Three Ways a CPA Can Help You Retain Employees

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Retaining Employees

Companies hire CPAs because they want to maximize their financial potential. That is the primary, foundational reason for why companies hire CPAs. But though this is definitely the case, there are other reasons why companies look to hire CPAs alongside this primary reason. Hiring a CPA can help you retain employees and even increase overall employee satisfaction.

Here are three ways hiring a CPA can help you retain employees:

Your CPA Can Help You Plan For Employee Bonuses

One of the many reasons why many companies are unable to offer bonuses for their employees is simply because they don’t know how to manage their budgets throughout the year. Hiring a CPA will help you cut your budget when necessary while also making sure enough money is saved throughout the year.

CPAs Can Teach Your Employees Financial Literacy

The average employee comes into the workplace with absolutely no financial literacy. Because of this fact, many employees find themselves burned out due to low wages and lack of financial means. Because your CPA will be very financially literate, your CPA has the power to create seminars and opportunities to teach employees how to effectively spend money.

CPAs Can Help You Hire New Employees

Are you ready to hire new employees but don’t have enough money? That’s where a CPA comes in. Your CPA can help you designate money in order to prepare for new hires.

What ways has your CPA helped you retain employees. Leave your comments below.

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How Your CPA Can Maximize Your Refund

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Refund Check

Hiring a CPA can be a transformational experience for any business, whether large or small. It can be particularly significant if you be accustomed to owing thousands of dollars each year. A good CPA can help you throughout the year and ensure that you are able to maximize your refund.

Here are a few ways your CPA can assist you with increasing the size of your refund check:

Record Keeping

Any good CPA knows the importance of record keeping and how keeping records not only solidifies your business but creates a paper trail which can be used at the end of the year.

Tracking Mileage

In many situations, miles can be tracked relatively easy via apps. At the end of the year, these miles can be deducted, and can ultimately save your company lots of money.

Health Insurance

Do you find health insurance to be an expensive part of your business? No worries. That expensive health insurance can be the secret ingredient that helps you maximize your refund at the end of the year.

Paying Quarterly Taxes

Most people hate paying quarterly taxes, but paying a large sum at the end of the year is much more stressful. Paying quarterly taxes can save you from depleting your entire business account.

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Four Reasons Why Your Business Desperately Needs a CPA

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Business Growth

Let’s face it. Many businesses know they need a CPA before they ever hire one; however, for whatever reason, they don’t hire right away. There could be several motivations, including: price, timing, or lack of information about who to hire. Despite these possibly valid reasons for not hiring a CPA, here are four reasons which should give you cause to seriously consider hiring a CPA immediately. CPAs tend to confer considerable value upon businesses, and so regardless of whatever reservations you may have, hiring a CPA will likely pay dividends in the long run.

Reason #1: You Are Trying to Grow Financially

If you are looking to obtain financial growth, you can’t do it all by yourself. While most business owners aspire to obtain growth on their own, it can’t be done without the help of your CPA.

Reason #2: You Are Mishandling Money

Anytime you are spending more than you are making, it’s a clear indication that you are mishandling money. While it may be a given that it’s time for you to hire a CPA, not everyone is willing to accept this fact. If you’re having trouble handling money, it’s time for you to let go and put your finances in the hands of someone who can help you get to the next level financially.

Reason #3: You Aren’t Making Enough Money

If you are a business owner you need to ensure you are making enough money to keep the lights on in your office, a CPA can help you figure out new ways to not only increase capital but how to save money in the interim.

Reason #4: You Can’t Keep Up With Your Expenses

Anytime you are struggling to keep up with your expenses it is a clear indication that either you are doing something wrong or that it’s time to do something different. Hiring a CPA can help you in tracking expenses and recording them to ensure you’re not making any unnecessary purchases or incurring any unnecessary expenses.

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Three Roles a CPA Can Play in Your Business

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Roles Your CPA Can Play

Believe it or not, a CPA can be the best thing that can ever happen to your business. While many people view CPAs as the ones who play the financial role in your business, there are actually several different roles a good CPA can play. The financial aspect of a CPA’s job is by far the most important; however, your CPA has the potential to literally be the glue that keeps your entire team together. Here are three other important hats your CPA can wear in your business.

The Negotiator

Are you faced with a big financial decision that you need to make, but the numbers just aren’t quite the way you want them to be? Your accountant can step in and serve as your financial negotiator. This is usually effective, because your CPA normally has no emotional attachment to your business and can help you get the results you want simply because your CPA will refuse to back down from what’s best for the business.

The Rationalist

On so many occasions, especially as it relates to purchases, it can be difficult for business owners to think rationally. Most business owners unfortunately think with their emotions and not with their brains. Because of this fact, your CPA can work as a rationalist to make sure you are not making decisions that could be detrimental to your business.

The Middle Person

Does your business always struggle with having to make decisions? Can everyone not seem to get on the same page for one decision? Because of most CPA’s analytical way of thinking, you may be able to utilize your CPA as the middle man or woman who can help your company make decisions more efficiently.

What other roles do you think your CPA can play within your company leave your comments below.

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Three Benefits of Hiring a CPA to Do Your Taxes

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Three Benefits of Hiring a CPA

Hiring a CPA to do your taxes is, hands down, one of the best decisions you can ever make as a business owner. While many business owners resort to hiring a family friend, or perhaps a relative, to do their business taxes, this is actually not always the most cost-effective move for a business.

While not everyone sees the need to hire a CPA, certainly there are numerous benefits of doing so. Here are three concrete benefits of hiring a CPA to help with your business taxes:

Hiring a CPA Means Less Stress

Tax season is by far one of the most stressful times in the lives of many business owners. Many new business owners often forget to hold on to receipts or bills, and because of this many end up making costly mistakes on their taxes. What’s even worse is that one mistake could turn into a nightmare, especially if you are later audited by the IRS. Hiring a CPA is a sure means to avoid such a predicament.

CPAs Understand Current Tax Law

Being aware of tax law could be life, and money, saving. So many people waste so much money each and every year when doing the taxes simply because they don’t realize that many things can easily be written off of their taxes. While you may not know all of these laws, a good CPA will know, and will be able to do whatever is necessary to get you tax breaks.

CPAs are Certified Professionals

While your aunt, cousin or friend may know how to do taxes because they learned on YouTube, CPAs are certified to be tax preparers in any setting. Because they are certified, they have the credentials that back up the work they say they can do.

What benefits have you found in hiring a CPA to do your taxes? Leave your comments below.

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Four Strategic Midyear Small Business Tax Tips

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Small Business Tax Tips

Tax season is here, and while most people assume tax season only impacts employees, it is actually the case that tax season affects small businesses as well. The key to walking away from tax season more successfully is to approach tax season midyear as opposed to the end of the year. Here are just a few strategic midyear business tax tips that can help you both in the present and future years.

Increase Your Retirement Plan

If you be self-employed, make sure you save enough money with a qualified retirement plan. For example, it is possible for you to defer up to $20,000 of your salary to a 401 k plan. It’s much easier for one to increase contributions midyear vs. having to give up more money at the end.

Follow Your Dreams

Typically an activity you are passionate about can easily turn into your business. In order to take advantage of deductions, you have to prove that you’re engaging in an activity to generate a profit. Make sure your records can also help you fight the IRS just in case they try to challenge it.

Take More Trips

For the most part, you can deduct travel expenses which are business related. The key to being able to deduct these expenses is to make sure that you spend more days traveling for business than you do for leisure.

Celebrate Those Who Work For You

Deductions for business entertainment are limited to 50% of the total cost for such entertainment. Under a special tax law, you can write off 100% of the cost of an entertainment event, but only if the event takes place during a holiday.

What other ways have you saved money midyear on taxes? Leave your comments below and share them with us!

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The Role of CPAs in Corporate Settings

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CPAs in Corporate Settings

During any given day, a CPA in a corporate setting can be found performing any one of a diverse set of financial tasks. In addition to a core group of financial functions, they usually also perform a variety of administrative roles. In smaller businesses, CPAs may perform more data entry, but in larger businesses, CPAs often have the power to make or break the financial health of a business.

Here are just a few roles that a CPA can take on in a corporate setting:

Financial Data Management

Managing company finances is among the most primary business functions. Within a business, it is generally the responsibility of the CPA to ensure records are accurately kept and that policies and procedures are followed on the corporate level.

Analysis & Advice

Sometimes CPAs can also play the role of analyst. This means that CPAs are occasionally able to perform financial analysis determine if a decision be good for business or not. Being able to not only analyze financial records but also advise financial decisions are top reasons components why CPAs are such a force to be reckoned with within your business.

Financial Report Preparation

CPAs are great when it comes to preparing financial statements. They can help you see you’re your business is performing financially each quarter, each year and even each month. In this way, CPAs help you monitor where money is coming and going, and most importantly, they help you forecast your business’ financial future.

Compliance

One of your greatest financial accountabilities will be your CPA. They will work with you to make sure you are not only in accordance with the law, but will also make sure that you meet reporting deadlines and that all of your financial reporting is being handled efficiently.

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How to Select a Capable Accountant

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Choosing a Capable Accountant

Choosing an accountant can be as simple as posting a job on Craigslist and hoping the right person replies back. It can also be as simple as posting to Indeed and receiving hundreds of resumes for one open role. Choosing the right accountant, however, is usually a much more involved and daunting task. Here are just a few tips on how to choose the right accountant.

Choose a certified accountant

Hiring a certified accountant may not seem like a big deal at first, but it actually is. Ensuring that your accountant is certified nationwide to adequately help you and your business not only helps increase the level of trust that you have with your accountant but it also ensures that your accountant is not just taking you on as a “test run” client. Selecting a certified accountant shows that the person you’re working with takes their credibility seriously.

Seek accountants who have relevant experience

If you have a start-up company, you may not want to hire an accountant who works with non-profits. Make sure when hiring an accountant that you hire someone who has experience with your particular industry. An accountant with relevant experience will be better able to meet your needs.

Talk to your business associates

If you are a business owner who is often surrounded by other business owners, chances are high they too have had to hire an accountant; and while their accountant may not be able to work with your company, their accountant may know another great accountant who may be more suitable for you. One of the best ways to identify good candidates is through word-of-mouth.

Tap into social media

Social media is a powerful resource. It can be used to give people new jobs, fire people from their jobs, identify new resources and plenty of other things too. You need to be using social media to your advantage. If you’re looking to hire a new accountant, put out an ad on your social media pages. You never know who may come across your social media. There’s a chance the best possible candidate may be someone who is already connected to you in some way via your social media circle.

What tips do you have for choosing the right accountant? Leave your comments below.

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Why Hiring a CPA May Be Better than Using a Tax Software Program

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CPA or Tax Software

It’s tax season, and if you’re trying to save every single dime in your pocket you are probably leaning toward the taking the cheapest route to filing taxes.  One of the easiest and cheapest ways to file your taxes is by using a tax software program such as Turbo Tax. Though Turbo Tax can be a great way to file taxes, it’s important to note that there are numerous reasons why you should consider passing on Turbo Tax and instead hire a CPA.

Here are a few of these reasons:

  • A CPA can represent you in an audit and Turbo Tax (or any other tax software) cannot
  • A CPA can help you find ways to save money on your taxes
  • A CPA can help you itemize even more deductions than any tax software program can
  • A CPA can ask questions in order to get additional information about you and your tax history
  • A CPA can help you correct any errors you make when filing your taxes
  • A CPA can help you get an even bigger tax refund by asking you questions that Turbo Tax wouldn’t know how to ask

While these are not all the reasons why hiring a CPA is better than using tax software, it is a great start. What should be noted is that hiring a CPA brings a personal touch to your tax filing, and while working digitally may seem efficient, it’s not always effective, especially as it relates to your financial needs.

Ultimately, during tax season, whether or not you hire a CPA vs. using tax software is solely up to you and your business.

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Three Questions to Ask Before Hiring a CPA

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Hiring a CPA

When hiring a CPA, it is important that you know exactly what you’re getting into before you allow a CPA to step in and begin to run your company’s finances. Oftentimes people make the mistake of simply hiring the first CPA they can come into contact with before taking the time to carefully determine whether that particular CPA is right for their business.

Before your company takes on the huge responsibility of hiring a CPA here are just a few questions you can ask along the way:

Do You Have Experience Working With Small Businesses In My Industry?

While this may seem like a no brainer, it’s important to always ask CPAs about the experiences they have with small businesses in your industry. Asking this question will not only give you insight on how well the CPA works but it will also show if they have enough expertise to handle you as a client.

What Types of Accounting Services Do You Offer?

One size doesn’t have to fit all when it comes to accounting services and in most cases it doesn’t. Being clear on what types of accounting services your CPA offers could save you not only time but money. If the CPA you are interviewing doesn’t offer the services you need, you may need to search for someone else to hire.

How Much Do You Charge?

Every CPA doesn’t charge the same amount and so you may want to check that you can actually afford the CPA you are thinking about hiring. Before you turn down a CPA because of a high price, ask your CPA how much they charge hourly, via a proposal or via a structured rate. You may not be able to hire them hourly but you may be able to afford one of their a la carte services if you ask.

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  • Huddleston Tax CPAs / Huddleston Tax CPAs – Burien
    Certified Public Accountants Focused on Small Business
    14900 Interurban Avenue S, Suite 271 / Tukwila, WA 98168
    206-229-7169

    Huddleston Tax CPAs & accountants provide tax preparation, tax planning, business coaching,
    QuickBooks consulting, bookkeeping, payroll, offer in compromise debt relief, and business valuation services for small business.

    We serve: Tukwila, SeaTac, Renton. We have a few meeting locations. Call to meet John C. Huddleston, J.D., LL.M., CPA, Lance Hulbert, CPA, Grace Lee-Choi, CPA, Jennifer Zhou, CPA, or Jessica Chisholm, CPA. Member WSCPA.