If you’re here, reading this page, you probably understand what a Sec. 529 plan is. This plan, a tool for accumulating money for college costs, lets … [Read more...] about A Contrary Take on Sec. 529 Plans and Qualified Tuition Programs
Primer on the FBAR and FATCA Rules & Penalties
Our CPA firm office prepares a lot of the FinCEN 114 and 8938 forms—which are the forms you use to comply with the "Foreign Bank and Financial … [Read more...] about Primer on the FBAR and FATCA Rules & Penalties
Small Businesses and the New Sec. 263 Repair Regulations
Okay, you may not know this yet. But a 2013 change in the accounting rules for repair and maintenance expenditures (specifically, Treasury Regulation … [Read more...] about Small Businesses and the New Sec. 263 Repair Regulations
Weaponry You Want If You’re Audited
For whatever reason, we seem to see clients get audited in waves. Months will roll by and other than those annoying “audit letters” (which are … [Read more...] about Weaponry You Want If You’re Audited
First Year Checklist for Washington S Corporation
We've helped a number of business owners and entrepreneurs set up an S corporation this year. So I thought it might be a good idea to create a little … [Read more...] about First Year Checklist for Washington S Corporation
Your Real Odds for Business Start-up Success
A few days ago, I reconnected with an old friend. A serial entrepreneur I've worked with on and off over the years. We've been friends for decades … [Read more...] about Your Real Odds for Business Start-up Success
Getting Ready for Seattle’s new $15 an Hour Minimum Wage
So I've been thinking about the $15-an-hour-minimum-wage law the Seattle City Council passed a couple of weeks back. And though I've read through … [Read more...] about Getting Ready for Seattle’s new $15 an Hour Minimum Wage
QuickBooks Housekeeping Checklist
I’m a sucker for those reality television shows where some outside expert comes into your small business, looks the situation over, and then gives you … [Read more...] about QuickBooks Housekeeping Checklist
The Only Times You Should use a Roth-style Account
In a couple of recent blog posts (see here and here), I've trash-talked the option of using Roth-IRA and Roth-401(k) accounts. And that … [Read more...] about The Only Times You Should use a Roth-style Account
Worst-case Scenarios for Roth-style Accounts
In my last blog post, I argued that Roth-IRAs and Roth-401(k)s don’t actually save most people money. That argument boils down to a single point: A … [Read more...] about Worst-case Scenarios for Roth-style Accounts