How to Set Up Easy, Efficient Bookkeeping Written by Loring A. Windblad
Copyright 2004 by http://www.organicgreens.us and Loring Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as misspellings and typos. Probably one of hardest things you are going to have to do when you begin your new Homebased Business is decide to “be bookkeeper.” ”What? Why, I don’t know first thing about ‘bookkeeping’!” And believe me, as a business owner your days of filling out “simple Income-Tax form” are over! Being a business owner, especially a Homebased business owner, your life has just become somewhat complicated. “Is there an easy way out of this mess,” you ask? Why yes, as a matter of fact, there is. First, get a notebook and put it beside your telephone. Now record carefully every business call you make and approximately how long you talked on that business call. This gets you a percentage of your telephone bill as a deduction. Next, get a pocket note pad and pen, put them in your car, and record start mileage, destination(s) and finish mileage of every business trip. This gets you a percentage of your automobile and automobile expenses as a deduction. Next, get two sets, of two different colors, of 12 large envelopes. Label set 1 JAN OUT thru DEC OUT, and then label set 2 JAN IN thru DEC IN. During course of year, every time you have a business expense put receipt in appropriate monthly OUT envelope. During course of year put a copy of receipt or sale or product order confirmation in appropriate monthly IN envelope.
| | Tax advantages of a homebased businessWritten by Loring A. Windblad
Copyright 2004 by Windy Dawn Marketing and Windy Windblad. This article may be freely copied and used on other web sites only if it is copied complete with all links and text intact and unchanged except for minor improvements such as misspellings and typos. You ask, “Okay, I’m starting a small homebased business, not a huge million dollar International Conglomerate! But should I incorporate or keep it a proprietorship?” Actually, there are arguments in favor of either decision. This argument will be in favor of proprietorship. The first thing is that you need to know there is a totally different set of laws, regulations and tax law that governs proprietorships and corporations. And for small business entrepreneur tax advantages offered during first 5 years are enormous. After 5 years you are expected to begin showing a profit but this is not necessarily “written in stone”. Let’s take a closer look at some of advantages of a proprietorship. If I were to show you how a one-time $439 USD investment could gain you from $1000 to $2500 in tax refunds and write offs per year would you be interested in learning more? Okay, here goes. If you are a blue or white collar worker, a doctor, lawyer or other professional, can you write off on your taxes gas and other travel and parking expenses you accumulate driving to and from work? Your lunch expenses? Your home office? Travel and vacations? Any part of your household utilities expenses? The answer is NO - you cannot write these expenses off your income tax. If you start a business, a proprietorship, working out of your home, call it "your name consulting" or whatever seems to fit best, you are now able to write off all of following: Automobile mileage Gasoline Other car maintenance % of automobile depreciation* Home office (as a % of your home) % of home utilities expenses & of your home telephone bill Entertainment expenses Vacation expenses Meals *100% of a Leased Car And more, these are just bigger ones. There are, of course, conditions. You cannot go on vacation and simply “write off” all of your vacation expenses. You must “share information” about your product or service with others while you are on vacation --- more than just “passing out business cards --- and you must also keep records of every contact you make. This will also help you with follow-ups. These contacts, with whom you are sharing details of your business service or product, are contacts that will validate your write off. You should have at least two a day while on vacation. Who? The barber, your golfing partners, beautician, people you meet in store or casually just about anywhere? All you have to do is talk to people, share your information and you have succeeded. You will be surprised, also, by how many will want to join you? But you must keep records of these contacts.
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