Friday, December 1, 2023

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RELIEVED: Scott McCullough, co-owner of Symposium Books Inc. in Providence, is happy he won’t have to pay a tangible property tax, thanks to legislation passed by state legislators that exempts businesses from the first $50,000 they would typically owe in tangible taxes. 
PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

New tax exemption to make tangible difference in R.I.

At Symposium Books Inc. in downtown Providence, the property making up the store’s physical backbone – its numerous bookcases, for instance, or the computers...
PROTECTION PLAN: Gian Gentile, left, and brother Brendan Gentile, owners of SecurityRI.com, say the company receives more calls this time of year from businesses looking for security against ­shoplifters. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Shop owners bracing for theft before holidays

Stressed about the holidays already? You’re not alone. Every year, shop owners not only worry about stocking shelves with the right products, they also need...
SAVING EARLY: Frank Giorgio, vice president of investments and business development at Lax & Co. LLC in Warwick, advises clients to enroll in 401(k) and 403(b) plans when available. Under the Secure 2.0 Act, most companies will have to auto-enroll new employees into these plans. 
PBN PHOTO/­MICHAEL SALERNO

Secure 2.0 Act could help workers save for retirement

For around half of Americans, retirement isn’t as restful as its moniker implies – if they can achieve retirement at all. “We do deal with...
CREDIT ­PROBLEM: Michael Garcia, partner at Kahn, Litwin, Renza & Co. in Providence, says uncertainty over the federal Employee Retention Credit program is creating problems for countless businesses that had sought the credit following the COVID-19 pandemic. 
PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

Flap over ERC claims puts strain on firms

It’s been more than 18 months since one of Michael Garcia’s clients applied for an Employee Retention Credit and it’s still not clear when...
HUMAN TOUCH: Bonnie Kennedy, assistant chair of Salve Regina University’s Department of Business and Economics, says that while accounting students will be expected to use artificial intelligence-enabled tools in the future, they will still have to master the skills of communication and critical reasoning. 
PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

CPAs, analysts grapple with high-tech evolution

Experts have predicted for years that the growth of artificial intelligence will transform the accounting industry. For some, it already has. The technology is enabling...
READY TO RETIRE? Karla Abbott, 61, of Sioux Falls, S.D., is planning to retire next spring after working 38 years as a nurse. 
AP PHOTO/JAY PICKTHORN

Social Security recipients to receive lower cost-of-living adjustment next year

Looking ahead to retirement next spring, Karla Abbott finds comfort in the cost-of-living increase that millions of Social Security recipients get each year. But...
IN PROGRESS: Melissa Quinn, managing director of the Newport Performing Arts Center, says restoration work on the decorative plaster around the proscenium arch that frames the stage behind her is still needed as part of renovating the former Opera House Theater to become the center’s new home.
PBN PHOTO/DAVID HANSEN

The next act of the Newport Opera House’s long-awaited restoration

For decades, the historic Opera House Theater has been the focus of grand visions of restoration. So far, those visions have been unrealized. The brick...
RISING UP: Developer Pennrose LLC recently broke ground on a 127-unit apartment building on Parcel 9, located next to Our Lady of The Rosary Church in the I-195 Redevelopment District. This is a rendering of the completed building as planned. 
COURTESY THE ARCHITECTURAL TEAM INC.

Long-awaited projects in I-195 district awaited no longer

When it comes to new construction, the I-195 Redevelopment District in Providence has been quiet for a while. It’s been about a year since work...
REVIEW NEEDED: Alicia J. Samolis, chair of the labor and employment practice at Partridge Snow & Hahn LLP, says most businesses should take a closer look at their employee handbook after the latest ruling by the National Labor Relations Board. 

PBN PHOTO/MICHAEL SALERNO

Work policies may need refresh after NLRB ruling

A recent National Labor Relations Board ruling may force employers of all sizes to rewrite their employee policy handbooks to meet a new legal...
AN INSIDE LOOK: Margaret Morrissey-Basler, assistant professor of health sciences, second from left, instructs students in an anatomy class at Providence College. Traditionally, liberal arts colleges are putting more emphasis on professional majors, such as the nursing program at PC, as interest has grown. 
PBN PHOTO/MIKE SKORSKI

Some liberal arts schools adapting to major shifts

With nurses in high demand, and the field remaining a popular career choice despite workforce shortages, Providence College officials had high hopes for the...
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