The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) recently gave the US a D grade for drinking water infrastructure and D+ for wastewater infrastructure. How can the richest nation in the world have infrastructure ranked so poorly on the world scale, and what investments are being made to improve our water networks?

Cloud computing has applications in a wide array of industries, but utilities in particular are well-suited to reap the massive benefits of the cloud. The unique IT requirements of large, regulated organizations managing critical infrastructure are incredibly complex and notoriously difficult to manage. Only through leveraging the cloud can forward-thinking utilities stay on the cutting edge of technological advancement.

Many industries are leveraging the power of cloud computing to revolutionize their processes, and the COVID-19 pandemic has further accelerated the need for software solutions that can be accessed remotely. Businesses are transitioning to more comprehensive digital processes with cloud solutions at their core.

The 117th United States Congress is now set following two runoff elections in Georgia which have given the Democratic party control over 50 seats in the Senate and the tie-breaking vote through Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. With control of both chambers of Congress and the Presidency, Democrats are now poised to pursue more ambitious policy changes, including a proposed increase to the corporate tax rate.

On August 14, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued PLR 202033002 to address outstanding ruling requests on the application of the Section 168 normalization rules to cost of removal (COR). The IRS concluded that the net deferred tax liability (DTL) created by COR is not protected by the normalization rules but did not provide guidance on the actual implementation of the ruling’s conclusions.

Data quality is not just an IT problem, it is a business problem. This may not be a pleasant realization for executives who have other things to think about and expect someone on their team to be taking care of such issues. But when your company is attempting to cultivate relationships with customers, shareholders, regulators, and auditors, and you cannot deliver on promises because your data does not back you up, your data problem is now everyone’s problem

Lucasys is proud to announce an important compliance milestone in the completion of a SOC 2 Type 2 attestation for its software solutions. This security compliance measure is a testament to Lucasys’ continued commitment to protecting customer data as it emerges as a leading cloud provider for enterprise financial solutions.

On August 14, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) issued Revenue Procedure 2020-39 to clarify normalization requirements following the corporate tax rate reduction provided in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA). Though this Revenue Procedure addressed several open questions posed by the utility industry, in some regards, the publication raised more questions than it answered.

Lucasys, a leading provider of cloud accounting, tax, and financial reporting solutions, today announced their certification registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education (CPE) on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. Lucasys is certified to provide continuing education via group live and internet-based delivery methods.

Moving data, applications and platforms to the cloud creates substantial business benefits as companies reduce capital expense outlays while maintaining a more flexible IT environment. Though the advantages are numerous, companies pursuing cloud computing solutions need to consider the financial reporting implications as well as broader tax and IT considerations that result from recent guidance on accounting standards effective in 2020 for public business entities.

Lucasys is proud to partner with the Edison Electric Institute in sponsorship of the 2019 Financial Review, the organization’s annual report of the U.S. investor-owned electric utility industry.

Lucasys, a leading provider of cloud accounting, tax, and financial reporting solutions, today announced the completion of its SOC 2 Type 1 audit certification.

On May 7, 2019, the IRS released Notice 2019-33 which formally announced the agency’s intent to issue additional guidance regarding the normalization requirements of excess deferred income taxes which resulted from the decrease in the corporate income tax rate.

Comment letters are in, and the waiting game has begun.

On November 15, 2018, FERC initiated RM19-5, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that addresses how electric transmission providers, natural gas utilities, and pipelines must reflect the accounting and reporting of excess deferred income taxes resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Comment letters were due by January 22, 2019.

On Monday, November 26, 2018, the Treasury Department published proposed regulations relating to section 163(j), as amended by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. For utilities with regulated operations (excepted trade or business) and non-regulated operations (non-excepted trade or business), the proposed regulations provide additional clarity regarding the applicability of the interest limitation on the consolidated group.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law on December 22, 2017, has placed a responsibility on companies to understand the various complexities within the law and to assess the accounting and financial reporting impacts on their organizations. For rate-regulated utilities, certain changes in tax law have put a spotlight on the interplay of rate-making and accounting activities. In particular, the reduction of the top corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21% has initiated a cascade of activities for rate-regulated utilities.

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Another quarter end close is in the books (quite literally). Finance, accounting, and tax professionals go through a set of shared experiences in those several critical days surrounding key accounting close windows and reporting deadlines.

As we fire up the grills and bring out the burgers and hot dogs, we also take time to remember those qualities that set the United States apart. Since that summer in 1776, independence has been a core tenet of the psyche of the American identity. But there is something more that sets this country apart: American individualism.