Smart Money Choice$

The major tax deadline of April 15th is quickly approaching for non-corporation businesses (sole proprietorships, partnerships and LLCs). Here are five quick tax-savings tips you don’t want to forget before the deadline arrives in all its glory.

1. Home Office Deduction

Generally, you can deduct business expenses that apply
to a part of your home if that part is exclusively used on a regular basis…

• -As your principal place of business,
• -As a place to meet with your patients, clients, or customers in the normal course of your trade or business, or
• -In connection with your trade or business if it is a separate structure that is not attached to your home.

This deduction includes both expenses that are directly related to your home office (painting, repairs, etc.), as well as a portion of your indirect costs, which include utilities for your whole house, mortgage interest or rent, real estate taxes, even depreciation on your home.

This can really add up to a substantial deduction.

And if you took the home office deduction last year, but couldn’t use it all (it’s limited by your business profit), you can also carry over any leftover deduction you couldn’t use last year and add it to this year’s deduction. (Check your 2008 Form 8829 and look to see if there is any carryover available for 2009 at the bottom of the form.)

The home office deduction is worth the trouble because it also reduces your self-employment tax amount.

Click here to get the details on how to take the deduction here:
IRS Instructions for Form 8829

2. Write off new equipment (Section 179 deduction)

Rather than depreciate business property over several years, you can choose to expense business assets in the year of purchase. Here are basic guidelines for what qualifies:

• Tangible property, like machines, equipment, furniture
• Off-the-shelf computer software

It does not apply to:

• Real estate
• Property used less than 50% in your business
• Property you inherited or received as a gift

You can “write off” (deduct as an expense) newly purchased assets up to $250,000 for 2009.

This is another smart deduction that helps to reduce both your income tax and your self-employment tax.

Click here to get all the specifics here:
IRS Instructions for Form 4562

3. Use Per Diem Rates for Business meals & incidental expenses while Traveling

As long as you can document your away-from-home business travel, you can deduct a per diem rate (per day) for meals and incidental expenses instead of the need to keep records of and report your actual expenses. This can give you a much bigger deduction if you spend less than the daily rate, not to mention it makes the recordkeeping easier.

Of course, you only get a 50% deduction on meals and entertainment for business purposes, but if you’re frugal, you will still get a much better deduction than you would with claiming actual expenses.

And, yes, this one reduces both income and self-employment taxes.

Click here to get all the specifics here:
IRS Publication 1542

4. Maximize your HSA Contributions

If you have a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) for your health insurance and a Health Savings Account (HSA) for your out-of-pocket medical expenses, you have until April 15th to make your 2009 deductible contributions. That’s up to $3,000 ($4,000 if you are over 55) for a self-only coverage plan, or $5,950 for a family coverage plan.

While this one won’t reduce your Self-employment tax, it is a nice deduction in addition to any self-employed health insurance deduction you can take for what you paid in insurance premiums on that high-deductible haelth plan. This winning combination makes 100% of your medical costs deductible, even if you do not itemize. That’s sweet.

Click here for all the specifics are laid out here:
IRS Publication 969

5. Maximize your IRA Contributions

If you have a traditional IRA, you can still make your 2009 contributions up until April 15, and still claim any deduction you are entitled to (usually for a traditional IRA as opposed to a Roth IRA) now. This is an especially smart choice because when you make contributions to your retirment accounts, you will likely also get the retirement savings contributions credit (depending on your income level, among other things). It’s one of the very few times you can legally get a double-dip for a deduction.

General traditional IRA contribution limits for 2009 are:

$5,000 ($6,000 if you’re over 50 or older) – there are, however, several factors that affect how much of your contribution is deductible.

As a self-employed person though, you may seriously want to consider opening a SEP-IRA, since this type of retirement plan allows you to make larger contributions and thus get bigger deductions on your tax return.

IRAs have lots of twists and turns, but if you already have one set up, or want to set up a quick traditional IRA (you can do this easily) and make a contribution for 2009, it’s just smart to max out your contributions and take the deduction for 2009 by April 15.

Click here to get all the ins and outs of IRAs here:
IRS Publication 590
IRS Publication 560

To keep your tax bill as low as possible, the smartest choice is to do your tax planning BEFORE the end of the year. But at least these tips will help you pay as little as legally possible right now for 2009, and then be all the wiser for 2010.

Most businesses have at least a few ways to accept payment from their customers. It may be in the form of collecting cash, debit or credit cards, or by check, either up front, at the time of delivery of the product or service, or sometime after the sales transaction has been completed.

But more and more businesses, like everything else, are collecting their payments online as well. How about you? Have you jumped on the online business bandwagon yet?

On the Internet, nearly everything is faster. Collecting your money online is no exception. And that’s a great reason to accept payment from your clients online as well.

What Are Your Options?

Being paid for products you sell can be handled with the help of an online shopping cart. Payment is usually made using a credit or debit card, and products are delivered either electronically or via postal mail.

And now, even if you sell services, you can make it very easy and convenient for your clients to pay you too. In fact, with online services like PayPal, you don’t even need to have your own merchant account to accept credit cards and electronic checks.

But the latest development I’ve stumbled upon for collecting your money online is a new, free service provided by Intuit, the makers of QuickBooks. It’s called Intuit Billing Manager.

It is an ideal service for service professionals who are just getting their business rolling. While I’m obviously an advocate of keeping complete bookkeeping records, using a program like QuickBooks to handle both your bookkeeping and your invoicing function, if you want to just jump in and get your business rolling and pulling in payments from your  clients, this is an easy and economical way to do it.

How Does It Work?

Now I’ll tell you up front, this free online billing solution is Intuit’s way to entice you to sign up for their Merchant Services. But it’s certainly not necessary to sign up for a merchant account, and they really are making it easy for the little guy or gal who operates what they call a “micro-business” to get their billing organized and functioning well – for free.

As the name implies, it is a way to create and manage your invoicing. With a free account you can…

• Easily create professionally designed estimates, invoices and billing reminders

• Print out your invoices for postal mailing, or send them by email

• Manage your customer information

• Use the service from anywhere you have web access, including an iPhone

If you want to accept credit card payments or electronic checks, you will need to upgrade to their merchant services for Billing Manager, but as of this writing, the rates are more reasonable than a regular Intuit Merchant Services account, with all the capabilities needed for a very small business.

If you’re just getting your business going, or if it has been a challenge for you to get your invoicing done and keep them organized, I highly recommend you use this new online billing program.

You can’t beat the price, and it really doesn’t appear that there are any sneaky back-door ways for them to suck you into a commitment you don’t want down the road. But when you are ready for a full-fledged bookkeeping program, you can easily export your Billing Manager information into QuickBooks Online Edition and grow from there.

And of course, the sooner you get your invoices sent to your clients, especially if it is handled via the Internet, the quicker you will get your money. And in this economy, faster cash flow is what will grow a stable business that lasts.

By the way – If you want more tips on not only maximizing your Accounts Receivable procedures, but kick-butt strategies for maximizing your business cash flow in the new economy. Go to the Cash Flow Mastery course website now.

Bonus Resources

Review of Intuit Billing Manager by PC Magazine

Intuit Billing Manager Fact Sheet (2009) – Please note that the services included in a free account have been expanded since the publication of this fact sheet.

Q: “Gabrielle, I’m in the market for bookkeeping services. Any suggestions for what to look for and what to expect in pricing?”

This is a typical inquiry I receive through my website. And for good reason. It’s a great question! Let me tell you why.

Doing the bookkeeping in your business won’t make it an amazing, profitable success. But NOT keeping up with the books properly, or not keeping track of your finances at all, can definitely kill your business. That’s why sooner or later, most entrepreneurs realize that it makes sense to get someone else to handle their books for them.

But that’s easier said than done.

When it comes to hiring a bookkeeper, whether in-house or virtually, there are many choices. The most popular options, however, can cause you BIG headaches and cost you thousands unnecessarily.

The biggest problem: Hiring someone who is not competent enough to handle the job.

Yes, you may already have QuickBooks software (admittedly designed for non-accountants) and a willing wife / girlfriend / friend of a friend who is ready to do the “data entry” for you. But that does not mean that you can simply hand over your financial information and get on with running your business. At least not without some nasty consequences down the road.

In fact, even if you search for and find someone who claims that they are a “qualified” freelance bookkeeper, you are not guaranteed clean financial reports for management, and accurate tax reporting. It’s just not that easy.

The scary reality is that anyone can call themselves a bookkeeper, and proceed to really screw up your books…and your business. I see it all the time. My clients pay me thousands as a QuickBooks consultant to come in and untangle their financial data after they’ve tried (unsuccessfully) to do their own bookkeeping, or hired a so-called “bookkeeper” to do it for them.

So, what’s the answer to the question above on what to look for when hiring a bookkeeper so you can save yourself from all the potential heartache?

Ask Questions, lots of them.

Just because someone says they run a bookkeeping service business or that they use QuickBooks doesn’t mean that they are qualified to do so.  Be proactive and ask the following questions:

* What training or experience do you have with double-entry bookkeeping? How do you keep your skills up to date?

* Do you hold any certifications for bookkeeping and/or QuickBooks?

* What type of businesses do your clients have? Are you familiar with my type of business or industry? Can you provide references?

* How do you handle transactions that are incomplete or unclear? (HINT: You do NOT want someone who simply codes everything to a “miscellaneous” account. They should be proactive, communicative and have a system for gathering all the needed information, taking responsibility for preparing complete records.)

If you are considering an in-house employee, I also recommend that you give that person a test to assess her skills. Don’t just accept whatever is listed on the resume. The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers has a free test available for employers through their website (see Resources below).

What about pricing?

The cost for hiring outsourced bookkeeping services can run anywhere from around $25/hr. to $75/hr. or higher, depending on your location, the services provided, and how they are administered (on-site, virtually, or online).

When it comes to bookkeeping services, however, price is not always an indication of quality. If the most important factor in your decision is low price, realize that you may be setting yourself up for a mess that will cost much more to clean up later. Pay closer attention to true qualifications than the hourly rate.

If Your Budget is Too Tight and You Need to Do It Yourself

QuickBooks is the best software choice because of the user friendly interface. But you need to understand the key basics of the program to use it correctly. So you will need to investment in education.

There are inexpensive books, videos and in-person training classes available. Use what suits you best, just don’t wing it. Get the training needed to handle the basics adequately, or you will have problems later.

The investment you make now in starting the new year off right, whether by hiring a qualified bookkeeper or by learning how to do it right yourself until you can hire someone qualified, will give you a solid foundation for building and managing a solid, profitable business.

It’s just a smart choice.

Resources:

Where to find freelance bookkeepers:

QuickBooks ProAdvisor Database

American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers

Craigslist.org

Bookkeeper Hiring Test (for screening an employee):

QuickBooks Online Video Training:

QuickBooks Basics: New User Essentials

QB QuickTips Video Blog

This year is quickly coming to a close. It’s been a choppy one for most small businesses, especially in the cash flow department. How about you? Well I’ve got some good news for you.

There’s still time to make this year go down easy and pull in some fast cash. Here are five fast-results tips to boost your bottom line and end the year in the black.

1.  Ask for your money.

This the best time to start cleaning up your books and get caught up on outstanding invoices. Review your Accounts Receivable summary report and determine who owes you what. Then send out statements right away to remind your clients that they owe you.

With any luck, they’ll be in the process of cleaning up their books too and be glad to pay you to get all the tax deductions they can find.

If you’re already sending out statements regularly, encourage the slow pokes to pay you by credit card. They’ll still get the tax deduction for this year, and pay their credit card off later. But the point is, you’ll get your money now.

If you don’t already have a merchant account in order to accept credit cards, get a free PayPal business account. It’s fast and easy.

When all else fails with slow payers, simply pick up the phone to give them a friendly nudge. Getting in touch personally will not only remind them to pay you, but you may remind them that they’ve been meaning to contact you about additional products or services they need. So you may even get additional business out of the deal.

2.  Require a deposit on new projects.

If your slow-paying clients are looking for additional services or products, it’s the perfect time to implement a new policy. Start collecting deposits (also known as retainers) on new orders.

Starting with your slow payers is a great way to weed out the deadbeats. They won’t go for it. But your best clients (those who appreciate the value you provide) will.

Start charging a 25%-50% deposit up front on all new projects coming in. You will be amazed at how little resistance you will encounter both from new and existing clients. By doing this, you raise your clients’ perception of your professionalism and repel those who don’t truly value your services.

Don’t apologize. Just do it!

My own clients and colleagues who have had the courage to follow my advice on this higher standard are usually surprised by how easy it really is and the immediate increase in cash flow it ignites.

This tactic seems riskier than it really is. If you take the leap of faith, you’ll see an instant increase in cash flow and build a higher quality customer base.

3.  Stay in touch, run a special and ask for referrals.

Are all your clients aware of the different services (or products) you provide? Send out a year-end newsletter by snail mail and even include a small gift for your best clients.

Be sure you let them know about anything new that’s going on in your business, such as your new Web site, a new service offering, or specialized products you now carry. Include a card that lists all your services and products, along with your contact information for their easy reference. You want them to hold onto this information and keep it handy.

Consider running a special end-of-the-year promotion, or make a special offer to your best clients to encourage a final burst of sales for the year.

Tell your clients how much you enjoy working with them. Mention that you would love more clients just like them, so you’d welcome any referrals they could send your way. Offer a reward as a token of your appreciation too. Usually a small gift card will do the trick.

Just reminding your clients about who you are what you do will usually bring in some business. It will also alert them to the idea of sending you referrals. They won’t know unless you tell them.

4.  Invoice promptly.

I’m often amazed at how often I’ve seen my clients delay in sending out their invoices for services rendered or products delivered. That’s dangerous, especially in this economy.

Ideally, make it a practice to deliver your invoices along with your products or services. But if that is not practical, do it as soon as possible thereafter. Have  a set schedule / procedure to handle all your invoicing promptly.

The longer you wait to send out your invoices, the longer you’ll wait to be paid (and the less likely that you will get paid). Don’t let your client’s “forget” how valuable you are to them. Invoice often and promptly!

5.  Prioritize based on cash flow.

Keep your day everyday focused on doing the work that will bring you the most cash in the least amount of time. That means, if you have several internal administrative tasks that need to be handled, but also two large client projects that are nearing completion. Do the client work first! It takes some discipline, but the rewards are worth it.

The sooner billable work is completed, orders are fulfilled, or anything else that brings cash into your business is done, the sooner your cash flow will increase.

Learn to delegate the lower priority tasks, or do them at a less productive time. Use your best energy on cash-pulling projects. You won’t regret the results that show up in your bank account.

By implementing these five strategies over the last few weeks of this year, you’ll not only boost your cash flow in the short term but build a stronger and healthier business, setting you up for a stronger 2010.

Resource:

If you’d like to learn how to build a simple system to boost your business cash flow year round, then you will want to take a look at my special report, Cash Flow Kick-Start.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR OWN BLOG OR E-ZINE? You have permission to re-publish it, as long as you include the following author’s bio and link:

Gabrielle Fontaine, PB is a freelance Professional Bookkeeper and Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor who specializes in assisting Internet-savvy entrepreneurs to get control of their books and maximize profits. Get more information at http://www.BookkeepingDirect.com

It’s Gabrielle Fontaine with a heads-up critical update for everyone currently (or formerly) using QuickBooks software.

Intuit, the company that makes QuickBooks, just announced that there is a potential security risk that has been found that would allow hackers to access the data on your computer.

The threat is due to a newly discovered vulnerability in Microsoft’s ActiveX technology, which is commonly used by many popular computer programs.

===================================
QuickBooks Versions Affected By The Threat
===================================

All QuickBooks Simple Start, Pro, Premier and Enterprise Solutions versions, 2009 and older (including trial versions) are vulernable.  The new QuickBooks 2010 versions, however, are not affected.

Intuit updates its currently supported versions from time to time by releasing software patches. Each update or patch is given a “Release” number for easy identification.

Right now, downloading Intuit’s updates is the only immediate way to eliminate the vulnerability in currently supported versions of QuickBooks. In time, Microsoft will likely release a patch with
their regular security updates for ActiveX.

===================================
How To Protect Your Computer Now
===================================

All QuickBooks users of 2007, 2008 and 2009 versions should verify that they have downloaded and installed the most current updates.

You can check if your software is up to date by opening QuickBooks and then using the F2 key.

These are the most current updates that include a patch which eliminates this new threat:

QuickBooks 2009 – R8
QuickBooks 2008 – R10
QuickBooks 2007 – R13

The best way to stay up to date is to enable the automatic update feature AND to install those updates when prompted.

You can also manually download the latest updates directly from the QuickBooks website.

http://support.quickbooks.intuit.com/support/productupdates.aspx

===================================
If You Are Running QuickBooks 2006 or Older….
===================================

If you are running QuickBooks 2006 or older, you are vulnerable to this security threat. Since these versions are no longer supported by Intuit, there is no downloadable update. Your best defense is to upgrade your QuickBooks software to a supported version (2007-2009)
as soon as possible.

You can find both 2009 and the newest 2010 versions on amazon.com

Additionally, if you have an older version of QuickBooks installed on your computer but it is no longer in use, remove it by uninstalling the program to remove the ActiveX threat.

===================================
If You Are Running a Non-US Version of QuickBooks….
===================================

For Canadian versions of QuickBooks, you can download the updates directly from the Intuit website:

http://support.intuit.ca/quickbooks/en-ca/kb/update/update-quickbooks-to-new-product-update/Update_main.html

For UK versions of QuickBooks, you can download the updates directly from the Intuit website:

http://support.intuit.co.uk/quickbooks/en-gb/kb/update/update-quickbooks-to-new-product-update/Update_main.html

===================================
I’ve Made a Video to Show You Exactly What to Do
===================================

As an Advanced Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor, I want to see you get the most out of your QuickBooks software. That’s why I created my free video training blog, QB QuickTips.

My latest video post walks you through each of the steps outlined above to show you exactly how to protect yourself from this new ActiveX threat.

If you want to stay informed about critical updates for QuickBooks like this one, as well as learn insider tricks and tips on how to use this powerful software for your business success, be sure and
sign up for the QB QuickTips notification list.

You’ll also receive private, subscriber-only bonuses that are not even posted on the blog.

Get your free subcription here:

===> http://www.QBQuickTips.com