How to Search for a Reliable Accounting & Bookkeeping Service Firm

Managing your business cost-effectively has become even more important in this recession. In such a situation, hiring an outside accounting firm for faster financial accounting would be a wise solution compared to adding more in-house accounting staff. Searching for an accounting and bookkeeping firm can be a daunting task at best. Given below are five tips which will help you in your search for an expert accounting services firm.

1. Talk to Family, Friends and Professionals
   
   Interacting with trusted people and getting their opinion is one of the most suitable approaches to search for an expert accounting and bookkeeping firm. You can ask them about which accounting firm they use, how it works for them and how they went about finding the right professional to hire. This is a great way to make sure you get the right information from the right people. It is important to separate a firm which provides good accounting services from others who are not that good at what they do. The opinion you get about the services of any professional speaks a lot about its reputation; so if you don’t hear anything good about a specific accounting and bookkeeping firm, don’t hire it.
   
   
2. Understand your Requirements
   
   One of the key factors in your search for good accounting services understands what your business requires. Once you have the overview of what each accounting firm offers, you can take your pick of accounting and bookkeeping services which are more relevant to your business. You can decide the frequency – daily, weekly or yearly accounting services; you can also decide the types of services your business needs: accounting, bookkeeping, tax preparation etc. But remember, for deciding all this, it is crucial that you fully understand what your business requires.
   
   
3. Do some Research
   
   You shouldn’t restrict yourself to any criteria from the beginning. Your search for accounting and bookkeeping services requires in-depth research, as hiring the wrong firm would prove an expensive mistake for your business. Through research, get an overall idea of what accounting and bookkeeping service providers are offering, what their prices are, whether there are any conditions, guarantee of services etc. Ask for their work samples and client testimonials. You can also use the internet to look through websites and connect with other businesses already using accounting services. Such research will help you in matching your business requirements to the accounting services on offer.
   
   
4. Ask for Details
   
   After you have selected a couple of firms providing accounting services, you should ask them for details regarding price quotes, terms and conditions, customer support etc. Once you get the required information, you can decide on the best deal suitable for your business.
   
   
5. Be Patient
   
   If your search for a good accounting and bookkeeping service provider is taking a little time, be patient. There are a lot of professionals out there, and you need to filter through them to find the ideal outsourced accounting service provider for your business. Once you have made the right choice, your business’s accounting and bookkeeping will be safe in the hands of the best professionals in the industry.
   

10 Bookkeeping Tips for your New Business

If you’ve finally taken the plunge and started your own business, you are in for a great experience. There is a lot of hard work and risk involved in owning a business, but nothing compares to the satisfaction of watching your own venture grow and become successful. We have put together an exclusive list of 10 bookkeeping tips to start your business on the right note.

1. Keep Receipts for All Transactions
   
   Receipts for all the transactions are a must for a healthy bookkeeping system. Some businessmen believe that if they are using a check or credit or debit card, they do not need a receipt; they can just refer to their bank account and get the details. But the Internal Revenue System (IRS) policy clearly states that any cash or check transaction needs receipts to be validated. If you cannot produce relevant receipts for transactions, you cannot claim certain tax benefits.
   
   
2. Indulge in Daily Bookkeeping
   
   Maintaining daily records of financial transactions is one of the most important aspects of bookkeeping. If the day-to-day bookkeeping is not up to the mark, then the business can fall apart. If you do not have the time to take care of these administrative duties, consider hiring a firm providing bookkeeping services.
   
   
3. Be Consistent in Bookkeeping
   
   Many small business owners start their bookkeeping with a lot of enthusiasm, but in time, they fail to maintain it consistently. Inconsistency in bookkeeping may be the biggest mistake you make and might prove fatal for your business. As soon as you start your new business, the first pledge must be to maintain your accounting and bookkeeping. If you cannot take care of it yourself, hire an accounting bookkeeping firm to do it for you.
   
   
4. Keep a Trail for Audit
   
   Your bookkeeping should be done in such a way that you can easily retrace your business’s financial transactions. This is not a complicated process and can be done in simple steps like keeping records in their numeric order, not skipping invoice or check numbers and maintaining separate records for your business and personal transactions. If you can trace your business’s financial transactions up to a year backwards, consider your record keeping perfect.
   
   
5. Get a Bank Statement at the End of the Month
   
   Many businessmen believe that simply logging into a bank account and checking the transactions will enable them to reconcile their business expenses. But it is a more complicated procedure than that. Getting a bank statement at the end of the month would be a good idea to reconcile all transactions and track expenses.
   
   
6. Use the Right Accounting System
   
   Determine whether the cash or accrual is the right accounting system for your business and use the one applicable. The IRS requires that if your business has more than $5 million in sales or keeps and inventory, you use the accrual accounting system. (The cash method of accounting counts expenses when you pay them and income when you receive it, whereas in the accrual method you count the income and expenses at the time they happen)
   
   
7. Maintain a File for All Documents
   
   This may sound a simple enough step, but most businessmen fail to follow it. As a result, the end of the financial year has many businesses and their accountants struggling to find documents to support financial transactions. If you simply maintain a file for all the transactions and file the relevant papers at the time of their occurrence, the end-of-the-year hassles won’t happen.
   
   
8. Keep Business and Personal Transactions Separate
   
   Having a separate bank account and credit card for your business is a must for a healthy bookkeeping system. That way, you can keep your personal transactions separate and at the end of the year, claim applicable tax benefits on business transactions.
   
   
9. Use QuickBooks
   
   Using popular softwares like QuickBooks helps in maintaining proper accounting and bookkeeping records for your business. Such softwares make it easy to calculate incomes and expenses and make a great backup system for all your documents. Many known accounting and bookkeeping firms use this system and can help you integrate it into your business for you.
   
   
10. Hire a firm providing bookkeeping services
    
    If all the above points sound too much of a hassle for you to keep in mind, it may be best to hire a professional firm providing expert bookkeeping services.
    

A professional accounting and bookkeeping firm can take all the responsibility for your day-to-day functions so that you can concentrate of growing and expanding your business.

9 Tax Law Changes for 2009 that Make Tax Preparation Easier

While undertaking tax preparation for 2009, you have to be aware of the changes in the tax laws in order to reap the maximum benefit. Given below is the list of the changes which are applicable to small businesses, as explained on the government website for business resources business.gov. Though this list covers the major changes in tax law and will help you in tax preparation, you should consult your tax advisor or CPA for a comprehensive analysis of those applicable to your business. Also keep visiting the official Internal Revenue Service (www.irs.gov) website for the latest updates.

Major changes in tax laws of 2009 include:

1. Commuting and Parking Benefits for Employees - Starting in 2009, businesses can pay $230 a month in tax-free parking for employees, up $10 per month from 2008. The cap on tax-free transit passes rises to $120 a month, up $5 a month from 2008. In addition, you can offer employees who prefer to cycle to work a new tax-free benefit of $20 per month to cover the cost of buying, maintaining, and storing a bicycle for commuting purposes.
   
2. Expensing Business Equipment - What business expense write offs can you plan on this year? The maximum amount of equipment placed in service in 2009 that businesses can expense (section 179 Expense Deduction) falls to $133,000, a $117,000 decrease from 2008, when a temporary $250,000 ceiling was in effect. The annual investment limit drops to $530,000 for 2009. In 2008, the limit had been temporarily increased to $800,000. Keep your ears to the ground on this one, however, as the government may extend the 2008 tax breaks for 2009.
   
3. First-Time Buyers with Home-Based Businesses - If you operate your small business from an office situated within a first-time home purchase, you can still qualify for additional tax incentives - if you purchased your home between April 2, 2008 and June 30, 2009.
   
4. Lower Mileage Rates - As expected, the IRS lowered the standard mileage rates for the business use of vehicles. Beginning on Jan. 1, 2009, the standard mileage rate for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) is:
   
   (a) 55 cents per mile for business miles driven
   (b) 24 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes
   (c) 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations
   
5. Payroll Tax Changes - The maximum amount of wages subject to Social Security tax has increased to $106,800 for 2009, up from $102,000 in 2008. That means you should stop making (and paying) Social Security for employees once they reach $106,801 in eligible earnings in 2009. The tax rate remains 7.65 percent on employers and employees.
   
6. Maximize Your Retirement Contributions - In 2009, small business owners have the opportunity to invest more tax-deductible money in their retirement savings accounts. These include:
   
   (a) 401(k) elective deferrals up to $16,500 (plus another $5,500 for those age 50 or older by the end of 2009); the limits had been $15,500 (plus another $5,000 for those age 50 or older by the end of 2008).
   (b) SEP and profit-sharing plan limit of $49,000 (up from $46,000 in 2008).
   (c) Defined benefit (pension plan) limit of $195,000 (up from $185,000 in 2008).
   
7. Increased Deductions for Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) - You can contribute more in 2009 to business HSAs, with a 100% tax deduction up to a limit of $5,950 for a family, and $3,000 for an individual.
   
8. Bonus First-year Depreciation Ends - Businesses can no longer claim 50 percent bonus first-year depreciation on assets placed in service in 2009.This was a special write-off that was put in place for the 2008 tax year.
   
9. Depreciation of Restaurants and Retail Stores - The current 15-year depreciation period for tenant and restaurant improvements is expanded to include buildings housing restaurants, and improvements made to retail stores that are placed in service in 2009.

It is very important for you to plan your business tax according to these new tax laws. But these laws are ever-changing and you need to keep a track of them each year. If tax preparation and keeping track of business tax laws seems too much of a hassle for you, you can hire an expert tax advisor or a firm which provides tax preparation services. You can also try outsourcing tax preparation. In case you have confusions or questions regarding tax laws, try consulting a professional who specializes in business tax preparation.

ARTICLE SOURCE: http://www.community.business.gov/t5/Government-Resources-for/Tax-Law-Changes-for-2009-What-s-New-for-Your-Small-Business/ba-p/60

How can Tax Preparation and Filing become a hassle-free experience?

The income tax filing season can be a difficult time for many business owners. The IRS is flooded with inquiries from exasperated businessmen regarding tax filing from February till May each year. If you are one of the people who need guidance on your tax issues, browse through the official Internal Revenue Service website www.irs.gov/ for guidance and information.

There are 2 perennial problems businessmen face when it comes to tax preparation:
• Poor Record Keeping
• Keeping Up with the Changing Tax Laws

Problem 1: Poor Record Keeping

Poor record keeping is the problem for most businessmen who are busy in running a business and keeping it profitable. All records of transactions in and out of the business are carelessly kept to the extent that sometimes they don’t know where their business stands financially. At the time of filing business tax, these businessmen are hence clueless. Some businessmen use their checkbooks as records, but face problems when they can’t locate their check registers. Even more disorganized are those businessmen who keep documents in piles or boxes and are referred by CPAs as “shoebox clients”. Such businessmen, at the time of tax filing, miss out on important tax deductions due to lack of documented proof.

Solution

The solution to this problem for businessmen is: get professional help. For all business documents, record keeping and ledgers, a professional bookkeeper should be hired. If a dedicated bookkeeper or bookkeeping service provider is looking after all documents, the businessman need not worry about maintaining his records from day-to-day. This way, at the time of tax preparation and filing, precise information will be available with documented proof.

Problem 2: Keeping up with Changing Tax Laws

Most businessmen also do not have the time to keep up with the constantly changing taxation laws. It is difficult for them to discern which law is applicable to them and which one is not. For example, many states’ laws differ from the Internal Revenue Code and require separate calculations.

Solution

In case of inability to follow the law changes, a businessman should hire a tax professional or tax advisor. Such professionals are updated with the latest changes in all laws related to taxes, and will be able to easily keep track of them. They will also be able to spot the applicable laws in respective situations. You can also regularly check the IRS website www.irs.gov/ for the most updated information regarding laws of tax filing.

Save 40% of your bookkeeping and accounting costs by hiring a service provider

The importance of bookkeeping and accounting in a business cannot be stressed on enough. Every business owner knows that the progress of his organization is based on the financial condition of his business. But not many people take the pains to hire a professional for their accounting needs. Hiring in-house staff is a stressful procedure, with costs involving search, training, salaries, employee benefits, paid holidays etc. Business owners hence try to skirt the responsibility and try to do it themselves or ask a less qualified person in their organization to do it. This is a grave mistake that can bring doom upon the business. Daily records regarding the financials of the business come very handy in giving an accurate picture of the functionality of the business as a whole, and hence should be handled with care.

Outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting can help solve many issues for business owners. In today’s business scenario of thinning profit margins and cost cutting strategies, hiring an onshore service provider for all accounting needs is a beneficial idea. By letting an outside company handle your bookkeeping and accounting work, you can easily wipe out the drawbacks and limitations of hiring an in-house staff. Amongst many advantages of bookkeeping and accounting service provider are:


SAVE COST
Hiring an in-house bookkeeper or accountant can cost you a lot. It also comes with a lot of complications regarding pensions, employee rights issues etc. Hiring a bookkeeping service provider ensures that you get cost effective solutions to your accounting needs. This is also a means to avoid the hassles related to employing full time professionals. You also have the option of immediately stopping the services in case you are dissatisfied with their performance.

EXPERTS AT YOUR SERVICE
A professional accounting firm hires experts who can dedicate their entire time to your financials. Once you hire such a back office service provider, you can rest assured that your accounting is being done by the most qualified professionals. You hence need not worry about filing each document, miscalculated returns, profit and loss statements etc. These accounting experts also make sure that all your calculations are error-free and impeccable, giving you a clear picture of the state of your financials.

DEVOTE MORE TIME TO YOUR BUSINESS
You can hand over all the financial nitty-gritty of your business to the professional accounting firm and can concentrate on the main functions of your business. This gives you the opportunity to build your business and focus on the profit-making strategies.

EFFICIENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
All the documents related to the expenses and incomes of your business will be filed properly and at the time of occurrence. There will be a dedicated person looking after your financials, resulting in neat documentation, which you can access anytime during the year.

EASY TO USE ONLINE SYSTEM
Most of the bookkeeping and accounting service providers now use online systems, which allow you 24X7 access to your financial records. This also allows you to understand all calculation being made so that you are aware of the finances at all times. The online system is easy to operate and is a convenient way of keeping track of your accounts.

MOST OVERLOOKED TAX DEDUCTIONS BY SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS

Tax time is a dangerous time. It's all too easy to miss a trick and overpay. There is nothing worse than preparing Income Taxes and finding that there were many deductions you could have taken advantage of to lower tax bill. Not keeping track of deductions can be very costly. It is essential to follow an organized bookkeeping and accounting for the entire year to avoid the last-minute rush during tax-filing. The IRS offers a multitude of ways to lower your tax bill. The key is to find which deductions and credits are available -- then taking advantage of them. Below are list of deductions which are generally missed out by business owners:


Personal Assets Converted to Business Use: If business owners have contributed personal assets, such as a computer, find the fair market value of these assets and claim it as a business deduction. This is subject to depreciation limitations, beginning with the date of conversion.

Business Startup and Organization Costs: Business owner may be eligible to deduct some of their business startup costs up and organizational costs. Again there are limitations on this deductions and needs to be checked by professional tax advisor.

Disability Access Costs: Incase improvements or remodeling has taken place for business facility to accommodate customers and employees, business becomes eligible for a deduction for these expenses.

Research and Experimental Costs: Costs of research and experimentation may be deductible if it is chosen not to list them as capital (long-term) expenses. There are many restrictions and qualifications relating to this deduction.

Carrying Charges: Carrying charges are fees and interest on property. Some carrying charges may be deductible if they are not capitalized.

Home Office: A home office must be a separate room in business owner’s home to do business and accounting. Part of a living room or bedroom will not count. A percentage of utility Bills, home owners insurance, property tax, mortgage interest, refinance fees, repairs and maintenance, cleaning supplies, office decor, etc. are deductible. Find out the percentage by dividing the square footage of the office by the square footage of the entire house.

Mileage or Vehicle: There are two ways to take a vehicle expense. One is to take the mileage basis use when picking up product, supplies, office supplies, meetings, handing out advertising or business cards, meals and entertaining clients, etc. The other way is to take the expense of using the vehicle: fuel, parts, mechanics, oil changes, etc. Along with taking expenses, one can also depreciate the vehicle.

Retirement Plan Costs: As owner of a small-business and having recently established a retirement plan for the business, the business may be eligible to receive a non-refundable tax credit for expenses incurred to implement the plan. The tax credit may be claimed for a maximum period of three years for retirement plans established after 2001.

Advertising & Promotion Cost: Business cards, newspaper ads, information packets handed out, free samples, flyers, product testing, videos and CD's all can be claimed under business expenses. Money paid to hire temporary help with promotional activities like delivering flyers, product, stuffing envelopes or for even cleaning office and car, etc. can also be claimed under business expenses.

Dues and Subscriptions: Dues to professional organizations and magazines that have to do with particular trade or business can be part of deductions.

Educational Expenses: Classes or seminars that improve business can be claimed under deductions.

Gifts: Gifts to clients and associates are deductible.

Laundry and Cleaning: This includes uniforms and Protective clothing and also owner’s clothing when they go out on touring for business purpose.

Travel expenses related to business: Hotels, airfare, cab-fare, parking, and cleaning while away from home, trip log is required to claim these deductions.

Communication expenses: Cell phone, long distance calls on home phone, extra phone lines into home for business, fax or Internet can be claimed as deductions.

Items such as paper clips, bank charges, credit card charges and home office expense seem small and unimportant at the time, but multiply those little things over a year or two and then multiply it times 35% and it can add up to quite a bit of money that should be in your pocket rather than in the federal fund.

Remember there are hundreds of deductions throughout the tax laws, and many can be quiet difficult to grasp. It is advisable to seek help from a qualified tax consultant with sufficient experience to determine which deductions apply specifically to your business.

HOW TO AVOID THE 7 DEADLY BOOKKEEPING SINS?

If you are a business owner from a non-accounting background, you need to be aware of the 7 deadly sins you need to avoid while handling your bookkeeping and accounting task:

1. Do not try to do it all yourself or hire unqualified help:
   Time equals money. If you try to do everything, you will obviously slip and forget important things. Especially with bookkeeping, if you are not qualified to handle this type of work, your struggling will be useless since it will not give you the results desired while preventing you from carrying more revenue generation activities. Similarly seeking unqualified help of spouse, family, friends, and neighbor can harm your business growth. It is much cheaper to get qualified online bookkeeping and accounting help if you do not have the budget to hire in-house bookkeeper or accountant.
   
   
2. Do not let your filing system slide into chaotic disarray:
   Be advised that crumpled receipts in a shoe box do not constitute a filing system. A proper filing system should be broken out by receivables, payables, bank statements and tax records. Depending upon your business needs, you might also want to keep a set of file folders by job. At year-end closing, the year’s non-permanent files should be bound together and archived in a safe location. Keeping multiple years’ worth of receipts together in one file drawer leads to wasted time filing and retrieving records. In addition annual archiving helps tremendously in the event of an audit or even a lawsuit.
   
   
   
3. Do not use improper accounting structure:
   One of the common problems non-accounting owners struggle with is finding the right expense category, cash flows, retained earnings, capital etc. Don’t let the technical terms bog you down. Seek help from an expert accountant or bookkeeper to set up the right kind of infrastructure for your business records which can be followed smoothly for a long time.
   
   
4. Do not be afraid to use time saving accounting software:
   Another issue to tackle is having the right accounting software in place. The move towards a paperless existence will be beneficial in saving time and resources in the long run. Educate on the popular accounting software available and select the right one for your business. You can also search for a professional accounting service provider who can set up the software for you and help you optimize and customize it to your requirements.
   
   
5. Do not fail to have a proper back-up system in place:
   Never ever forget to take back up of your accounting and bookkeeping systems. Systems do get attacked by virus, and sometimes crash. Have a disaster recovery plan in place to ensure you are equipped to deal with the worst case scenario.
   
   
6. Do not forget to have separate personal and business accounts:
   Have separate accounts and credit card for business and personal expense. Never merge them. It can create unnecessary confusions and problems while filing tax and during an audit.
   
   
7. Do not forget to set up written bookkeeping policies and accounting procedures:
   Last but not the least, take time to sit down and write rules and procedures for bookkeeping and accounting transactions which should then be systematically and consistently followed. Developing policies and procedures “on the fly” allows you to only correct problems after they have occurred, rather than anticipating potential issues in advance. Poor or incomplete procedures can result in real dollar losses to your company as well as exposing it to fraud risks. Remember, unwritten procedures are useless. To hold employees accountable and eliminate any confusion you must maintain written policies and procedures. Often small business owners are simply too busy to do this, so they let it slide without realizing there are accounting experts who can develop the policies and procedures for them.