alliant-group

Our government wants businesses to stop outsourcing. It creates incentives to encourage the hiring of American workers. It implements policies to keep jobs and factories here in the U.S. And while these measures are all well-meaning, none of them ultimately tackle what is the greatest threat to our nation’s long-term economic prosperity—the technical skills gap in our workforce. Couple that with restrictions on immigration, and particularly H1-Bs, and we’re on the brink of a talent vacuum here in the U.S. As someone who works with businesses from around the country, from industries as diverse as manufacturing to architecture and construction, I can tell you that the number one thing that keeps CEOs up at night is the issue of talent. Simply put, there are not enough technically skilled workers out there to meet the demands of these companies. Ultimately, that is what drives factories and jobs overseas – we don’t have the skills to fill all of the needs here at home— the growin...

We here at alliantgroup know that dealing with the IRS can be unpleasant, but being unprepared for such interactions can lead to problems for your business. While many business owners have long-established relationships with trusted tax advisors, they are often not adequately prepared for an IRS audit, and they frequently fail to take advantage of opportunities available to them when filing. Why do these expensive mistakes occur, and what can be done to avoid them? One common cause of these issues is poor communication between business owners and their tax advisors. Businesses can change a lot year to year, and their owners are typically too busy to fully consider the ways in which these changes affect their eligibility for government incentives, like the Research and Development Tax Credit that has inspired the work of alliantgroup. Clear communication between you and your tax advisor can help prevent missed opportunities for your business. Keep in mind that you may be...

Today,  alliantgroup  is an international complex consultancy that employs over 800 professionals. It has a strategic advisory board made up of accomplished leaders, from chief executives to elected officials. However, it didn’t start that way. In 2002, alliantgroup was just two individuals with a dream working from a studio apartment. So what’s our  secret ? Put simply, the key to the growth and success of our organization has been finding and retaining the right people. During the hiring process, you may encounter many qualified candidates. The hard part is finding those individuals who are passionate about what they do and who truly believe in your company’s mission. Typically, you can teach people how to perform the tasks required for a position. What you can’t teach, however, is passion. It is vitally important to find and recruit people who have the internal drive to go above and beyond. Equally important is fostering a  culture  that rewards and de...

At  alliantgroup , we understand that the  Research & Development (R&D) Tax Credit  is the most important incentive for U.S. businesses, hands down. Since its humble beginnings as a provision of the Economic Recovery and Tax Act of 1981, it has helped companies survive economic downturns, create new jobs and invest in exciting new technologies. Understanding the origins and history of the R&D Tax Credit can help us identify the kinds of policies we should implement to ensure a future of sustained economic growth. The R&D Tax credit was born out of a concern that decreased research spending had slowed economic growth and hindered competition. In 2003, additional regulations were finalized which terminated the law’s “Discovery Rule,” a requirement that a company’s research activities be “new to the world” to qualify for the tax credit. With this restrictive rule abolished, Dhaval Jadav and Shane Frank recognized a tremendous opportunity for U.S. compan...

alliantgroup  Strategic Advisory Board member  Mark Everson  recently had the opportunity to talk with Politico about how the IRS will handle this year’s filing season in the aftermath of the 35-day government shutdown. Politico quoted Everson, a former IRS Commissioner, in its Jan. 28 edition of Morning Tax. Everson told Politico that the view from the outside of the agency was not optimistic, and that although the IRS felt ready to handle the filing season after changes from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, this recent government shutdown might change things. According to Everson, a “very real possibility” exists that technical issues could hamstring the IRS’s ability to effectively handle filing season. Everson said that “would-be identity thieves” might take advantage of potential tech issues, and that the government shutdown would impact the agency’s ability to handle the issues. Click here  to read more.

Economic and technological disruption are taking the world by storm and significantly changing the landscape in which we work and live. Looking back on history, the industries that powered the U.S. economy were all STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) based industries, such as the automotive industry and the technological industries. In current times, this pattern continues with STEM based industries paving the way for future advancement. It is for this reason that alliantgroup believes in the importance of the STEM fields. There is a level of uncertainty existing amongst people today: with automation and technology strip away jobs from humans? Will there be enough jobs to support the growing population? Will the new jobs created by technology outpace the loss of jobs due to these advancements? Most importantly, will future generations be able to thrive the way previous ones did? alliantgroup believes for this reason, it is important to continue strength...