Our Services

Business problems and their solutions are as varied as the kinds of businesses in existence. There are some issues, however, that every business faces. Whatever your business concerns, we can provide the help you need.

Whether you are starting a business or operating a going concern, we can help you select the proper organizational structure and help you secure adequate financing. We will work with you and your banker, lawyer, insurance agent, and other advisors to solve your business problems.

We can assist you with loan applications, pricing, credit policies, cash flow concerns, cost controls, and other management issues. We will gladly assist you in reviewing your operations to see what you might do to be more profitable.

What makes a business successful?

Never stop investigating ways to improve all areas of your business. The astute businessperson will seek information to assist him or her in making the changes necessary to stay profitable in a competitive business world.

Here are some ideas that could improve your profits:

• Do your homework.
  Before you start a new business, be sure the community can support such a business. Some areas are not large enough to warrant certain specialty shops. A bicycle shop, for example, may take a population base of 50,000 people to make it profitable. A grocery store, on the other hand, can be profitable in a town of only a few thousand.
• Carefully review business proposals.
  Business deals and special franchises which sound too good to be true usually are. We will gladly assist you in reviewing any business purchase or business proposal.
• Enlist the services of professionals.
  Accountants, bankers, insurance agents, and lawyers can help you solve your business problems. These professionals handle a variety of business problems every day. They make excellent sounding boards for proposed transactions.
• Check reasons for incorporating.
  Don't incorporate your business without first checking the long-range tax and nontax considerations. There are many small corporations that would have been better off operating in some other legal form.
• Listen to your customers.
  You are not only selling products or services, you are selling customer satisfaction. Satisfied customers return to spend more money and are likely to refer new customers to you.
• Strive to retain customers.
  It is estimated to cost ten times as much to acquire a new customer as it does to retain a current customer through good customer service.
• Don't make yourself indispensable.
  If your company runs well now in your absence, it will run well in the event of your disability or death. If you are currently indispensable, start training people now. One of the most rewarding forms of retirement is to own your own company and to be absent as much as you like. 

Please contact us. You should interview us, as you would any professional, to determine if we will be a good long-term match for you and your business. We always welcome your questions.

It is our job to see that you pay no more tax than the law requires.

We monitor the changes in the tax law that could affect you and recommend tax-saving strategies. We will prepare all your tax returns and serve as your advocate in all tax matters.

If you are contacted by any government agency concerning your tax matters, your first call should be to us. We will take care of it so that you can get on with your business.

There is a certain mystique that has grown up around tax planning and tax-cutting techniques. We are here to put tax planning in plain English for you.

There are actually several basic tax-cutting strategies, and most plans involve one or a combination of them. In a nutshell, the strategies are:

• Splitting income among several family members or legal entities in order to get more of the income taxed in lower brackets.
• Shifting income from one year to another in order to have it fall where it will be taxed at the lower rate.
• Shifting deductions from one year to another to place them where the tax benefit will be greater.
• Deferring tax liability through certain investment choices and through pension plan contributions.
• Structuring your affairs to obtain a tax deduction for some expenses paid for things you enjoy — a vacation home, for example.
• Investing your money to produce income that is exempt from either federal or state income tax, or both.

Contact us and we'll discuss your financial and tax situation and determine how we can help you.

Today's tax laws are so complicated that unless your financial affairs are extremely simple, chances are you will benefit from at least occasional help from a tax professional. It is too easy to overlook deductions and credits to which you are entitled if you prepare only one return a year. Even the use of computer software is no substitute for the assistance of a seasoned tax preparer.

We prepare hundreds of tax returns every year. We know what to look for when your return is prepared. More importantly, you will have someone to answer your questions during the rest of the year. And we can put you on our mailing list to receive timely tax, business, and financial advice.

Your Tax-Cutting Checklist

Whether you're a wage earner, an investor, a business owner, or all three, you should use the tax-cutting benefits available in the tax law. There is little to be gained by paying more tax than the law demands.

Identify the tax-savers for which you qualify. Here's a tax-cutting checklist to get you started. Check the list to see if there are tax breaks that you are overlooking.

For Individuals:

• Roth IRA
• Roth 401(k) if employer's plan permits
• Rollover to Roth IRA
• Tax-deductible IRA
• Child tax credit
• Child care credit
• Earned income credit
• Annual gifts to reduce estate 
• Education savings accounts
• Education expenses
• American opportunity tax credit
• Lifetime learning credit
• Bunching deductions
• Flexible spending accounts
• Health savings account
• Donating appreciated assets instead of cash
• Qualifying property for personal residence gain exclusion
• Best filing status
• Shifting income or deductions from year to year
• Adoption expense credit

For Investors:

• Tax-free municipal bonds
• Long-term capital gains
• Rental property
• Tax-free exchange
• Low-income housing credit
• Small business stock rollover

For Businesses:

• Home office deduction
• Keogh plan
• SIMPLE plan
• SEP
• 401(k) plan
• First year expensing of business equipment
• Year-end bonuses
• Bad debt write-off
• Disabled access credit
• Health care tax credit
• Other business tax credits
• Tax-free exchange

For your convenience, we have provided a complimentary tax organizer. Print it out, fill in the sections that apply to you, and bring it to your tax preparation appointment. 

Contact our office if you have questions or want more information on these and other strategies that could reduce your taxes.