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Category Archives: Accounting

Accounting, Investment Advice

Year-end Retirement Planning Strategies

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As we come to the end of 2021, as you are making plans for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, you may want to take some time out and look at your retirement plans, too. No matter what your age, your career advancement, or where you live, it’s not too late to begin, or add to, your retirement plans.  

In fact, this is a good time to assess your progress in planning and see if there are any gaps that need to be filled. So, here are several tips on how you can do retirement planning. You need to be informed. You need to know all the retirement options available to you. Discuss your available retirement planning options through your work. Do some quick web research. Consult your financial advisor and tax advisor.

Not enough? The following are possibilities for your retirement plan: 

    1. Taxable brokerage account: These are accounts funded with after-tax dollars. There are no contribution limits. Just remember that capital gains and investment income are taxable.
    2. Tax-deferred accounts:  These include the following: Traditional, SEP, & SIMPLE IRAs, 401(k)s, and 403(b)s. There are contribution limits depending on the plan. Also, depending on your tax bracket a tax deduction for the year that the contribution was made may be applicable (check with your tax advisor). Don’t forget about the required minimum distributions! The IRS requires withdrawals once you reach the age of 72 if your 70th birthday is July 1, 2019, or later. Roth IRAs do not require minimum distributions.
    3. Medicare: Medicare is a benefit for seniors 65 and older; however, it still has costs to it. Medicare doesn’t cover certain medical expenses like hearing aids, vision care, dental care, and long-term care. It also has large gaps in prescription coverage. In your retirement planning, you may want to budget supplemental medical insurance that goes beyond Medicare. Medicare Advantage and Medigap policies have premium costs and copays that supplement Medicare.
    4. Consider your cash reserves: Cash reserves help ride out stock market down cycles covering expenses while allowing time for investments to hopefully recover from the downturn.
    5. It is truly not too late: Don’t be discouraged! If you are 55 years or older without a retirement plan, it is not too late. Jump on the retirement planning bandwagon. It is possible to do! 

The main point here is that even if you are older and retirement is on the horizon, you can still make smart and logical decisions for your retirement. Consult with your financial advisor and tax advisor to make the changes you need to before the New Year begins.  

 A.K. Burton, PC, can help you do your retirement planning. We have experienced staff who can prepare your retirement accounts. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for a consultation. We serve the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County, MD area. 

Accounting, Financial Advice, Small Business Accounting

Ask a Financial Advisor: Should You Do Your Startup Business Now?

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We have all seen the headlines: “Best economy in fifty years!” 

We’ve also seen the story about the person who lost their job and said they weren’t going to work for “the man” anymore. So, they started their own business and now are multi-millionaires! 

Great economy. 

Wealthy entrepreneur. 

There are plenty of success stories. There are also plenty of failures. Starting a business is a risky venture which can make or break an individual and their investors. It should be done carefully and with research. 

Before you hand in your two-week notice, pack your office and take out a loan to start your new business, it is important, from a financial advisor’s view, to consider these factors:

  1. Starting a new business by yourself is almost impossible: You will not be able to do it all on your own. You may need a business coach to help you prepare. You may need the advice of a financial advisor to set up a budget. You may need an accountant to do your bookkeeping. You may need an admin assistant to take phone calls and do your records. You may also need to create a team of subcontractors. In other words: You will need a support system. 
  2. Start-up is a way to not make money for a while (i.e. years): If you had planned to replace your income during your startup time period, you will be disappointed. Many new entrepreneurs go without paying themselves for years, sometimes five years or more until the business begins to pay. Most income goes into paying for rent, utilities, equipment, Wifi, fees, and payroll. You may need to keep your present job just to pay the bills or depend on your spouse, family or investors to pay your personal expenses. It may pay off eventually but, in the meantime, you may live a Spartan lifestyle. 
  3. Take care of your mental and physical health: We’ve heard the horror stories of doing 20-hour workdays and working seven days a week. That cannot last long. The body and mind will shut down. A new startup will require long hours but doing a ridiculous schedule will only burn the new entrepreneur out. Share your difficult times with your spouse, family, church/temple or networking group. Get 6-8 hours of regular sleep, eat three meals a day, exercise fifteen minutes a day, reduce alcohol consumption and dependence on drugs to keep you going. Finally, practice humility. You cannot work all day, every day. You won’t survive. Put your mental and physical health first. 
  4. Be comfortable with change: Life is all about adapting to change and leading a startup can be quite chaotic. Be ready to accept changes, some big (moving the business to a new storefront) and some small (changing copiers). Change may also signify success. Embrace it and roll with it. Most changes are not negative, even if they take a while to adapt. 
  5. No job is too low or too dirty: Running your own business, at first, may mean cleaning your bathroom, emptying your trash, mopping the floor, dusting the desk and doing the inventory. You are part of a team and that means not being afraid to get your hands dirty. 
  6. Keep a tight watch on your finances: As a financial advisor, I have seen startups that have been disciplined in their spending and others that have become debt-ridden as expenses got out of control. Either hire an experienced bookkeeper to watch every expense or have someone on the company keep tabs on expenses. Most business failures come from out of control spending that is not paid for by income. Debt is part of doing a startup but it can send businesses crashing to the ground, too, never to return. Bottom line: watch every penny and be disciplined in spending.   

After reading the above, you may still be asking: Should I start my own business? You have to make that decision on your own after getting seasoned and smart advice. If you can handle all that we talked about, you may be ready to start your own business. 

A.K. Burton, PC, works with small businesses and entrepreneurs every day. Our experienced legal and financial advisors can help you with planning, budgeting, and payroll.  Contact our friendly and experienced staff at (301) 365-1974 or email info@cpa-maryland.com. A.K. Burton, PC serves the Bethesda, Rockville, and Montgomery County areas. 

Accounting, Small Business Accounting

Wake up and smell the coffee!: Small business accounting services that your accountant has-and you should be using

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“Shoot, if I had only known!”

How many times have you said that to yourself. If you had only known that your favorite restaurant had a free dessert Wednesday night or that suit you wanted was half price, yesterday, or that the radio station was giving away tickets to your favorite singer’s concert.

Oh, if only…

It’s a familiar lament but, sometimes, there are second chances to great opportunities. Those opportunities missed are aggravating because you realize that you’ve lost out on something beneficial to your life. However, there is a much more important opportunity that exceeds any dessert, suit or concert ticket. We are speaking of small business accounting, of course.

Your business pays the bills and may even be the main source of income for your employees. It is crucial to your life. Don’t take the accounting and bookkeeping services your accountant has to offer for granted.

As any accountant will tell you, you may understand a lot about bookkeeping, but no one knows everything. Leave that to the professionals.   

So, here is a list of small business accounting services your accountant has and you should be using:

  1. Quickbooks Advice: Quickbooks is always updating, changing and upping its game. It is still the premiere business accounting program. Sometimes, keeping up with those changes can be a chore, if not impossible, during your long work weeks. Your accountant must keep up with the updates as they are probably using it themselves! Utilize their knowledge and expertise on this program and all you have to do is call.
  2. Setting up an Accounting System and Structure: Starting a business is a huge challenge and getting the correct accounting system for your business can be agonizing. There are many choices and many different fees. Do you know which accounting system is best? Most business owners and managers are not accountants plus they have too much on their plate, already. So, contact your accountant. They will analyze your business according to volume of business, number of employees and other factors to help you figure out which accounting system is best for your business. Then, your accountant can help you install it and set it up.

  3. Startup/New Business Consultation: You’ve got a great idea for a new business. You’ve done the research and even chosen a storefront. But, how do you get the financing? Hire employees? Set up payroll? Purchase inventory? Those and many important questions need to be answered. Your accountant can help you make all of these crucial, business startup decisions and get the launch of your dream off right.

  4. Record-keeping techniques: It is imperative that your business keep accurate accounting records. You have to deal with suppliers, employees, vendors, landlords, travel agents, garages, the IRS. That’s no small list of people and agencies who depend on your company to pay them. So, use the best accounting record-keeping methods you can find. Your accountant can advise you on what you can use that will be efficient, affordable and can be used by everyone in your company.

  5. Assistance with registering your company with all the appropriate tax authorities: What is an LLC and should your company be one? Which tax authorities do I register with in Washington, D.C., Maryland or Virginia? Or, should I register with all three? Do I need any licenses and permits to run my business? All good questions and they need to be answered. Your accountant can help you register, apply for the correct permits and licenses.

Did you know that these are just some of the services that your local accountant can provide for you and your company, no matter what its size or if it hasn’t even opened its doors, yet?! Like most business owners, you probably didn’t know it.

Running a business is hard work. Don’t make it even harder. Contact your accountant and have them be a partner in your success.      

A.K. Burton, PC, which serves the Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, MD area, provides all these services and more. Contact us at (301) 365-1974 for more information or email us at info@cpa-maryland.com.

 

Accounting

New Quickbooks Services Upgrades in 2018

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Just when you thought it was safe to figure that you have Quickbooks down, they change it again. Changes, however, can be a good thing and Quickbooks upgrades for 2018 are more than good-they are stellar.

In fact, the Quickbooks upgrades will make your accounting life for your business a bit easier, even for those erstwhile accountants who begrudgingly do it on a monthly basis (or less).

Here are a number of the Quickbooks Services Upgrades in 2018:

  1. Cash accurate toggle on reports: You will be able to get quicker assessment and management using the 1-clickthat changes from cash based accounting and accrual based accounting on a per-report basis. All in just one click!
  2. Merge vendors: This is so much easier now as you can go from manual duplicate vendor look-up, to leveraging QB search. Then, sort sort tools to identify vendors that need to be merged. You now can merge four vendors at a timeinstead of just You can also move account information from duplicate vendors under the master vendor account option.
  3. Portable bar code scanner: It enables the choosing process which improves accuracy. It also allows users to track thestatus of inventory movements. You have three options: Sent for Pick, Pick in progress, and Picked/Partially Picked. The efficiency of this upgrade is quite incredible, too.
  4. Payroll liability reminder: Penalties are a killer. You can void them by identifying alerts on QBDT home page. Then you can create an automated reminder display on the payroll setup. This version also has new alerts displayed on the homepagea week before the
  5. Past due stamp/payroll badge reminder: Payments arrive faster when you use the past due stamp tool to tag past due open invoices.Past due stamp labels are added on the PDF This option can be turned off.
  6. Secure web mail: Yes, your work is even more secure now! Oauth 2.0, the new security standard in emails, is now available.

These are just a few of the upgrades to the Quickbooks accounting and bookkeeping system, but we are impressed. We highly recommend if for your small business. It truly has all the tools you need to do your work efficiently.

A.K. Burton, PC, which serves the Washington, D.C. and Bethesda, MD area, works with Quickbooks every day and can provide all the Quickbooks Services you and your small business needs. Contact us at (301) 365-1974 for more information or email us at info@cpa-maryland.com.

Accounting, Tax Advice

How to Choose the Best Tax Advisor

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It’s only mid-way through the fall but it’s not too early to be thinking about your tax returns for next year.

In fact, now is the time to be thinking about your personal and business tax returns especially if you have had issues in the past and want to do it right or better this time. Your tax records and tax filings are too important to be done just by anyone, including yourself, who is unfamiliar with tax laws, deadlines and forms. It could be a serious financial and legal mistake to do it on your own without any advice.

So as the holidays draw closer, begin the search for a tax advisor. Here are Five Things to Consider When Choosing a Tax Advisor:

  1. Relevant Industry Experience: No tax advisor can know everything about every industry. Make sure you are comfortable with the amount of experience the tax advisor has with your industry. Don’t be afraid to ask the advisor if he has other clients in your industry and how long he has been doing work for them. The accounting firm partners should be able to tell you if they have enough experience to handle your case. If not, ask them to send you to a firm that can do it.
  2. Five-year Minimum experience: The senior member should have at least five to ten years of experience in completing business tax returns. Also, better to find a larger accounting firm with a variety of tax advisors. This means that the accountants have had diverse experiences with a variety of industries.
  3. Certified Public Accountant (“CPA”) Designation: As a business owner, your tax advisor should be a CPA at a minimum.  You can also choose an Atty/CPA as your tax advisor.  An Atty/CPA is a dually designated individual who is both an Attorney and a CPA and is generally more knowledgeable than an advisor who is just a CPA.  Either way make sure you have one or the other.  As a business owner you cannot afford not to.
  4. Audit Representation: IRS audits are a fact of life. Even though IRS audits are down recently, you never know and cannot control whether they will audit you next. Even the most honest among us have had to go through the stress and endure the headache of having an IRS auditor reviewing our tax returns. It is, then, crucial for your tax advisor to agree to represent you during any and all audits. They can answer questions, find documents and, most importantly, advise you on any issues druing the audit. You do not want to go through an audit alone. Make sure your tax advisor is there every plodding step of the way.
  5. Fees and Fee Structure: Before you sign up with any tax advisor, find out what they charge for their services. Make sure that you are comfortable with how and what they charge. Being organized with your business records can help prevent your Accounting Bill from getting out of control.  Quicken, Quickbooks, Mint or other accounting programs can help maintain your records in reasonable workable shape. Any paper documents should be organized by type and date. Avoid the “shoebox style of organization” which forces advisors to spend hours (and your money) trying to put it all together. You will save a lot on time and fees (and bad will) by organizing your documents.
  6. Location: With the advent of the internet and the 21st century, your tax advisor does not have to be a few blocks down the road, though being local saves on expenses, especially if you are audited. They can be in another city or state. However, if you have multiple businesses that require a lot of attention from professionals, then you will probably be better served by having someone local who can drop by and advise you on a more frequent basis and keep abreast of your local issues as well.

Yes, it seems too early to be talking about tax advisors, but you may already be rethinking that after reading this blog. That’s good because the next quarterly filing is coming up in January. Don’t go it alone. Find a licensed and experienced tax advisor today.

A.K. Burton, PC has experienced and licensed tax advisors on staff. If you need more advice on business and individual tax planning, contact us at (301) 365-1974 for more information or email us at info@cpa-maryland.com.

Accounting, Accounting Management, Client Services

Five Ways to Better Treat Your Small Business Accounting Clients

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No matter how long you have been in the accounting business, recruiting, maintaining and retaining clients is difficult, even with the best of them.

The reasons are long: they are offended by a mistake; they are offered a larger menu of services for a better price; a firm opens closer to their business; a partner they worked with leaves your firm…well, you get the idea. Some reasons small business accounting clients leave are out of your hands. Yet, many others are within your control and can be mitigated if done properly.

clients meeting A K Burton

Customer service is not an art. However, it’s just smart practice not to take your clients for granted. So, here are Five Ways You Can Treat Your Small Business Accounting Clients Better, so they thrive and you do, too:

  1. Develop a list of services your client could use: Currently, your clients may have only one service. But, could they benefit from estate planning, tax preparation or Quickbooks services? Also determine what they may not need like tax preparation or a financial advisor. Have a “Client Needs List” with checks and “x’s” on each service you offer. Then send a list to the client of what you can recommend to them with an offer to make an appointment at their convenience. While some may be skeptical that it is a sales tool (which it is, but only partly), most clients will appreciate that you have inquired and may gladly set up a meeting to discuss their small business accounting needs.
  2. Create and focus on your “Accounting Niche”: Your accounting firm may have a large number of services but which one do your do the best? Do an inventory of your firm and find out where you excel. That service should be the one you market the most to your clients. Once you have determined it, do a survey of your clients. You may even want to do a SWOT Analysis (Strength/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats) which will give you an objective report on everything. Once you have determined your strongest service, market it.
  3. Cultivate your referral sources: Your accounting firm is probably getting referrals from insurance agents, attorneys, bankers, realtors and other financially-related industries. Network often with these resources. Find out if your accounting firm can relate to their clients. Make improvements if you can. (Send them referrals, too. They will remember.)
  4. Inventory and grade your present clients: Develop an “A-F” grading system for your clients. Look at your entire client base and see if they meet the grade. Determine if any clients are bringing down your firm and are, in fact, a loss or drain on your resources. You will also see who your “star” clients are and who may need more attention than you have been giving them. (Your firm can get a free accounting client grading tool at this link: http://www.aicpa.org/InterestAreas/PrivateCompaniesPracticeSection/QualityServicesDelivery/KeepingUp/Pages/invigorate-the-focus.aspx.)
  5. Say “Goodbye” to the difficult clients: We all have that difficult client or two on the books who has a tepid relationship with us. Sometimes, in the long run, they are worth keeping. However, in many case, those difficult clients are a massive drain on time and money for your firm. They actually may be taking your time away from your other clients. It becomes necessary for your firm and clients, to let them go. This is not an easy thing to do. It is quite agonizing. But everyone, including the fired clients, benefits. Determine which accounting clients meet the “let-go” criteria and begin the process. You will not regret it.

Retaining clients in these austere, post-recession days requires some homework and time, but it can be done. Follow these steps and see your firm grow.

A.K. Burton, PC cares about all of our clients, whether business or personal. Our experienced and licensed staff can help you, your family and your business make smart tax and investment decisions (https://cpa-maryland.com/services/small-business-services/). Call us at (301) 365-1974 for more information or email us at info@cpa-maryland.com.

 

 

 

Accounting

What to Do If You Can’t Pay Your Taxes

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We are almost halfway into 2017. Your small business is doing well and may even be doing better than you had expected. Customers are buying your products, you’re making payroll, you’ve purchased new equipment and you may even be hiring a new employee soon. Business is looking good.

Then, comes the letter in the mail from the IRS.Can't pay taxes ak burton

You owe on your business income taxes! And, it is much more than you thought. You cannot even pay for it right now, even if you put the new equipment and employee on hold.

Now, what do you do?

Don’t panic. It is not the end of your business. There are procedures you can take to resolve it.

Here are Five Steps to Take When You Can’t Pay Your Small Business Taxes:

  1. Contact the IRS Immediately: Once you get that letter, don’t file it away or stick it in your laptop bag pocket. You may forget it or put it off. The IRS matter never goes away by itself, it just continues to intensify. Even though you can’t pay it now, call the number on the letter and let the IRS know you cannot pay it all by the deadline date. Be honest and open with the IRS official. Document your conversation and create a file where you can put all the documents in, both hard file and computer memory file.
  2. Pay Whatever You Can: You’ve heard the old saying “Just do what you can.” That works with the IRS, too. Send them a payment of whatever you can, even if it is small amount. That will cut what you do owe down and reduce any fees applicable to the amount you pay. It’s always better to pay something than nothing. The IRS also sees that as a “good faith effort” to pay what you owe,
  3. Pay in Installments: The IRS may allow you to set up an “Installation Agreement”. This is where you can pay in installments for a certain period of time. Interest and fees may apply but at least you can budget these payments and get it paid off. If you owe 50,000 or less the IRS has a lot of flexibility and will give you up to 36 months. This is a popular way to resolve it, especially for cash-strapped businesses.
  4. Negotiation in circumstances is Possible: Yes, you read that right. Just because the IRS sent this bill, doesn’t mean you will end up in “debtor’s prison” and life as you know it will end. You may be able to persuade the IRS official to agree to a lower tax debt amount. Believe it or not, the IRS wants this off their books, too. The formal name for this program is the Offer In Compromise. There are set procedures that you have to comply with and you basically have to be insolvent with your financial situation in shambles to qualify.  Unfortunately, if you are looking at this option – your business is on the downslide, with the future not looking that bright.  That being said you don’t want to be here.  The next step down from here is…
  5. Last Resort: Bankruptcy: Your business is dissolving and you can’t pay the outstanding tax burden. Filing for bankruptcy may be the smartest way to resolve it. This is only for businesses that are closing anyway. Consult a good bankruptcy attorney before taking this action.

The letter from the IRS is not the death knell to your small business. It can cause stress, however, so please don’t panic. You and the IRS want to do the same thing: get it paid off and move on. It can be done! Just take the right steps and keep doing what you and your business do best!

If you need tax advice, both personal and business, please contact our experienced tax and business advisory team at A. K. Burton, PC, for all your personal and small business tax preparation and accounting needs. Visit our website at www.cpa-maryland.com or call us at (301) 365-1974 for more information.

Accounting, Non-Profit Accounting, Tax Advice

How to Get Tax-Exempt Status as a Nonprofit, Part 2

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In our previous blog we covered a number of steps you can take to get tax-exemption for your non-profit that you have just created. There are quite a few steps to take so we had to split the blog up into two. charity a k burton

Anyway, let’s continue, here are the next Steps to take to get Tax-Exempt Status for your Non-Profit, Part 2:  

  1. List of directors and employees and compensation: You will have manager(s) of your charitable organization and the IRS wants to their names and how much they will be paid by the charity. Your list should include: initial or starter directors, starter officers (executive director, financial officer, chief executive officer, secretary and others); trustees; top five employees who make more than $50,000 a year and any independent contractors which make $50,000 per year.
  2. List of beneficiaries of your charitable organization: Your non-profit serves a specific population (i.e. homeless, elderly, youth, religious group, etc.) and the IRS wants to see that specific list to make sure that you are legitimate. Your population served is a crucial part of your underwriting. (Researching the local, state of national population is helpful and having that on hand to submit to IRS should they ask is wise to do.)
  3. Description of your non-profit activities: Provide a complete narrative of all that you do and plan to do with your charity. It should include step-by-step workflow (without including every detail, that may be too much) of your activities and how you plan to do it with your staff. Make sure the pieces fit. In other words, there is no waste in your processes and the staff members all have a role. (Political activity and gambling are prohibited. Be sure to research that or consult a licensed tax advisor.)
  4. Data on finances: Any 501 C 3 must provide its last five years of financial records to the IRS for review. Other groups have to show finances for all years they have been in existence for three to four years and in good faith for future years depending on the history of the organization. (For more details check with your tax advisor about Form 1023 and IRS non-profit requirements.)
  5. Are you a “Private Foundation” or a “Public Charity”?: Typically churches, temples, hospitals, schools, etc. are categorized as “public charities” whereas “private foundations” may be organizations that exist to donate money to causes, individuals and others (i.e. Gates Foundation, Kiwanis Foundation, etc.). There are specific rules, of course, for these too so please consult your licensed tax advisor.
  6. IRS Fee: You didn’t think you could do this for free with the IRS, did you? They do charge certain fees and there is a list of those fees available online and with your tax advisor. Be sure to include the fee payment with your filing or it will be delayed.

Yes, anything worthwhile takes work, sometimes a lot of work. But, if you follow these steps you may be able to get your non-profit organization up and running.

Contact us if you need personal or professional counseling, from tax planning, to payroll to Business/Financial Entity planning and many other services, A. K. Burton, PC, can meet all your personal and business accounting needs. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for more information.

Accounting, Non-Profit Accounting, Tax Advice

Ask Your Tax Advisor: How to Get Tax-Exempt Status as a Nonprofit: Part 1

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There are many intimidating processes in the world of charitable causes. Sometimes, they change over time due to new laws passed by Congress and enforced by the IRS.

It can be difficult keeping track. Your accountant should always be up-to-date on these changes, for sure. community volunteers A K Burton

However, when it comes to tax-exemption, once your charitable organization has incorporated, it is fairly cut-and-dry, as they say. But, for a review, here is some guidance from a tax advisor on How to Get Your Non-Profit Tax Exemption, Part 1: 

  1. Complete IRS Form 1023 Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code: Ironically, this first step may be the most difficult. This form has a number of legal and tax-related technical prose within it, making it a laborious venture. You may want to seek advice from your accountant as you embark on this first part.
  2. File for Non-exempt Status within 27 months of Articles of Incorporation: When you file during this time period, your charitable organization’s tax exemption will take effect on the date you filed for incorporation. When you do that, then all donations received will be tax-deductible. However, should you delay incorporating during this 27-month period without a “reasonable cause”, then your non-profit’s tax-exempt status starts the date of the postmark on the IRS Form 1023 application.
  3. Form 1023 Completion: This long form has eleven parts to it. If you have a smaller non-profit, then you may want to do the 1023 EZ Form Streamlined Application for Recognition of Exemption Under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is quite evident how this form is so much easier for smaller non-profits so go the IRS website and see if your non-profit is eligible.
  4. Applicant Identification: This is all basic information about your non-profit organization. Your organization needs an EIN (federal employee identification number). Don’t use the old one when you began this process. Request a new on from the IRS as you start this process. It’s actually pretty easy and they send one fairly quickly.
  5. Structure of the Organization: You need to attach a copy of articles of incorporation and your bylaws. (Just an FYI: If your non-profit is a LLC, unincorporated association or non-profit trust, please contact your tax lawyer. It gets very complicated if you have those designations.)
  6. Organizational Document’s Required Provisions: You need to add certain clauses to get your 501(c)(3) exemption: a clause stating that your corporation was formed for a recognized 501(c)(3) tax-exempt purpose and a clause stating that that any assets of the nonprofit that remain after the entity dissolves will be distributed to another 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit or to a federal, state, or local government for a public purpose.

There are several more steps and we will cover those in our next blog. If you need assistance with your non-profit’s tax-exempt status, we can take you through the entire process (and help reduce the stress).

Call us at if you need personal or professional counseling, from tax planning, to payroll to choice of Business/Financial Entity planning and many other services, A. K. Burton, PC, can meet all your private and business accounting needs. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for more information.

 

 

Accounting, Family Finances, Financial Advice

Ten Smart Ways to Save Money in 2017

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The famous humorist, Will Rogers, once said, “Too many people spend money they earned…to buy things they don’t want…to impress people that they don’t like.”

It is a timeless quote that characterizes so many of us, both personally and professionally. We buy too much, get into debt and find our lives spiraling out of control as our income can no longer support our lifestyle or business.saving money A K Burton

But this is a New Year. And there is hope. 2017 is here and whatever happened or failed to happen last year is history. You can truly start anew with better financial habits.

So, here are Ten Quick Smart Ways to Save Money in 2017:

  1. Pay off Debts: This is the most important one of all. Pay off your debts, maybe starting from the lowest to the largest, as quickly as you can. It may mean fewer meals out or holding off on doing vacation this year, but meet with a financial expert and create pay plans to pay them off. Once this is done, you may be surprised at how your life will improve.
  2. Use Coupons: Just about every grocery store has coupons, most are now in their apps, for their customers. Make a grocery list and use the coupons (or their MVP or preferred customer card) when you buy.
  3. Brew coffee at home: The fufu coffee beverages at $4.00 and more, add up quickly on a weekly basis. Buy several pounds of coffee and brew it at home before you leave for work. Treat yourself on Friday with one Starbucks drink or other similar coffee shop. You may save $500 a year just doing this!
  4. Fill up your car: Gas is expensive, especially in the metropolitan areas. If you can fill up your car instead of getting a few dollars’ worth, you can save quite a bit of money in the long run.
  5. Buy movies online: Going to see a movie can be $15 per person or higher. Plus, the popcorn and candy adds to the outrageous price. Instead, load Amazon Prime or Netflix to your devices and TV. The yearly price may be less than you pay for one or two movies with the family.
  6. Combine errands: We travel so much around the Washington, D.C. Beltway! It may take several hours to just run an errand or two because of the traffic. So, save time and money by combining your errands (grocery, gas, appointments, visits, etc.) if possible. Less stress and expense!
  7. Compare Fees on mobile phone plans: There are many different phone plans now. You may have completed your 2-year contract so look around. There are several vendors which charge only a monthly fee for unlimited usage.
  8. Eat Out Less: This is a tough one and I can understand the reluctance. Eating out is fun at your favorite restaurants. But this can cost hundreds even thousands of dollars a year. So, eat out maybe once a week as a treat. Save up that money for paying off debts, children’s education or home improvements, etc.
  9. Keep a Spending Journal: Record your expenses for several months and see where your hard-earned income is going. This is a proven way to cool the spending jets and get on track for smarter spending.
  10. Volunteer: This may sound kind of weird but hear me out. When you are volunteering and helping the underprivileged in your community it does three things: Makes you appreciate what you do have, gives you an opportunity to share your skills with an agency that is assisting others and, lastly, when you are volunteering you are not out spending. Everyone gains from helping others.

I hope this has been a help to you. Get this year off to the right track by saving your hard-earned money and improving your life and others.

If you need a financial advisor for personal or professional financial counseling from tax planning, to payroll, to choice of Business/Financial Entity planning and many other services, A. K. Burton, PC, can meet all your private and business accounting needs. Call us at (301) 365-1974 for more information.