Illuminating the Accounting of Art, Collectibles, and Luxury Assets

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There are people who invest in stocks, bonds, mutual funds or real estate; and then there are people who invest in more unique assets. These assets can range from photographs and paintings to jewelry and classic cars. More often than not, this is born out of a true love for these items. That they may hold extraordinarily high values is just the cherry on top.

With Plumb’s decades of experience helping high-net-worth clients and their trusted advisors with their bill pay and accounting needs, we are very familiar with the best practices of the reporting and accounting requirements related to these special assets.

Here are some of the ways we work with clients and their luxury assets:

Art and Car Collections

  • It is recommended that clients that have art or classic car collections should itemize every piece or vehicle in the collection.
  • These items may also be held in separate entities – especially if clients do a lot of buying and selling. We may recommend the use of Sage Intacct to make use of their dimensions for ease of tracking. Otherwise, we can utilize subaccounts in QuickBooks.
  • If a client loans a piece or a collection to a museum, a loan agreement is needed, and we will help coordinate with the insurance company. The museum is responsible for the insurance of the piece(s) while it’s in their possession, and when returned, the insurance again needs to be updated.
  • If an appraisal is conducted, we will coordinate with the appraiser to receive the report on both the inventory and assigned values.

Jewelry

  • Jewelry is not always itemized since most clients have a rider on their home policy up to a certain amount that can cover this type of asset. However, we recommend itemizing if clients have more valuable jewels or watches.
  • As with art or car collections, if the client requests an appraisal, we’ll receive the report directly from the appraiser.

At the end of the day, our goal is to accurately itemize these unique, luxury assets for insurance purposes, and they are tracked separately for accounting reasons. And our clients usually just want to ensure that they – and their children and grandchildren – can enjoy these magnificent possessions for a long time to come.

Take the Next Step Towards Financial Ease and Clarity: Contact us at sales@thinkplumb.com to discuss how our outsourced bill payment and accounting services can help you accurately itemize and report on your luxury assets. Your peace of mind is our priority.

 

 

Plumb Shortlisted for 2 Private Asset Management (PAM) Awards

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Once again, Plumb is thrilled to have been shortlisted for two PAM (Private Asset Management) Awards:

  • Best General Ledger System
  • Best Partnership Accounting System

We congratulate our fellow nominees and thank the team at WithIntelligence and the PAM Awards for this honor.

 

PAM Awards Shortlist

Plumb delivers financial peace of mind by assisting high-net-worth individuals and family offices know where their money is going, so their trusted advisors can effectively manage it. We work in partnership with their team — including wealth, CPA, and other advisors — to provide the highest quality of data and financial reporting to establish a holistic view of their assets and financial holdings. We’d love to help answer any questions you may have. Feel free to schedule time to speak with Anneke Stender, our EVP, at your convenience.

8 Tips for Navigating the Conversation: Outsourcing Bill Payment for HNW Parents

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Our Top 8 Tips for How to Talk to Your Parents About Outsourcing Their Bill Payment

When it comes to discussing financial matters with high-net-worth parents, the conversation can be more complex than with the average household. High-net-worth individuals often have multiple investments, assets, and financial complexities that require careful management. If you’re considering broaching the topic of outsourcing bill payment for your high-net-worth parents, it’s crucial to approach the conversation with sensitivity, respect, and a focus on their financial well-being.

  1. Understand Their Financial Landscape

Before initiating the conversation, take the time to thoroughly understand your parents’ financial situation. This includes their assets, investments, income sources, liabilities, and financial goals. High-net-worth individuals typically have diverse financial holdings, and it’s essential to grasp the big picture.

  1. Emphasize the Benefits

Highlight the advantages of outsourcing bill payment with an experienced and hands-on team like Plumb. Mention how it can optimize their financial management by ensuring that no payments are missed, preventing late fees, and streamlining record-keeping. Emphasize that not only can this free up their time for more strategic financial planning and investment decisions, but it will give them more time to enjoy their lives and do what they love – whether traveling, spending time with friends and family, or just relaxing.

  1. Address Their Concerns

Acknowledge that your parents may have concerns about relinquishing control over their financial affairs. Listen actively to their worries and address them one by one. Discuss how they can maintain oversight and retain decision-making authority while delegating routine tasks. At Plumb, we understand these concerns and hear them from prospective clients almost daily. In fact, we created our proprietary Bill Pay App specifically for our clients. Our app provides bill pay transparency and insights that we know our clients want. Read more about our app here.

  1. Present Professional Options

Research and present professional options for outsourcing bill payment, like Plumb. We have a proven outsourced bill pay solution, including a proprietary bill pay app, with high-touch customer support, and expert bill pay accountants who ensure bills are paid accurately and on time.

  1. Discuss Privacy and Security

Assure your parents that their privacy and financial security are paramount. Choose a service provider like Plumb with bank-level security and a strong track record of safeguarding sensitive financial information. Explain the robust security measures in place to protect their data – you can learn more about Plumb’s focus on confidentiality and security here.

  1. Transparency in Costs

Be transparent about the costs associated with outsourcing bill payment services or hiring financial advisors. At Plumb, we are very upfront with our fees and take the time needed to walk our clients through exactly what they can expect in return.

  1. Ensure a Comprehensive Approach

When discussing outsourcing, stress the importance of a comprehensive approach to financial management. Explain that the chosen service provider will work in tandem with your parents’ existing financial team, including accountants, attorneys, and investment advisors – just as we do here at Plumb.

  1. Offer Ongoing Support

After the decision is made, offer ongoing support to ensure a smooth transition, but work with a bill pay service provider who will make this an easy and pain-free change. You’ll also want to find a firm like Plumb who offers high-touch, full-access client support.

Broaching the subject of outsourcing bill payment for high-net-worth parents is a delicate but necessary conversation that can enhance their financial well-being and peace of mind. By approaching this topic with empathy, knowledge, and a focus on their specific needs, you can help your parents make informed decisions that optimize their financial management while respecting their autonomy and preferences. Ultimately, this can contribute to their financial security and their overall happiness.

Plumb delivers financial peace of mind by assisting high-net-worth individuals and family offices know where their money is going, so their trusted advisors can effectively manage it. We work in partnership with their team — including wealth, CPA, and other advisors — to provide the highest quality of data and financial reporting to establish a holistic view of their assets and financial holdings. We’d love to help answer any questions you may have. Feel free to schedule time to speak with Anneke Stender, our EVP, at your convenience.

3 Things to Know About Form 1099-NEC

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What is Form 1099-NEC (Nonemployee Compensation)?

The IRS is bringing back a form last used in 1982s —Form 1099-NEC, to be used beginning with 2020 information returns. The draft 2020 version of the form has been posted by the IRS to the agency’s website. Part of the rationale for the new Form 1099–NEC was that the Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes (PATH) Act of 2015.

It will be used to report at least $600 payments made to each person during the calendar year for your business:

  • Services performed by someone that was not your employee
    • Include parts/materials used to perform the service
  • Cash payments for fish (or other aquatic life) you purchase from anyone engaged in the trade or business of catching fish
  • Payments to attorneys

Withheld any federal income tax under the backup withholding rules regardless of the payment amount.

Common examples of who will receive Form 1099-NEC:

  • Attorneys
  • Architects
  • Accountants
  • Graphic Designers
  • Web Developer
  • IT Consultants
  • Freelance writer
  • Non-employee Sales Commission
  • Freelance Contractors
  • Landscapers
  • Other self-employed individuals

Form 1099-NEC:

Due to IRS & Recipient 2/1/21

  • A IRS
  • 1 State Tax Department
  • B Recipient
  • 2 Recipient copy to be filed with state income tax return (if applicable)
  • C Payer

 

Form 1099-MISC:

Due to recipient by 2/1/21 or 2/16/21 if reporting in box 8 or 10. Due to IRS by 3/1/21 (paper) or 3/31/21 (electronic)

  • A IRS
  • 1 State Tax Department
  • B Recipient
  • 2 Recipient copy to be filed with state income tax return (if applicable)
  • C Payer

 

Ready to start your new year with organized financials in preparation for tax season? Plumb Family CFO works in partnership with your CPA and personal financial team.  Fill out the form below to find out more.

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Personal Income Tax Organizer: Preparing your Financials for Filing Tax Returns

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Personal Income Tax Organizer, an Outsourced Recordkeeping Solution by Plumb Family CFO

In this client case study, Plumb Family CFO gives an overview of the recordkeeping and accounting services that go into putting together a personal income tax organizer that streamlines year-end tracking and creates financial organization in order to file tax returns.

Client: High-net-worth real estate investor with multiple properties, S Corp, and brokerage accounts.

Net Worth: $35MM

Background:  This real estate investor has a large portfolio of multi-family rental and mixed-use properties, along with an S Corp, and complex personal accounting needs. With limited time and resources to organize his financial records and supporting tax documents, he turned to Plumb Family CFO as an outsourced accounting solution.

The Solution:  Plumb Family CFO collects, tracks and organizes the client’s financial data to create a comprehensive and audit-proof financial package for year-end.  This allows for the client’s CPA firm to be more cost-effective with their time and helps to maximize standard deductions. Plumb also supplies the CPA with quarterly financial reports to properly adjust estimated tax payments as needed to avoid any penalties and interest chargers with the IRS or Franchise Tax Board.

By having accurate recordkeeping throughout the year, with up-to-date reconciliations and properly tracked income and expenses, the client experienced tax season with the peace of mind knowing that he had the highest quality of data and financial reporting to file tax returns. With a clear financial picture, he was able to make informed decisions with his wealth and property portfolio.

View: Additional Family CFO Case Studies

“Plumb Family CFO tracks and organizes my client’s financials and paperwork throughout the year and I never have to worry about any last-minute fire drills or missing information during tax deadlines”.  – Client’s CPA

Download: Sample copy of Annual Tax Organizer / Personal Income Tax Organizer

Personal Income Tax Organizer: “Pulling it all Together”

In order for Plumb Family CFO to organize and compile all the data for the client’s CPA to file tax returns, we follow an accounting preparation guideline, including:

  • Step 1: Fully reconcile and close out year-end financials
  • Step 2: Print a P&L statement for each entity to use as reference tool
  • Step 3: Work with the client’s CPA to use their standard personal income tax organizer or create document using Plumb Family CFO template
  • Step 4: Outline and track any major purchases made throughout the year that may have a tax impact – for example, purchase/sale of real estate, purchase of electric vehicle or IRA contributions

Financial Recordkeeping & Supporting Tax Documents

Here is a sample list of the supporting tax documents that Plumb Family CFO will collect throughout the year for the personal income tax organizer package.

  • Wages/Salary – W2
  • Interest/Dividend Income:
  • 1099s from bank and brokerage firms
  • General Ledger for private loan/note interest received
  • Capital Gains/Losses
  • 1099 from brokerage firms
  • K1 Schedules
  • Private Equity
  • Hedge Funds
  • Privately Held Companies
  • Property Income/Expenses
  • Include P&L by investment property to be included on Schedule E of the tax return
  • Standard Deductions
  • Include GL detail for each category
  • General Expense Categories
  • Medical and Health Insurance
  • Legal – Estate Planning
  • Interest Expense – either 1098 form for mortgage or investment interest
  • Property Taxes for Residence(s)
  • Donations – include donation receipt for amounts over $250 per annum
  • Tax Payments (IRS and State)

Ready to start your new year with organized financials in preparation for tax season? Plumb Family CFO works in partnership with your CPA and personal financial team.  Fill out the form below to learn more.

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