All posts by Jodi

Mileage Money Maker 

Tracking mileage can be a pain in the neck but did you know that each mile you track equals $.56 off your taxable income for 2014. It will be $.575 for 2015. Sure $.575 does not seem like much but look at this breakdown.

10 miles = $5.75

100 miles = $57.50wealth-earn-money-concept-business-cartoons-vectors_fy_zwyu_

1,000 miles = $575.00

10,000 miles = $5,750.00

30,000 miles = $17,250.00

Did you know an active real estate agent can put 20,000-30,000 miles on their vehicle each year? If you drove and tracked 20,000 miles that would be $11,500.00 off your taxable income. $11,500.00 is a huge tax deduction! It makes it worth the trouble of tracking that mileage daily and accurately.

Some tips for more easily tracking those miles…

  1. Set an Alarm. When you set an appointment on your calendar to meet a client also set a reminder for the time you will be getting in your vehicle reminding you to track your mileage.
  2. Find an app for your smartphone that will track mileage for you. There are several out there. Click here for a site that has some recommendations.
  3. Take a picture of your odometer in the Evernote app and save it. The entry is dated. Be sure to take a picture at the beginning and end of the day. Set some reminders to help you get in the habit.
  4. Keep a notebook in your car to keep your mileage records. Again set reminders on your phone to help you get in the habit.
  5. Write your mileage on the calendar entry for each of your appointments or at the very least list the locations you will be driving to for the appointment. Then you can go back and figure the mileage later.

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Find what works best for you and do it. Be sure to document client names, locations and purpose for the mileage driven.

You want to keep as much of the money you work so hard to earn as possible. Don’t give it away to the government to spend as they please.

Recordkeeping is a must when it comes to the mileage deduction. If you happen to be audited you will have to supply accurate, timely records or the entire deduction will be excluded. There are many who learned this the hard way. Here are some excerpts from the IRS website for recordkeeping:

You cannot deduct amounts that you approximate or estimate.

You should keep adequate records to prove your expenses or have sufficient evidence that will support your own statement. You must generally prepare a written record for it to be considered adequate. This is because written evidence is more reliable than oral evidence alone. However, if you prepare a record on a computer, it is considered an adequate record.

What Are Adequate Records?

You should keep the proof you need in an account book, diary, log, statement of expense, trip sheets, or similar record. You should also keep documentary evidence that, together with your record, will support each element of an expense.

Documentary evidence.   You generally must have documentary evidence, such as receipts, canceled checks, or bills, to support your expenses.

For more information: http://www.irs.gov/publications/p463/ch05.html

IRS rules for mileage deduction according to http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/p463.pdf :

You cannot use the standard mileage rate if you:

Use five or more cars at the same time (such as in fleet operations),

Claimed a depreciation deduction for the car using any method other than straight line, for example, MACRS (as discussed later under Depreciation Deduction),

Claimed a section 179 deduction (discussed later) on the car,

Claimed the special depreciation allowance on the car,

Claimed actual car expenses after 1997 for a car you leased…

Talk to your tax accountant for more specifics about the mileage deduction and the accurate, detailed records required.

Receipts are a Record-Keeping Must

Mark J. Kohler wrote 7 Tips for Keeping Receipts Organized for Tax Time regarding the importance of keeping good receipt records. This task can be time consuming and tedious but absolutely necessary. If you are audited by the good old IRS you will be thankful you took the time and effort it takes.

20140923_124833[1]How can I help you with this tedious chore? I take your shoebox of receipts (don’t forget to write a few details on them – who, what & why?), categorize them, record them on a spreadsheet for your tax accountant and file them neatly away.cropped-folders-showing-organizing-and-data_f1XTZGD_-1.jpg

Home Office? Huge tax deduction.

modern-home-office_MyCaXvddI was talking with a client recently about what to be sure to give her tax accountant. When I mentioned utility and mortgage statements she was confused. I told her about the Home Office Deduction. She had been using a room in her house for her business for years and never knew there was a tax deduction for it. She asked her tax accountant about it and sure enough she qualified.

Did you know that if you have a designated room in your house you use specifically for your business a portion of your mortgage and utilities can be written off your taxes? Of course, rules apply but below are the requirements taken from the IRS website.

Gather up those utility bills and mortgage statements. Have your bookkeeper add it to your spreadsheets or hand it directly to your tax accountant and tell him/her you want to see if you qualify for the deduction. It is really quite easy and could save you a bundle.

Deduction

1. Regular and Exclusive Use.

You must regularly use part of your home exclusively for conducting business. For example, if you use an extra room to run your business, you can take a home office deduction for that extra room.

2. Principal Place of Your Business.

You must show that you use your home as your principal place of business. If you conduct business at a location outside of your home, but also use your home substantially and regularly to conduct business, you may qualify for a home office deduction. For example, if you have in-person meetings with patients, clients, or customers in your home in the normal course of your business, even though you also carry on business at another location, you can deduct your expenses for the part of your home used exclusively and regularly for business. You can deduct expenses for a separate free-standing structure, such as a studio, garage, or barn, if you use it exclusively and regularly for your business. The structure does not have to be your principal place of business or the only place where you meet patients, clients, or customers.

Generally, deductions for a home office are based on the percentage of your home devoted to business use. So, if you use a whole room or part of a room for conducting your business, you need to figure out the percentage of your home devoted to your business activities.

http://www.irs.gov/Businesses/Small-Businesses-&-Self-Employed/Home-Office-Deduction

Getting started with a Bookkeeper

Hiring a bookkeeper may sound tedious and time consuming. It is not! In just a few short steps your tax time stress (at least the preparation part, sorry can’t pay the bill) is gone.

 

 

  1. Find the perfect bookkeeper. While I may not be perfect I do enjoy numbers and I think people find me trustworthy. I provide references upon request.
  2. Gather receipts and bank statements. A shoebox works.
  3. 1 hour meeting with me at local restaurant or coffee shop or office/home (your choice)
    • Review one month of statements to give me information of how your patterns and expenses look. I can track personal and business expenses.
    • Hand over all your receipts and statements. Give me a deadline.
    • Leave with a burden lifted.
  4. I take all your stuff and create a spreadsheet and filing system for your expenses. I may call or email you with a few questions regarding details of receipts/expenses. Usually only short, easy answers are required.
  5. I call/email you with the news I am finished. We setup a time (5 minutes) for me to give you your organized receipts and statements along with a detailed spreadsheet ready to drop off to your tax accountant. Give me a check for a job well done!
  6. Relax! No more tax time stress!Time For You Message Showing You Relaxing

October Tax Deadline is Quickly Approaching

Time For Taxes Message Shows Taxation DueIf you filed an extension for your 2013 taxes, October 15 is quickly approaching. That shoe box full of receipts is calling your name and 20140904_102239you do not have the time or energy to even think about it let alone do something about it.

A bookkeeper like myself can save the day! I love to organize those receipts and enter them into a spreadsheet for easy delivery to your tax accountant. I am currently accepting new clients. References available!20140904_102350