Category Archives for Business
MinnesotaCare: A Summary of Minnesota Healthcare Plans
MinnesotaCare MinnesotaCare is administered by the Minnesota Department of Human Services under federal guidance as a Basic Health Program that provides subsidized health coverage to eligible Minnesotans. This information brief describes eligibility requirements, covered services, and other aspects of the program. Note: Individuals who have questions about MinnesotaCare eligibility or are interested in applying for MinnesotaCare […]
Continue reading Long-Term Care Services for Seniors/Elderly in Minnesota
Long-Term Care Services for the Elderly Elderly people in Minnesota can receive services from Medical Assistance and other state programs. This information brief summarizes Medical Assistance eligibility for persons who are elderly (age 65 and over) and describes home care, elderly waiver, nursing facility, and other Medical Assistance services commonly used by persons who are […]
Continue reading What is Medical Assistance (Medicaid) in Minnesota?
Medical Assistance (MA) Sometimes laws require agencies to recover costs the MA program pays for members. Program info Medical Assistance (MA) is Minnesota’s Medicaid program for people with low income. Most people who have MA get health care through health plans. You can choose a health plan from those serving MA members in your county. […]
Continue reading Recover Attorney’s Fees if You Win Minnesota Insurance Coverage Disputes
If an insurance company improperly denies coverage under its policy, you can sue the insurance company. Minnesota law gives you the right to attorney’s fees if you win. You have insurance to cover you in case of accidents. Imagine you had an accident that involved $20,000, and you had to spend $50,000 in legal fees […]
Continue reading Medical Assistance in Minnesota
Medical Assistance Medical Assistance (MA) is a jointly funded, federal-state program that pays for health care services provided to low-income individuals. It is also called Medicaid. This information brief describes eligibility, covered services, and other aspects of the program, including changes made to comply or conform with the federal Affordable Care Act. Contents Administration Eligibility Requirements Benefits […]
Continue reading Beyond Regulation Crowdfunding and MNvest: “Crowdfunding” Options for Minnesota Businesses
In recent years, crowdfunding has grown in popularity as an option for business owners and entrepreneurs to raise money. Generally speaking, equity crowdfunding describes the process where a business owner utilizes an online intermediary or “portal” to ask for money from investors in exchange for the promise of a financial return on that investment. This […]
Continue reading Who Needs to Register as an Investment Adviser Representative in Minnesota?
Minnesota law requires both investment advisers (IAs) and investment adviser representatives (IARs) to register with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, unless a registration exemption applies. Some confusion persists in the industry as to who must register as an IAR. This article provides a quick update on Minnesota’s requirements pertaining to IARs and addresses some frequently asked […]
Continue reading Becoming an Investment Advisor
So you dream of getting paid to advise other people on how to invest their money—how do you make that dream a reality? First, it is important to understand, broadly speaking, the legal landscape in which those who do get paid for their investment advice operate. Second, it is important to understand the barriers to […]
Continue reading Minnesota Domain Names for Sale
The following domain names are for sale. To make an offer, email Aaron Hall. Please don’t send low-ball offers; we know the value of these domains. minnesotaattorney.com minnesotalawyer.com minneapolisphotographer.com minneapolisattorneys.com minneapolismarijuana.com minnesotabusinesslawyer.com minnesotadwilawyers.com estateplanningminnesota.com minnesotadrunkdriving.com minnesotabusinessattorney.com minneapolisdwilawyer.com mndivorcelawyer.com minnesotamediation.com mnbusinessattorney.com minnesotabankruptcyattorney.com mnbusinesslawyer.com minnesotabankruptcylawyer.com minnesotadefenseattorney.com minnesotasmallbusiness.com mndwiattorney.com
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Long-Term Care Services for the Elderly in Minnesota
This information brief summarizes Medical Assistance eligibility for persons who are elderly (age 65 and over) and describes home care, elderly waiver, nursing facility, and other Medical Assistance services commonly used by persons who are elderly. The information brief also describes the following state programs for the elderly—Long-Term Care Consultation Services, Alternative Care, essential community […]
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Medical Assistance Heath Care Services for the Elderly in Minnesota
This section provides information on Medical Assistance (MA) covered services and the managed care system under which most elderly MA enrollees receive services. This section also describes home care, personal care assistant services, Elderly Waiver, and nursing facility services in more detail. Medical Assistance Covered Services MA enrollees who are elderly receive coverage for the […]
Continue reading What Consumers Can Learn from Darren McFadden v. Ameriprise Lawsuit
This week various media outlets have reported that Dallas Cowboys running back, Darren McFadden, sued Minnesota-based Ameriprise Financial. McFadden alleges that Ameriprise failed to prevent one of its former representatives from enriching himself by fraudulently obtaining power of attorney to access McFadden’s accounts. Several articles reporting on McFadden’s lawsuit describe Ameriprise and an individual defendant using terms […]
Continue reading Executive Order: “Buy American and Hire American” Focuses on H-1B Foreign Worker Visas
The presidential executive order, “Buy American and Hire American,” will have an impact on Minnesota businesses. The “Hire American” part of the order focuses on the H-1B visa, which is an integral part of the Minnesota workplace. The H-1B classification, created by statute in 1990, allows U.S. businesses to hire highly skilled foreign-born workers for […]
Continue reading Employer Can Have Info about Whether Misclassified Workers Paid Tax
The U.S. Tax Court recently ruled that federal law doesn’t prohibit an employer looking to reduce its tax liability on misclassified workers from receiving information on whether the workers paid tax on the income. Background Businesses often prefer to treat workers as independent contractors to lower their costs and administrative burdens. But the IRS may […]
Continue reading Establishing Residency for State Tax Purposes
Have you been contemplating moving to another state with lower taxes? Your move could lower your state tax bill, but you want to make sure to establish that the new state is your place of legal residency (also known as your “domicile”) for state tax purposes. Otherwise, the old state could come after you for […]
Continue reading City of Saint Paul Rules for Earned Sick and Safe Time Ordinance
Contents Purpose of the Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) Ordinance and Rules………………………………………….. 1 Definitions……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 2 What Employees are covered by the ESST Ordinance?……………………………………………………………….. 4 How employees accrue and bank ESST……………………………………………………………………………………. 5 Use of Earned Sick and Safe Time………………………………………………………………………………………….. 7 Paying Employees When They Use ESST………………………………………………………………………………….. 8 When an Existing PTO Policy Complies with the […]
Continue reading How Updates to Minnesota’s Nonprofit Corporation Act Impact You
Given the frenetic state of national politics you would be forgiven for not looking too deeply into what the updates to Minnesota’s Nonprofit Corporation Act (Chapter 317A) mean to you and your organization. On April 18, 2017, the Minnesota Senate approved changes to the Act and the Minnesota House approved the same changes on February […]
Continue reading The Ins and Outs of Deducting Legal Expenses
Legal expenses incurred by individuals are typically not currently deductible under the federal income tax rules. Instead, they’re most often treated as either personal outlays (which are nondeductible) or as part of the cost of acquiring an asset, such as real estate. In the latter situation, legal costs usually aren’t deductible right away; instead, they […]
Continue reading Spring Cleaning: When Can You Purge Your Old Financial Records?
Feeling the urge to purge? April 17, 2018, is the deadline for individuals and C corporations to file their federal income tax returns for 2017 (or to file for an extension). Before you clear your filing cabinets of old financial records, however, it’s important to make sure you won’t be caught empty-handed if an IRS […]
Continue reading Minnesota Public Benefit Corporation Annual Reports: 2017 Status Update
We are celebrating the second full year of public benefit corporations in Minnesota. Public benefit corporations are for-profit corporations that have elected to add a social “benefit” purpose in addition to a general business purpose. This additional social purpose allows public benefit corporations to elevate pursuing a social good through business to a status at […]
Continue reading Crowdfunding Fraud: The Risk is Real and Growing
Crowdfunding, the practice of funding a project or venture by raising many small amounts of money from a large number of people typically via the Internet, is no longer a novelty. Since their beginnings in the early 2000s, crowdfunding portals have exponentially proliferated across the web. The more successful platforms have become household names, like […]
Continue reading Lawyer Non-Engagement Togstad Letter Template: Declining Representation
A standard practice for law firms and attorneys in Minnesota is sending a Non-Engagement Letter (i.e. Togstad Letter) to everyone who contacts the firm or lawyer but does not hire the firm or lawyer. While this may sound like an unnecessary burden, it is the best way for a lawyer or law firm to avoid potential […]
Continue reading Tax Court Interprets Exceptions to the PAL Rules for Rental Properties
Real estate owners who rent their properties often incur tax losses due to depreciation write-offs and other allowable deductions. However, the ability to deduct those losses might be postponed indefinitely by the passive activity loss (PAL) rules. In general, these rules limit deductions for rental property PALs to the amount of income that you […]
Continue reading Recent Developments May Affect Passive Investors with Losses
Do you materially participate in a business or rental activity — or are you just a passive investor who isn’t directly involved in a project’s day-to-day operations? The IRS has prescribed seven tests to help individuals classify income, gains, and losses from activities as passive or nonpassive. The passive activity loss (PAL) rules have been around […]
Continue reading Selling Large Assets and Minimizing Taxes
Some of our clients have large assets and now want to dispose of those assets. They might have started a business with sweat equity and now want to retire or exit the business. They might have purchased a publicly-traded stock, such as Amazon, Apple or Microsoft in the early days and hold a very large position […]
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Will Baby Boomers Have Anything Left to Pass Down?
The Baby Boomer generation – the largest generation in American history to date – is heading into retirement, but are they prepared? More importantly for their children and grandchildren – and possibly the economy as a whole – will there be anything left to bequeath when they pass away? It appears some Baby Boomers have […]
Continue reading Employee Misclassifcation: Eight Myths Debunked
Some employers incorrectly treat workers who are employees under the FLSA as independent contractors. This is called “misclassification.” Common myths about misclassification include Employers may not misclassify an employee for any reason, even if the employee agrees. A worker is not an independent contractor under the FLSA merely because they work offsite or from home […]
Continue reading Employee or Independent Contractor? IRS and DOL Guidelines
Internal Revenue Service Guidelines An employer must generally withhold federal income taxes, withhold and pay over social security and Medicare taxes, and pay unemployment tax on wages paid to an employee but not to independent contractors. To determine whether an individual is an employee or an independent contractor examine the following: 1) Behavioral control Does […]
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Regulation Crowdfunding: Observations After Six Months
At the end of February 2017, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) published a white paper studying crowdfunded offerings from May to November 2016. The report highlighted that during these first six months following the effective date of Regulation Crowdfunding, the fundraising method was attracting many issuers that had not extensively raised money before. The […]
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Relying on Audit Techniques Guides
IRS examiners usually do their homework before meeting with taxpayers and their professional representatives. This includes reviewing any relevant Audit Techniques Guides (ATGs) that typically focus on a specific industry or audit-prone business transaction. Though designed to help IRS examiners prepare for audits, ATGs are available to the public. So, small business taxpayers can review […]
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