Cross + Co - Insights
Statutory Reporting: More Than a Filing Deadline
Some responsibilities in business aren’t optional. Statutory reporting refers to the legally required financial and non-financial disclosures companies must submit to government agencies and regulators, such as annual financial statements, tax filings, payroll reports, and industry-specific compliance disclosures. While the exact requirements vary by jurisdiction and industry, the objective is always the same: to provide…
IRS S-Corp Election & Income Splitting: What Business Owners Need to Know
Electing S-Corporation status is a powerful tax strategy that allows business owners to “split income” between salary and distributions—often reducing overall self-employment taxes. Profits and losses pass directly to your personal return, avoiding the double taxation of a traditional C-Corp. How the Income Split Works• Reasonable Salary → subject to payroll taxes (Social Security +…
Profit Is Vanity, Cash Is Sanity: Meet the CCC
(CCC) shows how long your dollars are tied up from buying inventory to getting paid.Simply, it tracks how fast inventory turns into cash through sales and collections while leveraging vendor payment timing.The formula is straightforward: CCC = DIO + DSO − DPO (Days Inventory Outstanding + Days Sales Outstanding − Days Payable Outstanding). A longer…
Two Similar Terms, Big Impact: Understanding Depreciation & Amortization
What’s the real difference between amortization and depreciation—and why does it matter for your business? As a CPA & CFO, I explain it simply: Both concepts ensure expenses are recognized systematically, keeping your P&L and Balance Sheet accurate. They also play a major role in tax planning, capital budgeting, valuations, and understanding the true economic…
Final Month of 2025: Are Your Books in Order?
As we enter the last month of 2025, this is the moment to tighten up your books—not scramble in January to fix what December rushed. As a CPA & CFO, I’ve seen year-end go smoothly only when businesses focus on clean reconciliations, proper revenue cutoffs, and proactive cash planning before the ball drops. A refreshed…
What is EBITDA and why does it matter?
Understanding EBITDA is one of the fastest ways to get a clear picture of how a business is performing at its core. EBITDA—Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization—helps strip away non-operating noise so leaders can focus on true operational strength. While it’s not a perfect metric, it’s incredibly useful for comparing performance across companies,…
Top-Down vs Bottom-Up Budgeting: Which Should You Use?
As a CPA/CFO, I look for a plan that is both strategically aligned and operationally real. Top-down budgeting starts with leadership targets (revenue, margin, cash) and allocates resources across the portfolio—great for speed and alignment, but it can miss frontline realities. Bottom-up budgeting builds from the drivers inside each team—units, rates, headcount, projects—producing detail and…
Why FP&A Is the Most Underrated Function in Finance
FP&A isn’t just about crunching numbers — it tells the story behind them. It connects performance, strategy, and operations to drive smarter business decisions every day. ✅ Forecasting- Projecting the future for adaptive change, not reporting the past✅ Insights- Turning financial data into actionable insights✅ Aligning- Budgets with strategy and execution✅ Strategy- Guiding executive decisions…
Last Quarter of 2025: Do You Have Your Books in Order?
As a CPA & CFO, I’ve learned that a strong finish starts with crisp monthly closes, clean reconciliations, and evidence-backed numbers—so January isn’t spent fixing December.Build (or refresh) your 13-week cash forecast and roll your budget forward now to test hiring, capex, and year-end tax moves before December 31. Quick wins: ✅ revenue cutoffs &…
Cash Flow Clarity: The Power of a 13-Week Forecast
As a CPA and CFO, I rely on a 13-week cash flow forecast as the company’s early-warning system.A weekly, quarter-long view turns surprises into decisions—showing when cash will dip, when to pace payables, and when to lean into growth.The cadence is the power: project 13 weeks out, then roll it forward every week by replacing…