Many of us are still working from home, and some have decided to work from home for good while the pandemic remains with us. For those new to this world, what kind of tax write-offs, if any, could we be looking at for 2020?

We've made it through this unique and very different tax season. So, what does that mean? We start looking ahead to next year! Many of our clients are friends are still working from home, while others have decided to work from home for good. If this year has taught you anything new about your professional life, its if you are a fan of working from home or not. We know and recognize that it's not for everyone, and we also understand the reason why so many companies are still having their employees work from home. If anything, we appreciate the safety of it and we are trying to find the silver lining. This year has meant saving money on gas, saving money on takeout, getting rid of that morning commute, more time in comfortable clothes, spending time with our families, and for some, it has meant a whole makeover of their homes, especially their backyards! For those who don't own their own small business and don't work from home regularly, when you did move home, one thing that might have made the transition less painful was the possibility of writing off your new expenses in your 2020 taxes. Will this be a possibility? Could there be an even bigger silver lining waiting at the end of all of this?

FROM HOME
There have been many silver linings to this experience than many of us have tried to focus on, but like it or not, it does cost extra to work from home. You're buying supplies, buying new office furniture, getting better wifi, and possibly paying a ton more in child care. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to write all of that off or at least a part of these expenses on 2020 taxes? Unfortunately, due to a tax reform in 2017, this opportunity was eliminated, according to Kiplinger and AccountingToday. Granted, this decision was made years before we knew what the coronavirus was and it was thought to be a good idea to eliminate this possibility. According to AccountingToday, the reasoning behind this change was that a "doubling of the standard deduction would help offset the pain of ending or cutting itemized deductions". That idea was nice at the time, but for all of us working from home and through the pandemic, it's not much help at all. Before this tax reform, you were able to write off your business expenses that were not paid back by your employer. These expenses included part of your home as an office, and much more. Sadly, if your company has sent you home during the pandemic, this will not be an option. With so many of us struggling with this reality, and with potentially limited funds as it is, what is the best way to recover from it? AccountingToday suggests the best route to go is to approach your company and try to negotiate with them. When it comes to federal taxes for your employers, tax code does allow them to reimburse their employees for certain costs during periods of disaster. The IRS has stated that is current pandemic does qualify. It will be up to our employer to choose what costs the will and will not cover, but if you approach them with a reasonable list of items, that can be a great place to start (i.e. wifi, child care, cost of buying new supplies).

SIDE HUSTLE
If you're working from home for your company, but also have a second job or a small side hustle, there might be a small tax break in there for you. According to Kipling, as long as you meet all the proper requirements, you will be allowed to claim deductions for your business expenses and your at-home business expenses for your own company.

WORK FROM HOME
If you are self-employed, this might be one of the greatest advantages for you right now. Those who are self-employed are still allowed to deduct business expenses with the Schedule C Form 1040 when filing. Your small business must be your only form of income, and the space you work in must only be used for work purposes, according to H&R Block. This means that your kitchen table won't count. If you do use a small corner of your home or a specific table just for work, then that will count. One of the biggest things you must do is keep meticulous notes and records of your expenses if you plan on writing these expenses off. Many self-employed individuals get flagged when they file and get stuck with an audit. Make sure you're reading to back up your deductions at a moment's notice. If you have a building outside of your home that you use only for work (like a barn, shed, garage), it can also be written off. Also, if you work outside of your home for your own business, but have been forced back to your home for safety reasons, you are allowed to write that off on your expenses too. According to H&R Block if you own your own business under a 1099, and you meet all the standards created by the IRS, you'll be allowed to write off all of your direct expenses for your small business. You will also be able to write off a portion of your indirect expenses too! But please take caution, you will still need to keep good records of everything.

CONCLUSION 
This year has brought its fair amount of challenges. Many of these challenges could reappear when filing your 2020 taxes. Make sure you speak with your company about your expenses before just assuming they won't help you. If you're self-employed or work under a 1099, make sure you keep excellent records and understand everything about your writeoffs to avoid an audit. Hang in there everyone! We know this is a personal and financially difficult time for all of you. We are always here to help. Don't forget! If you're looking for the best tax accountant in Summerville, the best tax services in Summerville, the best Quickbooks services in Summerville, and the best payroll services in Summerville, we are still here for you. Tax season may be over for some and just starting for others, and we will be here for you no matter what!

The coronavirus has changed the way we live our lives. It has changed our daily schedules, where and how we work, and has changed the face of education for our children. For parents working from home for the very first time while their children in school are also working from home, the landscape of living and working together has been altered. What does this mean for parents and their children and how can they be the most successful in these times of change?

So much has changed within the last few weeks since our last blog post about how small businesses and corporations need to operate during this time of crisis. It continues to change the work world so much, that we wanted to follow that blog up by discussing just how much COVID-19 is changing and affecting the lives of everyone in the working world down to the youngest of your family. One of the biggest reliefs and changes during this time is the 90-day deferment on taxes for everyone, allowing both individuals and corporations to pay and file their taxes on July 15th instead of April 15th. But, with that relief, comes a bit of a struggle. Many of us are working from home for the very first time and with children our children that are school-aged or younger.  Going from the office to our home offices, kitchen tables, or couches has been a huge shift, especially if you're working alongside your son or daughter as they are virtually taking classes and sending in assignments in brand new ways themselves. Thankfully, you don't have to worry about your small business or corporation meeting tax deadlines for a few more months while you're getting adjusted. The biggest adjustment is working from home, being productive, and trying not to drive one another crazy!

As COVID-19 changes the guidelines on how to work, we wanted to break it down to the individuals affected by these huge changes and to share some tips and suggestions on how to successfully make this transition productive both to your company and to your well being. Without the latter, your work and productivity could suffer. So, let's get to work!

Every family, personal work space, and your job at hand is unique and different. Through this unknown time, you'll have to find what works best for you. These suggestions might be the perfect solution to your learning curve, or they might be the complete opposite. Take these as stepping stones, and continue to see what works for you and your family. In the end, whatever works for your family is the right way. There is no right or wrong way, there will just need to be a lot of trial and error until you reach a comfortable level of living. Hopefully, by then, life will be back to normal, or as close to it as possible!

TRACKING TIME
One of the most consistent things we have seen to be successful for working parents and their children is to stay on schedule. The key is to create a schedule for this new way of living and to stick to it. This applies to both parent and child. All of this will depend on how old your child is and what their needs are, but living as consistently to your life before moving home is very important. Begin by waking up at the same time, get ready and dressed for the day, and eat breakfast at the same time. The temptation to sleep in, stay in the same PJs for days and eat whatever whenever is going to be a huge temptation. Don't fall into that trap! We aren't saying you need to get dressed to the nines or dress your children for picture day. The key is to change out of your PJs every morning and into another outfit that makes both you and your kids feel productive and normal as possible. Then, we recommend creating a schedule for your students for the whole day, not just during school hours. This will help them stay adjusted to their normal school day, stay on top of their expectations of getting homework done and studying completed, and allocate their free time. This way their grades don't drop while they are spending all of their time watching TV, playing video games, or on their phones. Keep them on a schedule that will create your workday too, one that allows you to stay close to your schedule too. For our parents with young children, keep them on a schedule as much as possible and one that is as close to what they have been living with. Take advantage of nap time, quiet playtime, and lunchtime as your work hours. You might need to get a little creative, and that's ok!

NEW RULES
It will be very important to sit your family down and talk about what's happening in the world and what these changes mean for everyone. The situation will change expectations, free time, and it will also mean spending all of your time together during work and play hours. You will also need to communicate with your boss, employees, and colleagues that they might need to be more flexible because of your new work situation with your children. Express that your children could walk into a work call or video meeting at any time, and you might need to get up and leave to answer an emergency or a baby crying at any time. If anything, mention this often so it is never a surprise and not something that is forgotten by anyone. This is also the time to set boundaries with your kids. This might mean allowing them more TV, video game, and screen time to give you more space and time to get work done. If that is the case, explain to them that this extra free time is a treat and that everything will return to normal once work and school go back to their normal schedule. Set boundaries, especially for your school-aged children, and let them know when they can come into your work space, and when they can only come in when it is an absolute emergency.

SAVING TIME
During this crazy time, create a system that allows you to work and allows you to still be a family. Take breaks together from work and school to exercise together, take a car ride, or walk the dog together while still practicing social distancing. When work and school are over for the day, make sure they are over for the day. Separate work from play with the whole family, unless you have to finish a job or a project. Keeping regular dinner hours, family game or movie nights, and beyond are very important. Spending time together as a family is very needed. But, allotting yourself adult time is very important as well. It is also important to parent as a team and juggle these new schedule changes and learning curves together. Share the normal household tasks like you never have before. Switch places creating the daily schedule, serving as a teacher for the day, and even switch giving your partner the night off. Allow your partner to not have to worry about household chores or the necessary grocery trip if they're slammed with work, and let them repay the favor to you when you're swamped with work. You can even switch shifts throughout the day, whatever works for you!

This is an unknown time full of uncharted territory. Maintaining a sense of balance, normality, and regularity is the key to staying productive as a business owner and the head of a successful family. It may seem impossible at first, but keep working. You will figure out what works best for you. Remember to stay smart, keep following the WHO guidelines, and to wash your hands!

Running a business is hard, anyone can acknowledge that.  Today, one of the biggest downfalls of any company is its bookkeeping. Simple mistakes and errors can not only make the running of the business difficult but it can also be its downfall. Try and avoid these easy bookkeeping mistakes to make your business run smoothly.

Bookkeeping is something that all businesses, big or small, have to do. The pen to paper bookkeeping for many is a thing of the past thanks to amazing online programs and applications, like Quickbooks, that do a lot of the hard work for you. For some, making and keeping a note of everything by pen and paper is still preferred. But your bookkeeping and how you handle it is just as uniquely personal as your business model and strategy. But the biggest factor, however you decide to do your bookkeeping, is to avoid some of the most simple and common mistakes out there. Today we will be discussing how to avoid these common mistakes to keep your small business working smoothly no matter what!

The First Steps
When it comes to the point where your small business can grow and expand, that is so exciting! But it's so easy to overlook the important steps of your full bookkeeping to successfully make those steps. Many new business owners will just do the bookkeeping themselves. They rush the process, they don't account enough time or attention to the process, and completely mess up a good chunk of all of it by doing so. Our first recommendation is to work with a professional. If you don't want one full time or on staff, at least learn from them how to properly do everything that needs to be done. Take more classes, attend seminars, or even bend the ear of professional bookkeepers. Or hire someone like us at Hoods, who can help you understand Quickbooks and how to properly use it for your company! Most importantly when you sit down to do your bookkeeping, take your time and breathe.

Budget Time
This might be obvious, but it still needs to be said. You have to budget for your small business or the outcome could be a disaster! You raised and created the fund to create the company in the first place. So you know that your bank account doesn't have unlimited spending for the year or years to come. You need to plan how the money of the company will be spent, or in other words, what will your budget be. A budget will help you track your accounts and records, any issues can be corrected quickly, you can plan for any emergencies, keep the company running, and pay your employees. In 2018 alone, 61% of small businesses didn't create a budget. How scary is that? A lot of young companies don't have a full appreciation of what a budget can do for the company itself. Without one there is no way to evaluate the performance or even the goals for the company. You also can't continue to develop the business without one, and you can't see any growth either.

The Paperwork
One of the most important steps in bookkeeping is the reconciliation of your books. This is making sure all of the bank accounts, credit cards, and all the reports match and you have proof to show that they do. This is a huge step when it comes to paying your taxes based on how much the company made, how much was spent, and how much was paid to the employees. These factors will all factor in how much you owe the IRS come tax season. Not doing this properly can lead to over or underpaying your taxes. This might have you re-doing your taxes, owing more, and possibly accruing late fees. Not to mention the hours spent on the phone and in front of your computer to fix these issues. You can also become a victim of fraud, have bank withdrawals that were not authorized, several other bank errors, and the disappearance of money you can't account for.

It Doesn't Mix
Many small businesses start in garages or home offices. Some of the greatest companies of all time have started this way. But don't make the mistake of mixing your home and business bills, expenses, or taxes. Make sure you know exactly how to write off business expense items and what they are before doing so. The IRS is very well versed in what you can and cannot call business expenses from your home, so don't try and fool them. Even if you make an honest mistake, it can still hurt you come tax time. Separate your credit cards, your living space from your workspace, your landlines, and cell phones. Keep meticulous records of expenses and receipts, mileage, and time. Don't muddy or blur the lines between home expenses and business expenses. This will make your life and dealing with the IRS much simpler!

There are a lot of small moving parts to bookkeeping, but all of them have to be well oiled to keep the machine running. Don't rush, make sure you know what you're doing, and never be afraid to ask for help. We are here to offer you the best tax services for your business and to help you do your bookkeeping with Quickbooks. Don't let your small business become prey to these easy mistakes. Take the time to educate yourself and keep your bookkeeping focused and accounted for.

There are so many ways to cut corners and save a little extra for your company this year, but if you think a little more on the creative side - you might end up saving more money than you expected! 

Saving money for your company is something that I am sure is always on the back of your mind or is your main focus every time you hit a new fiscal quarter. There are so many options out there that can help you save a few dollars every month and sometimes a little bit every day. But here are five unique and interesting tips that could seriously help you save money consistently for the rest of 2019 and into 2020! 

1. A New Type of Advertisement 

What are you doing for your company's advertisements and what kind of budget are you looking at? Have you thought about new and different ways to reach a larger audience at a more cost-effective rate? What about TV? It might sound expensive, but you might be surprised. Your local TV and local cable companies very often have very reasonable and affordable advertising rates that they can offer throughout the day and into the early evening. The slots you might end up paying for may not be prime time hours, which are of course the most expensive peak hours to pay for, but you will still be paying to advertise to clients where it can make the biggest impression. They will be in the comfort of their own homes and your commercial will be a consistent message to the audience you want to attract. You could potentially save even more money and turn this form of advertisement into your main form of advertising. Depending on the age of your clientele, this might be all the advertising your company needs! 

     2.  Spring Cleaning Comes All Year Round
Have you noticed the huge trend in personal sellers on eBay and a huge slew of apps and websites that have been created specifically for the need of a personal seller? Well, there is a huge reason for that! A little extra cash goes a long way, especially when it comes to your bottom line at the end of the fiscal year. Has your office become cluttered with unused equipment, office supplies, and even gifted items that are just not being used? Take the time to do a big office clean and get rid of everything you don't need! Sell these items on eBay, the Facebook Marketplace, or any number of personal seller apps. You will end up putting a few extra dollars back into your company's pocket and giving your office a much needed deep clean. You can also save time and productivity and give this task to your interns instead of one of your full-time employees. You aren't taking away from your employee's workload, your interns are gaining experience, and you are getting money back from inexpensive labor! 

   3.   Change Up That Work Week
Have you been dreaming of working a three or four day week? Do you think this option might make your employees excited too? Without cutting down the productivity or work that needs to get done at your company, use this idea as inspiration. Giving yourself and your staff a few extra days off during the month or giving them more opportunities to work from home is not only a great perk, but it's also a huge cost saver. You're cutting back on daily business operation costs by closing down the office, and this creates a natural productivity increase. The promise of getting a few extra days off by working a little harder during the early part of the week will help get tasks done and keep employees very happy with the promise of a three or four day weekend. 

   4.   Make a Difference When Printing 
Printing and toner cartridges can easily cost $50 a piece if not more every single time you buy one. If you're choosing to print all business materials in your office and allow your employees to have full use of your printing services, constantly buying new cartridges can get very costly very quickly. So, using recycled materials can become an excellent cost-saving option. Shop around for retailers that sell recycled cartridges and make the switch. These used cartridges aren't just cheaper, but a lot of companies that sell recycled cartridges also offer additional rewards for using them. This could turn into another money-saving opportunity for you in more ways than you could expect! Also, not only are you saving money you are also helping save the earth with this excellent green option. 

   5.   Use Those Powerstrips
​ Did you know that most of the electricity that is powering your office equipment, almost 75% of it, is used when all of your electronics are turned off? That gets pretty costly at the end of the month when that bill is due. Invest in some high-quality power strips to plug in all of your appliances and electronics into. When you and your employees leave at the end of the day just switch them all off as you walk out the door. Just leaving a computer on overnight, depending on how many computers you have in your office, can add an addition $200 a year in unnecessary energy consumption. 

Saving money can be easy if you just take the time to think about it. And sometimes you can earn rewards AND help save the planet while saving money too. As you start to think about the end of the year budget and what your 2020 budget is going to look like - keep these unique and interesting options in mind. 

Our latest blog focused on the importance of knowing what things you can look forward to writing off on your taxes this year. But just as important, you need to know all the things your business cannot write off as tax day draws closer. Battle this grey area, and be prepared before tax day.

​There is plenty of time between now and April 15th to get prepared for paying Uncle Sam, but there is nothing wrong with being prepared. The last blog we posted was about knowing what items, some often unknown, that you can write off your taxes. We all love that extra break at the end of the year and it can be a huge burden lifted off your companies' bank account. But are you just as familiar with all the items you cannot write off your taxes? If not, you could be in for a lot of frustration when you start preparing your taxes and getting prepared to pay for them. Don't get caught in that trap, be prepared before you even begin your fiscal year. Know what receipts you need to save and where you can help your business save money - and know what to avoid spending money on before you get ready to sign the dotted line on April 15th.

Let's start with some of the basic nondeductible recommended by Quickbooks. After Quckbooks help you track your project probability, manage your bills, track your business mileage, track your income and expenses, helps you prepare invoices and payments, manage your contractors, and pay your employees, it also offers this fantastic reminder of what you cannot write off and deduct from your upcoming taxes.

• Gifts to your customers. This is such an important business practice to show your appreciation to your clients or future clients. You can still deduct a partial amount of gifts for your clients, but it is limited. The IRS has a $25 limit on gifts that you can give throughout the fiscal year.
• Business Clothing.  The only time that you can write off clothing items is if they are uniform pieces or protective equipment items that you need to stay safe and aren't provided for you. Clothing items that you can wear outside of work or that you choose to wear outside of work cannot be written off.
• Commuting Cost. You can only write off mileage if you are traveling for business, not for your commute to your place of business every day. If you're traveling off-site to go meet or work with clients, that can be written off.
• Meals. Some food costs can be written off - but there are some parameters. You can only write off 50% of what you treat your clients to, and it must be properly documented to receive that deduction.
• Fines or Penalties. Any type of fine (including parking or speeding tickets) or law that is broken during work hours or when you're traveling for work, is never tax-deductible. This does include tax-related expenses, if you get a fine for not estimated your previous taxes, you cant write that off.
• Life Insurance Premiums. If you pay the premiums and your business is not the beneficiary of the plan, you cannot deduct this payment.
• Political Donations. You cannot deduct donations made to a political organization or a political candidate. Any expenses you rack up to lobby the government or pay to a group to lobby on your companies behalf you cannot write off either.
• Cellphone Expenses. This can be very tempting, especially if you don't have a separate cellphone for doing business. You can only write off the bossiness portion of these expenses. So, you need to calculate what percentage of calls were made for your business and only deduct the percentage of the expense.

How does this sound so far? Are any of these nondeductibles surprising or frustrating? Or were you already aware of these items? Well - the list continues. This one is a little more detailed and focused towards small business owners.

• You cannot write off payment to sole proprietors, partners or LLC members. They are owners of a business, not employees.
• If you claim a home office deduction and have a landline, the cost of the first landline to your home is not a deductible. Only the second line is deductible.
• Half of your self-employment tax is not a deduction. It is an adjustment to gross income on your personal income tax return.
• Owners of pass-through entities cannot treat their state and local income taxes on business income as a business write off.
• The cost of health coverage for self-employed individuals and more than 2% of S Corporation shareholders is not a business deduction. The premiums are deducted on the owner's personal taxes.
• Commissions paid in connection with buying realty are not deductible.
• For those who are self-employed, contributions to your own qualified retirement plans are personal deductions and not business deductions.

When knowing what you can and what you cannot write off your taxes - there is a lot of grey area. The IRS keeps a strict eye on both categories - so make sure you know exactly what you can write off, especially when there are certain items that you can only partially write off. It's so easy to make a simple deduction that won't be recognized so don't get caught. When planning out the fiscal year in front of you and your company,  make sure you plan on the extra expense of what you cannot write off. Use Quickbooks to your advantage and keep track of everything. You're nine months away from paying your taxes, but we are already halfway through the fiscal year. Be diligent in paying attention to your expenses!