Blog

January 11, 2022

Are you a business owner or self-employed individual? Or a small business owner? It is important to make sure you pay your estimated taxes in order to avoid any unforeseen tax bills or even a penalty for your file the following year. Letting your tax bills pile up leaves unpleasant surprises for the end of the year and we want to make sure that doesn’t happen to you. Keep in mind that estimated taxes are due January 15, 2022. Take a Look! Here’s What You Need to Know for Estimated Tax Payments It’s necessary for taxpayers to make estimated tax

Continue Growth! Here’s How to Raise Prices for Your Service-Based Firm In 2022!

Investing

December 22, 2021

Every year we are asked by our clients, “how can I raise prices in the new year to support growth and curb inflation?” When you are a service based firm, it is easy to get stuck in a rut of keeping the same prices year-over-year. However, year-over-year you are not the same firm. You are growing and you need to sustain that momentum while complementing your added intrinsic value. To keep a steady balance, evaluate competitive costs within the market, the demands of employees, and internal services with billings. Now let’s get started with raising those prices. Remember Warren Buffet’s

Start Off Your New Year with Success!

December 20, 2021

Let’s start off your new year with success! We’ve created a checklist to help you prepare for 2022 with ease! Here’s your chance to get organized and make your financial planning more efficient. Good news, if you are a current Logistis member, most of the items on the checklist are taken care of for you so go enjoy your holiday and leave the rest to us. 2021 End of the Year Checklist Make sure to finalize all 2021 financial statements. Gather documentation and check 2021 tax deadlines. Before January 31, submit Form 1099 to contractors. If your business is

Business Trip Tax Deductions

December 7, 2021

Bye, bye lockdown. Hello, travel! Looking to add travel back on the books for 2021 and 2022? Did you know that days spent traveling could effectively be treated as business days? This means that if you take your time arriving at your business destination or have to be on your business trip for a couple extra days, the days spent sightseeing could count as a part of the entire trip. The number of business versus personal days is critical but the scales can tip in your favor. According to this article by CPA Practice Advisor, you must prove that your

Attention! Changes Can Now be Implemented on the Child Tax Credit Update Portal!

November 23, 2021

Your income can now be updated with the new feature of the Child Tax Credit Update Portal. These changes should be made by November 29, 2021 so that these updates are reviewed in the December payment. Once this has been updated, the payment will be adjusted to verify everyone that they receive the total advance payment of the year. For a married couple, the income update will be applied to each spouse which can influence both of their future monthly advance payments for the child tax credit. This feature can assist families with obtaining the accurate amount of advance child

New Update for Child Tax Credit

November 1, 2021

Latest Update With Child Tax Credit Families now have the opportunity to obtain their Child Tax Credit payment every month by updating their bank account information. This can only be completed through IRS.gov. Online updates can be implemented and people will receive either a direct deposit or check depending on their bank account status. These payments can vary depending on the age of your child. It could go up to $300 per child every month from July to December, which can end up being more than you expect. A few more changes have been made like the increase of credit

Is Forgiven PPP Classified as Non-Taxable Income?

PPP, Taxes

September 9, 2021

Is Forgiven PPP Classified as Non-Taxable Income? It was unclear if loans that were forgiven or not were still taxable when information about PPP came out. Later on, federal information was issued that helped classify this concern. It turns out that the new regulation brings up that forgiven PPP loans won’t be taxed as additional expenses. Also, deductions can also include expenses. This law was only established on a federal level and other states are still in the process of confirming their position. Currently, 29 states are noting this law and are making sure forgiven PPP loans aren’t taxed through

Home Office Deduction

Investing

September 1, 2021

For the last year and a half, we have been making adjustments to the way we work. The pandemic has made working from home more common lately so it is important to capitalize on your home office deduction. Calculating Methods To start, make sure to find a space in your home that is exclusively dedicated to your working environment. After you have your dedicated space setup, you can calculate a “simplified” home office deduction. You can start off with two different methods. The first method is on the easier side where you do simple multiplication. Gather the square feet of

Use Tax

August 30, 2021

Just because you don’t pay sales tax doesn’t mean that you aren’t responsible for paying it. Let’s Define “Use Tax” Use tax is when you don’t pay tax on goods, but the state you live in requires that you pay sales tax on all goods. It is required to pay sales tax on all goods if you live in a place where sales tax is mandatory. It is still required even if a vendor doesn’t charge it. State income tax return is the most efficient way to pay and report use tax. The California’s sales tax agency states, “if sales

2021 Minimum Wage Increases + More

December 31, 2020

Twenty-five states are increasing their minimum wage rates in 2021. They are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington.

What Should You Consider Before Deploying Capital?

September 14, 2020

When it comes to deploying capital, conventional wisdom favors reinvesting in growth that generates a return in excess of capital costs, even though many companies chose to return capital to shareholders.

Tax Checklist for Newlyweds!

Taxes, Accounting

August 14, 2020

Marriage changes a lot of things and taxes are on that list. Newlyweds should know how saying “I do” can affect their tax situation. Here’s a checklist of items for newly married couples to review.

The ABC’s of KPI’s

August 3, 2020

Key Performance Indicators (KPI’s) are critical tools for monitoring the health and success of your business. KPI’s are used in order to reach your ultimate goals. At Logistis we always say, “you cannot know where you are going, unless you know where you are.”

Can I just use my bank to track income and expenses?

July 16, 2020

Do you need basic income and expense tracking? You may not even need a bookkeeper. Many banks have developed very basic expense tracking and spending reports.

Estimated Taxes — Do I really need to pay? 😕

July 7, 2020

Taxes must be paid as you earn or receive income during the year, either through withholding or estimated tax payments.

California Sales Tax Updates

June 30, 2020

We know times are crazy, but there are a lot of important updates for CA sales tax you need to know. Please read highlights from CDTFA below. Relief and Extensions for Filing Returns For all but the largest taxpayers, first quarter 2020 returns were extended and are now due July 31, 2020. For all but the largest taxpayers, monthly returns for March, April, and May 2020 were also extended by three months. Tax returns for the second quarter, running from April through June 2020, remain due on July 31, 2020. For sales and use taxpayers required to make monthly prepayments

Copy of save money on childcare hire your child. 9

5 Reasons you should hire your child.

June 25, 2020

Working moms and dads generally spend a significant amount of money on child care while they work/run their business. Why not be able to save additional money while trying to do both? Here are 5 reasons to hire your child! Is your child able to dust, file, check inventory, model your products, etc.? If your answer is yes, you might be able to save money by hiring your child. You can instill fundamental work ethics and spend more time with those you love most in the world. It is a win-win! 1. You can pay less in taxes. Generally speaking,

How to coach yourself through investing in a bear market (tips from Guidline)

Accounting, Investing

June 25, 2020

Logistis’ #1 choice for retierment planing is Guideline. Guideline is on a mission to help every small business offer a 401(k). And to help participants create a retirement they can look forward to. Guideline syncs with Gusto to take care of plan administration, and offers low-cost mutual funds. And unlike many 401(k) providers, they don’t charge any additional fees on investments. Learn more about Guideline 401(k) plans here. As is such, we are reposting this Guideline atricle by NICOLLE WILLSON, J.D., CFP®, C(K)P® 24.JUN.2020. “When you decide to invest your money, you are balancing how much risk you want to

SBA Finally Clarifies PPP Loan Forgiveness Rules: Full Forgiveness For Self-Employed Borrowers

Accounting, PPP

June 18, 2020

SBA Finally Clarifies PPP Loan Forgiveness Rules: Full Forgiveness For Self-Employed Borrowers We are reposting this Forbes atricle by Brian Thompson becasue he lays it out beautifuly. “If you’re a freelancer or other self-employed person wondering if you’ll get forgiveness for loans taken out under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), yesterday brought good news. The SBA filed its 19th Interim Final Rule (IFR), scheduled to be published on Friday June 19th, focusing on revisions made from Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act (Flexibility Act) signed into law on June 5th. The unpublished version of the update ensures full forgiveness for self-employed, freelancers and independent

Lowdown On Qualified Business Income Deduction (QBID)

June 18, 2020

Lowdown On Qualified Business Income Deduction (QBID) Breif Summary of Qualified Business Income Deduction (QBID) Section 199A deduction (aka Qualified Business Income Deduction -or- QBID for short) is a significant tax break for small business owners that was enacted in 2017. QBID is basically a 20% deduction of net qualified business income. Here is an example of how QBID is calculated FOR EXAMPLE: if you make $100,000 GROSS, the deduction is $20,000, which is then multiplied by your marginal tax rate of 24% which equals $4,800 back in your pocket. (Straightforward?! Well there is more to it than that…) If

PPPFA Updates

Accounting, Digital Agencies

June 15, 2020

PPPFA Updates H.R.7010 – Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020Here are some highlights 1. Extension of “covered period” is now 24 weeks from the date of the loan’s origination, or December 31, 2020, whichever comes earlier. *Optional extension2. You can spend up to 40% of your proceeds on certain non-payroll costs, BUT if you do spend this 40% on non-payroll you must spend 60% on payroll in order to be eligible for full forgiveness.3. You’ll have longer to replace FTEs/restore salaries. As long as the FTEs or salary/hourly wage are restored any time prior to the end of 2020,

Best Practices for Digital Creative Agencies to Manage Ad Spends

June 11, 2020

Part of our job as accountants is to manage cash flow and make sure the best system of process (SOP’s) are in place to support a firms revenue growth. When a new digital creative agencies comes to us, one of the biggest pain points they have is managing ad spends. While there is not a “one shoe fits all” solution, there are some critical practices that must be followed to ensure successful and profitable outcomes. Managing Ad Spends Starts with the SOW. The first step to running a successful agency is learning how to develop a solid + comprehensive Schedule

3 Reasons Why You Want to Outsource Your Accounting Team

June 1, 2020

Have you been wondering if you really need a full-time “in-house” accounting staff? Perhaps it’s time to ask yourself if “in-house” is right for you. Here is why you can reimagin your firm while having expert insight, freedom and the ability to save more money. 1. Expert Insight You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. An outsourced firm can bring extensive industry knowledge which can help guide your firm to success. The benefits of having a team that works with multiple companies can be the key to unlocking some of the bottlenecks in your business. Firms of the past often