Coral Springs, FL bookkeeping specialist for small businesses
4 min readCoral Springs, Florida bookkeeping provider: Part of the benefit of the process comes into play when the full-charge bookkeeper coordinates with members of management from other departments in order to approve purchases and gather expense reports. Not only does activity this require extreme organizational, management and math skills, but a bookkeeper must also have people skills in order to make this work.
Automate or Outsource Tax Calculation and Filing: While the IRS has made an effort to simplify tax forms and reduce the time and complexity of filing a tax return, it remains a daunting task, especially since it occurs only once per year and is often stressful. Fortunately, companies like TurboTax and H&R Block offer sophisticated tax software programs to help filers complete the task quickly and relatively inexpensively. The IRS even offers free tax filing software for taxpayers with an adjusted gross income of $69,000 or less. To determine whether you’re eligible for the free software, check last year’s return for your adjusted gross income (AGI), which appears on line 7 of the 2018 version of Form 1040. For those with incomes greater than $69,000, the IRS provides Free File fillable forms for electronic filing. However, these forms offer only basic guidance, so you must know how to do your taxes yourself. Most of the filing programs allow you to keep track of any refund due and select your preferred method of payment – direct deposit, paper check, or holding and applying the refund for the coming tax year. When deciding whether to use a professional preparer or a software program, consider your income, the complexity of your return, unusual events that significantly affect your income or expenses, and your concern about a tax audit.
Invest in Qualified Opportunity Funds: Taxpayers can defer paying capital gains by reinvesting their money into Qualified Opportunity Funds. The funds, which were created by the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, are intended to spur economic development and job creation in distressed communities. If money is held in a Qualified Opportunity Fund for seven years, 15% of the capital gains tax on the investment is eliminated. “It’s a wonderful tax incentive,” Zollars says. However, like other provisions of the tax reform law, the funds and their tax-savings benefits are scheduled to end in 2026. That means to have your money held in a fund for seven years, you’ll need to make an investment before Dec. 31, 2019.
Plan for estimated taxes: As we mentioned before, seriously underpaying your taxes throughout the year can have very negative consequences. If you expect to owe at least $1,000 in taxes when you file, the IRS generally requires that you make estimated tax payments throughout the year. This is especially important for business owners or self-employed individuals who generally don’t pay income taxes on their earnings. Note that you may need to work with a tax accountant to determine how much to set aside and pay each quarter. Find more information on South Florida Accountant.
In some states, provisions exist that allow employers to seek reimbursement from the employee for administrative costs related to excessive garnishments. Additionally, some types of garnishments, such as child support, allow for similar provisions that authorize employers to recoup administrative expenses. The limits on the maximum amount of the administrative fee that can be deducted vary by state. When considering employment actions in relation to an employee who has active garnishments, it is recommended to consult a knowledgeable HR source or employment attorney.
State tax you paid last spring: Did you owe taxes when you filed your 2018 state tax return in 2019? Then remember to include that amount with your state tax itemized deduction on your 2019 return, along with state income taxes withheld from your paychecks or paid via quarterly estimated payments. Beginning in 2018, the deduction for state and local taxes is limited to $10,000 per year. When you buy a house, you often get to deduct points paid to obtain your mortgage all at one time. When you refinance a mortgage, however, you have to deduct the points over the life of the loan. That means you can deduct 1/30th of the points a year if it’s a 30-year mortgage—that’s $33 a year for each $1,000 of points you paid. Doesn’t seem like much, but why throw it away? Also, in the year you pay off the loan—because you sell the house or refinance again—you get to deduct all the points not yet deducted, unless you refinance with the same lender.
Learning QuickBooks fundamentals can be very challenging and requires training since it contains thousands of features to handle all types of industries and businesses. In order to fully comprehend the features, it would be advised that one not only understood the technical basics but had some experience in accounting and bookkeeping. Our accounting and bookkeeping firm has been using Quickbooks for clients for over 20 years. QuickBooks is one of the most comprehensive and widely used premier accounting software for small businesses. One of the most widely used versions of QuickBooks is QuickBooks Online which provides access for the accountant and the client at the same time. Discover more information on this website.