Dana McGuffin CPA Blog
It is late January and you realize the 1099-MISC you receive is in error. In fact, it overstates your income by $2,000. What should you do? Gather your facts. Put yourself in the shoes of the vendor, bank or investment company representative. Gather evidence they will need to support your claim to correct the tax…
Read MoreYour credit score is more important than ever. Once viewed as a necessity when applying for a mortgage, it now factors into renting an apartment, paying for utilities, buying a cell phone, and determining the amount you pay for home and auto insurance! Here are tips to help you improve and maintain a good…
Read MoreWhile the maximum capital gain tax rate can be as high as 23.8 percent, most taxpayers pay 15 percent. But there is the possibility to have your capital gains go tax-free; zero percent! In fact, this tax break has been around for more than a decade and comes into play more often than you may…
Read MoreIf Benjamin Franklin were alive today, his famous quote “Nothing is certain, except death and taxes.” might include a third item — paying medical expenses. Medical expenses, in one form or another, are unavoidable. Fortunately a health savings account (HSA) is a great way to cut your spending on medical expenses. A…
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Although you won’t become eligible for Social Security until your 60s, there’s a lot you can do to prepare before then. Here’s a rundown of steps you can take during each decade of your life: In your 20s: If you’re like a lot of people, you’re embarking on a career. At this point, there’s no…
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Tax laws severely limit who can deduct losses on their tax return caused by a catastrophic event. Now unless a loss is in a presidentially declared disaster area, victims are on their own to pick up the pieces. This is creating problems for those on the fringe of a major disaster and those who have…
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The keys to successful digital marketing practices are often learned through failure. But this doesn’t have to be you! The wise business owner learns from the travails experienced by others. Here are some digital marketing mistakes to know so you can keep them from unraveling your strategy: Overlooking directory listings. Now more than ever, people…
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Your bookkeeping system is the financial heart and lifeblood of your business. When set up and operating properly, your books help you make smart decisions and seamlessly turn your financial data into useful information. Here are four key characteristics to build and maintain a healthy bookkeeping system: Select the proper accounting method There are two…
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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 ninjas. Here are seven sneaky vacation costs to watch out for: Covert airfare increases. Airline pricing algorithms are programmed to store your browsing history…
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Effective tax planning helps you make smart decisions now to get the future outcome you desire – but you need to make sure you don’t miss anything. Forget to account for one of these situations and your tax plans will go off the rails in a hurry: Getting married or divorced. One plus one does…
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