S Corporation CPA discusses Risk Management | beyond IRS Form 1120-S.

S Corporation CPAs help bridge whatever skill gaps exist in our corporate clients. Without a trained CFO, or a staff CPA, some areas of S Corporation management go untended. When allowed to do so, most S Corporation CPAs go beyond Form 1120-S preparation and try to help where they can. After all our success depends on your success. My personal perception is that smaller companies sometimes profit from the tools Fortune 500 companies use.

Risk management has multiple perspectives and frame works. Your S Corporation already addresses some of these areas like limited legal liability. Various groups have defined Risk Management:

• COSO -Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
• CAS - Casualty Actuarial Society.
• ISO 31000 – internal risk management standard.

Common Risk Management Activity

• Cash Flow: predicting cash flow crunches and devising how to avoid them. Your S Corporation CPA can help with this. Budgeting, capital needs etc.
• Internal Controls: these procedures help prevent things like embezzlement. Conversely, internal controls insure financial and accounting transactions are properly recorded.
• Tax: commonly this is a subset of overall governmental compliance. It includes tax planning, Form 1120-S, sales tax, payroll taxes, credits etc.
• Legal: staying abreast of new regulatory standards that may affect the company. Obviously contract control and litigation fall under this category.
• Insurance: I think most S Corporation CPAs discuss best outcome/disaster scenarios with clients. And then try to balance insurance and assets for the least expensive and optimal coverage.
• Credit Management: this is your customer credit management policies like periodic re-evaluation of existing customers. I include protecting your S Corporation’s credit rating. One idea? Track your Liquidity Ratios over time when you anticipate a bank loan.
• IT: guarding your company’s data.
• Currency Fluctuation: more S Corporations conduct international business today than in the past.
• Personnel Safety: looks at what could physically harm employees and how to prevent it.
• Asset Safeguards: safes, security systems etc.

I’m an S Corporation CPA with a virtual office that allows great client service wherever they are. We operate as an S Corporation, so I stay on top of emerging issues. I’m proactive by nature, so risk management is something we look at for our clients. If you don’t already have an S Corporation CPA, or just like what you read, call us for a free phone consult at (910) 399-2705.

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