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Selecting your business successor is a fundamental objective when planning your exit strategy and requires a careful assessment of what you want from the sale of your business and who can best give it to you.

At some point, most small business owners will visit a bank or other lending institution to borrow money. Understanding what your bank wants, and how to properly approach them, can mean the difference between getting a loan for expansion or scrambling to find cash from other sources.

According to the Treasury Department, more than 159 million individuals have already received their Economic Impact Payments; however, a recent audit found that the IRS sent $1.4 billion in stimulus checks to deceased individuals. As such, many people may have received a payment for a deceased family member or another taxpayer who is not eligible to receive a payment and may have questions about what to do. Here are some answers:

Individuals with significant assets who want to transfer wealth to heirs tax-free, as well as minimize estate taxes, should take advantage of proven tax strategies such as gifting and direct payments to educational institutions; however low interest rates and a volatile stock market are creating additional opportunities. Let's take a look at some of the strategies available:

As a reminder, taxpayers now have until July 15, 2020, to file and pay federal income taxes originally due on April 15 and no late-filing penalty, late-payment penalty or interest will be due. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this relief has been expanded to include additional returns, tax payments and other actions:

Small and medium-sized employers can begin taking advantage of two new refundable payroll tax credits, designed to immediately and fully reimburse them, dollar-for-dollar, for the cost of providing coronavirus-related leave to their employees. This relief to employees and small and midsize businesses is provided under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (Act), signed into law on March 18, 2020.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the federal income tax filing due date is automatically extended from April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020. Taxpayers can also defer federal income tax payments due on April 15, 2020, to July 15, 2020, without penalties and interest, regardless of the amount owed.

Social Security benefits include monthly retirement, survivor, and disability benefits; they do not include Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, which are not taxable.

If you are ready to file your taxes but are missing important tax forms here's what you should do:

Many taxpayers opt for the standard deduction because it is easier, but sometimes itemizing your deductions is the better choice - often resulting in a lower tax bill. Whether you bought a house, refinanced your current home, or had extensive gambling losses, you may be able to take advantage of tax breaks for taxpayers who itemize. Here's what to keep in mind: