Corporate Tax:
President-elect Joe Biden has proposed raising the corporate-tax rate to 28%, up from the current 21%, alongside other measures. The new administration can shape tax policy even without a majority in Congress, for example by providing additional guidance on existing rules through the Treasury Department, said Greg Engel, vice chair for tax at professional services firm KPMG LLP.
Remote Work:
A sizable number of U.S. employees are expected to work from home for a part of 2021 as the pandemic drags on, and seek flexible-work options in the future. Finance executives will be taking a closer look at their companies’ real-estate footprint and assessing the pros and cons of moving offices. They will review potential investments to alter the layout of their offices and see whether increased levels of productivity—an outcome of widespread work from home in 2020—are here to stay.
Trade:
Executives will be on the lookout for potential changes to the U.S.’s trade policies in relation to China, the European Union and other countries whose goods currently incur tariffs. Companies also will be dissecting the details of the new trade agreement between the U.K. and the EU, which was agreed in late December after years of negotiations.