Auto Dealers

Organizations across every sector are asked to provide financial statements at one point or another. A bank needs them for a loan renewal. A foundation wants to see them before releasing a grant. These requests often come with deadlines, but not always with clear instructions. Many leaders hear the terms compilation, review, and audit and wonder what the differences mean for the organization. This often depends on how the financial statements will be used and what level of assurance outside parties need. Understanding these distinctions helps organizations avoid delays, reduce costs, and meet compliance obligations.

It’s been several weeks since the federal government shut down on October 1, 2025. Since then, many agencies have closed or are operating with only partial staff. Economists estimate that each week of the shutdown could trim about 0.1 percentage point from quarterly GDP growth, roughly $6-7 billion in lost activity across the economy.

The federal government shut down on October 1, 2025, after lawmakers couldn’t agree on a plan to fund operations for the new fiscal year. It’s the first shutdown since 2018-2019 and comes at a busy time for both taxpayers and businesses. It’s just two weeks before the October 15 filing deadline for extended individual returns. Concurrently, many Atlanta businesses are undergoing year-end tax planning.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed on July 4, 2025, makes several tax changes that affect independent auto dealers. Importantly, certain tax-saving provisions were made permanent, which may help lower tax liability and improve cash flow. It also creates new rules around payroll and reporting that dealers will need to keep in mind as they manage operations.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), signed into law on July 4, 2025, makes major changes to federal clean energy tax policy. The law accelerates the expiration of more than a dozen energy-related tax credits, many of which were previously set to remain in effect through 2032. Several credits will now expire as early as September 2025. In other cases, new restrictions may limit who qualifies or how the credit can be used.

Atlanta car dealerships are constantly searching for ways to increase new and used car sales. For some this means enhancing the sales experience with new digital tools, offering online trade-in estimates, or an inventory locator. For others it is about offering competitive financing and other payment options. Regardless of the challenge, auto dealers are focused on growing the bottom line. While customer centric solutions are important, dealerships should regularly conduct benchmarking to uncover areas of opportunities and growth.  By evaluating performance against industry standards, dealerships can identify operational improvement opportunities. When properly leveraged, essential changes can lead to a stronger bottom line.

On April 3, 2025, a new 25% tariff on imported vehicles went into effect, bringing big changes for auto dealerships across the country. Nearly half of the new vehicles sold in the U.S. each year come from countries like Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and Germany. The added cost of these tariffs is expected to influence vehicle pricing, inventory decisions, and customer demand at the dealership level.

Businesses, nonprofits, and other organizations investing in renewable energy may qualify for two key federal tax incentives that significantly reduce project costs. The Investment Tax Credit (ITC) provides a percentage-based credit for the upfront costs of installing renewable energy systems, while the Production Tax Credit (PTC) offers a per-kilowatt-hour credit for electricity generated by qualifying systems over time.

Millions of Americans leave behind retirement accounts every year due to job changes, incomplete records, or failing to roll over funds. An estimated 29.2 million forgotten 401(k) accounts hold approximately $1.65 trillion in assets. In response to this growing issue, the Department of Labor (DOL) created the Retirement Savings Lost and Found (RSLF) database under the SECURE 2.0 Act of 2022. 

The Department of Labor (DOL) recently appealed a federal ruling that overturned the previously established overtime rules on salary thresholds. This has set the limits for the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) back to levels set in 2019. While we wait to see what might happen with the appeal during a period of changing Presidential administrations, there are several important considerations companies should make.