Nancy Smyth | QuickBooks for Contractors blog

16Jul 2012 by Nancy Smyth

The First Summer Harvest

From the Yard

Hi, HAPPY Summer! I realize that I haven't been as good about blogging lately as I normally am. I have a lot on my plate and I thought I would share what I've been up to - just in case you've been wondering where I am. My vegetable garden is incredible this year and canning season has started already - it's about 3-4 weeks early this year. Thursday afternoon, after work, I went down to check things out and discovered that many of the beets needed to be picked and turned into pickled beets. Right click to enlarge image Right click to enlarge image Friday afternoon, I took off early and headed for the garden. I picked about half of the row which resulted in filling a 20 gallon cooler…

10Jul 2012 by Nancy Smyth

The Sleeter Group’s Small Business Technology Road Show

Webinars & Training

The Sleeter Group, established in 1994, is best known for their national reputation of being the highest-quality provider of technical reference materials, software expertise and QuickBooks training materials for accounting solutions consultants. This year they are doing something a little different and are their show on the road with a Small Business Technology Road Show, with just a slight twist - accounting professionals can bring their clients for free! Join the experts at the Sleeter Group along with accounting and software solution leaders and your peers for a day of education, technology best practices, expert advice, and networking. The Small Business Technology Road Show is a showcase of the latest accounting technologies that will highlight a broad range of small business solutions. Learn how your business can grow and profit…

29Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 6/22/2012-6/28/2012

News You Can Use

Weekly wrap-up of news and information from around the web – there’s so much information out there that it’s difficult (at best) to keep up! I’ve added a WordPress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything. Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. I’ll try to be consistent and organize the information into the same categories each week. Accounting & Taxes DOD spends $21 million a year on late payment penalties https://t.co/WcHSn7fq -> IRS Faces Uncertainty on Affordable Care Act https://t.co/mEKyHM7T -> The Helping Hand of the Student Loan Assistance https://t.co/s68YcMnf via @bruce_taxguy -> Joshua Wilson CPA: BASIC GIFT TAX FACTS: ANSWERS TO SOME COMMON GIFT TAX QUESTIONS » Gift taxes are https://t.co/LiOaWAjz…

26Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Yards & Gardens Are Like Children

"Maad" Rants & Other Stuff

Yards and gardens are like children - they require pretty much constant attention. They don't care if you should be testing a product release, working, attending or hosting a webinar, or attending a various number of on-line social media functions. The only difference between a yard or garden and children is that the yard or garden doesn't keep you up all night because it's crying! Our yard, which I just love, requires a LOT of attention this time of year. The lawn (all 3 1/2 acres) of it needs mowing about every 4-5 days. Right click to enlarge Sunday, among other things we had to put up a fence around our blueberries - so the birds don't get them all! Right click to enlarge While the flower gardens are…

22Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 6/15/2012-6/21/2012

Be A Better Bookkeeper, Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, IRS Information, News You Can Use, Payroll Tips, QuickBooks Corner, Social Media, Webinars & Training

Weekly wrap-up of news and information from around the web – there’s so much information out there that it’s difficult (at best) to keep up! I’ve added a WordPress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything. Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. I’ll try to be consistent and organize the information into the same categories each week. Accounting & Taxes A letter from a Bookkeeper https://t.co/nr0twsHi via @bruce_taxguy -> How I answered the letter https://t.co/WIa8lzll via @bruce_taxguy -> IRS "repair regulations" can be overly complex https://t.co/O9Ix29KR -> Is Remortgaging Equity Release Debt a Good Option? https://t.co/TRNXJ9Ue via @bruce_taxguy -> 3 Strategies to Help You Conquer Your Debt https://t.co/aLTQtJQX via @bruce_taxguy ->…

19Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

How To Report an Owner/Employee on Certified Payroll

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage

Certified Payroll is complex and so are the reporting requirements for owner/employees. See this question submitted by a reader. I am unsure of how to report the owner of the company on the certified payroll report. He is a union member but not paid union benefits. He is paid the prevailing union wage in our area. He is paid thru QuickBooks payroll & the appropriate payroll taxes are paid. The accountant suggests we do not report the fringe benefits on the certified payroll because he does not receive union benefits as he is the owner & does not have union benefits. I am confused as to how to report his wages. Must I make a 'separate' payment to him of what the total prevailing wage for a union worker would…

16Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 6/8-6/14/2012

News You Can Use

Weekly wrap-up of news and information from around the web – there’s so much information out there that it’s difficult (at best) to keep up! I’ve added a WordPress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything. Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. I’ll try to be consistent and organize the information into the same categories each week. Accounting & Taxes ARTICLE: What to Look for in a Construction CPA https://t.co/UXOu0CU5 -> Planning Your Accounts Receivable Collections https://t.co/HtxlaiHg -> How the IRS Feels About Employer Provided Cell Phones https://t.co/NQ7wvv2q -> eBooks, Webinars & Videos eBook: Learn About AIA Billing & How To Fill Out an AIA G-702/G-703 https://t.co/Hc3jyNIn -> eBook: Payroll Mistakes. It's…

12Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Worker’s Comp Increases 45% in California, Beginning 7/1/2012

Certified Payroll/Prevailing Wage, Construction News, Payroll Tips, Webinars & Training

California Worker's Compensation Insurance premiums will increase by 45% over last year for renewals after July 1, 2012 according to The Worker's Comp Executive. California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones went against a unified front of labor and employer representatives siding with the insurance industry and the Workers' Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau (WCIRB) in approving a 8.3% increase mid-year rate hike for California employers. Added to the 37% rate increase he approved for January, July and later renewals are facing an average rate increase of 45.3% over last year at the same time. Worker’s Comp and payroll taxes take a huge bite out of a contractors profit when working on Public Works construction projects – especially if the contractor is paying the full fringe benefit rate of the prevailing wage…

10Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 6/1-6/7/2012

News You Can Use

Weekly wrap-up of news and information from around the web – there’s so much information out there that it’s difficult (at best) to keep up! I’ve added a WordPress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything. Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. I’ll try to be consistent and organize the information into the same categories each week. Accounting & Taxes IRS to Step up Audits of Sole Proprietors https://t.co/yXwpoSGM -> Does your QuickBooks file agree to your Tax Return? - https://t.co/Wzah0P9q -> Year End Tasks for Filing Taxes https://t.co/1GNu8sQQ -> Think You Can’t Afford to Pay Your Payroll Taxes-Think Again https://t.co/vnEDD6fU -> Be Prepared for Wage & Hour and IRS Audits https://t.co/6y1npe1l…

07Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Creating a Simple Invoice for Taxable & Non-Taxable Items

Customers & Accounts Receivable, Questions from our readers, Sales Tax Tracking

Creating a simple invoice for taxable and non-taxable items, that the customer can easily understand - while allowing you to track your Sales Tax Liability often causes a quandary for QuickBooks users. The following question, submitted by a reader, is a perfect example of just how difficult this situation can sometimes be. Hi, We are curious if there is a way to do this: We do cable Runs and would like to quote our customers $150.00/drop to include labor and materials. How do I calculate sales tax on a portion of the $150.00? Is that possible. We have been breaking it out.. but it is tedious and confusing to customers. Any Ideas? Thanks for your help. Jennifer Hi Jennifer That certainly is a dilemma - you need to be…

05Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Think You Can’t Afford to Pay Your Payroll Taxes-Think Again

IRS Information, Payroll Tips

Failing to remit payroll taxes is a big mistake! Sometimes a business owner will let the payment of payroll taxes slide in favor of paying other vendors OR perhaps will make a partial payment, thinking it will be ok -- not a good idea ----- always remit the full amount of your payroll taxes before paying other bills. Here are a couple of examples why. If you have check writing authority and it can be shown that you were aware your company or client paid other expenses when payroll taxes were due, the IRS can come after you for the taxes, penalties and interest. D and her husband were equal owners and sole corporate officers of a business. After they separated, they continued to run the business. The firm…

01Jun 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 5/25 – 5/31/2012

News You Can Use

Weekly wrap-up of news and information from around the web – there’s so much information out there that it’s difficult (at best) to keep up! I’ve added a WordPress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything. Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. I'll try to be consistent and organize the information into the same categories each week. Accounting & Taxes In an effort to help Kansas City Siamese Rescue, L & R Tax Preparation is going to be offering tax p https://t.co/VWxCSEB7 -> IRS issues guidance on $2,500 health FSA contribution limit https://t.co/268MCUzQ -> Self-Proclaimed Alabama Governor Sentenced for Tax Fraud https://t.co/EOiWNZW5 -> ARTICLE: What to Look for in a Construction…

31May 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Computer Tech to Weekend Yard Warrior – With Pictures

From the Yard

I thought that I'd do something a little different today, truthfully I get tired of living, breathing, and talking QuickBooks and payroll - because I do it EVERY DAY! I work with computers all the time and usually don't have too much of an issue until the weather get's nice --- then I become a weekend yard warrior. I love to garden - flowers, vegetables, fruit - I love to be outside and during the summer I spend far less time in front of my computer and far more time in my yard - that means fewer blog posts, fewer interactions on the social media networks that I'm involved in. Winters in Vermont can be long and cold and unfortunately I can't garden in the snow! So today I…

30May 2012 by Nancy Smyth

How to Date/Work With a QuickBooks 3rd Party Developer

QuickBooks Add-Ons

How to "date" a QuickBooks 3rd party developer may seem to be a silly topic for a blog post; but as I reflect on the last 12 years of being one of those "developers" the more I think that the title is appropriate - because in reality dating is a fair way to describe the relationships between Developers, ProAdvisors and QuickBooks users. First, a little history: Intuit released QuickBooks in the fall of 1991 (I've been using the program since that time). In January 1997 Intuit initially launched the ProAdvisor program and the first Certification exams were created for QuickBooks Pro 99. To become a Certified QuickBooks ProAdvisor a bookkeeper, CPA, or other accounting professional could take a written multiple-choice test and if passed (initially after multiple tries…

25May 2012 by Nancy Smyth

Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use 5/18 – 5/24/2012

News You Can Use

Weekly wrap-up of news and information from around the web – there's so much information out there that it’s difficult (at best) to keep up! I’ve added a WordPress plug-in that grabs information from my Twitter stream to help me (and hopefully you as well) keep up with everything. Look for the Weekly Wrap-Up: News You Can Use every Friday. Accounting & Taxes There's a New Kind Of Tax Preparer In Town - https://t.co/9JKFLV41 Even in a divorce, tax planning is important: Excluding Residence Sale Gain: https://t.co/wcm3LZO8 Did you know you can subscribe to the IRS tax calendar? https://t.co/qOipaCuT Is Your CPA REALLY the Right Person to be Completing Your Tax Return? https://t.co/PirWQFHx -> Few Small Businesses Claim the Health Care Tax Credit : The World :: American Express…

Author: Nancy Smyth