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Keeping Track of Revenue

As an accounting major in college, I quickly learned all of the complicated parts of the accounting cycle. I discovered how to input the details of business transactions into a computerized accounting system. At the end of an accounting cycle, such as a month, I became experienced with calculating the revenue for the period. If you’re starting a new business, determining an accurate amount of revenue for each accounting cycle is crucial. You must know how much profit you’re making each accounting period in order to be successful in the long-term. On this blog, you will discover how an experienced accountant can help you keep track of your revenue.

Keeping Track of Revenue

How To Do Tax Preparation The Right Way

by Avery Jenkins

Whether you're tackling the job solo or paying for tax preparation services, figuring out what you owe the government is an important task. You want to be sure you're doing everything possible to get it right the first time. Follow these four recommendations to get it right.

Save Documentation

Especially if you intend to claim deductions for business or professional expenses, it's critical to document everything. Never assume someone else will send you all of the necessary paperwork. Keep your pay stubs, receipts, and other bits of evidence supporting your claims regarding both expenses and income.

If you don't currently have a safe pace for your documents, set one up. Get a cabinet and configure it with files by type and year. People often keep other important items like birth certificates and passports in these cabinets, so make sure you can clearly separate your tax stuff from those other things. Likewise, clearly label folders for each tax year so you can quickly retrieve what you need. If you can supply these documents upon request, a tax preparer will appreciate it.

Know Your Status

Your legal status for filing taxes is important. For individuals, there are different designations for single people versus married couples. Similarly, students have some things they can claim on their taxes that non-students can't. The same goes for parents or guardians of dependent children.

The business side of tax preparation is the same. An organization with a recognized non-profit status can claim some deductions that others can't. There are also differences between reporting taxes for a sole proprietorship, S-Corp, or LLC. If you're not clear on what your status is, ask a tax preparer and they can walk you through figuring it out.

Start Early

Even if you haven't received all of the paperwork you need to file, start collecting it as soon as it comes in. If you have a lot of investments, for example, those companies often don't send anything out before the start of February. Consequently, you might only have half of what you need to file.

On the opposite end of things, try to send out everything you can to others as soon as possible. If you run a small business, for example, get those 1040s out to employees. Don't rush, but put in the effort to get them in the mail before the end of January.

Anticipate Your Tax Bill

As the year unfolds, you should see where your income situation is going. If you're going to owe taxes, set aside some money each cycle to cover taxes. This will spread out the hit when filing season comes.

Contact a company that offers tax preparation services to learn more.

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