.

After you establish a CRT, you can donate the stock to the trust, which may give you a tax deduction for a portion of your contribution. The trustee can sell the stock without incurring immediate capital gains taxes and purchase other investments that have the potential to pay a larger amount of income. Keep in mind, this income may be taxable to you.

You determine the payment you want to receive from the CRT based on a percentage (not less than 5%) of the donated stock’s fair market value. (IRS factors may limit the income payout.) Remember the larger your payout, the less of a tax deduction you may receive for making the donation.

At your death, the death of your beneficiary, or the completion of the trust’s term (it’s your choice), the trustee will distribute what’s left in the CRT (the remainder) to the charity or charities you named in the trust document.

Pooled-income funds provide another alternative

Although a CRT offers a number of advantages, there are costs involved. For example, you’ll need to enlist an attorney to draw up the trust documents, and depending on whom you choose, you may have to pay for the trustee’s services.

For a less costly alternative, think about a pooled-income fund. It shares many features of certain CRTs, such as avoiding capital gains tax on your gift and the ability to make future contributions.

A pooled-income fund is created and maintained by a public charity. As its name implies, the fund comprises assets contributed by many different donors, which are pooled and invested together. All the donors are paid a share of the net income the fund earns. The income amount depends on the fund’s performance and is taxable to you.

When an income beneficiary dies, the charity receives an amount equal to that donor’s share in the fund.

These funds are less flexible than CRTs. For instance, you cannot choose your income payout; you will be paid the net income the fund earns. The payout will vary from year to year, depending on what the portfolio generates.

In exchange for a lack of flexibility, a pooled-income fund offers simplicity. Rather than having your own trust document drafted, you will be provided with a standard agreement that lets you transfer your assets to the charity.

Other strategies to consider

These are just a few charitable giving strategies for you to think about. Others available include:

Charitable lead trusts
Charitable foundations
Donor advised funds
Charitable gift annuities

This article is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information regarding the subject matter covered. It is made available with the understanding that Wells Fargo Advisors is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting or tax-preparation services. If tax or legal advice is required, the services of a competent professional should be sought. Wells Fargo Advisors’ view is that investment decisions should be based on investment merit, not solely on tax considerations. However, the effects of taxes are a critical factor in achieving a desired after-tax return on your investment.

The information provided is based on internal and external sources that are considered reliable; however, the accuracy of the information is not guaranteed. Specific questions on taxes as they relate to your situation should be directed to your tax advisor.

This material has been prepared or is distributed solely for informational purposes. Information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed.

Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates of Wells Fargo Advisors. Insurance products are available through non-bank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and underwritten by non-affiliated insurance companies. Not available in all states.

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Michelle Floyd, CFP®, Financial Consultant with Axiom Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in New Albany, IN at 812-948-8475.

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

[1] This example is for illustrative purposes only and does not reflect the performance of a specific investment. It assumes no events took place during the time you owned the stock that would affect your cost basis.

[2] Assumes donor is in one of the 25% up to 35% tax brackets.

Money Matters | 10 Reasons Why Beneficiary Designations Are Important

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Beneficiary designations can provide a relatively easy way to transfer an account or insurance policy upon your death. However, if you’re not careful, missing or outdated beneficiary designations can easily cause your estate plan to go awry.

We often complete these designations without giving it much thought, but they’re actually important and deserve careful attention. Here’s why: Beneficiary designations take priority over what’s in other estate planning documents, such as a will or trust.

For example, you may indicate in your will you want everything to go to your spouse after your death. However, if the beneficiary designation on your life insurance policy still names your ex-spouse, he or she may end up getting the proceeds.

Where you can find them

Here’s a sampling of where you’ll find beneficiary designations:

Employer-sponsored retirement plans [401(k), 403(b), etc.]
IRAs
Life insurance policies
Annuities
Transfer-on-death (TOD) investment accounts
Pay-on-death (POD) bank accounts
Stock options and restricted stock
Executive deferred compensation plans

Because you’re asked to designate beneficiaries on so many different accounts and insurance products, it can be difficult to keep up. However, it’s worth the effort; failing to maintain the beneficiary designation on that 401(k) from three employers ago could mean money will go to the wrong place.

When you first set up your estate plan, go over all the designations you previously made and align them with your plan. After that, you should review and update them regularly – a least once a year.

10 tips about beneficiary designations

Because beneficiary designations are so important, keep these things in mind in your estate planning:

Remember to name beneficiaries. If you don’t name a beneficiary, one of the following could occur:

The account or policy may have to go through probate court. This process often results in unnecessary delays, additional costs, and unfavorable income tax treatment.
The agreement that controls the account or policy may provide for “default” beneficiaries. This could be helpful, but it’s possible the default beneficiaries may not be whom you intended.

Name both primary and contingent beneficiaries. It’s a good practice to name a “back up” or contingent beneficiary in case the primary beneficiary dies before you. Depending on your situation, you may have only a primary beneficiary. In that case, consider whether a charity (or charities) may make sense to name as the contingent beneficiary.

Update for life events. Review your beneficiary designations regularly and update them as needed based on major life events, such as births, deaths, marriages, and divorces.

Read the instructions. Beneficiary designation forms are not all alike. Don’t just fill in names – be sure to read the form carefully.

Coordinate with your will and trust. Whenever you change your will or trust, be sure to talk with your attorney about your beneficiary designations. Because these designations operate independently of your other estate planning documents, it’s important to understand how the different parts of your plan work as a whole.

Think twice before naming individual beneficiaries for particular assets. For example, you establish three accounts of equal value and name a different child as beneficiary of each. Over the years, the accounts may grow unevenly, so the children end up getting different amounts – which is not what you originally intended.

Avoid naming your estate as beneficiary. If you designate a beneficiary on your 401(k), for example, it won’t have to go through probate court to be distributed to the beneficiary. If you name your estate as beneficiary, the account will have to go through probate. For IRAs and qualified retirement plans, there may also be unfavorable income tax consequences.

Use caution when naming a trust as beneficiary. Consult your attorney or CPA before naming a trust as beneficiary for IRAs, qualified retirement plans, or annuities. There are situations where it makes sense to name a trust – for example if:

Your beneficiaries are minor children
You’re in a second marriage
You want to control access to funds

Even in cases like these, understand the tax consequences before you name a trust as beneficiary.

Be aware of tax consequences. Many assets that transfer by beneficiary designation come with special tax consequences. It’s helpful to work with an experienced tax advisor, who can help provide planning ideas for your particular situation.

Use disclaimers when necessary — but be careful. Sometimes a beneficiary may actually want to decline (disclaim) assets on which they’re designated as beneficiary. Keep in mind disclaimers involve complex legal and tax issues and require careful consultation with your attorney and CPA.

Next steps

When creating, updating, or simply reviewing your estate plan, pay attention to your beneficiary designations.
Remember, beneficiary designations take precedence over what you may have specified in a will or trust.
Put a reminder on your calendar to check your beneficiary designations annually so you can keep them up-to-date.

Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to non-affiliated companies of Wells Fargo Advisors.

Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliate do not provide tax or legal advice. Please consult with your tax and/or legal advisors before taking any action that may have tax and/or legal consequences.

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Todd Harrett, Financial Advisor with Axiom Financial Strategies Grop of Wells Fargo Advisors in New Albany, IN at 812-948-8475.

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Money Matters | Which Retirement Plan Is Right for Your Business?

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By Todd Harrett | Financial Advisor with Axiom Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in New Albany

Todd Harrett, Financial Advisor with Axiom Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in New Albany, Ind.

If you own a small business, there are many retirement plan alternatives available to help you and your eligible employees save for retirement. For most closely-held business owners, a Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account (SEP IRA) was once the most cost-effective choice. Then the Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE IRA) became a viable alternative. Today you may find that a defined benefit or 401(k) plan best suits your needs. To make an informed decision on which plan is right for your business, review the differences carefully before you choose.

Simplified Employee Pension Individual Retirement Account (SEP IRA). This plan is flexible, easy to set up, and has low administrative costs. An employer signs a plan adoption agreement, and IRAs are set up for each eligible employee. When choosing this plan, keep in mind that it does not allow employees to save through payroll deductions, and contributions are immediately 100% vested.

The maximum an employer can contribute each year is 25% of an employee’s eligible compensation, up to a maximum of $270,000 for 2017. However, the contribution for any individual cannot exceed $54,000 in 2017. Employer contributions are typically discretionary and may vary from year to year. With this plan, the same formula must be used to calculate the contribution amount for all eligible employees, including any owners. Eligible employees include those who are age 21 and older and those employed (both part time and full time) for three of the last five years.

Savings Incentive Match Plan for Employees (SIMPLE). If you want a plan that encourages employees to save for retirement, a SIMPLE IRA might be appropriate for you. In order to select this plan, you must have 100 or fewer eligible employees who earned $5,000 or more in compensation in the preceding year and have no other employer-sponsored retirement plans to which contributions were made or accrued during that calendar year. There are no annual IRS fillings or complex paperwork, and employer contributions are tax deductible for your business. The plan encourages employees to save for retirement through payroll deductions; contributions are immediately 100% vested.

The maximum salary deferral limit to a SIMPLE IRA plan cannot exceed $12,500 for 2017. If an employee is age 50 or older before December 31, then an additional catch-up contribution of $3,000 is permitted. Each year the employer must decide to do either a matching contribution (the lesser of the employee’s salary deferral or 3% of the employee’s compensation) or non-matching contribution of 2% of an employee’s compensation (limited to $270,000 for 2017). All participants in the plan must be notified of the employer’s decision.

Defined benefit pension plan. This type of plan helps build savings quickly. It generally produces a much larger tax-deductible contribution for your business than a defined contribution plan; however, annual employer contributions are mandatory since each participant is promised a monthly benefit at retirement age. Since this plan is more complex to administer, the services of an enrolled actuary are required. All plan assets must be held in a pooled account, and your employees cannot direct their investments.

Certain factors affect an employer’s contribution for a plan, such as current value of the plan assets, the ages of employees, date of hire, and compensation. A participating employee with a large projected benefit and only a few years until normal retirement age generates a large contribution because there is little time to accumulate the necessary value to produce the stated benefit at retirement. The maximum annual benefit at retirement is the lesser of 100% of the employee’s compensation or $215,000 per year in 2017 (indexed for inflation).

401(k) plans. This plan may be right for your company if you want to motivate your employees to save towards retirement and give them a way to share in the firm’s profitability. 401(k) plans are best suited for companies seeking flexible contribution methods.

When choosing this plan type, keep in mind that the employee and employer have the ability to make contributions. The maximum salary deferral limit for a 401(k) plan is $18,000 for 2017. If an employee is age 50 or older before December 31, then an additional catch-up contribution of $6,000 is permitted. The maximum amount you, as the employer, can contribute is 25% of the eligible employee’s total compensation (capped at $270,000 for 2017). Individual allocations for each employee cannot exceed the lesser of 100% of compensation or $54,000 in 2017. The allocation of employer profit-sharing contributions can be skewed to favor older employees, if using age-weighted and new comparability features. Generally, IRS Forms 5500 and 5500-EZ (along with applicable schedules) must be filed each year.

Once you have reviewed your business’s goals and objectives, you should check with your Financial Advisor to evaluate the best retirement plan option for your financial situation.

This article was written by Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Todd Harrett, Financial Advisor with Axiom Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in New Albany, IN at 812-948-8475. Visit our website at www.AxiomFSG.com.

Wells Fargo Advisors does not provide legal or tax advice. Be sure to consult with your tax and legal advisors before taking any action that could have tax consequences.

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC and Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC, Members SIPC, separate registered broker-dealers and non-bank affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company.

¿Hablas Español? The Bass Group Is Here To Help

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¿Hablas Español? The Bass Group is here to help.

Money Matters | Looking to Ease College Tuition Anxiety?

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By Michelle Floyd, CFP®, Financial Consultant of Axiom Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in New Albany, Ind.

Did you realize that, according to the College Board, more than $240 billion in grants from all sources (federal loans, federal work-study, and federal tax credits and deductions) was awarded to undergraduate and graduate students in the 2015-2016 academic year? And that those students came from households spanning a wide range of household incomes?

During that academic year, the average aid for a full-time college student amounted to $14,460, including $8,390 in grants (that don’t have to be repaid) and $4,720 in federal loans.

Once you realize how many resources may be available and begin your research on financial assistance, you could be on your way toward easing some of the anxiety often associated with paying for college.

5 lessons for seeking help for college costs

Start planning during the high school years. Pay particular attention to your child’s junior year of high school and reposition assets or adjust income before it begins. When financial aid officers review a family’s need, they analyze the family’s income in the calendar year beginning in January of the student’s junior year.

Assume you’re eligible for aid … until you’re told you’re not. There are no specific guidelines or rules of thumb that can accurately predict the aid you and your child may be offered. Because each family’s circumstances are different, keep an open mind as you consider financial aid alternatives. A number of factors ‒ such as having several children in school at the same time ‒ may increase your eligibility for assistance.

Reassess assets held by your children. Federal guidelines expect children to contribute 20% of certain assets toward their education’s costs, while parents are expected to contribute up to 5.64%.

That’s why assets held in custodial accounts (bank accounts, trust funds, brokerage accounts) in your children’s names may reduce the aid for which the family qualifies. But assets held in Coverdell Education Savings Accounts and 529 plans are factored into the parent’s formula, having less effect on the aid for which the family qualifies.

Help grandparents’ target their gifts. Grandparents’ hearts often lead them to make gifts directly to grandchildren or to pay their tuition expenses. Even though payments made directly to a college avoid gift taxes, financial aid sources generally count these payments as an additional resource the family has to pay for college expenses. Distributions from grandparent-owned 529 plans are also considered as resources and assessed as your child’s income, which can reduce eligible aid.

A better idea for grandparents may be to make a gift to a 529 plan owned by the parent or grandchild. The financial aid treatment of gifts to 529 plans is generally more favorable than for gifts made directly to the grandchild. Plus grandparents using this alternative may also realize estate tax and gift tax benefits.

Assess your family’s financial situation to determine what your children will need. Gather records and begin researching available financial aid, grants, loans, and scholarships. Two forms will be key to your aid application process: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the College Scholarship Service Financial Aid Profile (PROFILE).

The FAFSA helps you apply for federal aid, and many states also use it to determine a resident student’s eligibility for state aid. You can find forms in high-school guidance offices, college financial-aid offices, or online.

Many schools use the PROFILE to collect additional information before awarding their own funds, i.e., institutional student aid.

Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing in a 529 savings plan. The official statement, which contains this and other information, can be obtained by calling your Financial Advisor. Read it carefully before you invest.

Our firm is not a tax or legal advisor.

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Michelle Floyd, CFP®, Financial Consultant of Axiom Financial Strategies Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in New Albany, IN at 812.948.8475.Visit our website at www.AxiomFSG.com.

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE

Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.

Bass Group Business Spotlight | True North

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In the latest edition of Bass Group’s Local Business Spotlight, the team takes a look at True North, located in the heart of New Albany. Jason Neil Gobbel talks to owner Michelle Ryan, where she shares what her store’s namesake means to her and how she builds relationships with local artists.

Find out more about True North https://www.instagram.com/truenorth812/, https://www.facebook.com/TrueNorth812/ and http://www.shoptruenorth812.com.

Learn more about the Bass Group at www.bassgroupre.com.

Neace Ventures Acquires Tin Man Brewing Company

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Kentuckiana-based venture capital company adds Evansville Brewery to Portfolio
Louisville, Ky. (June 16, 2017) – Neace Ventures, a Kentuckiana-based venture capital and real estate firm, has acquired Tin Man Brewing Co. in Evansville, Ind.

“Neace Ventures is excited to announce the acquisition of Tin Man Brewing Company,” said Neace Ventures President Brad Estes. “The synergies that this fine company brings to our food and beverage portfolio are countless. We proudly welcome the Davidson family into the Neace Ventures family.”

Tin Man Brewing, which is located at 1430 W. Franklin St. in Evansville, ceased its Tasting Room operations in late March but continued brewery production for its distribution network while seeking a new owner.

“We’re very excited about this partnership,” said Tin Man Brewing President Nick Davidson. “We have always been a family business, and now we’re becoming a part of a bigger family.”

The acquisition, which was prepared by Middleton Reutlinger and financed by German American Bank, expands Neace Ventures’ food and beverage portfolio, which already includes Old 502 Winery, Falls City Brewing Company, Over the Nine, and Brownies “The Shed” Bar and Grille. It also affirms Neace Ventures’ commitment to communities and partnerships.

“Falls City couldn’t be happier to welcome a new sister company. Tin Man’s brand reputation speaks for itself and its people are a class act,” said Falls City President Shane Uttich. “Our entire team is excited.”

In addition to the acquisition of Tin Man, Falls City previously announced that it will move its Louisville brewing and tap room operations to East Liberty Street in NuLu/Phoenix Hill. This will allow Old 502 Winery to expand its operations at 116 S. 10th St.

The Neace Ventures headquarters are located at 110 W. Main St. Louisville, Ky. Chairman John Neace founded the company after building and selling one of the nation’s largest insurance brokerages. Find out more about the company at neaceventures.com.

Make It Count with Rodefer Moss & Co, PLLC | Are You Ready for an IRS Audit?

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By Doug York, CPA & Partner, Rodefer Moss & Co, PLLC

If being selected for an IRS audit were a game show, it’d be called the Wheel of Misfortune.

Though the IRS in 2016 audited about one million individual tax returns, it represented only about 0.7% of all returns filed. That’s a 16% drop from a year earlier and means there was about a one in 140 chance that when the IRS wheel spun its audit wheel it landed on your name. That’s down from about one in 120 returns audited in 2015.

Corporate audits in 2016 fell to 1.1 percent from 1.3 percent a year earlier. Overall, it was the sixth straight year the number of audits declined.

Doug York
CPA/Partner
Rodefer Moss & Co, PLLC

Budget reductions at the IRS are blamed for reduced enforcement. Critics contend that years of inadequate IRS appropriates are leading to the decline in audits and thus perhaps emboldening tax cheats.

IRS critics contend that the IRS had become politicized; for example, the much-publicized IRS targeting of conservative organizations. After an investigation, Assistant Attorney General Peter Kadzik, in a letter to Congress saying that no charges would be filed against anyone involved in the scandal, explaining that what was discovered was, “substantial evidence of mismanagement, poor judgment and institutional inertia leading to the belief by many tax-exempt applicants that the IRS targeted them based on their political viewpoints. But poor management is not a crime.”

While poor management may not be a crime, it’s not a confidence-builder, either.

Audits tend to be dollar-figure driven. The higher an individual’s income, the greater the possibility of an audit. Income levels of more than $1 million a year saw audit possibilities approach 6%, the Wall Street Journal reported on March 26, 2017. Incomes above $200,000 saw a 1.7% chance of being audited. Under $200,000 the figure declined to 0.6%.

If your income is above $10 million, there’s about a one-in-three chance you’ll be subject to an audit.

The more complicated a person’s tax return, the more it raises the likelihood of an audit. As a person’s income increases their various financial instruments, shelters, investments, deductions, and other factors tend to become more complex – and more attractive to IRS auditors.

Suspicion of unreported income; questionable deductions; foreign income or accounts; appearance of unreported income; and other maybe-this-doesn’t-pass-the-smell-test factors bring the IRS bloodhounds sniffing at a person’s income paper trail.

Corporations stand a much higher chance of being audited, and again, the higher the income, the higher the probability of an audit because of the amount of money involved. Also, as with high-income individual taxpayers, corporate tax returns tend to be very complicated, which again leads to greater scrutiny.

Regardless of the numerical factors impacting the number of IRS audits, everyone – individuals and corporations – should conduct their affairs is if tomorrow they’ll receive notice of an audit.

Obeying financial laws and keeping good records for your own protection is common sense. That doesn’t mean regardless of your tax position that you and the IRS are going to agree on everything either through an audit or because your tax return was flagged for some reason.

The IRS doesn’t always prevail in tax disputes. And it’s possible, the faces behind the acronym being human, for IRS employees to make mistakes. Thus, keeping good records and not becoming overly “creative” in your financial reporting guard against IRS problems.

Another reason to always be audit-ready is that when the IRS Wheel of Misfortune spins, it will land on someone’s name. Betting it won’t be you is a gamble.

Rodefer Moss is a three-state accounting firm with offices in New Albany, Corydon, and Georgetown, Ind., Louisville, Ky., and four offices across Tennessee. The firm’s website is www.rodefermoss.com.