Category: Accounting
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How to invite me to view your QuickBooks Online accounts
Log into QuickBooks Online as either the Master Administrator or Company Administrator. Click on the gear icon, located in the top-right corner. Within the Your Company section, click Manage Users. From within the Manage Users page, click the Invite Accountant button. In the mini interview that appears, enter email address tony@tonynovak.com into the Accountant’s email…
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Why small business taxpayers must use QuickBooks
Note: Throughout this post the term “QuickBooks” means any electronic accounting system, not specifically the brand name product. There is evidence, as cited in the story, that the market dominance of the branded product has caused the term to be used to describe a class of electronic accounting products. I am accredited with QuickBooks and several other accounting…
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Unregistered Charities
Each state has laws requiring proper registration of charitable organizations, professional fundraisers and professional solicitors. The intent is to protect citizens by requiring full public disclosure of the identity of persons who solicit contributions from the public, the purposes for which such contributions are solicited and the manner in which they are actually used. Last…
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Change to Privacy and Security Agreement
I made some changes to my privacy and security statements and will now request that new clients affirmatively acknowledge and accept the agreement before I make any other follow-up communication. Part of the reason is to emphasize my reliance of text, email, video conferences and document portals. Surprisingly, I still get calls from people who say…
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Why I switched from Google for Work to Microsoft Office 365 Premier for Business
Editorial note: After publication I was corrected and learned that Google can be used offline. The editorial is incorrect in that regard. About a month ago I dumped my Google for Work account and decided to upgrade my Microsoft from a personal account to a business account. Here are some reasons why I turned away from Google…
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The return of flat fee tax planning
This month I am bringing back the flat fee income tax planning service that I promoted a few years ago. I stopped marketing this service last year under criticism from other accountants that I was underselling the value of this type of expertise. I saw it as a great way to attract new clients that justified deliberately…
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Tax collection: Uncivil or just dumb?
Yesterday the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue sent a collection agent to the business office of a local client over a $294 shortage of payroll tax withholding in 2011 through 2014 where the state then added over $750 of interest and penalties. The total bill with interest and penalties is a little over $1100. The business…
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Soaring cellular data costs
I live and work in an area 50 miles south of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and 20 miles east of Dover, Delaware in a rural part of New Jersey not served by cables or phone wires. We used to have regular telephone wires that were used for basic internet in the 1990s but service was always spotty and…
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Pennsylvania divided
The election discussion is drawing attention to the widening political divide between my two major client groups. Nate Silver, writing for fivethirtyeight.com says “eastern Pennsylvania is becoming more Democratic while western Pennsylvania is becoming more Republican”. This confirms the trend that I noticed that even seems to be affecting my business practice. This graphic shows the…
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Selling a rental property?
If you are planning to sell a rental property then it is likely important to estimate the taxes that will be due on the transaction. The calculation can be complicated but fortunately we have software available to help with the number-crunching. Just give a call and we can schedule time to run through the possible scenarios.…