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New Partner Appointed at MMA & Co.
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John Straus, CPA, has been promoted to a partner at Mathieson, Moyski, Austin & Co., LLP. “We are happy to announce John’s admission as partner,” said Mike Moyski, CPA. “John hit the ground running when he joined the firm and has made a substantial contribution to the growth of the company.”
John has been with MMA & Co. since August of 2014, and he has more than 25 years of experience in public accounting. He brings significant expertise in providing income tax planning and preparation services to closely-held businesses, business owners, individuals and not-for-profit organizations. He also consults with business owners concerning accounting issues, audits, financial reviews and compilation services.
A graduate of the University of Arizona in Tucson where he earned a bachelor of science degree in business administration, John is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and the Illinois CPA Society (ICPAS). John is an avid fisherman and a former treasurer and board member of Salmon Unlimited of Illinois and the Salmon Unlimited Conservation and Charitable Trust. He and his wife Debbie, a librarian in the Cicero School District, live in Darien with their sons Matt, 15, and Joey, 14.
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Beginning this year, W-2s and 1099s must be provided to employees and contractors as well as to the federal government by January 31. The date was changed to match the date that information is due to employees and contractors with the intention of matching data to prevent identity theft.
Reminder
: Section 529 plan (college savings plan) distributions can be used to purchase any computer and any related peripheral equipment, computer software, or Internet access and related service. These items or services must be used primarily by the student during any of the years the student is enrolled at an eligible educational institution.
Tax return preparers are now subject to new due diligence requirements for the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Child Tax Credit. Consequently, if you are claiming these credits, we may ask you to provide more documentation than in previous years. This information will help us ensure that you are getting the maximum credits to which you are entitled and that we comply with all IRS regulations.
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Fact: Employers who offer employees the Bright Directions College Savings Program or the Bright Start College Savings Payroll Deduction Plan and who make matching contributions are eligible for an Illinois tax credit equal to 25% of that matching contribution. The maximum tax credit is $500 per contributing employee per year. If you are interested in finding out more about this tax credit, please contact us and we’ll be happy to assist you. You can call us at (630) 653-1616 or email us at info@MMAadvisors.com.
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If You Are Using Our MMA & Co. Portal
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For anyone using our portal system, please note this change to password protocol:
New passwords. For security purposes, you may be prompted to change your password when you access your portal. Requirements for passwords are as follows:
Password must contain at least 8 characters.
- One character must be an uppercase letter
- One character must be a lowercase letter
- One character must be a number
- One character must be a non-alphanumeric character
If you need any help setting up your portal or gaining access, please contact us!
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Warning for QuickBooks Users:
Phishing Scam
There is a new phishing scam targeting users of
QuickBooks. If you receive an email with the subject line
“
QuickBooks Support: Change Request” and a message asking you to confirm the request, delete the email immediately and do NOT click on any “cancel” buttons or links. You should do this for any similar email you receive with links or attachments.
QuickBooks always recommends that you log into your account the usual way to make any changes.
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Our People Make a Difference
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In addition to our announcement of a new partner, we have other exciting staff news to share:
Dan Bauer recently completed his master's degree in accountancy with a concentration in forensic accounting from Benedictine University. Dan also holds a B.B.A. in finance and mathematics from Notre Dame University and has a master's in curriculum and instruction from the University of Mississippi.
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We welcome two new staff members to our team, Deepa Rajaram, CPA, and Michael Lyons. Deepa has extensive experience in public accounting and in addition to being a certified public accountant she holds a bachelor of accountacy degree from National University of Singapore. Michael comes to MMA & Co. with a background in financial anaylsis and he has both a bachelor's degree in accountancy and a master's degree in accounting science from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
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This year we celebrate our 30th anniversary as a firm, and by now you've received
your invitation to our anniversary party which will be from
5:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9th. We hope you'll come and celebrate with us! To RSVP, contact Laura O'Malley at
630-653-1616 or via email at
lomalley@mmaadvisors.com. Please join us as we acknowledge the past and look toward the future together.
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Mike Moyski, CPA
Ron Austin, CPA
Brett Mathieson, CPA
Brian Eisenmenger, CPA
John Straus, CPA
(630) 653-1616
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