Tax Services
Tax law is a complicated affair that changes with each season. Through rigorous professional training and routine participation in industry briefings, we sustain mastery of the current tax law, complex tax code, and new tax regulations. This discipline enables us to offer a full range of tax planning, preparation, and support services.
Tax Preparation
Are you anxious about filing your on tax returns?Even a simple return may require multiple forms. The instructions often evoke more questions than answers. While a computer software program may help, there’s no substitute for the quality of service and advice you’ll receive from an experienced tax professional.
Here are a few of the benefits you’ll reap when using our service:
We’ll prepare all of the appropriate forms and record all figures and calculations accurately.
We’ll make sure that you receive all of the deductions and credits to which you are entitled.
We’ll file your return electronically to speed delivery of refunds.
We’ll work with you to adjust your payroll withholding to make sure you send the right amount to each tax authority – no more, no less.
We’ll show you how to adjust your finances to take advantage of tax benefits on future returns.
Are you a sole proprietor? Have you been so focused on your business that you haven’t paid close attention to your books? No worries! We'll tidy things up and prepare your Schedule C as part of your personal income tax return. Then we'll help you set up an easy system to keep your books current going forward.
Tax Planning
Proactive planning is the key to minimizing your tax liability. We work with businesses and individuals to pay the least amount of tax required by law. A few of the strategies that we consider include:
Splitting income among several family members or legal entities to take advantage of lower income tax brackets
Shifting income or expenses from one year to another when it can yield a lower tax rate
Deferring or eliminating tax liability through use of tax-advantaged investment vehicles
Tracking all expenses eligible for itemized deduction
Taking advantage of tax credits
Your unique circumstances will determine the strategies that we can employ to maximize the money you keep in your pocket.
Projections
No one can predict the future perfectly, but we can all benefit from planning for it. Our firm combines expertise and experience with a gained understanding of your personal or business activities to produce financial and tax projections that can help you manage your personal and business plans and spending. Depending on your needs, our work can range from top-level reports to detailed financial models.
IRS Audit Representation
If you have been selected for an IRS or State audit, professional representation can set your mind at ease. We’ll take the lead in dealing with the tax authorities based on our familiarity with their procedures and our intimate knowledge of the tax code. We’ll make sure that you don’t get an unpleasant and unwarranted surprise at the end of the process.
Tax Problems
Even if you have not been targeted for a tax audit, you may be aware of problems that will catch up with you eventually. Common examples include:
Missed tax filings for one or more years
Insufficient funds to pay the tax liability when due
Failure to remit payroll taxes
We’ll work with you to review your prior tax years and make sure that all of your tax filings have been submitted accurately. If you don’t know what’s included in your tax record, we’ll help you get copies from the tax authorities without raising any “red flags.” We’ll assess your tax liability and the associated interest and penalties. Then, we’ll work with you on an approach to negotiation. For example:
We could work with the tax authority on aPayment Plan to resolve your debt. This approach protects you from asset seizure to settle your obligations. It may be possible to secure relief on penalties and/or compound interest.
The IRS provides Innocent Spouse Relief when for an aggrieved party when his or her spouse or former spouse failed to report income, reported income improperly, or claimed improper deductions or credit.
You may be able to settle your tax debt for less than the full amount owed if the tax authority deems your offer to be the most they might collect within a reasonable time period. This arrangement is referred to as anOffer In Compromise.
If your circumstances do not lend themselves to a negotiated settlement, then it may be necessary to seek protection through a Bankruptcy filing.
It is far better to face your problems than to wait for them to land on your doorstep. We’re here to help in any way we can.
Contact us to receive more information about our Tax Preparation, Planning, Audit Support, and Troubleshooting services.
Advisory Services
We offer value added services that help you structure and manage your business to its best advantage. We help new businesses get off the ground and provide objective assessments of existing ones. We help you establish policies and procedures to protect vital assets and ensure the integrity of your records. You reap the benefit of increased efficiency, control, and insight.
New Business Formation
Are you thinking of joining the ranks of small business owners? Along with a great idea and strong sense of the market you’ll serve, you’ll need a business and financial advisor who can help your dream take flight while keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.
We can help you:
Develop or refine your business plan with the associated pro forma financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow) and budget.
Select a business structure that suits your needs by considering tax advantages, legal exposure, ease of operation, and portability.
Review partnership agreements, as needed, to avoid financial and/or emotional trauma downstream.
Prepare and file all required state and local licenses and permits.
Make application for your Federal Employer Identification Number.
Identify start-up capital needs and available resources to address them.
Examine your borrowing power and provide coaching on how to cultivate a mutually beneficial banking relationship.
Identify any other agencies that may have an impact on your business.
Provide payroll and payroll tax filing when and if you hire employees.
We’re eager to get your business off to a good start.
Contact us to learn more about our New Business Formation services.
Business Valuation
We provide objective assessments of business interests by helping you identify and analyze the relevant factors that drive value. We examine:
The strength and stability of the customer base and the associated revenue stream
Prospects for growth given the available market and competitive positioning
The overall financial health of the business
The results inform your decision making as you buy or sell business interests, forge partnerships, negotiate with third parties for debt or equity financing, navigate martial separation, or settle estates. Our professionals can serve as advisors during due diligence and provide expert testimony in legal proceedings.
Contact us to get a free consultation on our Business Valuation services.
Small Business Accounting
Businesses of all shapes and sizes depend on accurate, insightful financial information to manage their day-to-day operations, capitalize on opportunities, and sustain profitability. We lend our expert support to meet your accounting needs so that you can focus your time and energy on building a strong business.
Bookkeeping
We’ll create and maintain a chart of accounts to capture all of your financial transactions, provide the right information to manage your business, and prepare federal, state, and local tax returns. Through periodic internal audits, we’ll identify and resolve discrepancies (e.g., double billings, unrecorded payments) to ensure that you have a complete and accurate picture of your financial position.
Bank Reconciliation
While a clean set of “books” is a key objective for every accountant, it’s also important to match the accounting records with the monthly bank statements. Our bank reconciliation services ensure that every deposit and withdrawal aligns with entries into your accounting records. This assessment enables us to identify lost deposits, lost checks, unauthorized transactions, and inappropriate bank fees. It triggers investigation into any fraudulent activity (identity theft, forgery, embezzlement, etc.), and expedites restitution. And it gives you a clearer picture of your cash position for addressing planned outlays and investments.
Financial Statement Preparation
We can prepare a complete set of financial statements to help you assess the health of your business. This package includes:
A Balance Sheet that gives you a snapshot of your overall financial condition at month, quarter, and/or year end
An Income Statement (a.k.a. Profit and Loss Statement) that summarizes revenues, expenses, and net profits so you can assess the operating performance of your business
A Comparison of Actual Performance to Budget so you can identify trouble spots in your revenue stream or spending patterns
A Cash Flow Statement that shows how changes in your Balance Sheet and Income Statement affect your available cash
Estimated tax liabilities
Our analysis of your financial statements helps you frame strategic initiatives (e.g., business expansion, acquisition) as well as tactical plans (e.g., accounts receivable and accounts payable management). Professionally prepared financial statements are also an essential resource when dealing with creditors (e.g., vendors, banks) and investors.
Individual Consultation
When you use our professional accounting services, you get more than a collection of records and reports. You get the benefit of our skills, experience, and expertise. We’re happy to invest the time to make sure that you understand and utilize all of the information we provide. Call us whenever you have a question or concern.
Contact us to learn more about our Small Business Accounting services.
QuickBooks Services
We provide an array of services to help you set up your business on QuickBooks and get the most out of your investment.
Buy QuickBooks and Save
We can save you money on your QuickBooks purchase! Not sure which version is right for you? Click on the appropriate link to get a brief snapshot of each package.
Organizes your business finances and customer information. Creates professional invoices, and tracks sales and expenses. Provides reliable records at tax time. Easy to set-up, learn, and use. No accounting experience necessary.
Includes all basic QuickBooks features plus a wealth of customization options (e.g., form templates). Provides one-click budgeting. Handles job costing and time tracking, allowing for multiple estimates per job. Can assign different price levels for different customers. Shares customer, vendor, inventory, and/or financial data with 100+ popular business applications (e.g., Word, Excel, Outlook, ACT!) at user’s option.
Includes everything in QuickBooks Pro plus tools and features to measure your financial performance against industry benchmarks, and make expert recommendations to help you improve it. Builds business plans and forecasts. Provides advanced sales order tracking and inventory management (components as well as finished goods).
Transforms your PC into a cash register. Records sales, and captures customer contact information along with items purchased. Tracks inventory so you don’t have to do manual counts. Integrates with vendor-tested point of sale devices (e.g., receipt printer, cash drawer, bar code scanner, credit card swipe).
Includes everything in QuickBooks Premier plus contractor-specific capabilities. Simplifies accounting, estimating, invoicing, and job costing for general contractors, subcontractors, and specialty trades. Documents and tracks change orders. Progressively bills clients by job phase. Provides Cost to Complete Job reporting. Analyzes profitability by job.
Includes everything in QuickBooks Premier plus capabilities specific to professional services. Supports custom billing rates by employee or job. Provides custom templates for proposals, and turns proposals into invoices with one click. Manages customer payments; handles retainers and escrow accounts. Delivers keen insights on the firm’s operations using an array of professional services reports. Provides access to contact information, balances, and transaction histories for any client in one window.
Includes everything in QuickBooks Premier plus capabilities specific to manufacturing and wholesale. Tracks inventory and sets optimal inventory levels. Automatically deducts raw materials used during the manufacturing process from inventory; adds final product to finished goods. Includes both material and non-material costs, such as overhead, labor, and raw material costs, in your Bill of Materials. Creates customized pricing levels. Manages sales order fulfillment based on criteria that you specify. Tracks profitability by product.
Supports general accounting capabilities such as bookkeeping, invoicing, and billing PLUS additional nonprofit-specific features to track donations, pledges, and grants. Allocates expenses to specific grants and programs. Creates required reports for funding agencies, government agencies, and board of directors. Provides data to support Form 990 filings.
Access and manage your accounting services and data through a secure, encrypted Internet connection from your home, office, or other location. Create access controls for multiple users to specify what they can see or do on the system. Enjoy automatic data back-up daily and secure off-site data storage.
Contact us to discuss your accounting needs.
Payroll Services
Managing the employee payroll is not a simple matter of calculating the amounts due, writing checks, and handing them out. There’s a host of government reporting and recording keeping requirements that comes with the job. And there are adverse consequences if you get it wrong.
There are 5 good reasons for outsourcing this function:
You’ll save money by letting the experts attend to the task efficiency and accurately.
You’ll avoid penalties associated with payroll tax calculation errors or missed filing deadlines.
We’ll handle employee questions and concerns, and research any issues they uncover.
You’ll receive comprehensive reporting to help manage your business and attend to any special requirements.
You’ll gain valuable time to focus on running your business.
We offer three payroll service options to meet the needs of different business owners and non-profit clients. All three services include:
Vacation, sick, and personal day accruals and tracking
IRS and State tax reporting plus Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) deposits
Monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports
New hire file creation and reporting
W-2, W-3, and 1099 preparation
The service option you choose defines how payments are processed:
Comprehensive Payroll Processing Service: We manage the secure check processing and direct deposits
After-the-Fact Payroll Service: You process all of the payments, and we post your payroll records and information into our data system and handle all of the other payroll functions.
Online Payroll Processing: We provide access to our payroll system to enable you to enter employee hours and earnings. You print the payroll checks on your printer, and we process the direct deposits.
We can also provide ad hoc services, such as:
Worker's Compensation Audits
Unemployment Claims
Social Security Audits
Child Support Audits
Federal and State registration
Contact us to get a free consultation and cost estimate for our Payroll Processing services.
Personal Financial Planning
It’s easy to get caught up in all of the activities and responsibilities of our day-to-day lives. And yet we need to think about the future, especially with respect to our financial well-being. For a modest investment of your time to help us get to know you and the life you want to create, we’ll help you craft a financial roadmap to meet your obligations, manage risk, and build wealth.
Retirement Planning
Most of us look forward to the day when we have the means to bid farewell to our current occupations and explore new horizons. We can help you create a plan to attain financial independence and enjoy a comfortable retirement. This plan will consider your financial needs, your projected assets and income sources, tax treatments, and strategies to address projected shortfalls.
College Planning
Whether higher education is right around the corner or years away, we’ll work with you to estimate the required resources, explore available options for funding, and develop a suitable savings plan.
Estate Planning
A well-conceived estate plan provides security for loved ones and an orderly succession of ownership for business interests. We’ll help you think through the disposition of your assets to address your preferences and concerns while steering clear of needless complication and tax liability.
Insurance Assessment
Despite the best intentions, each of us may face the unexpected. Although we can’t control everything that crosses our paths, we can protect ourselves and our families from the financial hardship that accompanies bad news. We’ll provide an unbiased assessment of your life, disability, health, home, and auto insurance coverage, and work with you to establish a suitable emergency fund.
Litigation Support
Our litigation support services can be employed in a wide range of situations, including commercial litigation, financial investigations, business valuations, business and marital dissolutions, and bankruptcies. These services can involve quantification of economic loss or damages, and analysis of financial records.
Cash Flow and Budgeting Analysis
Good cash management can improve a company’s liquidity, reduce costs, and increase profitability. We can help you maintain optimal cash flow levels by tracking sources and uses, forecasting, and budgeting accordingly.
Financial Projections and Forecasts
No one can predict the future perfectly, but we can all benefit from planning for it. Our firm combines expertise and experience with a gained understanding of your business to produce financial projections that can help you manage your business plan and spending. Depending on your needs, our work can range from top-level reports to detailed financial models.
Mergers, Acquisitions, and Sales
Business transactions and transitions are complicated affairs, and whether you’re buying, selling, or considering a potential merger, we can provide professional know-how to help you successfully structure and negotiate the deal. We employ careful analysis and due diligence to determine a fair asking price, pinpoint the most favorable tax structures, evaluate financial and cash flow impact, and assess compatible business functions and tactics.
Debt and Finance Advising
Whether your needs are corporate or personal, our professionals can assist you in sorting out the different options available for debt management and financing that will result in optimal tax implications.
Financial and Retirement Planning
Our goal is to help you reach your financial goals and maintain financial independence through a comfortable retirement. We can guide you through tough decision-making processes such as asset allocation, investment performance monitoring, college education funding, retirement plans, insurance, and tax, estate, and business succession planning. Whether you are developing an investment strategy or evaluating current investments, we can ensure that your portfolio will take into account tax implications for an advantageous after-tax return.
Estate and Trust Planning and Tax Preparation
Effective estate and trust planning can ensure financial security for loved ones. For businesses, it can maintain a smooth succession of ownership. Our role is to help you navigate the complex and shifting tax laws to facilitate the transfer of assets and minimize the tax liability of your beneficiaries.