Category: Accounting
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How am I helping business owners survive the crisis
I might be known around here as the “crisis management guy”. In fact, most of my professional career was spent creating a path forward to help local small businesses climb from economic disaster. Until now, it was mostly a bad joke among peer CPAs. Now it is the most important professional focus that we need…
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Crisis response message
This short message will go out to business clients ASAP: “Over the past four days I’ve switched my small business advisory practice from cautious planning to full-fledged crisis management. Obviously the intent of this work is to stay ahead of the impact but that is especially difficult with the situation changing by the hour. My…
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Introduction message to the new CPA firm
“Thank you for asking about my services this year! I had the exciting opportunity a few months ago to start a brand new CPA firm in New Jersey. It was quite an undertaking but now have a new address, new licenses and new staff. We are motivated by this new unfettered ability to make real…
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Security enhancements during tax season
Avoiding the usual scams: Tax-related scams this year have risen to a level I’ve not experienced before in more than 4 decades of practice. Tax preparers are among the most targeted group. The defenses tend to require low tech personal attention. EMAIL – We observe that most (I read 85%) of scams begin with email.…
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New Jersey election violations cost nine candidates $42,797
Today the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission (ELEC) announced that nine municipal government candidates, one county clerk candidate, one freeholder candidate, and one state assembly candidates must pay fines and fees totaling $42,797 for violating the Campaign Contributions and Expenditures Reporting Act. My job as a NJ certified election campaign treasurer is to help…
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QuickBooks Payments Drops PayPal
Beginning next month, PayPal will no longer be available as a payment method when paying an invoice through QuickBooks Payments. This is significant to me (and many other small businesses) because I do most of my invoicing through QuickBooks Payments and make most of my payments through PayPal. Suggestions for other options? We will review…
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Withdrawal of universal support for QuickBooks Online
We all know that business and technology are in a constant state of change. Certainly the small business accounting industry has seen plenty of change in recent years. After years of supporting the transition of private businesses and nonprofits’ accounting platform to QuickBooks Online as the core technology platform, I am withdrawing that universal endorsement.…
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My unlikely ramble into national politics
A reflection on my unlikely journey from neighborhood flood response to construction techniques to national politics. Before 2016 I was not personally active in politics. Yet as a small business owner I financially supported a number of candidates in both parties, typically in small dollar amounts from $250 to $500 per campaign over several decades.…
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Bait and switch warning for tax refund loans
Tax refund loans were always a bad idea but this year appears to be worse. Some companies stepped up their advertising this year with claims of large loan approval amounts. But now some tax preparers who use these services report that the majority of cases they submit are approved for only $500 refund even if…
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New Jersey ‘Use Tax’
Many people here don’t know that New Jersey has a Use Tax. Use Tax is owed by New Jersey residents and businesses that buy products out of state, online, or via the mail, and then bring the products to New Jersey or have them shipped here. The Use Tax is the same 6.625% as the…