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7 Questions You Should Ask When Choosing Your Cedar City Accountant

October 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Cedar City Accountant

Finding a Cedar City accountant who you can work well with can be a process. To help you determine who will be a good fit for your needs, you should ask these seven questions of any accountant you consult with before you enter into a business relationship with them.

1. What Industries Are You Familiar With?

Some accountants offer services that are more tailored to personal finances, from divorce mediation to tricky tax filing. Other accountants have more experience working with businesses.

If you are a business owner looking for an accountant, you should determine whether or not the accountant has experience working with other enterprises like yours, since they will be able to help you avoid common accounting pitfalls for your industry.

2. Who Are Some Of Your Clients?

This question serves two purposes. First, you can get a clear idea of what size of business the accountant commonly works with and see how well those clients are faring.

Second, you can ask if any of their current or former clients are willing to act as referrals. That way, you can see from a client perspective what it is like to work with that accountant.

3. How Accessible Will You Be For My Business?

Some accountants will charge for responding to communication or have restricted hours. But all business owners know that work issues can arise at any time. So, it is important for you and your accountant to be on the same page when it comes to communication.

It is also worth asking what their preferred communication style is when talking to clients. Some accountants will prefer email or to be left urgent voicemails. If your styles do not mesh, you may have difficulty working with that accountant.

4. What Ways Can You Improve My Company?

If you are looking for a proactive accountant who can help you grow your company, this question is vital. It will give you clear insight into how the accountant perceives their role as part of your business. An accountant who will help you develop further will often recommend some the services they offer that may benefit your business, such as:

  • Tax preparation and filing
  • Bookkeeping
  • Entity restructuring
  • Revenue recognition strategies

5. How Will You Protect My Financial Information?

Data miners are only becoming more creative, so it is critical that your accountant protect your financial information. Do they use secure communication methods to transmit financial information? What cloud services do they use to store your business details? You should feel free to ask an accountant any other security questions applicable to your particular industry.

6. What Are Your Rates?

There are multiple ways an accountant may charge for their services. It is essential for you to completely understand what it will cost you to work with them before engaging in business. Some common methods are:

  • Hourly billing
  • Flat fee for services
  • Monthly retainer
  • Billed per piece

7. What Other Things Should I Know About Working With You?

While this sounds like a throwaway question, it actually is one last assessment of the accountant. They should not say things like “That pretty much covered everything” or just give you a sales pitch. There is certainly more to know about working with an accountant than you can learn from the six questions above, and any good accountant will be able to tell you more about dealing with them.

If you want to take your search to a reliable accountant in Cedar City, contact us. AA Tax & Accounting Services is ready to answer all your questions and help your finances improve.

Filed Under: Blog

4 Tax Preparation Tips for Small Businesses

October 15, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Tax Preparation

Hiring a professional accountant to prepare your taxes can take a huge weight off an entrepreneur’s shoulders. Here at AA Tax & Accounting services, tax preparation is one of our primary services, and it’s one we do with enthusiasm and efficiency.

If you decide to go it alone, here are some tips that will some of the uncertainty out of tax time.

1. Don’t fail to file your taxes

It seems elementary that a business owner should file taxes. However, every year entrepreneurs of every ilk set up their shingle, following their dreams and becoming their own bosses.

Some of these let their tendencies toward disorganization and procrastination get in the way of making their tax deadline. If you’re in this boat, filing your taxes late is better than not filing them at all because any penalties you rack up for filing late or not filing will keep accruing until you fix the problem.

Some people fail to file taxes because they’re afraid they can’t pay the money they owe. Individuals and business owners alike often owe less than they think, and may even have a refund coming their way. If you fail to claim a refund, however, it goes away after a few years.

It’s best to push through your trepidation and file to avoid penalties. If you do owe more than you have on hand, the IRS offers installment plans to help you get back on the right foot.

2. Familiarize yourself with the forms you’ll be using

There are many different forms you may need to fill out, based on the nature of your business. Do you operate a sole proprietorship? Then you should be filling out a Schedule C form. Other forms apply to a partnership, a corporation or a limited liability company (LLC).

There are employment tax forms to be taken care of and, if you work with contractors, you’ll want to utilize 1099-MISC forms. There are also forms to help you catalog myriad aspects of your company, including business expenses.

If you’re not sure how to decode the whirl of letters and numbers to make sure you’re filing correctly, it’s best to consult with a company experienced in business tax preparation like AA Tax Accounting And Services.

3. Keep clear records of your business deductions

Running your own business isn’t a free-for-all. There are, however, many expenditures that can be deducted including:

  • Advertising
  • Business car
  • Cost of office space
  • Insurance
  • Internet and phone service
  • Office supplies
  • Transportation
  • Travel

If you keep accurate records of these expenditures as you go along, writing them down and saving receipts, it’ll be easier to add them up and include them when you file your taxes.
In the off-chance you are audited, your clear record-keeping will allow you to prove your tax deductions are legitimate.

4. Look for the most common tax errors made by small business owners

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel when it comes to filing your small business taxes. We encourage you to learn from the most common mistakes by the many entrepreneurs who have gone before you.

There are certain pitfalls small business owners tend to succumb to when it comes to tax preparation. You can find some of these in our small business tax preparation checklist.

Here are a few quick tips. Avoid:

  • Claiming an excessive amount of expenses
  • Failing to report income as stated on 1099s
  • Falling short on record-keeping
  • Mixing business and personal finances
  • Overlooking self-employment taxes

If you have any tax or accounting concerns, contact us today to meet with our accountant.

Filed Under: Educational

Cedar City Non-Profit Organizations: Donating to Iron County Care and Share

September 24, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Contributing to a local charitable organization is good for your community and good for your soul. Because donations to nonprofits are tax-deductible, they can also be great for your financial bottom line.

Your contributions can make a marked difference in the size of your tax return, particularly if you are under the guidance of tax specialists like the one at AA Tax & Accounting Services.

Why Choose Iron County Care And Share?

Once you decide to include giving in your financial plan, it can be hard to choose a cause. Iron County Care and Share is a terrific option for those who want to help struggling individuals and families by offering them the proverbial hand-up rather than just a handout.

Founded in 1984, Iron County Care and Share starts with the basics—emergency food and shelter—and then aims to foster self-sufficiency among clients. The nonprofit serves people in Iron County living below the poverty line as well as the chronically homeless in Beaver, Washington, Garfield and Kane counties. Many clients are among the most vulnerable of Americans, including those who are:

  • Elderly
  • Physically or developmentally disabled
  • Mentally ill
  • Veterans

    • Iron County Care and Share Offers Emergency Shelter To Homeless Individuals And Families

    One of the most important services offered by this ambitious nonprofit is the Iron County Care and Share Emergency Shelter. The 34-bed shelter houses some 400 individuals and families every year.

    The staff aims to provide more than a band-aid for those who walk through their doors.
    They help clients apply for benefits like food stamps, health insurance and Social Security.

    Anyone who stays more than three days meets with a case manager, who works with them to identify the challenges that brought them to a financial crisis. They can then craft a plan to help the client overcome identified hurdles.

    Clients who receive help getting into housing are mentored by a case manager who helps them search for employment and, if needed, receive counseling for mental health or substance abuse issues.

    Iron County Care And Share Helps Feed Hundreds of Families

    Another invaluable service provided by Iron County Care and Share (ICCS) is their food pantry. Each year, the pantry supplies more than 850 households with perishable and nonperishable food as well as necessities like toilet paper, cleaning supplies and hygiene items.

    Iron County Care and Share also welcomes financial contributions. They always go straight to people in your area in desperate need, and your donation can be deducted from your taxes.

    Our accountant at AA Tax & Accounting Services is familiar with many excellent nonprofits throughout Southern Utah. If you’d like advice on other nonprofit recommendations to help with preparing your taxes, contact us to make an appointment.

    Filed Under: Blog

    Unique Tax Filing Situations Accountants Can Help You Resolve

    September 13, 2018 By Leave a Comment

    There are a number of unique tax filing situations that can be challenging to navigate without the help of an experienced accountant like you will find at AA Tax & Accounting Services. A couple of the most tricky situations are:

    • What to do when you haven’t paid taxes for a year or more
    • How to file taxes as a U.S. expatriate

    If you find yourself in any of these situations, our accountant Adrian Anderson can help you resolve them.

    Resolve Back Taxes With AA Tax & Accounting Services

    Once you skip a year of filing your taxes for fear that you can’t pay for the amount you owe, it can be difficult to resolve those back taxes. For those who find themselves in this situation, it is much better to address the issue rather than avoiding it.

    The IRS penalty for late payment is not as harsh as the fines for those who fail to file altogether. Those attempting to avoid paying their taxes can have their:

    • Credit score lowered
    • Tax bill sent to collections
    • Passport removed if they owe over $51,000 in tax penalties
    • Driver’s license revoked
    • Loss of business license

    Instead of undergoing these grim consequences, our accountant can help you. He will sit down with you to determine if you even owe as much in taxes as you assumed. From there, he will help you structure a payment plan that will allow you to regain good standing with the IRS and avoid these severe penalties.

    Properly File Taxes As U.S. Expatriates

    Citizens of the United States who are living abroad can have a number of unusual circumstances when they go to file their U.S. taxes. Depending on their situation, there are several ways in which our top-notch accounting service can help U.S. expatriates.

    Dual citizen – Generally, U.S. citizens who have dual citizenship have been born abroad, sometimes born to a parent who is a citizen in another country. Someone in these circumstances might not know that they have a U.S. tax obligation if they grew up in another country.

    It is possible to revoke the U.S. citizenship to be released from the tax obligation. But if you want to retain that citizenship, it is important to work with our accountant. That way, he can find you exclusions such as the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion, Foreign Housing Exclusion, and Foreign Tax Credit.

    Non-resident alien spouse – For U.S. citizens who marry a foreign national who is not seeking permanent residency or a Green Card, there can still be a tax obligation which the spouse must meet. For instance, if the foreign spouse is claimed as a resident on the U.S. expatriates taxes, the spouse will have to disclose their worldwide income or face penalties. It becomes even trickier when children are involved, and their tax-deductible status depends on their connection to the U.S. expatriate.

    U.S. resident abroad – If you are a U.S. resident living abroad, you have the opportunity to file your taxes two months beyond the original file date of April 15. Our accountant can help you organize your taxes in a timely manner and help ensure you are not double-taxed, much like the dual citizen example.

    If you have found yourself in any of these unique tax filing situations or have other accounting-related concerns, contact us to meet with our accountant today.

    Filed Under: Blog, Educational
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