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David S Roberts - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
David completed his Masters in Business Administration in July of 2005 after 6 years working in the accounting and tax preparation fields. In July of 2006 he completed the requirements to become a Certified Fraud Examiner and completed the Certified Quickbooks ProAdvisor Program while helping Intuit with a new tax preparation service online. In 2008, he completed the Profit and Growth Expert training held by Universal Accounting in Utah and is now a recognized ... [More]
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David S Roberts Email Alerts
- The First Time Homebuyer Tax Credit Changes to 2009 Tax Law
[Finance:Taxes] In 2008 we were introduced to the new First-Time Homebuyer tax credit. It was an effort to stimulate a sagging real estate market and the overall American economy. Recently, the IRS has made some very important changes to this original plan. We will take a look at these changes and answer a few questions along the way.
- The Top 13 Changes to 2009 Tax Laws
[Finance:Taxes] Here we are again with another year of changes to the tax laws that affect millions of Americans. This year is different in that at the time of this publication, there are no changes being proposed in Congress that will affect the 2009 tax year. Every year there are updates and changes that will sometimes change the end result of tax returns sometimes in the middle of the tax season, but not this year!
- QuickBooks 'Burps'
[Business:Accounting] The extended use of QuickBooks sometimes leads to what I call 'burps'. In other words, a minor annoyance, that has to be dealt with. A few of them are simple to fix, others require computer maintenance. We are going to look at a few of these and the remedies you may need to implement.
- Being Creative in Naming Your Business
[Business:Marketing] People always say that you can't judge a book by it's cover. And while in many ways that is true, if one book's cover looks exciting and captures attention, it will sell more than the drably covered book. It's the same way with a business' name. If it's a boring, hum drum 'First Street Plumbing' or 'Smith's Plumbing' you may not get as many calls as the 'Down and Dirty' plumbing service. We are going to look at how to name your business and how to spark a little creativity that generates leads.
- Beware of Fraudulent Credit Repair Companies
[Finance:Credit-Counseling] They seem to be cropping up out of nowhere. Dozens of clearly hand made signs declaring, "Repair Your Credit". And in a time when the economy seems to be reaching into depths previously unheard of before, people are taking down those numbers and sadly, getting cheated. This article will explain what it is that these companies actually do for you and why it is not a good idea to use them.
- Filing Federal Taxes III - The Form 1040
[Finance:Taxes] A casual glance at some of the lines on the 1040 form can sometimes lead to confusion. The 1040 form is the more complicated of the three forms for personal taxes. This article will answer the common questions that come up when people attempt to do their own taxes, and will hopefully help clear up some of the resulting confusion.
- The Dangers of Using 'Tax Shacks'
[Finance:Taxes-Income] Every year around November small 'tax shacks' pop up overnight and begin the process of finding clients who want their taxes prepared 'cheap' often advertising their services for $49. The exorbitant costs of tax preparation software makes this business model completely unprofitable, unless something else is going on.
- An Open Letter to All Accounting Students
[Business:Accounting] Young people interested in a career in Accounting often attend college classes only to find that the Accounting being taught is not the Accounting they want to do. Many young people never intend on finding a position in the Big 4 Accounting Firms with offices all over the USA. They wish to help small businesses, or perhaps even own a small business themselves and need a background in accounting, or so they think.
- 419 Email Scams
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Security] A 419 fraud scam works in innumerable ways with very similar stories to defraud generous and sometimes greedy consumers. We are going to explore the most common methods used and some ways you can fight back. They are also called Nigerian scams, and there are a few variations to them.
- The Law of the Third Girl
[Kids-and-Teens] It is a law, albeit unwritten, that I have observed from years as the brother to a sister afflicted with the problem and now as a father seeing his daughters, and yes, even his wife and her friends. It is the Law of the Third Girl.
- Tax Reduction Scheme 2 - Reducing Taxes on W-2 Earners Immediately
[Finance:Taxes-Income] Not too long ago, this concept was the brainchild of a group under investigation by the IRS and named in a Congressional Testimony detailing the types of fraud relating to taxes and teaching people how to reduce their taxes through beginning a home based business. Today, this group has merged with the MLM company that sells legal insurance plans on an almost door to door basis. This article explains how they get their foot in the door to sway someone who is on the fence about joining their organization by using the "Reduce Your W2 Taxes Immediately" plan, and what the IRS will do to those who use these schemes to avoid taxation.
- Depreciation Or Section 179 - Which is Best For Me?
[Business:Accounting] This is an article that explains the options available to business owners in the area of depreciation and Section 179. It uses a simple analogy to explain the concept, if not all the rules regarding this option. Some may say that this analogy is a little crude, but it is simple enough for business owners to understand.
- Fraud in Non-Profit Organizations
[Business:Non-Profit] There are those who don't like to think about the possibility of a person stealing from a non-profit entity. Sadly this happens frequently with churches, hospitals and others. Prevention of this type of fraud from happening is discussed.
- The Top Five Ways to Cheat the Government -and How They Will Catch You Doing It
[Business:Ethics] Most schemes to defraud our government fall into one of five categories no matter how elaborate the details may become. Each has some proponents who believe their way to be foolproof ways to get something for nothing, but each scheme gets people put into prison every year. What are these ways that are used and how does the government find out?
- The Top Ten Questions to Test Your Tax Preparer
[Finance:Taxes] With everyone wanting to save a little money these days, many people will walk into a franchised tax prep chain office to get their taxes done. The experience of these preparers is lacking in many offices, so here are 10 basic questions and their answers you can use to test your preparer before he or she even begins. If they can't answer these questions, chances are you would be better off leaving and finding a more experienced tax professional.
- "Third Party" Tax Preparation Services
[Finance:Taxes] Every tax season it seems that not only do the big tax prep chains offer their services, but so do many car dealers, check cashing stores, and furniture lease to own outfits get into the act. This article will explore the dangers of using these "third party" tax prep services for the consumer.
- Super Fast Tax Refund Rip-Offs
[Finance:Taxes] For a number of years the major tax prep chains have been promoting what they call Super Fast Tax Refunds. One of the major reasons that this product is promoted is that it is pure profit for the tax prep chains and for the consumer is a choice that should not have to be made. How do these products work and what is the real motive behind promoting them will be explored in this article.
- Gold Guarantee and Piece of Mind Tax Prep Insurance Rip-Offs
[Business:Accounting] There is an insurance plan that you may have purchased unknowingly if you have ever had your taxes prepared at one of the major franchise chains. This insurance plan is sold as something that protects YOU the client, when in actuality, it does not. For the individual tax preparers in these offices there is a great deal of pressure to sell these plans, (and many do it in underhanded ways). These plans are called either the Gold Guarantee or the Piece of Mind plan and this article explains what it is that they actually cover.
- The Proper Use of Sub-Accounts in Quickbooks
[Business:Accounting] Another of the least used features of QuickBooks is that of assigning subaccounts. Doing so helps with the organization of the Chart of Accounts and helps the small business owner understand better their financial position. This article will explore the proper use of subaccounts.
- This Election Day is Going to Be a Trick Or a Treat
[News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] I was attempting to explain to my children the difference between Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain and the underlying philosophy they have about our country and economics. It was then, shortly after having a conversation about the Halloween season that I created this analogy to use to help them understand.
- It's a Simple Question of Logic
[News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] Hard as it may seem to believe, a criminal, who is intent on committing a crime in the use of a handgun or other weapon, will not stop and think for even one second should we pass more gun laws. Gun laws affect only those who obey the law to begin with and they hinder a private citizens' right to defend themselves against crime.
- Poking Holes in a Leaky Bucket
[News-and-Society:Pure-Opinion] When a bucket is leaking, to poke holes in it only makes the leak worse. The current move now to allow illegal immigrants to collect out of social security funds which they never contributed to, makes no more sense than to poke holes into a leaking bucket.
- Starting Your Own Business, Step by Step
[Business:Entrepreneurialism] It is every American's dream. To own and operate their own business, to be their own boss, to be in charge of their life! Every new business is started by someone who gets an 'entrepreneurial seizure'. That is, they believe they have an idea for a service or product that is better than, faster than and of better quality than what some others can do. This article will explore what those steps are, and how, if they are done correctly will greatly benefit the one taking them.
- How to Tell If a Business Opportunity is Legit
[Home-Based-Business:Network-Marketing] With the economy slowing down it seems that there is an ever increasing number of 'business opportunities' popping up everywhere. To own your own business is the American Dream there are hundreds if not thousands of stories of those who were discouraged in the corporate world who left, took the risks and invested in opening their own business. In the search for an opportunity though, there are the legitimate and then the shady. How can you tell if the opportunity you are introduced to is legit or is it another MLM scheme? This article will answer that question.
- Warning! Fake Tax Reduction Specialists Ahead
[Finance:Taxes-Relief] Every American wants to keep more of what they make. Few of us like to send taxes in to the Government. A new group of Multi-level marketers has developed a new way to lure ordinarily intelligent Americans into their MLM group by claiming to be Tax Reduction Specialists this article will explore the motivation behind this group and expose the dangers of following their strategies.
- Using QuickBooks and Google to Market Your Business
[Business:Marketing] One of the rarely used features of QuickBooks is the Google Marketing Tools icon. This article will explore how QuickBooks and Google have partnered to help the small business owner market his or her business, and how they can use some simple steps to make sure that it is their business that is found when customers start looking.
- The Top Ten Things You Didn't Know QuickBooks Could Do
[Computers-and-Technology:Software] QuickBooks is such a rich software that it contains several features that are rarely or never used, simply because the small business owner doesn't take the time to explore all of these valuable features. In this article we are going to examine several of these features that if used, would be of a great benefit to the small business owners. Most of these features are free, some of them require a nominal fee to purchase add-ons, but each one is far cheaper than the industry specialized software packages and best of all, each integrates seamlessly into your QuickBooks data.
- Choosing the Right Quickbooks Software Package
[Business:Accounting] The choice of which Quickbooks software package can be a costly mistake whether a business owner chooses the cheapest, to save money, or the most expensive, which he or she really doesn't need. Quickbooks is the best accounting software available but is not for every kind of business. This article explores the different software packages available and answers the questions of which one is right for which kind of business.
- A Clear and Present Danger to the Small Business Owner
[News-and-Society:Politics] Small Business Owners employ close to 80% of the people in this country. What harms them harms those they employ. New changes to the law proposed by Presidential Candidate Barack Hussein Obama will have detrimental consequences for those who are cheering him on, and they don't even realize it yet. As a business consultant I see this coming should Obama win and it will be far worse than the Carter years ever were.
- Death is Not a Choice
[News-and-Society:Politics] This article explores the nature of the arguments for abortion and the responsibility that we have to make the right choices, not only for the sake of the mother, but for the sake of the innocent unborn child in the womb. There are references to the Scriptures here so if you are offended by the Bible, you may not want to read this.
- Diagnosing Common Errors in QuickBooks Part Two - Excessive Amounts in Undeposited Funds
[Business:Accounting] One of the most common mistakes made by Quickbooks users is not completing the process of receiving payments and making deposits. This error leads to excessive amounts in the Undeposited Funds accounts and bank balances that never match during reconciliations. There is a process to fixing this error and this article will examine that process.
- Diagnosing Common Errors in Quickbooks Part One - Negative Balances in A-P and A-R
[Business:Accounting] Diagnosing the most common errors in Quickbooks is an easy task, if one knows what to look for. This article is part one of a series of articles addressing the most commonly made errors and the sometimes creative ways one must use to correct the errors without throwing off reconciliations for an entire year. We will look at what causes negative balances in the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable accounts and how to correct those errors.
- Using Quickbooks to Detect Fraud
[Business:Accounting] QuickBooks' versatility includes a little known or used application called the audit trail, which will help the small business owner detect Fraud from occurring in his or her business. What to look for and how to set it up is discussed in this article.
- Why Are S-Corp's So Popular?
[Business] When I ask a new client what kind of company they have, invariably they say that they have an LLC. When I ask if it's a Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, S-Corp, or C-Corp I get a look like I've grown a second head.
- Phishermen Use IRS As Bait to Catch Victims
[Internet-and-Businesses-Online:Security] Phishing is the act of using spam emails to lure victims into giving up personal information so that the crook can empty bank accounts, or assume the identity of the victim. This article explores the typical fraudulent email and details how to tell if it is a legitimate communication from the Internal Revenue Service.
- The Top Ten Changes to 2008 Tax Law
[Finance:Taxes] Top Ten 2008 Income Tax Law Changes Every year for whatever reason whether it be political or an exchange of favors for lobbyists, our Congress adds additional changes to our already complicated tax law. This article will briefly examine the top ten changes that have been made for this 2008 Tax Year.
- The Bottom Ten Changes to 2008 Tax Laws
[Finance:Taxes] Our first article explored the top ten changes to our tax laws for 2008. This article will continue the look at the remaining changes in store for us as taxpayers in the great old U S of A. One, a Decrease in the Alternative Minimum Tax Exemption amount.
- Setting Up Quickbooks - Entering Accounts Part One
[Business:Accounting] Entering accounts into Quickbooks is one of the areas where business owners make the most mistakes. This article explores the uses of these accounts including some creative ways to use accounts when the business doesn't always meet the typical uses of accounts.
- Using Quickbooks Add On Services
[Business:Accounting] Many business owners do double work by reentering data from third party payroll and merchant services companies running the risk of entry errors on top of paying for additional man hours to get the same work done. This article explains the advantages of using the built in services Quickbooks offers in payroll, merchant services and online webstores. All of these activities can be brought together easier and often times cheaper than using other companies.
- The Tri-Fold Aspects of a Wildly Successful Business
[Business] When a new business owner starts his or her new business, it is usually based on an intense desire for freedom from the 'rat race' coupled with the nagging idea that they can do it 'better' than those they have worked for. The struggle that a lot of newbie business owners have is the incredibly different areas of running their new business that they are not at all familiar with at all. They may have spent years learning their craft under the ...
- Fixed Assets And Quickbooks
[Business:Accounting] Entering Fixed Assets into Quickbooks is a lot easier than the instructions make it. Followed step by step this article explains the method used to define, enter and keep track of depreciation of the fixed assets your small business may have.
- Stupid Crooks and How They Got Caught
[News-and-Society:Crime] While stealing is a serious issue for many small businesses every year, the stories of how some fraudsters get caught are extremely amusing. Here are ten of them for your consideration.
- Setting Up Quickbooks Part Three - What To Do With The (Rest Of) The Taxlines
[Business:Accounting] The conclusion to the article written for small business owners about what to do with the tax lines in entering new accounts and items into Quickbooks. Entering these lines correctly leads to more accurate reporting and easier preparation of taxes at the end of the year.
- Setting Up Quickbooks Part Two - What to Do with Taxlines
[Business:Accounting] Quickbooks is like soup, the more you put into it, the more you get out of it. Tax lines is the last entry when adding or editing a new account and without it your QB will function just fine. At the end of the year however, you will have two lines on your tax report, Uncategorized Income and Uncategorized Expenses. This article is the first part of a two part series on understanding which tax line to use in assigning your accounts.
- Setting Up Quickbooks, Part One - Getting Started
[Business:Accounting] The 'deceptively easy' nature of the Quickbooks set up process leads some business owners to jump full force in to entering data and accounts with little to no knowledge of where each account should go. This article explores some of the necessary questions to ask before even installing the Quickbooks software package and the often devastating results if one doesn't enter information as he or she is supposed to.
- Punishing Those Who Commit Fraud
[Business:Ethics] Regardless of the amount of money stolen or the amount of time involved, many fraudsters still get away with it because of the incredible reluctance of small business owners to punish them. Who is it that is getting away with fraud and what should be done with them is discussed in this article.
- Famous Tax Frauds
[Finance:Taxes] If one could have a favorite fraud issue, mine would have to be the one pulled on an entire population of African Americans in the late 90's. It reoccurs every year and is known as the 'Reparations Credit'. The story behind it is that Congress passed the law that gave all African Americans a credit equaling today's equivalent of 40 acres and a mule, the promise never followed through on to relatives of those who fought in the American Revolution.
- Using Quickbooks to Prepare for Tax Season
[Business:Accounting] Quickbooks provides easy steps for you to get ready for tax season. The reports should be all your accountant needs to generate an accurate return. Don't pay more than you have to, Homesoon Accounting can often provide the same service along with e-filing for half of what the typical tax office can and we can do so in the comfort of your own home or office.
- The Monsters of Construction Fraud
[Business:Management] Like it or not, construction companies face a great deal more challenges in the issue of fraud than other types of companies do. Like any business, a construction company faces the normal Accounts Receivable and Payable frauds, the Ghost Employees, the Vendor and Customer frauds that all companies must deal with on some scale. But in addition to those types of fraud construction companies are especially vulnerable to these following schemes. I call them the Monsters of Construction Fraud.
- Odds Are, You Are Losing 6-10% of Your Revenues!
[Business:Small-Business] Understanding the issue of fraud in a small business is essential to preventing it. There are several different types of fraud that can occur and whether it be Customer, Employee, or Vendor Fraud it takes from your pockets and as such should be prevented as soon as is possible.
- How To Tell If Fraud is Occurring in Your Business
[Business:Management] With cases of Fraud on the rise all over the country most business owners are not aware of the signs that fraud is occurring in their business. Statistics show that 6% of annual revenues are lost to fraud in small businesses, for those whose profit margin is at 6% it is devastating. Here are some signs to watch for...
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