Upcoming Tax Deadlines for Small Business & Individuals

October is a big month for Small Businesses and Individuals alike!

Monday, October 16th

• C corporations: File calendar year Form 1120 if you timely requested a 6-month extension
• Individuals: File Form 1040, 1040a, or 1040EX if you timely requested a 6-month extension 

Tuesday, October 31st

• File Form 720 for the third quarter.
• File Form 230  and pay tax on wagers accepting during September
• File Form 2290 and pay the tax for vehicles first used during September
• File Form 941 for the third quarter
• Deposit FUTA owed through sep if more than $500 

Tax Options for the Self-Employed

Photo by Bonnie Kittle on Unsplash

From the U.S. Small Business Administration comes this insightful article on how to manage Self-Employment Taxes and the options those individuals have.

Self-Employment Tax Wrinkles
By BarbaraWeltman, Guest Blogger
Published: February 14, 2017
Updated: February 21, 2017

Individuals whose businesses are incorporated do not have to think about self-employment tax. Any salary they take from their corporations as owner-employees are subject to FICA taxes. In contrast, those with other types of business entities—sole proprietorships, partnerships, and limited liability companies (LLCs)—are not employees; they are self-employed individuals. As such they meet their Social Security and Medicare taxes obligation through the payment of self-employment tax.

Self-employed individuals pay what amounts to the employer and employee share of FICA tax; the employer share is deductible. In other words, they pay 15.3% (comprised of 12.5% for Social Security tax and 2.9% for Medicare tax). The self-employment tax is applied to net earnings from self-employment, although only net earnings up to an annual threshold ($118,500 for 2016; $127,200 for 2017) are taken into account for the Social Security tax portion. In basic terms, net earnings from self-employment are income minus expenses. It sounds simple enough, but there are some ins and outs that may impact your payments.

$400 threshold

While FICA taxes apply to the first dollar of wages paid to an employee, there is no self-employment tax due if net earnings from self-employment are less than $400.00. So a self-employed individual with only losses for the year, or someone with a modest sideline business, may be below the threshold for self-employment tax.

However, if net earnings are $400.00 or more, then the tax applies to all net earnings. There’s no exemption for this amount.

Optional payments

Self-employed individuals who have modest earnings may want to voluntarily pay self-employment tax. The reason: This enables such individuals to earn Social Security credits, which translate into higher benefits in retirement.

There are two optional methods for figuring earnings: one for farmers and one for all other self-employed individuals (nonfarm optional method). The farm optional method applies for 2016 returns if gross farm income was not more than $7,560 or net farm profits were less than $5,457. The nonfarm optional method can be used if net nonfarm profits were less than $5,457 and also less than 72.189% of gross nonfarm income but you had net earnings from self-employment of at least $400 in two of the prior three years. The nonfarm income optional method cannot be used more than five times by a self-employed individual

Determining self-employment income

In most cases, it’s easy to know what is or is not self-employment income for purposes of the self-employment tax. But there continues to be confusion about certain types of payments. Here are some recent matters concerning this issue:

• Payments for past performance. A former employee received a payment resulting from 34 years of services for a company. The IRS said it is subject to self-employment tax because there is a nexus between the income received and a trade or business. A court said the same thing for retirement payments made to a former Mary Kay sales person.
• Separate lines of work. A plastic surgeon who conducted his medical practice through a single-member professional limited liability company (PLLC) also had a minority interest in a limited liability company that ran a surgery center. The Tax Court said that his earnings from the surgery center were not subject to self-employment tax because he was a mere investor here; the activities did not have to be grouped as a single activity. He did not manage the center or have any day-to-day responsibilities there.

It should be noted that the IRS has yet to issue regulations explaining the extent to which a member’s distributive share from an LLC is subject to self-employment tax. This issue is on the IRS’s Priority Guidance Plan for 2016-2017.

Final thoughts
Self-employment tax must be taken into account in figuring estimated tax payments, and the first estimated tax payment for 2017 is due by April 18, 2017. Self-employed individuals should work with a tax professional to make sure this tax obligation is being handled properly.

National Payroll Week Offer for Small Business

We are continuing to expand our services even broader to be THE full-service small business accounting firm preferred by RVA!  Payroll is a must with most small businesses and also one of the biggest hassles.  A time-consuming and often costly task that won't go away week after week.  Which is why, in honor of National Payroll Week (September 4-8), we will be offering a special promotion to new Payroll clients and those that refer them to us!

New Clients:

• If you sign up before September 30th your one-time setup fee of $150 will be waived!

Referrals:

• If you refer a small business to us for Payroll Services and they sign up by September 30th, we will send you a $50 rebate check!

We work with our clients to maintain a payroll system that gets our clients as close to a “push button” payroll as possible.

Our clients submit their employee hours, change in pay or new hires in a variety of ways and combinations.  We’re set up to work with them all: e-mail, fax, phone, mail, online entry, and even by stopping by our Richmond office.

Employers have online access to a variety of reports and activities.  Employees have online access to their individual pay stubs and W-2’s.  Everyone can pick up the phone and get a prompt and professional response to any payroll related question that arises.  Here are many of the commonly used features that we offer:    

• We can receive and distribute information via an online portal, e-mail, phone, fax, or in person at our office
• Pay employees with paper checks or direct deposit
• Automated filing of all quarterly and annual reports
• Automated payment via bank draft for tax remittance
• Both you and your employees have access to custom online dashboards
• We handle all types of employee deductions including pre/after tax health insurance, employee advance repayments, garnishments
• Tip reporting
• Compliance with tip-to-minimum

Basic Fees and Pricing:

$150       Setup Fee

$125       Monthly Payroll

$155       Semi-Monthly/Bi-Weekly Payroll

$195       Weekly Payroll

$3           Per employee, per month fee for total monthly employees over 10

$50         Annual W-2 base fee

$7           W-2 fee per employee 

10 Questions to Ask Your Accountant

A few of the questions from this article are about how the client can accommodate the accountant. At Accounting Works, we more often than not work the other way around.  Small businesses are so important to us, (in fact, we are a small business ourselves) that we know there is not one template that fits all of our clients' needs.  Working with clients on their current state of affairs as well as reaching toward future business goals is as important to us as it is to you!

10 Questions to Ask When Working With an Accountant

By Kim Lance Shandrow
Entrepreneur.com

Solely relying on free or inexpensive online small-business accounting tools instead of investing the services of a trained professional accountant can be a costly mistake that entrepreneurs make all too often. Don’t be one of them.

Springing for a licensed accountant can be worth every extra penny you spend, says ff Venture Capital chief financial officer Alex Katz. A qualified, certified public accountant (CPA) can tip you off to potentially irreversible financial missteps and brand new tax savings opportunities that you might not know exist. And we doubt most barebones digital accounting solutions could bring red flags like these to your attention as effectively as an accountant.

When you do invest in the services of a reputable accountant, it’s important to know what to ask and when -- not only to be sure you’re getting your money’s worth, but also to ensure he or she helps you do what’s best for your business and your bottom line.

1. What’s the best way to contact you and how often should we be in touch?

This might seem like too simple a question, but clear, effective and frequent communication is the key to a healthy, beneficial relationship with your accountant. Establish early on how often you’ll connect, either in person, on the phone or online (via a video chat app like Skype, Google Hangouts or Facetime). Decide together if you’ll meet weekly, monthly or bimonthly.

2. How can you help me prepare for (and survive) tax season?

Untangling the time-sucking tedium of tax prep is often the number-one reason small businesses hire an accountant in the first place. You’ll want to ask yours which tax credits and deductions you should claim. Also ask him or her if there are any new tax laws you should take advantage of to maximize write-offs.

“Tax opportunities, such as the R&D credit, accelerated depreciation or panoply of state and local tax opportunities, including tax forgiveness and outright grants or refundable credits, can even be applied for as part of the tax return process,” Katz says.

He suggests that you get answers to all of your tax questions long before the April 15 filing deadline. To avoid the year-end rush, get your accountant involved in helping you gather all of the necessary accounting documents and data all throughout year.

3. What are some considerations I should consult with you about on an ongoing basis?

A skilled accountant should get to know you and your business well enough to regularly keep you aware of -- and swiftly and appropriately reacting to -- an array of factors that could effect your bottom line, for better or for worse.

Your accountant should be well-versed in several disciplines, “including but not limited to GAAP [generally accepted accounting principles], corporate and individual tax, retirement planning and financial planning," Katz says.

He or she should also be open to assisting you in weighing the financial ramifications of certain decisions, like whether or not to hire an independent contractor or a full-time employee, buy or rent an office space, or rent or lease a company car and much more.

Your accountant should also work collaboratively with you in a way that makes it easy for you to consider and understand which actions you need to take now and in the future, ideally without the usual confusing accounting jargon. “If an entrepreneur in unable to develop that type of relationship with her accountant, it may be time to look for a new one,” Katz warns.

4. How can you help me grow my business?

A qualified accountant absolutely can help small-business owners expand over time, that is if have the right groundwork in place with you, Katz says.

To grow, you must start with a financial model that is “honest and built on a granular basis from the ground up.” Remember to update your plan on a monthly basis (or ask your accountant to) with actual results. Doing so can help you hone in on opportunities for growth in your market.

5. How can you help me clamp down on my cash flow?

Properly projecting your business’s cash flow is as essential as creating an effective mission statement and living up to it. Tedious, detailed flow projections aren’t easy to wrangle, but that’s what you have an accountant for.

Your accountant should be able to help you develop an organized, effective cash flow model that allows you to adjust your operations in ways that help you survive shortfalls, as well as improve receivables and manage payables.

6. What is my break-even point? 

Your account should be able to analyze a number of metrics to calculate whether your business is making a profit or a loss. Knowing your break-even point is crucial to determining your business’s pricing structure and profitability. Once your accountant helps you identify yours, you should have a strong estimate of how many products or hours of service you have to sell to cover your costs.

7. Can you assess the overall value of my business?

Your accountant should be up to the task of estimating your company’s fair market value in excess of your tangible assets. He or she should start by examining your financial plan and then execute a discounted cash flow (DCF) analysis, a common but effective valuation method.

Another way your accountant can help nail down your business’s value is by deeply understanding what you do and the industry in which you operate, Katz says. “In so doing, an accountant can help the entrepreneur understand which aspects of the comparable companies drive their value, and can work with the entrepreneur to steer the company toward maximizing those aspects of their business.”

8. Can you help me review and negotiate business contracts before I sign them? 

This is a common question for accountants, one that’s probably better to ask your attorney.

“An accountant should not practice law without a license,” Katz says. “They can work collaboratively with your attorney to add color and tax and commercial issues about which the attorney may not be experienced.”

9. What are some special considerations for my particular industry?

Businesses in different industries come with their own unique accounting issues. Your accountant should be knowledgeable about the various ones that specifically apply to yours.

For instance, if you own a startup that builds wearable tech, your CPA should be well-versed at identifying tax opportunities specific to the emerging technology industry, like potential R&D, facilities and training tax credits, as well as applicable manufacturing and sales tax exemptions, etc.

10. What are some common mistakes that I should avoid when working with you?

Not being 100 percent honest with your accountant is the worst mistake you could make, Katz says. “The truth will come out, either in the planning stage or in front of the IRS auditor.”

Failing to follow the advice of your accountant is another common mistake Katz sees. The whole point of hiring an accountant is for their expert advice. Thoughtfully consider it, then use it to make reasoned, balanced judgments.


Click here for the original article.

Oscars Mistake Threatens Reputation of PricewaterhouseCoopers

If you saw the Oscars last night you know... and even if you didn't you have probably heard by now. For the first time in 83 years, the Oscars botched the Best Picture winner announcement.  What's interesting to me is that PricewaterhouseCoopers are the ones taking the blame.  Check out this article  from the New York Times that breaks down what happened and why.

What went wrong?

Hollywood and movie lovers were reeling on Monday, trying to understand how PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm that oversees the voting, mistakenly allowed the Academy Award for best picture to go to “La La Land” Sunday night when “Moonlight” was the real winner. Details were still coming together on Monday, but several factors may have contributed to the error.

There are two identical sets of envelopes, handed out from either side of the stage.

The envelopes’ design was changed this year, to red paper with gold lettering, which may have made them harder to read.

And then there is simple human error, in the crucible of one of the most highly anticipated television moments of the year — the announcement of the best picture Oscar at the end of the ceremony.

It all added up to a nightmarish several minutes for PricewaterhouseCoopers.

For 83 years, the company has performed this task without any major snafus. But in one of the most astonishing moments in Oscars history, chaos engulfed the stage of the Dolby Theater in Hollywood, after “La La Land” was named the top picture. As the film’s producers were making acceptances speeches, awards show staff rushed onstage and began searching for the envelopes.

PricewaterhouseCoopers had given the presenters, Faye Dunaway and Warren Beatty, the wrong envelope.

The stunning reversal instantly became the central theme of the Oscars, repeated endlessly on television and swamping social media. And just as quickly, PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the so-called Big Four accounting firms, had a major brand crisis on its hands.

“Not since Janet Jackson and her wardrobe malfunction on the Super Bowl have we seen something quite as glaring as this snafu,” said Andrew D. Gilman, chief executive of the crisis communications firm CommCore Consulting Group. Although most of PricewaterhouseCoopers’s clients are aware that mistakes can happen, “the name of the firm has unfortunately been a little sullied,” he added.

The two identical sets of sealed envelopes are stationed on either side of the stage. The two PricewaterhouseCoopers partners who oversee the voting process, Martha L. Ruiz and Brian Cullinan, each have a briefcase with a complete set of the envelopes.

The envelope for best actress, the penultimate award of the night, came from one side of the stage.

After Emma Stone accepted that honor, Ms. Dunaway and Mr. Beatty came out to present best picture award. But they were handed an envelope from the other side of the stage, where the other best actress envelope was still unopened.

And Mr. Cullinan, who handed Mr. Beatty the envelope, clearly picked the wrong one.

After Mr. Cullinan and Ms. Ruiz realized that the wrong winner had been announced, they notified the stage manager, which set in motion a chaotic scene watched by the celebrity crowd in attendance and tens of millions of viewers on television.

Yet it still took more than two minutes between Ms. Dunaway announcing “La La Land” as best picture and an announcement from the “La La Land” producers that “Moonlight” was in fact the winner.

Why the wrong envelope was handed off is not yet clear. But it could have to do with the design. The envelopes containing the winner’s names were redesigned this year, and they featured red paper with gold lettering that specifies the award. Last year’s envelopes featured gold paper and red lettering, which may have been more legible. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, not PricewaterhouseCoopers, is responsible for the design and procurement of the envelopes.

Those details, provided by people familiar with the process who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the episode was still being investigated, helped clarify some of what happened onstage on Sunday night.

PricewaterhouseCoopers declined to comment beyond the statement it put out early Monday morning accepting responsibility for the mix-up and apologizing to those involved.

“The presenters had mistakenly been given the wrong category envelope and when discovered, was immediately corrected,” the firm said in its statement. “We are currently investigating how this could have happened, and deeply regret that this occurred.”

PricewaterhouseCoopers, a privately held company, reported sales of $36 billion during its last fiscal year, up seven percent from the previous year. Revenue from the entertainment and media sector account for just 4.2 percent of sales. Based in London, the firm employs more than 220,000 people and provides accounting, tax advisory and consulting services to most of the world’s largest corporations.

The company promotes the firm’s longstanding relationship with the Academy Awards on its website.

One video posted there, introducing the leaders who oversaw this year’s ballots, began with the line: “The reason we were even first asked to take on this role was because of the reputation PwC has in the marketplace for being a firm of integrity, of accuracy and confidentiality.” It went on to note that the relationship was “symbolic of how we’re thought of beyond this role and how our clients think of us.”

The two PwC partners who oversee the Oscars' voting process Video by PwC US
This is not the first time an incorrect winner has been announced at the Oscars. In 1964, Sammy Davis Jr. announced the wrong winner for the best music score. But he quickly realized his mistake, before an erroneous winner was giving an acceptance speech.

“They gave me the wrong envelope,” Mr. Davis said at the time. “Wait till the NAACP hears about this.”

He soon had the correct envelope in hand and announced the correct winner. “I ain’t gonna make no mistake this time, baby,” he said.

But never before has PricewaterhouseCoopers made such an enormous mistake at such a pivotal moment during the Oscars.

“I’m sure there will be a logical explanation for what happened, but they’re going to be the butt of jokes for late-night TV for at least a week, there will be memes written, and I think it’ll be interesting to see if they hold on to their contract,” Mr. Gilman said. “They have branded themselves around this event saying, ‘We’re trusted’ — that’s the implication. Now, I think that will take a hit.”

Original article by By David Gelles and Sapna Maheshwari of The New York Times


Correction: February 27, 2017
An earlier version of this article misidentified the location of the Dolby Theater. It is in Hollywood, not downtown Los Angeles.

We Are Moving!

Accounting Works Solutions is moving this week to a new address!  In the Westhampton area of RVA, near Grove & Libbie Avenues, our offices will be located at

     122 Granite Ave
     Richmond, VA 23226

We will be closed this week due to the move besides payroll services and resume normal hours next week!

Mon - Thurs: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Fri: Appointment Only

Please email us with any questions regarding the move!

How to Maximize Your Refund!

From Fox Business, comes great advice on how to maximize your return! That is - if you haven't already spent it somewhere else...!

5 Simple Steps to Triple The Value of Your Tax Refund
By: Chuck Saletta

According to the IRS, the average refund taxpayers received during the 2016 filing season was $2,732. That's a substantial chunk of change, but what if I told you that you could take that money and potentially triple its value for you by the end of this year?


Indeed, you can turn that average refund into over $8,000 toward your retirement by the end of this year, with absolutely no impact to your lifestyle. All you need to do is follow these five simple steps.

Step 1: Contribute your refund check to your IRA
For 2016, if you or your spouse are working, you can potentially contribute up to $5,500 each to either a Roth IRA or a Traditional IRA. If you're age 50 or up, that potential contribution increases to $6,500.

• Your taxable compensation for the year, if your compensation was less than this dollar limit.

A refund check of $2,732 fits easily within those limits, which makes it a straightforward way to turn your tax refund into money for your retirement.

Step 2: Increase your contributions to your traditional 401(k) or equivalent plan at work
Your tax refund isn't a gift from the Government. It's the return to you of an interest-free loan you handed Uncle Sam during the year by over-withholding your taxes. Take that money back and put it to productive use for yourself. You can contribute pre-tax money to your traditional 401(k) and get not only your money working for you but also money Uncle Sam would have otherwise taxed from you.

To fully make use of your refund check, increase your 401(k) contributions by enough to make up for both the refund itself and the tax you won't be paying on the contributed income. The basic math is Refund / (1-marginal tax bracket). If you're in the 25% tax bracket and got that typical refund, that would turn into $2,732 / (1-0.25) = $3,642.67.

Step 3: Adjust your withholding at work to get it closer to break even
In step 2, you invested the money that you had over paid Uncle Sam, but in doing so, you did decrease your take home paycheck. Key to making this plan neutral to your everyday lifestyle is to decrease the amount Uncle Sam withholds every paycheck. Using IRS Form W-4 or your employer's substitute, you can adjust your withholdings to make it so you won't be making another large interest free loan to Uncle Sam this year.

When you're making this adjustment, your objective should be to get close to break even when it comes time to filing your taxes next year. If you reduce your withholdings too much, you could have to pay underpayment penalties on top of any taxes you owe. The key is to be within one of the IRS' "Safe Harbor" limits. For 2016, the key Safe Harbor limits are:

• If you owe less than $1,000 in taxes for 2016 when it comes time to file in 2017
• You've paid at least 90% of what you owe for 2016 (66 and 2/3% for farmers and fishermen)
• You've withheld or paid via timely estimated tax payments at least 100% of what you owed for 2015 (110% if your income in 2015 was above $150,000 or if it's above $75,000 and your filing status is "married filing separately")

Step 4: Thank your employer for its 401(k) match
Many employers offer a match to encourage employees to contribute money toward their own retirement. Matches vary by company, but a common practice is a $0.50 match for every $1.00 the employee contributes, up to some percentage of salary. On that $3,642.67 contribution you made in step 2, a 50% match would be an additional $1,821.33, contributed into your retirement account, on your behalf.

Step 5: Count your cash
Your $2,732 IRA contribution from your refund check plus your $3,642.67 contribution to your 401(k) plus your employer's match of $1,821.33 brings your total to $8,196. That's triple your original refund amount, now working on your behalf to help fund your retirement.

Perhaps best of all, you just figured out how to save that $8,196 with no impact to your everyday lifestyle. Every penny of that money came straight from your tax refund this year, from the money that would otherwise have been a tax refund next year, and/or from your employer's matching program.

How often can you come up with $8,000 that easily?
As fun as it might be to hold that $2,732 refund check, wouldn't it be even more fun to see it turn into more than $8,000 this year? On top of that, once you've taken these five steps, that $8,196 will be in your retirement accounts, where it can grow tax-deferred on your behalf for the rest of your career.

That's an amazing opportunity available to you simply by choosing to no longer offer Uncle Sam an interest free loan, instead putting that very same stack of your own money to work for you. So get started today, and turn that tax refund into the foundation for your financial future.


To see the original article, click here.

The Richmond Wildlife Center Needs Your Help!

This is a cause that's close to my heart and they need your help to keep going. Your contribution is completely tax deductible!

The Richmond Wildlife Center is the first and only professional wildlife medical center in the Greater Richmond region providing veterinary and rehabilitative care to sick, injured and orphaned wildlife. We are the only professional veterinary facility in the area permitted to intake, treat and rehabilitate sick, injured and orphaned wildlife beyond their veterinary care through the eventual release of the animal back to the wild. We are also the only facility and wildlife rehabilitators in our area permitted by law to be in possession of,  permitted to transport or treat Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles and other threatened and endangered species.

Don't Forget Your 1095-A

There are three forms you should have received in the mail this year and those are forms 1095-A, B, and C.  These forms come from the Marketplace (A), other insurers (B), or your employer (C), and their official purpose is to be your proof of qualifying health coverage.

1095-A
You should have received this document already, but if you haven't there are still ways to get it or file without the form.  This is important to save and file with your return because it exempts you from having to make a "shared responsibility payment," or penalty under the Affordable Care Act.  However, if you have made more in 2015 than you had anticipated, you may end up owing back any Advanced Premium Tax Credits you've received throughout the year.

1095-B & 1095-C
This means you've obtained insurance through your employer or private means.  The important thing is to save these documents along with your annual tax files.  If you've switched coverage, you will receive these forms for each of the plans that you've held.  If you haven't gotten your 1095-C yet, it may still be on its way.  In December, an extension was granted for these forms and may arrive past the March 31 deadline.

Those with a 1095-A don't be caught off guard this year with a bigger tax liability than expected!  But also, congratulations on making more than you anticipated.

Tax Extensions!

April 15 is fast approaching and some might not be ready to file yet.  Fear not, anyone can apply for an extension. Yes, even you.  There are a three things to know first before filing for an extension. 

1.  Form 4868 is what you need to file in lieu of your Federal Income Tax Return.  You can file it by mail or electronically, as long as it’s in by April 15 you will have an automatic 6-month extension to file.

2.  Remember that this form is just an extension to file, not pay taxes due.  You must have an estimate of the amount you owe and send it when filing for an extension to avoid any late fees or penalties.  Any underpayment of taxes not paid by April 15 is subject to late fees and interest.

3.  The purpose of this form isn’t just to procrastinate until October.  The time is meant to allow for complete and accurate filing without assessing a late filing penalty.  The extra time granted is usually used to seek professional advice about your financial situation.

There are many benefits to requesting an extension to file your income taxes.  It’s a great way to avoid the busy rush of tax season and your tax professional will more likely have time after mid-April.  The most important thing to remember is that it’s an extension of time to file your return, not to pay taxes due.   

A Secco Valentine

     There is a reason that Secco is one of my favorite clients...the WINE (duh!).  So, I'm here to say that there's no better way to spend your Valentine's Weekend than at Secco Wine Bar in Carytown. They're offering an amazing and affordable Prix-fixe dinner service throughout the entire weekend. The best part? No reservations necessary!  So why not spend the evening with your special someone enjoying relaxed but elegant dining and wine pairing at prices that won't make you paranoid about spilling anything!  To check out this event, see their Facebook Event Page.

Self-Employment: Time is Money

     What do they say about knowledge, time and money? Time is money, power is knowledge.  This is a guiding principle for many of the small business owners I know and work for.  As such a hands-on entity and resource for your own growing business, you know the pressure of time and often can’t find enough of it in a day.  Which is why when it comes to tax time, many of you go into a frenzy.  Why?  Because you feel powerless because you don’t know what you should do or should’ve done to prepare for the inevitable April 15 deadline and you know you’ll lose money because you don’t have the time to research all of the credits and exemptions your business qualifies for.  

     Saving you thousands of dollars from the tax man is what I do for a living, which means your business has the best growth it possibly can.  By keeping you organized, I know the ins and outs of what you can qualify for, as well as advise you on the best times to make certain investments back into your company.  What’s the best part?  My fee can be a write-off for you.  I save you money by saving you time and I give you the power to navigate the tricky tax waters through my knowledge of all things tax-related. 

 To use industry lingo—  the bottom-line is, if you’re a small business owner, finding an accountant is one of the smartest business moves you can make this year! 

5 Ways to Get Organized for Tax Season

     This is a great, simple list to help you get started on organizing for tax season!  You may think you have lots of time between then and now, but once January hits, that's when your time starts flying.  This offers great advice on how to work with your accountant (hint #3) as well as plan ahead for your business by looking back.



5 Ways to Get Organized for Tax Season
Start getting organized now in order to minimize the headache of filing.

Tax season officially runs from January 1 through April 15. But calendar deadlines are deceptive. Face it: Tax preparation is a 12-month activity requiring discipline, organization and data, according to accountants and professional organizers.

Fortunately, it’s never too late or too early to set up a system for tracking tax records, receipts and other paper work. Here are five tips for organizing your taxes.

1. Mental exercise: Tax preparation begins with mental preparation. “The first place to organize is our minds,” said Rivka Gerecht Caroline, a professional organizer with So Be Organized. Make a tax date by marking your calendar with specific times for starting the process. Build momentum by establishing a schedule for organizing records.

If you feel overwhelmed, break the process down into small steps, said Standolyn Robertson, past president of the National Association of Professional Organizers and owner of Things In Place. And remember to book time for a mental vacation, with reserved space for a hobby, sports event or a spa date as a reward for completing the process. This tax incentive will help you override procrastination, Caroline said.

2. Set up a system: Tax records can be collected in a variety of files, ranging from a shoe box to one of several electronic filing systems, Robertson said. Whether you select low-tech or high-tech tax preparation tools, it’s important to maintain a system for storing receipts and other paperwork.

“At the first of every year, set up a large envelope or folder titled with the ‘current year’ and start accumulating tax-related income and expense information during the year as you go along,” said Carol Sokolow, a certified public accountant based in Miami. Key documents include receipts and credit card slips for business expenses, major purchases, charitable donations and other notable transactions.

“Then at tax time throw all year-end statements in the same envelope or folder. You will be ready to prepare the return or meet with your tax preparer. Organizing will not be such a daunting task at tax time,” Sokolow said.

3. Do your homework: Get the most out of tax consultation sessions by doing your own grunt work. “You should use your accountant to prepare your taxes, not organize your paper work,” Robertson said. To make the process painless, she recommends sorting through receipts and other paper work while watching television or listening to music.

[Visit the U.S. News My Money blog for the best money advice from around the web.]

4. Review the past: Use past tax returns as guides for the current tax season. “Last year’s taxes can be a checklist of what to look for this year,” Robertson said. If you hire a tax professional or a bookkeeper, request a checklist or a packet of tax preparation tips. There are also several places online where you can download tax preparation checklists.

5. Check your credit score: Prepare for a tax refund or a tax bill by requesting a copy of your credit report. A review of your credit history will help you set priorities for paying down debt and improving your credit score, said John Branham, a spokesman for TransUnion Interactive, a credit report service. “Understanding their credit situation now can help consumers create a plan to best use their refund or prepare to pay their tax bill,” Branham said.

Sharon Harvey-Rosenberg is a member of Wise Bread’s top personal finance blog network. She is the author of "Frugal Duchess: How to Live Well and Save Money” and a contributing author to ”10,001 Ways to Live Large on a Small Budget.”

To view the original article visit USNews.com.

NOTICE: Not Official Government Form, Possible Email Phishing

Recently I have been made aware of an email going around asking for personal information that is NOT an official government document.  It is a 2016 Annual Records Solicitation Form, you may receive it if you are on certain mailing lists such as the Virginia Council for Corporations email list.  I quickly got an email warning me of the validity of this email.  If you aren't sure whether or not the email forms you received are official or not, be sure to check with your accountant!  Here is an example below of a form you may receive:

Office Position Available

Job title:  Receptionist and Office Assistant

Reports to:   General Manager


Job purpose

We are looking for a receptionist and office assistant to interface with our clients and support

our accounting staff.  In addition, this position is responsible for client invoicing and payments.

The ideal candidate will be experienced in customer service and interaction.  This position is the

face and voice of the company, so this person MUST have the attributes and experience that

are required to manage client interactions and interface with staff to meet company goals.

Duties and responsibilities


Administration

 Greet and provide support to visitors

 Manage incoming calls, faxes, mail, and e-mails and distribute to staff

 Manage outgoing faxes and mail

 Manage office supply list and associated ordering

 File creation and filing

 Maintain general office organization

 Assist general manager with administrative tasks

 Create and manage production software, specifically with project creation


Accounts Receivable

 Create monthly, quarterly, and general invoices in QuickBooks and CRM

 Process recurring payments

 Process payments

 Client interaction, directed by general manager, for collection of payment


Production Assistance

 Scanning and copying for accountants

 Data entry during overflow periods


Qualifications

The ideal candidate will have many of these qualities.

 Reliable, prompt, and professional

 Comfort and skill working with clients that may be challenging at times

 Extremely organized

 Comfortable working with little oversight

 Willing to learn and perhaps improve on office practices


The ideal candidate will have these credentials.

 High school diploma or GED

 Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Outlook, Excel, & Word)

 Minimum of 3 years in customer service or equivalent

The ideal candidate will learn and grow in these areas

 Proficiency in Excel

 Proficiency in QuickBooks

 Proficiency in our contact and production management software


Working conditions

Our office is both professional and relaxed.  We are not a strictly hierarchical office, rather we

approach client service as a team, in which we all have different roles and responsibilities.

The office is located near the intersection of Parham and Patterson.  Beginning hours are

Monday through Thursday 9AM-1PM.  There is potential for increased hours and

responsibilities associated with this position.

Good Accounting Helps Make Sense of Growth

Starting a business is one thing.  Typically, you're going to be spending more than you're making— at first.  Then you see it grow.  People like what you’ve done, hooray!  You see sales are up and you start thinking growth.  But how? Which way?  How much?  It can all seem so unclear when you’re thinking about expanding while trying to keep up progress at the same time.  There’s one thing that can help make everything clear and it’s not magic— it’s good accounting.

I’ve written about ways to track growth and how good accounting can lead to smarter investments of your company’s money.  This article by Kangelon Dexter overviews those basic points by asking a few questions:

Can You Answer These Questions About Your Business?

When you’re growing your business, it’s a lot like being a race horse with blinders on. You’re focusing on the goal ahead, and not paying a lot of attention to what’s going on around you. It’s great to be hyper-focused in the short term, but eventually you’re going to need to take off your blinders and look around. Are you headed where you need to be? Do you know?

While you can’t predict the future, there are a lot of questions you can answer about your business with the right reporting. With built in reports, and business insights, Sage One can help you answer important questions and tell you exactly where you stand. Can you answer these important questions about your business?

How much are you *really* making?

Reviewing cash flow statements and assuring that you’re making money is important. But cash flow is only a piece of the picture. Profit and Loss statements are based on accruals, and will give you an overall picture of how your business is thriving – or not. Without it, you’re operating in the dark. Reviewing your profit and loss statement on a monthly basis will help you make important decisions about your business finances.

How much money will I be making – most likely?

This might be the closest thing you have to a crystal ball for your business – a cash flow forecast. This report estimates how much you will most likely bring in and how much you will most likely spend in the next set period of time. Using projected income and expenses, a cash flow report will help you predict any upcoming surpluses or shortages and plan accordingly.

Which clients are overdue on their invoices?

As a small business owner, you’re busy. You don’t have time to constantly follow up with clients who have overdue invoices. You need a clear way to see who owes you – and who is the most past due. An accounts receivable aging report breaks down unpaid invoices into 30 day chunks (typically) so you can see who is a month late and who has owed you for an entire season. It’s a simple way to get an at a glance view of who you need to follow up with.

For the full article featured on Sage, by Kangelon Dexter, click here.

E-Commerece & Inventory; calculate its true cost

This is a great article on e-commerce and how inventory can affect your expenses in unexpected ways.  This is for any small business owner, and especially speaks to the growing number of business owners who sell through sites like Etsy or Big Cartel.  Opportunity Cost is often overlooked, but this article by Michael Manzione outlines how to calculate the true cost of your inventory.


What's the True Cost of Inventory?

Inventory is often the largest asset of ecommerce merchants. Inventory defines merchants’ businesses and their position in the marketplace. It defines customers’ expectations of the business.

For most ecommerce merchants, the cost of inventory is the largest expense item and what leads to the most financial woes. There’s typically a direct correlation with inventory turns and company success. This seems obvious: You sell more, you turn more. However, even successful companies carry too much inventory and don’t fully recognize the financial impact.

In “SKU Management Ensures Inventory Profits,” my July article, I addressed SKU selection, answering the question: “Do I have the right item at the right margin?”

In this article, I expand the focus on profitability to managing the cost of inventory.

The true cost of inventory extends far beyond the inventory itself and the cost of goods sold. The cost of managing and maintaining inventory is a significant expense in its own right. But the true cost of inventory doesn’t even stop there. Inventory carrying costs add about 20 to 25 percent to the actual cost.

Understanding Inventory Carry Costs

To get a better understanding, one must measure the cost of carrying inventory. Let’s review some of the costs.

• Financing inventory. In its simplest form, you can calculate the cost of borrowing money to purchase inventory by looking at the interest rate payments. However, for some companies inventory financing may include part of a line of credit that is also used for working capital.

In many cases when you try to evaluate the real cost, this one line item may become daunting. But don’t be discouraged; come up with a best guess. It’s more critical to understand what is being financed externally versus internally to know what should be measured.

• Opportunity costs. This cost is almost always overlooked. For opportunity costs, we’re answering the question, “How else could I invest my money?” If it were invested in something else, what is the realistic return I can expect? If you’re unsure, default to the interest rate from a tax free municipal bond as a consistent and conservative way to apply this cost.

• Insurance and taxes. Many merchants overlook this cost, too. It should typically be a variable cost: It goes up and down with the amount of inventory you carry. Depending on the volume of your business and the swing in inventory, this number could be adjusted as frequently as every quarter.

If the inventory value is fairly consistent or if the value is small, don’t bother calculating this more than yearly. However, if you do have large swings from one season to another, any savings will go straight to the bottom line. Many companies today self-insure and keep a reserve to cover the associated risk. That reserve constitutes an additional opportunity cost that should be considered.

• Handling expenses. These expenses are made up mostly of wages and benefits, but also include lease payments and depreciation on material handling equipment, depreciation on automation, and miscellaneous expenses for supplies such as pallets, packaging, labeling materials, and the like.

• Warehouse overhead. The quickest way to measure this is to split the total expenses for rent, utilities, repairs and maintenance, and property taxes by the percentage of the building associated with processing customer orders.

Here is an example. Assume a merchant uses a third-party fulfillment company. The average rate for pallet space in the U.S. is $15.00 per month. For simplicity, assume 30 items occupy that space. The first month the merchant is paying $.50 per item. At the end of the second month, assume the merchant has 25 items left and therefore pays $.60 per item. So at the end of two months, the first 5 items cost the merchant $.50 each to store and by the end of the second month the remaining items costs $1.10 to store.

Therefore, the merchant’s margin shrinks each month that it carries this item. This is a simple example, but the way you are charged can vary. Many fulfillment companies —such as Fulfillment by Amazon — now charge more the longer the inventory sits.

• Inventory control and cycle counting. These expenses typically are comprised of wages and benefits, but may also include the depreciation or operating expenses of equipment, as well as any miscellaneous expenses directly related to your inventory control team.

• Inventory shrinkage, damage, and obsolescence. Accounting for these costs can become quite complicated. But for the sake of simplicity, capture these costs in the fiscal year they occurred or preferably in the same month.

Calculating Overall Carrying Cost

To determine your overall inventory carrying cost, roll up the components in each category annually and see how close you come to the 20 to 25 percent average. Don’t get bogged down with other aspects that should only be considered if you have a skilled accounting team. For example, in reality many of these carrying costs will vary by item, warehouse, product line, category, product size, and volume. You don’t have to get that detailed.

Here’s a example of how to calculate the overall carrying cost for a hypothetical item with a purchase cost of $10.00.

Purchase Cost of Item: $10.00

Financing: $.30
Opportunity Costs: $.50
Insurance and Taxes: $.10
Handling Expense: $.90
Warehouse Overhead: $.45
Inventory Control: $.12
Inventory Shrinkage, Damage, Obsolescence: $.10

True Cost: $12.47

Once you determine the true cost of inventory, you can better address how to evaluate and manage. You’ll also discover what inventory is essential and what is not. When you reduce inventory, not only are you freeing up capital, but you are also creating opportunities to reduce expenses, improve profitability, and increase cash flow.

It can be the difference between success and failure.

For the full article on Practicalecommerce.com, click here.

"Mental Accounting"

While this article has good advice for individuals, it is also food for thought for the small business owner.  Do you frivolously spend unexpected income, even if it's "for your business?"  Just because you have extra cash, doesn't mean that it has amnesty from your budget.  You'll be kicking yourself if you haven't saved enough for taxes, if your costs go up, or you don't have enough in your emergency fund.  Being aware of how you categorize your income is half the battle.

Behavioral Finance: Mental Accounting

The essence of successful financial planning is using your money to meet your life’s goals. In the process, one dollar is as good as another, but curiously our minds do not perceive it that way. We tend to fall prey to the fallacy that behavioral finance calls mental accounting, commonly known as the “two-pocket” theory of money. We treat money differently depending on its source.

It is as though we put earned income in one mental pocket and money we did not expect in another. Studies show we are much more willing to spend money impulsively out of this second pocket.

Our supposedly rational mind objects to mixing the money from the two different pockets. But our minds are tricking us because dollars are completely interchangeable.

To clarify, we are not talking about budgeting. Earmarking dollars for vacation, big-ticket purchases, house payments, college savings and toward retirement is clearly positive and very much encouraged. This type of positive mental accounting aligns perfectly with meeting your financial goals.

But the type of mental accounting that gets us in trouble is what happens when the way we acquired a dollar causes us to ignore our careful planning and spend it differently.

Imagine a university graduate student who budgets enough for rent and food and hopes to save $500 every month, but her take-home pay is only $1,500. Then she sells her textbooks at the end of the semester and finds herself with an extra $250. Rather than putting the additional $250 toward savings, she indulges in luxury items until she’s sure she has spent all the money.

Put yourself in this student’s situation. In your mind, it is as though you have $1,500 in one pocket where you put serious earned money and stick to your budget. In the other pocket, you put the $250, which you now regard as play money, and rationalize that you should only use it to make frivolous purchases.

Most of us find this tendency so strong and irresistible, we would all do well to find ways to forestall the impulsive spending that slows progress toward achieving our financial goals. Allocating your money to meet your needs and desires is an important step in the financial planning process. But first you must gather all the money available in a single pool and allocate it according to your family’s priorities. The source of the money shouldn’t matter. When it does, we cause ourselves unneeded harm.

Studies show that gamblers rarely leave the casino as winners. The reason is not simply because the house has an edge on every game. Mental accounting is also the problem. Gamblers consider their winnings as house money and reason that they can keep on gambling for free. So most gamblers only stop playing when they are losing.

Research has also revealed that when people receive money unexpectedly, they make impulse purchases, typically quite soon afterward. If the amount is significant, perhaps more than $10,000, they may spend 40% to 50% of their windfall. If the amount is small, such as $1,000, they may actually spend two and a half times more than they received.

This propensity is the hope behind the recent stimulus checks Americans received from the government. The rebate was designed to be a relatively small amount, $1,800 for a family of four. Even when people say they plan to use the rebate to pay down debt, they are already engaging in mental accounting, thinking of the money differently simply because of the source.

In polls, Americans claim they will spend only 18% to 40% of the rebate. But if we tracked their actual spending, mental accounting would have badly misled them.

Perhaps they will pay off some of their debt or put money into their 401(k). But most Americans will jump at the chance that they have some extra money to justify a purchase they would not otherwise have made. And they will probably do it more than once.

In fact, studies suggest that average consumers will spend an astonishing additional $4,500 in relatively small purchases simply because they received a $1,800 check: extra money on eating out, electronic toys, and large appliances. Children may be given their $300 as though it somehow belongs to them, and husbands and wives may rationalize using the money as an excuse to make that purchase their partner considers unnecessary. Past research supports the prediction that consumers will spend 250% of their rebate check without even realizing it.

Even the most rational of us who receive money this way spend more as a result. The psychology behind this thinking is so strong, we can safely assume we are all influenced by it.

Thus found money, the green stuff we do not earn or save, is easily spent, wasted, and risked. Most lottery winners are broke or worse within five years of their win. Unfortunately, winning encourages the worst tendencies of those with the temperament to play the lottery in the first place.

Although mental accounting is described as the two-pocket theory of money, I propose adding a third pocket. Earned income is linked to planned purchases in one pocket. Some money is gained unexpectedly and too often provokes impulse spending in the second. But in the third pocket, we could put automatic income, that is, money gained from investment interest, dividends and appreciation. Mental accounting often leaves this third pocket in an investment account to compound and appreciate, helping us reach our long-term goals.

You can’t spend apart from increasing your lifestyle. And when you increase your lifestyle, you increase by large multiples what you will need in retirement to support that lifestyle. Here’s a sobering fact: Every time you increase your spending by $1, you need $23 more in your investments when you retire.

If you get and spend an extra $1,000, you will need $23,000 more in retirement to support your increased lifestyle. You can spend your way into financial troubles, but you can never make your troubles worse by saving.

Another error of mental accounting is to differentiate between income and appreciation. If one stock trades at $100 per share paying a $6 dividend, it’s equivalent to another stock that pays no dividend whose share price rises from $100 to $106 per share. Some people mistakenly think the dividend-paying stock is better during retirement and the appreciating stock is better when you are younger.

Now there is a small distinction: The dividend-paying stock forces you to pay the capital gains rate on the dividend paid, whereas the appreciating stock allows you to defer the capital appreciation until later. But the difference in tax treatments doesn’t matter once you are retired. And it’s much less relevant now that qualified dividends are taxed the same as capital gains. In retirement you can simply sell appreciated stock and pay the capital gains to generate cash for withdrawals.

The real difference between dividend-paying stocks and appreciating stocks is in the type of company. A company with little growth potential, such as a utility, pays its profits out to shareholders in dividends. A different company, perhaps a restaurant with ambitions to open branches across the country, uses its profits to expand. As it does so, it generates more profits from more locations, which drives the share price up. Both types of companies provide portfolio returns that you can spend in retirement.

If you struggle with self-control, only taking the dividends allows you to limit your withdrawals. But it may also cause you to adjust your asset allocation to maximize dividends, putting all of your net worth in one type of investment.

The biggest mistake occurs when people believe they need interest and dividends to generate cash in retirement. As a result they put too great a percentage of their portfolio into fixed-income bonds and do not invest enough in stocks that will keep up with inflation and provide appreciation for the end of their retirement.

The source of your money, whether from interest, yield (dividends) or capital appreciation should not matter.

Part of the emotional push toward using a two-pocket theory of money may stem either from an effort to be disciplined or a failure to do so. In general, people both want to enjoy the money now and also plan for the future. This dilemma between a short-term and long-term focus requires a measure of discipline and willpower that most people don’t have. So they fudge by feeling guilty about using hard-earned money frivolously but fall prey to using easily received money quite carelessly.

There is an upside, however. You can use mental accounting to your advantage by using that third pocket of money and automating as much of your savings as possible. People tend not to count money that is automatically deducted from their paycheck as money they can spend. Increasing the amount you have withdrawn in your 401(k) or 403(b) account is an easy way to use the third pocket to your advantage.

It is also just as painless to have money transferred regularly from your checking account into an investment account. This automatic savings puts money into a mental accounting third pocket from which it is very difficult to spend emotionally. Add to this account any money you receive unexpectedly, and you will be well on the way to securing a successful retirement.

To read the full article by David John Marotta, click here.

Sales Tax Holiday August 7- 9

Recent legislation combined our 3 tax holidays into one big blowout weekend event!  That means qualifying items can be purchased all weekend long just in time for back to school shopping!  Not only can you get all the clothes, shoes and notebooks you need for the school year tax-free, you can also upgrade your home with qualifying Energy Star and WaterSense products.  

School Supplies, Clothing and Footwear:

• School supplies— $20 or less per item
• Clothing and footwear— $100 or less per item

Hurricane and Emergency Preparedness Items:

• Portable generators— $1,000 or less per item
• Gas powered chainsaws— $360 or less per item
• Chainsaw accessories— $60 or less per item
• Other specified hurricane preparedness items with a sales price of $60 or less per item.

Energy Star and WaterSense Items:

• Qualified Energy Star items include dishwashers, clothes washers air conditioners, ceiling fans, light bulbuls, dehumidifiers and refrigerators
• Qualifying WaterSense items include bathroom sink faucets, faucet accessories such as aerators and shower heads, toilets urinals and landscape irrigation controllers.

For more info on what is going to be tax-free this weekend, visit http://www.tax.virginia.gov/