We are proud to announce that RLH has been named as one of the 2016 Accounting Today’s Best Accounting Firms to Work for! The survey and awards program is designed to identify, recognize, and honor the best employers in the accounting industry. The list is made up of 100 companies. To be considered for participation, companies had to fulfill the following eligibility requirements:

• Must be an accounting firm
• Have a facility in the United States
• Have a minimum of 15 employees work in the US
• Must be in business a minimum of 1 year

Companies completed a two-part survey process to compete in the awards program. The first part consisted of evaluating each nominated company’s workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems, and demographics. The second part consisted of an employee survey to measure the employee experience. “The firms on this list represent the best workplaces in the accounting profession,” said Accounting Today Editor-in-Chief Daniel Hood. “They are outstanding places to build a career.”
Thank you to all of our wonderful partners and team members who make RLH such a great place to work!

"From Accounting Today, August 8, 2016 © 2016 SourceMedia Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission and protected by the Copyright Laws of the United States. The printing, copying, redistribution, or retransmission of this Content without express written permission is prohibited."

Please join us as we host a Membership Mixer, sponsored by the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, on September 27, 2016, from 5:00-7:00 PM, at our Hanover office. Mix and mingle with members of the Hanover business community while enjoying drinks and hors d'oeuvres.

​To register with the Chamber click here or contact Pam Becker at 717-637-7300 or pam.becker@rlhcpa.com.

When you hire workers from specified groups that typically experience high unemployment, you may qualify for a tax break known as the Work Opportunity Tax Credit. You typically have 28 days after the worker’s first day to complete paperwork for this federal income tax credit. However, for certain workers hired between January 1, 2015, and August 31, 2016, the 28-day rule has been extended until September 28, 2016. The extended date gives you an opportunity to review personnel files for credit-eligible employees. Contact us to learn how the credit can help save tax dollars.

The art of placing information in a logical order, more prosaically called organization, is key to the efficiency of your business, which can in turn increase productivity. Fortunately, you can master the art of organization by making habits out of simple techniques. Here are suggestions.

• Organize your tax records. Create a filing system to collect the documentation needed to take advantage of tax breaks, such as credits for hiring certain workers and accelerated depreciation methods for business assets. For example, for asset purchases, retain receipts, and make sure the details include the type of equipment, the date and amount of the purchase, the date you began using the equipment, and a schedule of additional related costs, such as set-up costs, that might be eligible for capitalizing. For ordinary deductible business expenses, such as car expenses, travel costs, professional magazines, meeting and association fees, and seminar and training expenses, establish an electronic or paper filing system to store receipts.
• Organize your electronic records. Is your email cluttered with so many messages you don’t know where to look for what you need? Aim to make your inbox hold only the current day’s emails. Delete non-critical emails. Electronically sort critical messages into folders to eliminate time-wasting searches. To reduce the daily deluge, cancel automatic messages that are no longer useful.
• Organize your paper records. Are your file cabinets – the ones that hold real paper – stuffed to overflowing? Review and shred outdated documents. If the information might be needed later, scan it into computer files. Consider using document management software. Organize your desk by shredding documents with sensitive information and scanning older papers into computer files. The most efficient method is to scan, file, and shred as soon as you are finished with a document. If you don’t have time, consider assigning document organization to specific employees and making it a task to be completed on a daily basis.
• Organize your future. Address succession planning for your critical employees well before a crisis occurs. Document daily responsibilities, skills needed to complete essential tasks, and the location of all paper and electronic files. Appoint and cross-train backup staff.

You’re already busy, and you may believe that organizing your records will take more time than you have. But think about why you feel as though your day is overloaded. Is one reason because you’re spending your efforts searching through a disorganized office? In that case, mastering the art of organization may save you not only time, but money as well. Contact us for more suggestions.

An important step in estate planning is creating an inventory of your assets. Your executor – the person you designate in your will to carry out your last wishes – uses the inventory to make sure all of your property passes to your heirs. That includes your digital assets. Documenting these along with more traditional effects can help ensure your final wishes are honored and your estate is administered correctly. Here’s what to keep in mind as you compile a list of your digital assets.

Passwords. In order to review financial accounts with banks, brokerages, or other businesses, your executor will need your current password. If you protect passwords with an encrypted program, include the master access key. Most importantly, keep your list updated when you change passwords.

Be comprehensive. Add web addresses, user names, and passwords for non-financial accounts such as your email and online storage sites to your inventory. Why? These accounts can be essential for retrieving invoices, statements, and other paperwork for which you’ve chosen electronic-only delivery.
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Remember the non-digital. The physical assets you use to access your digital data include your phone, tablet, and computer. For these assets, your executor will need passwords and file names. Also list the location and encryption information for off-site or standalone storage devices such as flash or other external drives.
Individual states are moving toward adopting laws that allow your estate representative to manage your digital assets. If your state has not yet taken steps to address the issue, you may be able to add wording to your will or have your attorney prepare an authorization for release of the information. In either case, keeping track of your online financial activity can make assembling an inventory of your digital assets a simple process. Please contact us for more information and tips.