• Tap into specialized functions in QuickBooks

    QuickBooks® provides an all-in-one solution that helps some small and medium-sized businesses manage their finances. While QuickBooks provides the accounting backbone for many companies, it has advanced features that go beyond basic bookkeeping tasks. For example, the time-tracking functionality in QuickBooks captures the hours spent on a specific project and makes it easier to bill clients in real-time. Additionally, third-party data feeds and integrations can [...]

    Published On: March 22, 2023Categories: Business, Featured
  • Are your Accounting and Development departments like oil and water?

    When Accounting and Development teams don’t work well together, the situation can lead to more than employee hostility and conflict. It can affect the not-for-profit’s financial statements and lead to the forfeiture of grant funds. To ensure the staffers in your Accounting and Development departments communicate fluidly, you may need to revise certain procedures and actively encourage collaboration. Different recipes The first step is to [...]

    Published On: March 10, 2023Categories: Featured, Not for Profit
  • Why you should connect with giving circles

    Giving circles — generally small groups of people who make a charitable impact by pooling their money — are growing in popularity. If your not-for-profit isn’t already actively appealing to them, you need to get up to speed because they’re capable of providing substantial financial resources. Collective decision-making Giving circles sometimes are confused with crowdsourcing, where the number of donors can run as high as [...]

    Published On: March 9, 2023Categories: Featured, Not for Profit
  • Buying a new business vehicle? A heavy SUV is a tax-smart choice

    If you’re buying or replacing a vehicle that you’ll use in your business, be aware that a heavy SUV may provide a more generous tax break this year than you’d get from a smaller vehicle. The reason has to do with how smaller business cars are depreciated for tax purposes. Depreciation rules Business cars are subject to more restrictive tax depreciation rules than those that [...]

    Published On: March 8, 2023Categories: Featured, Small Business Tax
  • Key tax issues in M&A transactions

    Merger and acquisition activity dropped dramatically last year due to rising interest rates and a slowing economy. The total value of M&A transactions in North America in 2022 was down 41.4% from 2021, according to S&P Global Market Intelligence. But some analysts expect 2023 to see increased M&A activity in certain industries. If you’re considering buying or selling a business, it’s important to understand the [...]

    Published On: March 7, 2023Categories: Featured, Small Business Tax
  • Awarded money in a lawsuit or settlement? It’s only tax-free in certain circumstances

    You generally must pay federal tax on all income you receive but there are some exceptions when you can exclude it. For example, compensatory awards and judgments for “personal physical injuries or physical sickness” are free from federal income tax under the tax code. This includes amounts received in a lawsuit or a settlement and in a lump sum or in installments. But as taxpayers [...]

    Published On: March 6, 2023Categories: Featured, Individual Tax
  • Is effective altruism all it’s cracked up to be?

    The arrest last year of a high-profile cryptocurrency exchange founder for fraud not only hurt the crypto business, but also cast a shadow on “effective altruism.” This philosophy employs evidence and statistics to determine strategic ways to benefit others — and the alleged fraudster is a vocal proponent. He has claimed that he earned as much money as he could so he could give most of it [...]

    Published On: March 5, 2023Categories: Featured, Not for Profit
  • Do you run a business from home? You may be able to deduct home office expenses

    Many people began working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic — and many still work from their home offices either all the time or on a hybrid basis. If you’re self-employed and run your business from home or perform certain functions there, you might be able to claim deductions for home office expenses against your business income. There are two methods for claiming this tax [...]

    Published On: March 4, 2023Categories: Featured, Small Business Tax
  • Use visual aids to enhance financial reporting

    Graphs, charts, tables and other data visualizations can be inserted in your financial statement disclosures to improve transparency and draw attention to key accomplishments. As your organization prepares its year-end or quarterly financials, consider presenting some information in a more user-friendly, visual format. Reimagine data presentation In business, the use of so-called “infographics” started with product marketing. By combining images with written text, these data [...]

    Published On: March 3, 2023Categories: Business, Featured
  • There still may be time to make an IRA contribution for last year

    If you’re getting ready to file your 2022 tax return, and your tax bill is higher than you’d like, there may still be an opportunity to lower it. If you’re eligible, you can make a deductible contribution to a traditional IRA right up until this year’s April 18 filing deadline and benefit from the tax savings on your 2022 return. Rules for eligibility You can [...]

    Published On: February 23, 2023Categories: Featured, Individual Tax
  • Now hiring: 10 questions to ask bookkeeper candidates

    Are you looking for someone to manage the books and records for your small business? Whether you’re operating a startup or an established business that recently lost its bookkeeper, hiring the right person for these tasks can be challenging. Selecting a candidate in today’s job market requires a rigorous process. It’s important not to be hasty or wing it during the interview. Give your job [...]

    Published On: February 21, 2023Categories: Business, Featured
  • Have employees who receive tips? Here are the tax implications

    Many businesses in certain industries employ individuals who receive tips as part of their compensation. These businesses include restaurants, hotels and salons. Tip definition Tips are optional payments that customers make to employees who perform services. They can be cash or noncash. Cash tips include those received directly from customers, electronically paid tips distributed to employees by employers and tips received from other employees under [...]

    Published On: February 18, 2023Categories: Featured, Small Business Tax
  • Answers to your questions about 2023 limits on individual taxes

    Many people are more concerned about their 2022 tax bills right now than they are about their 2023 tax situations. That’s understandable because your 2022 individual tax return is due to be filed in 10 weeks (unless you file an extension). However, it’s a good time to familiarize yourself with tax amounts that may have changed for 2023. Due to inflation, many amounts have been [...]

    Published On: February 17, 2023Categories: Featured, Individual Tax
  • Child tax credit: The rules keep changing but it’s still valuable

    If you’re a parent, you may be confused about the rules for claiming the Child Tax Credit (CTC). The rules and credit amounts have changed significantly over the last six years. This tax break became more generous in 2018 than it was under prior law — and it became even better in 2021 for eligible parents. Even though the enhancements that were available for 2021 [...]

    Published On: February 16, 2023Categories: Featured, Individual Tax