Category: Small Business
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Americans are baffled by health insurance elections
149 million people representing 55% of working Americans are covered by employer sponsored health insurance plans. Yet the large majority have no access to advice or information other than provided by the employer, the company selling the insurance or the company handling the enrollment. As a result, many employees choose inefficient coverage options and a significant number elect…
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Rolling back the clock to reconsider a financial mistake: the Sandy recovery saga of Money Island Marina
This past weekend we rolled back our clocks by an hour. The concept triggered me to wish I that I could roll back my own clock by two years. On this weekend, two years ago, the residents of New Jersey’s Delaware Bay shores faced substantial damage to our homes and businesses from Sandy storm that…
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Avoid C corporations with high tax rates
U.S. corporate income tax rates are the highest in the world. Most incorporated businesses pay 35% before their owners ever see a dollar of return on investment. The morale of the story for small business owners: consider using a regular corporate form (called a “C corporation”) for other planning business purposes but tax strategy is usually…
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Predicting your winter heating bill
Winter heating is a significant cost for many homes and businesses. In fact, the $600+ per month cost last winter jumped into the #1 largest cost item of running my small shop last year. So naturally I was curious about heating cost for this coming winter. If you heat your home with heating oil then this will…
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Post-Sandy Government Shame List
In the two years since Sandy, I have found myself on the front line of an unfortunate number of unjustifiable actions taken by government against my small business clients and neighbors in the bayshore region of South Jersey. This list compiles ten of the most terrible government actions taken in the two years since Sandy. New…
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New CPA Office Makes a Value Offer for 2014 Tax Preparation
I am pleased to announce the launch my tax return preparation practice for the 2014 tax season. I am prepared with the most advanced software, qualified support staff and ready to handle electronic filing for all types of individual and small business tax returns anywhere in the U.S. In order to reduce the risk that…
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Small businesses wrestle with Form 941 Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return
IRS Form 941 Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Return is, almost by definition, one of the most often-encountered sources of tax trouble for small businesses. This is the tax form that reconciles the amount of wage tax that has been sent (or is now being sent) with the employer’s liability for collecting and submitting these funds.…
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A small business’ most valuable asset
When I speak with a small business owner, the topic of managing their most valuable asset often comes up. Usually, I’ll provoke the discussion: What really is your most valuable asset? What are you doing to protect it? What are you doing to grow it? At first, they are surprised to learn that I’m talking…