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Increase Success.
Reduce your tax burden and
keep your business on track.
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- Tax Prep & Planning
- Individual Tax Solutions
- Tax Problems
- Small Business Accounting
- QuickBooks
- Advisory Services
Tax Prep & Planning
While a computer software program may help find deductions, there’s no substitute for the quality of service and advice you’ll receive from an experienced tax professional.
Here are a few of the benefits you’ll reap when using our service:
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We’ll prepare all of the appropriate forms and record all figures and calculations accurately.
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We’ll make sure that you receive all of the deductions and credits to which you are entitled.
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We’ll file your return electronically to speed delivery of refunds.
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We’ll work with you to adjust your payroll withholding to make sure you send the right amount to each tax authority – no more, no less.
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We’ll show you how to adjust your finances to take advantage of tax benefits on future returns.
Are you a sole proprietor? Have you been so focused on your business that you haven’t paid close attention to your books? No worries! We'll tidy things up and prepare your Schedule C as part of your personal income tax return. Then we'll help you set up an easy system to keep your books current going forward.
Strategies
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Splitting income among several family members or legal entities to take advantage of lower income tax brackets
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Shifting income or expenses from one year to another when it can yield a lower tax rate
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Deferring or eliminating tax liability through use of tax-advantaged investment vehicles
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Tracking all expenses eligible for itemized deduction
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Taking advantage of tax credits
- Adjustment of payroll withholding
Individual Tax Solutions
Tax law is a complicated affair that changes with each season. Through rigorous professional training and routine participation in industry briefings, we sustain mastery of the current tax law, complex tax code, and new tax regulations. This discipline enables us to offer a full range of tax planning, preparation, and support services.
Tax Preparation
Are you anxious about filing your on tax returns? Even a simple return may require multiple forms. The instructions often evoke more questions than answers. While a computer software program may help, there’s no substitute for the quality of service and advice you’ll receive from an experienced tax professional.
Here are a few of the benefits you’ll reap when using our service:
- We’ll prepare all of the appropriate forms and record all figures and calculations accurately.
- We’ll make sure that you receive all of the deductions and credits to which you are entitled.
- We’ll file your return electronically to speed delivery of refunds.
- We’ll work with you to adjust your payroll withholding to make sure you send the right amount to each tax authority – no more, no less.
- We’ll show you how to adjust your finances to take advantage of tax benefits on future returns.
Tax Planning
Proactive planning is the key to minimizing your tax liability. We work with businesses and individuals to pay the least amount of tax required by law. A few of the strategies that we consider include:
- Splitting income among several family members or legal entities to take advantage of lower income tax brackets
- Shifting income or expenses from one year to another when it can yield a lower tax rate
- Deferring or eliminating tax liability through use of tax-advantaged investment vehicles
- Tracking all expenses eligible for itemized deduction
- Taking advantage of tax credits
Your unique circumstances will determine the strategies that we can employ to maximize the money you keep in your pocket.
Tax Problems
Even if you have not been targeted for an IRS Audit, you may be aware of problems that will catch up with you eventually. Common examples include:
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Missed tax filings for one or more years
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Insufficient funds to pay the tax liability when due
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Failure to remit payroll taxes
We’ll work with you to review your prior tax years and make sure that all of your tax filings have been submitted accurately. If you don’t know what’s included in your tax record, we’ll help you get copies from the tax authorities without raising any "red flags." We'll assess your tax liability and the associated interest and penalties. Then, we’ll work with you on an approach to negotiation.
It is far better to face your problems than to wait for them to land on your doorstep. We’re here to help in any way we can.
Resolution Strategies
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Settle your tax debt for less than the full amount owed if the tax authority deems your offer to be the most they might collect within a reasonable time period.
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Payment Plan to resolve debt. This approach protects you from asset seizure to settle your obligations. It may be possible to secure relief on penalties and/or compound interest.
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The IRS provides Innocent Spouse Relief when for an aggrieved party when his or her spouse or former spouse failed to report income, reported income improperly, or claimed improper deductions or credit.
- If circumstances do not lend themselves to a negotiated settlement, then it may be necessary to seek protection through a Bankruptcy filing.
Small Business Accounting
Businesses of all shapes and sizes depend on accurate, insightful financial information to manage their day-to-day operations, capitalize on opportunities, and sustain profitability. We lend our expert support to meet your accounting needs so that you can focus your time and energy on building a strong business.
We’ll create and maintain a chart of accounts to capture all of your financial transactions, provide the right information to manage your business, and prepare federal, state, and local tax returns. Through periodic internal audits, we’ll identify and resolve discrepancies (e.g., double billings, unrecorded payments) to ensure that you have a complete and accurate picture of your financial position.
While a clean set of books is a key objective for every accountant, it’s also important to match the accounting records with the monthly bank statements. Our bank reconciliation services ensure that every deposit and withdrawal aligns with entries into your accounting records. This assessment enables us to identify lost deposits, lost checks, unauthorized transactions, and inappropriate bank fees. It triggers investigation into any fraudulent activity (identity theft, forgery, embezzlement, etc.), and expedites restitution. And it gives you a clearer picture of your cash position for addressing planned outlays and investments.
We can prepare a complete set of financial statements to help you assess the health of your business. This package includes:
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A Balance Sheet that gives you a snapshot of your overall financial condition at month, quarter, and/or year end
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An Income Statement (a.k.a. Profit and Loss Statement) that summarizes revenues, expenses, and net profits so you can assess the operating performance of your business
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A Comparison of Actual Performance to Budget so you can identify trouble spots in your revenue stream or spending patterns
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A Cash Flow Statement that shows how changes in your Balance Sheet and Income Statement affect your available cash
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Estimated tax liabilities
Our analysis of your financial statements helps you frame strategic initiatives (e.g., business expansion, acquisition) as well as tactical plans (e.g., accounts receivable and accounts payable management). Professionally prepared financial statements are also an essential resource when dealing with creditors (e.g., vendors, banks) and investors.
When you use our professional accounting services, you get more than a collection of records and reports. You get the benefit of our skills, experience, and expertise. We’re happy to invest the time to make sure that you understand and utilize all of the information we provide. Call us whenever you have a question or concern.
Managing the employee payroll is not a simple matter of calculating the amounts due, writing checks, and handing them out. There’s a host of government reporting and recording keeping requirements that comes with the job. And there are adverse consequences if you get it wrong.
There are 5 good reasons for outsourcing this function:
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You’ll save money by letting the experts attend to the task efficiency and accurately.
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You’ll avoid penalties associated with payroll tax calculation errors or missed filing deadlines.
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We’ll handle employee questions and concerns, and research any issues they uncover.
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You’ll receive comprehensive reporting to help manage your business and attend to any special requirements.
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You’ll gain valuable time to focus on running your business.
Payroll service includes:
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Monthly, quarterly, and annual payroll tax reports
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W-2, W-3, and 1099 preparation
Payments are processed after-the-fact. You process all of the payments, and we post your payroll records and information into our data system and handle all of the other payroll functions.
QuickBooks
Set-Up & Conversion
Although QuickBooks is very easy to use, it takes a bit of expertise and foresight to design the system for maximum benefit and effective control. Moreover, a new system set-up or conversion presents the opportunity to address long-standing gaps, inefficiencies, and annoyances. You don’t do it often, so you might as well do it right!
Although we tailor each engagement to each client’s needs, here is a list of QuickBooks Set-Up services that we offer:
- Enter transactions since the start date using tools to import multiple transaction types and large quantities of data
Assess accounting and reporting requirements
Establish hardware and software specifications
Install the accounting software
Design and implement the chart of accounts, loading balances as of the start date
Record outstanding accounts receivables and payables
Enter ending statement bank balances and outstanding checks, deposits
Compare trial balances from the old and new systems to ensure that all data was transferred correctly
We offer a flat fee for QuickBooks Set-up Services
so there's no uncertainty.
Tune-up & Training
A QuickBooks Tune-Up is a great way to prepare for tax time, an important meeting, or a periodic review of your business strategy. In a few short hours, your QuickBooks professional can review transactions, clean up stray entries, balance the general ledger to subsidiary ledgers, and adjust the chart of accounts to reflect changes in your business model. A Tune-Up can help you make better decisions, minimize the ill-effects of undetected errors, and keep money flowing in the right direction,
Whether you’ve engaged us to help with your implementation or you simply need a refresher course on the system, we can provide training on using QuickBooks to manage your business. We conduct sessions at your location and adapt the course content to your set-up and business issues.[No need to spend time on capabilities that you won’t use!] We’ll spend as much or as little time as you need on each topic, and respond to any questions and concerns.
Advisory Services
We offer value added services that help you structure and manage your business to its best advantage. We help new businesses get off the ground and provide objective assessments of existing ones. We help you establish policies and procedures to protect vital assets and perform audits to ensure the integrity of your records. You reap the benefit of increased efficiency, control, and insight.
Are you thinking of joining the ranks of small business owners? Along with a great idea and strong sense of the market you’ll serve, you’ll need a business and financial advisor who can help your dream take flight while keeping your feet firmly planted on the ground.
We can help you:
Develop or refine your business plan with the associated pro forma financial statements (Balance Sheet, Income Statement, Cash Flow) and budget
Select a business structure that suits your needs by considering tax advantages, legal exposure, ease of operation, and portability
Prepare and file all required state and local licenses and permits.
Make application for your Federal Employer Identification Number.
Identify start-up capital needs and available resources to address them
Examine your borrowing power and provide coaching on how to cultivate a mutually beneficial banking relationship
Identify your business insurance needs
Select the right accounting software and establish the appropriate chart of accounts
Establish billing and collection procedures to maximize your cash flow
Establish procedures to monitor and control costs
Provide payroll and payroll tax filing when and if you hire employees
We’re eager to get your business off to a good start.
We help you establish appropriate internal controls to ensure proper handling of resources and guard against employee theft. Some best practices include:
Segregating duties across multiple individuals to minimize exposure to error and inappropriate behavior
Establishing lines of authority and the associated processes for transaction approval
Assigning responsibility for periodic review and reconciliation of financial records by someone who was not involved in executing transactions or preparing statements
Scheduling periodic manual counts of equipment, inventory, and other tangible property to ensure alignment with the accounting records
Documenting policies and procedures as guideposts for your employees’ day-to-day activities
Training employees on their respective job duties and establishing appropriate levels of ongoing supervision
Reviewing operations to ascertain whether results are consistent with established goals, objectives, and protocols
MEET THE TEAM
JOHN U. SMYTH
john@johnusmythcpa.comJohn U. Smyth has been a CPA for over 30 years. His advice, concern and hands on approach will help you to grow your business.
MERYL SMYTH
meryl@johnusmythcpa.comMeryl Smyth has been with the firm for 18 years. She has a BS in Economics and been a certified CPA since 2009.
TESTIMONIALS
"John and Meryl Smyth are the absolute best! They are professional, flexible and personable. They have been preparing our personal and business tax forms for more than 3 years and we could not be more pleased! We highly recommend them."
- - Marla B.