It’s a new year, which means it’s time for all those reports telling business leaders what they should fear the most in 2025. According to these expert predictions, the risks that organizations should be especially anxious about include the economy, trade wars, geopolitics, technology, and cybersecurity.

We’ve rounded up several recent surveys to see what CFOs are saying they’re most concerned about in 2025. Spoiler alert: It’s everything.

It’s the economy, yo. Economic issues from inflation to labor shortages are giving business leaders globally the most heartburn, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) latest Executive Opinion Survey, which asked more than 11,000 executives from across the world “to identify the top five risks they consider the biggest threats to their country over the next two years.”

Among US-based business leaders who responded, the top five risks were a potential economic downturn, inflation, “adverse outcomes” from AI technologies, food supply shortages, and extreme weather.

“It’s no surprise that economic uncertainty and inflation are at the forefront of concerns for US business leaders given the tensions and concerns we are seeing both domestically related to potential tariff regimes as well as ongoing geopolitical unrest,” Reid Sawyer, head of Marsh’s emerging risks group and US cyber risk consulting, said in an emailed statement to CFO Brew.

Click here for more on the big risks of 2025.—AZ

People and businesses affected by the wildfires and straight-line winds in Southern California will be allowed extra time to file their tax returns and make tax payments, the IRS announced on January 10. Anyone in Los Angeles County now has until October 15, 2025 to submit taxes that normally would have been due between January 7 and October 15. That includes individual tax returns and business taxes including:

• Quarterly payroll and excise tax returns,
• Calendar-year partnership and S corporation returns,
• Calendar-year corporation and fiduciary returns and payments, and
• Calendar-year tax-exempt organization returns.

It's possible that the IRS may allow residents of other counties to qualify as well, if they fall within a FEMA-declared disaster area. The IRS has posted a list of eligible locations on its website. Taxpayers in the affected areas will automatically be allowed to file on the October 15 deadline, and don’t need to contact the IRS.

If you don’t live or have a business in the affected areas, but have records there you need to complete your taxes, contact the IRS for assistance, the agency said.

Click here to keep reading.—CV

The Biden administration’s new proposal to block or cap sales of AI computer chips throughout most of the world has not, shall we say, brought a smile to the face of AI chipmakers, tech companies who use them, or the countries that didn’t make the list for unlimited purchases of the tech.

The rule—proposed by the administration on its last full Monday in office—would extend its ban on selling AI chips to certain foreign countries including China and Russia, the New York Times reported, while 18 foreign countries would have no limits on how many of the advanced chips they can buy.

“All other nations—most of the world—will be subject to caps,” according to the Times. The rules are an attempt “to close regulatory loopholes and prevent Beijing from acquiring advanced chips,” Reuters reported.

Cue the backlash. Countries and companies made their displeasure known. Nvidia, the biggest AI chipmaker by far, had unsuccessfully lobbied against the rules along with tech companies including Microsoft and Oracle, according to the Times. It brings in more money from sales of its chips abroad than it does in the US, according to Reuters, and 17% of its revenue comes from China.

For more on the AI chip ban, click here.—GD

Gartner forecasts a 30% drop in EBITDA margins by 2027, with reduced profitability in 2024-2026. Rising costs, weak demand, and economic shifts will challenge CFOs. Learn strategies to optimize costs, explore alternative financing, and manage stakeholder expectations during these tough times.