Dana McGuffin CPA Blog

Small Business: Coping with Shortages and Delays

By Dana McGuffin | January 27, 2022 | Comments Off on Small Business: Coping with Shortages and Delays

As we entered the New Year, businesses continue to be hampered by a near-unprecedented lack of supplies and materials. Besides items that have received widespread national attention like toilet paper and computer chips for cars, the slowdown in the supply chain is affecting everything from electronic devices to couches to sneakers—and plenty in between. To…

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Ideas to Improve Your Financial Health in 2022

By Dana McGuffin | January 13, 2022 | Comments Off on Ideas to Improve Your Financial Health in 2022

A new year. New resolutions. Here are five ideas to consider to help improve your financial health in the upcoming year.   Save more for retirement. Plan for the future by feathering your retirement nest egg. For instance, you can contribute up to $20,500 to a 401(k) account in 2022, plus another $6,500 if you’re age…

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Make Payroll Taxes Easy in 2022

By Dana McGuffin | December 30, 2021 | Comments Off on Make Payroll Taxes Easy in 2022

Handling employment taxes can be complicated, especially when you’re required to file important tax documents throughout the year. Here’s a quick recap of the most vital payroll tax forms and what you can do to make your payroll life easier heading into 2022.   Important Payroll Tax Forms Form 941 — Employer’s quarterly federal tax…

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JUST THE FACTS: Borrowed Money Must Be Paid Back

By Dana McGuffin | December 15, 2021 | Comments Off on JUST THE FACTS: Borrowed Money Must Be Paid Back

In the back of every Form 1040 instruction booklet there’s a section that shows where our federal government gets its money and where it is spent. As taxpayers, it makes sense to know this information. Here is the data for the government’s fiscal year ending September 30, 2019, as reported by the IRS in the…

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Tips to Maximize the Value of a Car Donation: A little mistake could cost you plenty

By Dana McGuffin | November 30, 2021 | Comments Off on Tips to Maximize the Value of a Car Donation: A little mistake could cost you plenty

At the end of the year you will be inundated with commercials to donate a vehicle to charity. While it is one of the biggest contributions a taxpayer can make, if not done carefully, the tax deduction of a donated vehicle could be a lot lower than you think. The Rule When you donate a…

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The Power of Comparative Financial Statements

By Dana McGuffin | November 17, 2021 | Comments Off on The Power of Comparative Financial Statements

Your business has a story to tell. One of the ways to hear your business’s story is by reading through comparative financial statements. The importance of comparative financial statements An up-to-date balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows are essential financial reports you should consistently analyze. But these financial statements by themselves don’t…

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Fake Products (and Money!) Are Big Business

By Dana McGuffin | October 28, 2021 | Comments Off on Fake Products (and Money!) Are Big Business

How to protect yourself from modern-day counterfeiter Counterfeiters are getting better at tricking you. They do this by using fake images, creating realistic websites and promising low prices. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), fraudsters hold an estimated 3.3% of world trade, up from 2.5% in 2016. Here are some commonly…

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Five Tax-Loss Harvesting Tips

By Dana McGuffin | October 14, 2021 | Comments Off on Five Tax-Loss Harvesting Tips

Though the markets have been up strongly this year, your investment portfolio could have a few lemons in it. Using the tax strategy of tax-loss harvesting, you may be able to turn those lemons into lemonade. Here are five tips: Tip #1: Separate short-term and long-term Your investments are divided into short-term and long-term buckets.…

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The Busy Business Owner: Get Back 15 Minutes a Day

By Dana McGuffin | September 29, 2021 | Comments Off on The Busy Business Owner: Get Back 15 Minutes a Day

Meetings, phone calls, emails, text messages, and water cooler conversations with your employees constantly bombard you as a business owner. Freeing up even just another 15 minutes a day could dramatically improve both your workflow and peace of mind. Here are some suggestions for getting back 15 minutes every day: Use your phone. Whenever possible, use…

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Even Non-Income Tax States Have Taxes

By Dana McGuffin | September 7, 2021 | Comments Off on Even Non-Income Tax States Have Taxes

With the increased popularity of working-at-home, you may consider moving to one of the nine states that don’t impose an individual income tax. Before doing so, you should understand how each of these states raises its revenue. And then consider how you can reduce your tax obligation in your current home state. Here’s some help.…

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