Inflation

Article Dean Dorton

Yesterday afternoon, President Biden signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (“IRA”). The IRA includes provisions intended to combat climate change, promote clean energy, and lower prescription drug and health care costs. To pay for its spending, the IRA contains several tax changes, although the tax provisions are much narrower than those proposed in the Build Back Better Act that failed to progress in Congress last fall.

Notably, the IRA extends, through 2028, the limit on excess business losses (“EBL”) that can be deducted by noncorporate taxpayers. It also appropriates $80 billion to the Internal Revenue Service for enforcement, taxpayer services, operations support, and modernization, which could lead to increased audit activity. On a positive note, the IRA contains several tax incentives for individuals and businesses related to clean energy. Other tax provisions include a new corporate alternative minimum tax, an excise tax on the repurchase of corporate stock by publicly-traded companies, an increase in the research credit against payroll taxes for small businesses, and changes to the premium tax credit.

Extension of Limit on Excess Business Losses

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (“TCJA”), enacted at the end of 2017, introduced a limit on business losses deductible by individuals and other noncorporate taxpayers (trusts and estates) against non-business income. Specifically, the TCJA disallowed 2018 net tax losses from active businesses in excess of $250,000 (for individual taxpayers) and $500,000 (for joint filers), adjusted annually for inflation. Disallowed losses are converted into a net operating loss (“NOL”) and carried over to the following tax year. Under the TCJA, the EBL limit was effective for tax years 2018 through 2025.

In March of 2020, the CARES Act retroactively postponed the effective date of the EBL limit until tax years beginning in 2021. The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARP”) later extended the EBL limit for one year, through 2026.

The IRA provides for a two-year extension of the EBL limit, through 2028. To illustrate the impact of this limitation, consider the following example:

H and W are married taxpayers filing a joint return. In 2022, H generates a net tax loss from his business of $600,000 and W generates a net tax loss from her business of $240,000. Both H and W actively participate in their businesses. Their aggregated net tax loss from trades or businesses is $840,000. For tax year 2022, the EBL limit is $540,000 for joint filers. Thus, their EBL for 2022 is $300,000 ($840,000 – $540,000).

How does this limitation impact the taxable income of H and W?

Let’s assume that, in addition to the losses generated from their businesses, H and W have other investment income totaling $1,000,000. The following table illustrates how taxable income is calculated before and after the EBL limit:

<table style="border-collapse:collapse;border:none;">
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 197.75pt;border: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>&nbsp;</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.85pt;border-top: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-left: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>Before EBL limit</strong></p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.9pt;border-top: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-left: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>After EBL limit</strong></p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 197.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>Investment income</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.85pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><span style="color:black;">$1,000,000</span></p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.9pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><span style="color:black;">$1,000,000</span></p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 197.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>H&rsquo;s active business loss</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.85pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>($600,000)</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.9pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>($600,000)</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 197.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>W&rsquo;s active business loss</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.85pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>($240,000)</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.9pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>($240,000)</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 197.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>Excess business loss (see above)</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.85pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>$0</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.9pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>$300,000</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 197.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>Net taxable income</strong></p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.85pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>$160,000</strong></p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.9pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>$460,000</strong></p>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

While H and W cannot reduce their 2022 taxable income by the $300,000 EBL, this loss is converted to a NOL and carried over to the following year. H and W can use the NOL in 2023 to offset up to 80% of their taxable income. To illustrate, let’s assume that H and W have the exact same facts as above for 2023. Their 2023 taxable income would be calculated as follows:

<table style="border-collapse:collapse;border:none;">
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>&nbsp;</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-left: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>2023</strong></p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>Investment income</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>$1,000,000</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>H&rsquo;s active business loss</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>($600,000)</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>W&rsquo;s active business loss</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>($240,000)</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>Excess business loss (see above)</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>$300,000</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>Net taxable income before NOL carryover</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>$460,000</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>NOL carryover from 2022 (lesser of NOL of $300,000 or 80% of taxable income before NOL ($368,000))</p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'>($300,000)</p>
            </td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td style="width: 332.75pt;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-left: 1pt solid windowtext;border-image: initial;border-top: none;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:  justify;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>Net taxable income after NOL</strong></p>
            </td>
            <td style="width: 134.75pt;border-top: none;border-left: none;border-bottom: 1pt solid windowtext;border-right: 1pt solid windowtext;padding: 0in 5.4pt;vertical-align: top;">
                <p style='margin-top:0in;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;margin-left:0in;text-align:center;font-size:15px;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;'><strong>$160,000</strong></p>
            </td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>

As illustrated above, the EBL limit is merely a timing issue. Fortunately, the IRA only extends the limit for two more years and does not make further changes to current law, such as the conversion of disallowed losses into a NOL.

Increased IRS Funding

As noted above, the IRA appropriates $80 billion to the IRS for enforcement and other activities. The $80 billion is appropriated over a ten-year period and approximately broken down as follows:

  • $3.2 billion for taxpayer services;
  • $45.6 billion for enforcement;
  • $25.3 billion for operations support; and
  • $4.8 billion for business systems modernization.

An additional $15 million is appropriated to the IRS with a directive to report to Congress on the potential development of an IRS-run e-file system.

The IRA does not instruct the IRS on how to spend this additional funding with respect to enforcement activities. However, in a letter Congress on August 4, the IRS Commissioner stated that the agency’s investment of these additional resources would follow the Department of Treasury’s directive that audit rates will not rise relative to recent years for households making less than $400,000. Instead, the letter stated that the IRS would “pursue meaningful, impactful examinations of large corporate and high-net-worth taxpayers to ensure they are paying their fair share.”

Clean Energy Incentives

Investment in clean energy is a focal point of the IRA, and the law contains several tax incentives for both businesses and individuals. Notable clean energy incentives include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Modification and extension of the credit for nonbusiness energy property – This credit, which applies to energy-efficient windows and doors, in addition to certain HVAC systems and heat pumps, is extended through 2032. The $500 lifetime limit for the credit is replaced with an annual limit of $1,200.
  • Modification and extension of the credit for residential energy-efficient property – This credit is renamed the “residential clean energy credit” and extended through 2034. It applies to residential energy-efficient property installed in a dwelling unit used as a residence by the taxpayer, such as qualified solar electric property, solar water heating property, fuel cell property, small wind energy property, and geothermal heat pump property.
  • Modification and extension of the clean vehicle credit – The credit for the purchase of clean vehicles, such as plug-in electric vehicles, is extended through 2032. The IRA eliminates the current cap on the number of credit-eligible vehicles produced by a specific manufacturer. However, it also imposes sourcing requirements on a vehicle’s critical components and battery systems. For example, electric vehicles made with any battery components manufactured by “foreign entities of concern” would be ineligible to receive the credit after 2023. The IRA also imposes a new credit limit based on the taxpayer’s income. The credit is not allowed if a taxpayer’s modified adjusted gross income exceeds $150,000 (for individual taxpayers) or $300,000 (for joint filers). The maximum credit per vehicle remains at $7,500.
  • Credit for previously-owned clean vehicles – A new credit of up to $4,000 is created for the purchase of a previously-owned clean vehicle. The credit applies only to taxpayers whose modified adjusted gross income does not exceed $75,000 (for individual taxpayers) or $150,000 (for joint filers). The credit applies to vehicles acquired after 2022 and before 2033.
  • Credit for commercial clean vehicles – The IRA creates a new business credit for qualified commercial clean vehicles acquired after 2022 and before 2033. The maximum credit per vehicle is $7,500, or $40,000 for a vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of at least 14,000 pounds.

The IRA also appropriates funds for the establishment of state rebate programs geared towards low- and middle-income households that purchase energy-efficient appliances.

Other Provisions

  • Corporate Alternative Minimum Tax – Effective for taxable years beginning after 2022, the IRA imposes a new, 15% corporate alternative minimum tax on the adjusted financial statement income (“AFSI”) of large corporations. The minimum tax applies to C corporations which, for a three taxable year period, have average annual AFSI greater than $1 billion. A lower threshold applies to foreign-parented corporations that are members of an international financial reporting group. S corporations are not subject to the minimum tax.
  • Excise Tax on Repurchase of Corporate Stock – The IRA also establishes a new excise tax on the repurchase of certain corporate stock. An excise tax of 1% is imposed on the fair market value of stock repurchased by a publicly-traded U.S. corporation during the taxable year. Several exceptions apply, including an exception in any case in which the total value of the stock repurchased during the taxable year does not exceed $1 million. The excise tax applies to repurchases of stock after 2022.
  • Increase in Research Credit Against Payroll Taxes for Small Businesses – Under current law, taxpayers engaged in research and development activities may be eligible for a research credit against their income tax liability. Small businesses that meet certain requirements may elect to apply the credit against their payroll tax liability. The amount of the credit that can offset a taxpayer’s payroll tax liability currently is limited to $250,000. The IRA increases this amount to $500,000 for taxable years beginning after 2022.
  • Changes to Premium Tax Credit – Taxpayers who purchase health insurance through the Health Insurance Marketplace may be eligible for a premium tax credit under current law. Eligibility for the credit depends on various factors, including a taxpayer’s household income, family size, and the federal poverty line. For 2021 and 2022, the ARP expanded eligibility for the credit to individuals with household income in excess of 400% of the poverty line and increased the credit amount for qualifying taxpayers. The IRA extends these enhancements to the credit through 2025.

Article Dean Dorton

The U.S. and international economies are becoming more competitive every day. Many of us are competing for the same workforce; for others it may be the same customer, but we have to ensure that we continue to respond to the rapidly changing environment in which we operate. Ten years ago, did you ever worry about cybersecurity?

These are a few of the reasons – it is critical to analyze your business risks at least annually. We recommend formally documenting your key risks along with how you are responding to those risks. This can be a very helpful exercise when strategizing how you should be spending your most valuable resources (your people). Below are a few of the key risks that you may want to monitor in 2016.

5 Key Risks Companies Should Monitor in 2016
Plan now to address employment, inflation, currency, cybersecurity and vendor risks

By: Joe Brusuelas and Rob Kastenschmidt of RSM US LLP

The U.S. economy continues its slow but steady improvement. While growth slowed to 0.6 percent in the first quarter of 2015, it rebounded to 3.9 percent in the second quarter, and we expect growth for the year of about 2.2 percent. Unemployment dropped to 5.4 percent by the second quarter and was down to 5 percent by November. Consumer demand, especially for services and autos, is strong; the housing market continues to improve; and energy and commodity costs remain low.

But the international picture is less sunny. While we expect global growth of about 3 percent in 2015, with a slight uptick next year, a variety of issues are affecting international economies. Growth in China continues to slow as it seeks to rebalance its economy from an export-oriented model to a growth model driven by internal consumption. While the long-term outlook for China is positive, its current slowing growth and the related reduction in demand for resources is adversely affecting many emerging economies. The already uncertain economic picture in Europe is being further stressed by the massive influx of refugees from the Middle East. All of this means lower international demand for U.S. goods and services. It also is leading to a divergence in monetary policy between the U.S. and other economies. In the U.S., the Federal Reserve will likely increase the federal funds rate by 25 basis points in December 2015 followed by another 50 to 70 basis points by mid-2016, while central banks in Europe, Japan and possibly even China are pushing rates toward zero.

What does all this mean for U.S. companies? For 2016, this means you should monitor and be prepared to respond to three key economic risks: a tightening domestic labor market, inflation and the challenges presented by a strengthening dollar. In addition, cybersecurity risks continue to increase and diversify, requiring heightened attention, and the increasing reliance of many companies on third parties raises new risk management issues.

1. Plan for a tighter labor market

An unemployment rate of 5 percent doesn’t tell the whole story. The number of unemployed persons per job opening is down to 1.44 from a peak of almost 7 in 2010. Not only is the overall unemployment rate down, we are also finally seeing stronger growth in higher-wage jobs. Since January 2014, the U.S. has added 2.4 million high-wage jobs compared to 2.3 million lower-wage jobs. While this is helping boost consumer confidence and demand, it also means U.S. employers need to plan for a tighter labor market. The risks of a tighter labor market? Increased labor costs, higher attrition and stronger competition for top talent. To offset these risks, employers should consider the following strategies:

  • Explore automation strategies. Now may be the time to investigate whether the expense of improved automation might be offset by savings in labor costs.
  • Consider offshoring, outsourcing and contractor services. With the U.S. economy outperforming its global peers, offshoring certain functions may offer improved returns given continued low labor costs overseas. Outsourcing non-core functions or increasing reliance on contractors is another way to manage labor costs and can have the added benefit of reducing administrative demands and benefit expenses.
  • Re-evaluate compensation programs. Competition for top performers is heating up. Take a look at your compensation practices to ensure that you are effectively rewarding and motivating your best people. This will also make you more attractive to the candidates you wish to hire.
  • Improve your recruiting practices. LinkedIn and other social media platforms are far more important now than they were prior to the economic crisis, but can’t be relied upon as the sole way of identifying potential candidates. Are your talent identification and recruiting practices keeping up?

2. Manage inflation

  • Inflation is still near historic lows and deflation continues for energy and commodities. But energy and commodity costs are likely at or near their floors, and the Fed is almost certain to start raising rates soon. According to RSM’s Middle Market Leadership Council survey, 67 percent of executives expect increases in their costs over the next six months, compared to just 54 percent in the second quarter. What to do?
  • Focus on efficiency and cost-cutting programs. Decreased costs during the crisis and recession diverted attention from these efforts at many companies. Now is the time to increase discipline.
  • Explore hedging strategies.
  • Shift your purchasing patterns and explore supply chain changes. Global economic conditions are uneven. Weaker economic conditions in other markets may present purchasing opportunities.
  • Audit vendors and monitor margin compression at key customers. Now is the time to reevaluate your vendor relationships to ensure they are delivering real value. And keep an eye on how inflation is affecting margins with your key customers so you can make appropriate pricing and relationship management decisions.

3. Minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of a stronger dollar

  • The U.S. economy is outperforming its global peers. Higher U.S. Treasury rates are spurring an influx of foreign capital and strengthening the dollar. For middle-market companies, this is a double-edged sword. It makes U.S. exports more expensive and diminishes the value of foreign earnings denominated in U.S. dollars. But it also drives down the cost of off-shore sourcing options and can create international acquisition opportunities.
  • Look for global supply chain opportunities. Take advantage of the strong dollar by finding offshore sourcing options.
  • Consider global hedging options to control risks and costs.
  • Consider international expansion opportunities. If expanding through acquisition in new global markets is part of your corporate strategy, the strong dollar could mean a better deal.

4. Increase attention to cybersecurity

No organization can afford lax cybersecurity controls. Many companies think they aren’t large enough to attract the attention of cyber criminals, but the NetDiligence® 2015 Cyber Claims Study shows nano organizations and small organizations actually experienced the most incidents, with 29 percent coming from each of those groups. Your best defense? Make sure you have three layers of cybersecurity controls—preventative controls that make you a hard target, detective controls to timely identify any breach and corrective controls that let you respond quickly and appropriately to intrusions.

  • Preventative controls. Your preventative controls should include a vulnerability assessment, patch management, strong access and authentication controls, a solid intrusion prevention system (IPS), configuration management, and up-to-date anti-virus protection.
  • Detective controls. Most companies choose either to outsource detection controls to a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) or to purchase a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) product. Weigh that choice carefully and be sure the solution you choose is appropriate to your threat environment and internal capabilities. A strong intrusion detection system is also vital, along with compliance and operational monitoring, and anti-virus and network alerts.
  • Corrective controls. Effective corrective controls start with a robust incident response plan. You will also want strong forensic capabilities; anti-virus quarantine and isolation protocols; disaster recovery and business continuity plans; and administrative, legal and insurance protections.

5. Control your third-party risks

Corporate boundaries are getting fuzzier as businesses of all kinds explore a wide range of third-party relationships that allow them to focus on their core business while leveraging outside expertise in areas like logistics, technology and a variety of other specialized functions. That creates efficiencies that drive growth, but it also gives rise to a wide range of new risk issues. Your ability to execute your strategy now hinges partly on the performance of third parties. You could face liabilities stemming from non-performance by your vendors. Connections between your systems and those of your vendors create new security risks. And the web of social media and other connections between you and your vendors can expose your organization to reputational risk due to the failings of third parties. Here are six third-party risk questions to consider in 2016:

  • Do you know where all your contracts are located? Are they stored electronically?
  • Do you understand and are you fulfilling all of your contractual responsibilities?
  • Have your contracts been updated to reflect new regulations for privacy and data security?
  • Are you adequately monitoring the IT risks associated with your third parties?
  • Is the insurance coverage maintained by your third parties sufficient to cover losses in the event of a data breach?
  • Are your audits of the contract performance and related invoices sufficient to ensure alignment with acceptable risk levels directed by your senior management and board of directors?

If you have any questions about the key risks above or how to perform your own formal risk assessment, please contact:
Lance Mann: lmann@deandortonstg.wpenginepowered.com or 502.566.1005
Jim Tencza: jtencza@deandortonstg.wpenginepowered.com or 502.5661071

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