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The big question in the estate planning world today is whether, when, and to what extent the U.S. Congress will enact changes to gift, estate, and income tax laws. With many challenges facing the new Biden Administration, and the narrowly Democratic Senate, major tax legislation may not even be considered in 2021. Nevertheless, the tax proposals endorsed by the Biden Administration provide clear signals for actions clients should consider this year.

There’s a common sentiment that COVID-19 will have an impact on investment strategies and the types of investors that will be active over the next few years. While 2021 may turn into a feeding frenzy for private equity, longer-term investors can remain as selective as they’ve always been. Corporate acquirers, meanwhile, won’t simply buy market share because acquisition targets have lower valuations, but they will align their mergers and acquisitions (M&A) strategy on both the buy side and sell side with their long-term business plan.

At some point in a business relationship, differences of opinion are likely to arise. In businesses where there are equal owners of the company or in a 50/50 business, it is important to ensure that there are carefully drafted governing documents that detail the process for resolving a conflict or impasse. Learn the common mechanisms for resolving such standoffs and give careful consideration when drafting dispute resolution or divorce provision.

As COVID-19 cases have spiked across the country, many businesses have adjusted certain operations with an eye on customer and employee safety, as well as to ensure compliance with recent changes to government orders. Some businesses have faced challenges that they have not seen since last spring. As the average daily death totals in the U.S. remain high, there a few things to consider when proceeding to re-open and establish new processes in the face a dynamic environment.

After a very difficult 2020, rapid vaccine development has sparked optimism among the public and in the business community. But there’s a long road ahead while infections remain high. During this transition period—when vaccines are becoming more widely available, but before the country achieves herd immunity— businesses should consider and anticipate a few things, including that certain individuals may not comply with COVID policies.

When a ransomware attack happens, it forces many organizations to make a difficult choice—pay the ransom or experience prolonged business or data loss. But there is also another complication for organizations to consider—the government regulators warning companies that payments made to ransomware attackers may constitute violations of U.S. sanctions. Further complicating matters is the move by many organizations to cloud storage. When moving data to the cloud, an organization still retains liability for that data in the eyes of the law.

When guiding how your organization drives value through tax efficiencies and financial reporting, don't be surprised if the C-suite is looking for tax leaders to be technology experts. The key is to be proactive in discussions with business leadership.

Needing to meet the challenges of tax compliance for investment partnerships, chief financial officers are demanding more timely tax and financial reporting, along with the need to report and respond to investors with speed and accuracy. Partnership tax technology allows funds to meet those demands, especially in the case of private equity and hedge funds. The automation of tax compliance using a technology platform will offer advantages such as providing transparency for investors, simplifying complex allocations, and allowing a deep enough simplification to fund entity tiering.

Many are rethinking their asset allocations beyond traditional asset classes and are seeking new and creative ways to better diversify their investment portfolios, increase returns, and reduce risk. Turning to alternative investments—with a focus on private investment funds—see what you should know and consider when choosing to add them in the mix of your investment portfolios and asset allocation. There are pros and cons, and being well-informed is critical to making better investment decisions.

Today, private equity real estate funds need innovative accounting technology to develop real-time insights and make financial decisions quickly. Having access to a team with dedicated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) technology specialists means fund leaders have the resources to implement and maintain systems and ultimately streamline accounting processes.