After tax craziness subsides, spring is an ideal time to take a look at your money management. Here are some post-tax season money tips to help you get your finances in check before summer: 1. Run Your Credit Report Your credit score can impact everything from your mortgage rate to your credit card approvals. In some cases it can even affect … Read More
Unfiled Returns and Back Taxes? Read This.
We all know the annual ritual: once January rolls around, you gather your tax documents to file your tax returns by the deadline to avoid back taxes and unfiled returns. Sometimes (or maybe the whole time!) you need an extension. And maybe you don’t meet the extended deadline, and now your return is late and unfiled. The next tax season … Read More
3 Common Entrepreneur Mistakes
When it comes to starting a new business, most people focus on how they will win and achieve the American dream. But success isn’t something most new businesses experience. It’s important to be aware of entrepreneur mistakes. “The painful truth is that the majority of first-time entrepreneurs who launch a business fail early and often,” says Rod Robertson, an international … Read More
2016 Tax Changes: A Checklist
Welcome, 2016! As the New Year rolls around, it’s always a sure bet that there will be changes to current tax law and 2016 is no different. From health savings accounts to retirement contributions and standard deductions, here’s a checklist of tax changes to help you plan the year ahead. Individuals For 2016, more than 50 tax provisions are affected … Read More
5 Benefits of Office Mindfulness
Office mindfulness is an increasingly popular notion, with companies such as Apple, Yahoo, Starbucks, and Google using it to their benefit. Google, for example, offers employees a 19-hour course on office mindfulness , which is so popular that thousands of Googlers take it each year. So what exactly is mindfulness? Mindfulness is a simple yet effective form of meditation that enables … Read More
Six New 2015 Tax Breaks
The Protecting Americans from Tax Hikes Act of 2015 is a long-awaited legislation which offers a slate of personal and business tax breaks that had expired at the end of 2014. Here’s a quick summary of how the resurrected breaks can affect your 2015 federal income tax return (Form 1040). Option to deduct state and local sales taxes instead of … Read More
4 Small Business Strategies
It might be time to stop cutting costs and start focusing on growth strategies again. The law of diminishing returns tells us that cutting costs with your business will have a positive effect, but there comes a point where the return on investment starts to diminish. Is your company too focused on cost-cutting to boost revenue and profit? Cutting back … Read More
What is a Business Barometer?
Just as important as goal-setting is developing a way to track your progress. Having barometer, so to speak, will show you how you are progressing — and how close you are to reaching your goals. Seeing your progress will also help keep you focused and motivated. In short, having a business barometer will keep you on track for success. If you have big plans for … Read More
Year-End Tax Planning for the Individual
Tax planning for the year ahead presents similar challenges to last year due to the unknown fate of the numerous tax extenders that expired at the end of 2014. These tax extenders, which include the mortgage insurance premium deduction and the sales tax deduction that allows taxpayers to deduct state and local general sales taxes instead of state and local … Read More
Is Your Accountant Right for Your Business?
Is Your Accountant Proactive or Reactive? Does your Accounting and Tax Firm offer you advice before it happens or late or not at all? Do they offer value added services that help your business improve and grow or do they just process your work? Are they constantly looking for legitimate but creative ways to minimize your taxes or do they … Read More