Dana McGuffin CPA Blog

Summertime Financial Lessons for Your Child

By Dana McGuffin | July 16, 2024 | Comments Off on Summertime Financial Lessons for Your Child

Children on summer break have plenty of free time on their hands, which is usually spent playing outdoors, working on summer projects and participating in various sports and clubs. As parents, you can also weave in financial lessons to these summertime activities to reinforce great money habits. Here are some ideas: Earning money. Teach entrepreneurship with…

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Watch Out For These Sneaky Vacation Costs

By Dana McGuffin | June 27, 2024 | Comments Off on Watch Out For These Sneaky Vacation Costs

Going on vacation is a time to get away, relax and enjoy new experiences. But if you don’t pay close attention, extra costs can sneak up on you like tiny money-stealing gremlins. Here are several sneaky vacation costs to watch out for: Covert airfare increases. Airline pricing algorithms are programmed to store your browsing history to…

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Surviving Wedding Season Without Breaking the Bank

By Dana McGuffin | June 12, 2024 | Comments Off on Surviving Wedding Season Without Breaking the Bank

According to this survey by TheKnot.com, the average wedding in 2023 had a price tag of $35,000. And it’s not just the lucky couple doling out serious money. Wedding guests can also face steep costs between gifts and traveling to and from the big event. If you’re planning on attending a wedding or two (or three…

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Kids Can Be Expensive! Here Are Some Tax Breaks to Help

By Dana McGuffin | May 29, 2024 | Comments Off on Kids Can Be Expensive! Here Are Some Tax Breaks to Help

Kids can pose challenges from every direction for their parents – feeding times, car seats, sleep schedules, strollers, child care, and of course…taxes! What most parents don’t consider is that these bundles of joy complicate their tax situation. Here are some tax tips that may help: Start a 529 education savings plan. 529 education savings plans…

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The Benefits of Being a Sole Proprietor

By Dana McGuffin | May 7, 2024 | Comments Off on The Benefits of Being a Sole Proprietor

Many start-up businesses move from hobby status to a business when they start to make a profit. The tax entity typically used is a sole proprietorship. Taxes on this business activity type flow through your personal tax return on a Schedule C. Here are some benefits to consider if you’re trying to decide if being…

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Digital Skills for Today’s Kids

By Dana McGuffin | April 24, 2024 | Comments Off on Digital Skills for Today’s Kids

The digital revolution is changing the way we think about necessary skills. Being so interconnected digitally, navigating technology, and understanding the basics about how it’s built and how it’s intended to be used is more important than ever for the next generation. Here are several of the top tech skills for kids to consider learning…

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Make Online Reviews Work For Your Business

By Dana McGuffin | April 10, 2024 | Comments Off on Make Online Reviews Work For Your Business

    Many factors play into a potential customer’s decision to buy your product or service, but one thing is clear — online reviews are at the top of the list. Here are suggestions to improve yours: Create an impactful online presence. Unless you just opened your business, there’s a good chance it already exists in…

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Oh No! Your Tax Refund is Now a Bill

By Dana McGuffin | March 26, 2024 | Comments Off on Oh No! Your Tax Refund is Now a Bill

  Many taxpayers start preparing their tax return with hopes of receiving a sizable refund, only to find out that their actual refund is much smaller than expected — or that they actually owe the federal government money instead! If this happens to you, here are some of the likely reasons: Higher take-home pay. Look at…

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Retirement Plan Options for Small Business Owners

By Dana McGuffin | March 6, 2024 | Comments Off on Retirement Plan Options for Small Business Owners

Offering a retirement plan can be a powerful tool when you’re competing to attract the best employees. And if you’re a sole proprietor, a retirement account can help you save even more money for the future. Here are some of the most popular retirement options for small business owners, along with ways to help with…

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Watch Out For These Unexpected Tax Surprises!

By Dana McGuffin | December 27, 2023 | Comments Off on Watch Out For These Unexpected Tax Surprises!

No one likes surprises from the IRS, but they do occasionally happen. Here are some examples of tax situations you could find yourself in and what to do about them. Kids getting older tax surprise. Your children are a wonderful tax deduction if they meet certain qualifications. But as they get older, many child-related deductions fall…

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