Brickley DeLong

08/25/2026

Last week we welcomed Crowe CR team to Muskegon for hands-on training focused on artificial intelligence and its growing role in the accounting industry.

Our team learned more about ChatGPT, AI bots and agents and even how to build them. By the end of the training, at least two handfuls of our team members had successfully created working bots.

This wasn’t training simply to check a box. It was an investment in keeping our team informed, understanding how AI works within our roles, and staying ahead of an evolving technology landscape. AI will never replace the knowledge, professional judgment, or personal relationships our team brings to the table. What it can do is help us work more efficiently, use technology responsibly, and continue providing thoughtful, high-quality service to our clients.

A huge thank-you to the Crowe Costa Rica team for making the trip to beautiful Muskegon to share their time and expertise with us. We’re also incredibly grateful to our client, Reeths-Puffer Schools, for generously providing a space for the training.

We’re proud of our team for embracing the opportunity to learn, grow, and prepare for what’s next while keeping people and our clients at the center of everything we do.

08/24/2026

Brickley DeLong is proud to serve as a presenting sponsor of Aquinas College’s Welcome to Accounting event tomorrow!

Morgan will be representing Brickley DeLong and connecting with students as they explore career opportunities, learn about the recruitment process, and practice networking with accounting professionals.

📅 Tuesday, August 25
⏰ 4:30–6:00 p.m.
📍 Wege Ballroom at Aquinas College

We look forward to supporting the next generation of accounting professionals. Go Saints! 💙

08/21/2026

🎒 Strong Communities Start with Strong Students 📚

Back-to-school season is a good reminder that supporting our local students isn’t just the responsibility of parents, teachers, and schools. As businesses and community members, we have a role to play too.

And this year, our Brickley DeLong team showed up! 💙

We challenged each of our four offices to donate enough school supplies to fill at least 10 backpacks for students in their local community.

Our team proudly filled 42 fully stocked backpacks, plus additional school supplies for each school! 🎒✏️📓

The donations will benefit students at:

📍 Grand Haven: Griffins Elementary
📍 Grand Rapids: Southwest Elementary
📍 Hart: Spitler Elementary
📍 Muskegon: Oakview Elementary

Thank you to everyone on our team who donated, shopped, packed backpacks, and helped make this year’s drive a success. It was pretty great seeing all four offices get behind this and help us reach our goal.

At the end of the day, these are the communities where we live and work, and supporting the people in them matters to us.

Plus, our communities are going to need future teachers, business owners, leaders, and, of course, future accountants. 😉

Here’s to a great school year! 💙

08/12/2026

We are incredibly proud to share that Brenda Jacobs, CPA ( Managing Partner ) has been named a 2026 ATHENA on the Lakeshore Award Finalist! ✨👏

This recognition celebrates women who demonstrate excellence in their profession, make a meaningful impact in their communities, and help encourage and develop other women as leaders.

Brenda’s leadership, commitment to our firm and dedication to the West Michigan community make this recognition especially well deserved. We are so excited to celebrate her alongside this outstanding group of finalists!

Congratulations, Brenda! 💙

08/12/2026

🌊 We're proud to be a sponsor of the Muskegon Lake Celebration! 🌊

Join the community on Saturday, August 15 as we celebrate the incredible restoration and remarkable comeback of Muskegon Lake!

From family-friendly activities during the day to an exciting 80s-themed celebration aboard the S.S. Milwaukee Clipper in the evening, there's something for everyone to enjoy.

📅 Saturday, August 15, 2026
☀️ Sun, Fun, and a Lake Restored
🕘 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
📍 Grand Trunk Pavilion

🎉 Back to the Lake: An 80s Celebration
🕖 7:00 PM – 10:00 PM
📍 S.S. Milwaukee Clipper

We're honored to support an event that celebrates our community, our environment, and the future of Muskegon Lake. We hope to see you there!

08/10/2026

🎓 Calling all accounting students getting ready for internship recruiting season!

As we head into fall recruiting, Brickley DeLong is looking forward to kicking off internship recruiting season. In the next couple months, members of our team will spend time at local colleges and universities, talking with and interviewing students about the internship opportunities we offer and how they might be a good fit for our firm.

Whether you’re preparing for your first internship, heading to a career fair, or beginning to explore opportunities in public accounting, these are five great reminders to keep in mind. 👇

1. You are not expected to know everything
One of the biggest misconceptions students have before starting an internship is that they are expected to know how to do everything. While their accounting courses have given them a strong foundation, interns are not familiar with our software or processes, and most have not had previous exposure to tax returns or audit engagements. All we expect is for them to ask thoughtful questions, show a willingness to learn, and continuously improve.

2. Respond well to feedback
Receiving review comments is intimidating at first – it feels like you have done something wrong. Instead, we encourage our interns to view feedback as an opportunity to learn. Again, the goal is not perfection, but rather improvement.

3. Ask questions early and often
Many interns hesitate to ask questions because they do not want to appear inexperienced. But asking questions is a great way to demonstrate your engagement and willingness to learn. Once you have spent a few minutes considering potential solutions, ask your supervisor and go over with them what you have already come up with. Our partners and managers would much rather answer a question (or ten) early than spend time fixing work later.

4. Communication and professionalism are just as important as technical skills
Many accounting students are surprised to discover that accounting is a people profession as much as it is a numbers profession. Whether you need to ask a client for documentation or explain a tax concept, your ability to communicate in a clear, professional manner matters. Strong communication helps prevent misunderstandings, builds trust, and makes collaboration much more effective. Being professional does not mean being perfect – it means being dependable, respectful, and treating everyone with courtesy.

5. Build relationships, not just experience
Your internship is about much more than completing assignments. It is also an opportunity to build relationships with the people around you. The coworkers you meet may become mentors, references, future colleagues, or even lifelong professional connections.

✨ Written by Amy Deming, CPA

Interested in learning more about internship opportunities with Brickley DeLong? Keep an eye out for our team on campus this fall - we’d love to meet you!

Grand Valley State University

08/04/2026

💡 S Corporation Owners: Don’t Miss Out on Your Health Insurance Deduction

If you own more than 2% of an S corporation, the good news is that the rules for deducting your health insurance premiums remain unchanged for 2026. By following a few important steps, you may continue deducting the cost of coverage for yourself, your spouse, your dependents, and your children under age 27.

✅ Make sure your premiums are handled correctly.
Your S corporation must either pay your health insurance premiums directly or reimburse you for them. The corporation must then include the premium amount as taxable wages in Box 1 of your Form W-2, but not in Boxes 3 or 5. You may then claim the self-employed health insurance deduction on your individual tax return if you meet the eligibility requirements.

⚠️ Your compensation matters.
One of the most common mistakes involves taking too little salary. Your deduction cannot exceed your Box 5 Medicare wages. If you take little or no salary, you could lose part or all of the deduction, even when the premiums are properly reported on your W-2.

👥 Your spouse’s coverage could affect your deduction.
You cannot take the deduction for any month in which you or your spouse is eligible for employer-subsidized health insurance. If your spouse can receive family coverage as a tax-advantaged fringe benefit through their employer, you may lose the deduction even if your spouse does not enroll in the coverage.

👨‍👩‍👧 Family attribution rules can create another complication.
Certain family members who work for the business may be treated as shareholders for tax purposes, even if they do not directly own company stock. This can change how their health insurance premiums must be reported and deducted.

🚨 Be careful when reimbursing non-owner employees.
Reimbursing employees for individually purchased health insurance outside an approved arrangement could result in significant IRS penalties.

Health insurance deductions for S corporation owners can provide valuable tax savings, but the reporting requirements must be followed carefully.

Questions about how these rules apply to you or your business? Contact your Brickley DeLong account administrator today. Our team can help ensure your health insurance premiums are reported correctly and that you receive every deduction available to you.

*This information is intended for general educational purposes and should not be considered individualized tax advice.*

Call now to connect with business.

07/29/2026

🌟 An Internship Experience That Made an Impact 🌟

When Noah Peoples began his summer internship with Brickley DeLong, he wasn’t sure what to expect. What he found was an opportunity to gain hands-on experience, contribute to meaningful work, and learn alongside a team invested in his growth.

Here is what Noah shared about his experience:
“Before starting my internship at Brickley DeLong, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Like many other students, I’ve heard of the typical internship stereotypes; that interns only do busywork, spend their days getting coffee for the office, or simply watching from afar just to be able to add experience to their resume. I assumed it would be somewhat of the same here.

Those expectations changed my very first week.

Instead of being on the sidelines, I was immediately involved in hands on activities and working on real audits throughout Oceana County. I became part of a team that trusted me with meaningful work while providing me with the guidance I needed to learn and grow.
What stood out the most was the people. Whenever I had a question or a concern, someone was always willing to take the time to help me understand not only what to do, but why it mattered.

As time went on, I realized that I wasn’t counting the days until I had to go back to school. Instead, I was wishing the internship would continue. Brickley DeLong quickly became a place where I genuinely enjoyed coming to work, learning from those around me, and being part of the team.

Before this internship, I wondered whether accounting was the career I wanted to pursue long term. Classroom experiences can only partially answer that question. Working alongside the professionals at Brickley DeLong gave me the answer I was looking for. This internship not only strengthened my accounting skills, but also confirmed that accounting is the career I want to pursue.

If you are considering an internship, don’t underestimate how much the right place can shape your confidence, skills, and career path..”

We are proud to have Noah as part of our team this summer and excited to see where his accounting career takes him! 👏

07/18/2026

🚗 IRS Increases Standard Mileage Rates for the Remainder of 2026

The IRS has announced a midyear increase to the standard mileage rates, effective July 1, 2026, due to rising fuel costs. This is the first midyear adjustment since 2022.

Updated rates:
📍 Business: 76¢ per mile (up from 72.5¢)
🏥 Medical & Moving: 23.5¢ per mile (up from 20.5¢)
❤️ Charitable: 14¢ per mile (unchanged)

If your business reimburses employees for mileage, now is a great time to review your reimbursement policy to ensure you're using the updated rates.

Questions? Our team is happy to help!

07/16/2026

📢 What is Workforce by Intuit?

If you use QuickBooks Online Payroll, you've likely noticed the transition to Workforce by Intuit.

Workforce is Intuit's new workforce management platform, designed to bring payroll, HR, time tracking, recruiting, onboarding, benefits, and performance management together in one place. The image below highlights the features available with each service level.

One important change to be aware of is how payroll taxes are now handled.

QuickBooks Online now requires Intuit to manage all payroll tax payments and filings for Workforce users. When payroll is processed, payroll tax funds are withdrawn and held in the QuickBooks Tax Holding Account on your balance sheet until they're due. Intuit then remits the payment directly to the appropriate tax agency.

This update is intended to simplify payroll tax management, reduce administrative tasks, and help ensure tax payments and filings are completed accurately and on time.

If you have questions about Workforce or what these changes mean for your business, we're here to help!

Source: https://quickbooks.intuit.com/r/news/intuit-unveils-quickbooks-workforce/