First, let us make it clear that we aren’t saying that your CPA or accountant is doing anything wrong. The accounting industry is one of the most honorable and respected fields around. That being said, there is a misconception that they are going to be proactive when advising clients about their taxes, and that’s just [...]
With Labor Day here, what tax planning should I think about before the fourth quarter is in full swing? The biggest mistake a business can make is not knowing their true numbers. The biggest mistake individuals can make is thinking they aren’t affected financially just because they “made it” and are back to work. Business [...]
With the COVID-19 pandemic, many people who worked in an office have suddenly found themselves being asked to work from home for safety reasons. Many remote workers, especially those no longer commuting to cities, wonder if they will have to pay taxes where they were working, or at home, or both. States use several factors [...]
Many times business owners have come into our office and with our help have found that they were doing things incorrectly regarding their bookkeeping and taxes. Occasionally, the errors add to the tax burdens that they have been underreporting. That never feels good, but it is always better to fix those issues pre-audit. Often, errors [...]
When people save for retirement they almost automatically use accounts that avoid tax now. IRAs, 401(k)s, 403(b)s, 457s, all pretax retirement savings plans. Certainly, long term savings uninterrupted by withdrawals and the effect of compounding interest on interest earned is unarguably valuable, but doing that in pretax accounts is NOT the only way to have [...]
Many business owners cheered as the news came out about the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The money was not distributed perfectly, but for a “rush job” it was still done pretty well. Then, the money went out and we have witnessed the result, in that many businesses that had no customers for weeks and [...]
We use the term “Tax Planning” often, but we are aware that many people are not sure what it really is. Some people think “That means off shore accounts and citizenship shell games ending with jail time. No thank you!”. That is not tax planning, that’s tax evasion, and it’s not at all what we [...]
It’s human nature, of course. We complain about our weight in the line at the ice-cream stand. We complain about being tired, then stay up late playing the latest game on our smart devices. Humans are funny and contradictory animals. Have you ever noticed that when you’re in a conversation, people are quick to complain [...]
Summer is a popular time for people planning a move to put their home on the market. It happens all year long of course, but the “hot season” is May-September. There are many reasons. School is out and if you have kids of that age it’s easier to change schools between grades. Often, it’s when [...]
For the self-employed, home office deductions can be connected to the Schedule C that they include on their 1040, which reports income and expenses for the business. The home office deduction can be taken with two different calculation options. One is more complex to calculate and one simplified option is based only on the square [...]