The Firm of Gardner & Billing, CPAs PLLC

Have you recently been selected for a State Fund audit on your workers compensation policy?  State Fund conducts mandatory premium audits on all new policies after the first year of coverage.  After that, they randomly select roughly 25% of policies each year for an audit.   If you have questions on a premium audit, we're happy to assist, even if we don't process your payroll regularly.  We can review your records ahead of time so there's no surprises and then handle the audit from our office so that you don't have to deal with the stress. So don't panic when you get correspondence in the mail with that dirty little word and don't hesitate to ask us for help.  Here's some information from Montana State Fund related to premium audits: Why a Premium Audit?   The purpose of an audit is to ensure you pay fair and accurate premium for your business operations during the policy period. When you purchased your policy, premium was estimated based upon

Montana Workers’ Compensation Laws for Independent Contractors from the Department of Labor & Industry What are Montana’s workers’ compensation laws for independent contractors? The law requires independent contractors to obtain either an independent contractor exemption certificate or self-elected coverage under a Montana workers’ compensation insurance policy. Refer to MCA, 39-71-417 . What is the purpose of an independent contractor exemption certificate? It allows an independent contractor to waive all their rights and benefits that would otherwise be provided by a workers’ compensation insurance policy. If an independent contractor were to suffer a work-related injury or occupational disease while performing the occupations specified on the certificate, they would not be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. The certificate concludes the person’s status is conclusively presumed to be that of an independent contractor. Refer to MCA, 39-71-417(7) . What is the purpos

If you have a vehicle with a GVW of 55,000 lbs or more that will be used on public roads and/or is otherwise required to be licensed, then you must annually file Form 2290 Heavy Vehicle Highway Use Tax with the IRS. If your vehicle will travel less than 5,000 miles for commercial purposes or less than 7,500 miles for agricultural purposes, you are exempt from the tax but still must file Form 2290 each year. Federal regulations require all states to verify payment of, or exemption from, the tax before issuing or renewing vehicle registrations. Before a vehicle is registered, the owner must provide proof this tax has been paid. This is done at the time of licensing at the county or in MCS when registering under the IRP. The reporting period is July 1—June 30 and returns are due annually by August 31. Filing is now open for the July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020 period and Gardner & Billing CPAs are here to help! We can prepare your return for either paper or electronic filing.

Happy Powder River County Centennial Week! Wishing you all a safe and spectacular 4th of July celebration! Our office will be closed on Thursday and Friday this week and will reopen with regular summer hours on Monday, July 8th.