MEDOWSCPA.COM- A Blog for the Self-Employed & Small Business Owners

How Can New York Certified Public Accountant Help Self Employed Save Tax?

Being self employed has its benefits but at tax time, if you are not careful, it can be a pain. A New York Certified Public Accountant can help you file the right taxes so you can save money. You shouldn’t be penalized for being self employed but along with the responsibility of running your own business come the responsibility of doing your own taxes. The most common rule is to keep all receipts and all records on anything and everything you do in your business. Remember that everything can be a deduction if it is used for your business. For example, your cell phone bill can be used as a deduction if it is strictly used for your business. Your internet service provider payments may also be a deduction if you do a majority of your business online. If you travel around, you need to use your mileage, maintenance of your vehicle, and gas expenses as part of your business expenses.

To get your taxes done correctly at the end of the year you need to make an appointment with a certified public accountant, or CPA. Since you will have a lot of questions on being in business for yourself, you want to find a CPA that you can work with for years to come. You will be calling them throughout the year to ask questions or inquire about particular deductions and you want to know who you are talking to and who will be handling your paperwork.

You need a simple solution to your receipts and paperwork. It’s important to keep as organized as you possibly can so you need to make sure that you have the right system to help you do that. You may want to ask your CPA for ideas on how to keep up with the paperwork all year long. Don’t find a system that is too difficult or you won’t keep up with it throughout the year. It could be as simple as keeping an envelope in your briefcase, your purse, or your laptop case where you can drop receipts in as you get them.

You are also going to need to keep records for your household expenses for two reasons. One, you want the CPA that is doing your business taxes to do your personal taxes as well. They are familiar with you and your situation and they probably know you on a more personal basis. Second, if you run your business from your home you will be able to use a lot of your personal tax expenses for your business tax expense. For example, if you run your business from a home office, you need to have one room dedicated to your business only. Then you can deduct a portion of your utility bills, office supplies, and any other business expenses you incurred during the year.

If you buy a new laptop for your business makes sure to turn that in as an expense. If you bought a new cell phone, accessories, and a plan for your business you can use that as a deduction. But it is important to remember that whatever you claim as a deduction should also have a receipt to prove it.

A New York CPA can help the self employed save taxes by hiring them to keep up with your business throughout the year. They can give you helpful advice and help you learn more about ways that you can succeed in your business.

About us: MEDOWS CPA, PLLC is a boutique New York City Certified Public Accountant firm (NYC CPA) Firm serving the needs of Individuals & Small Businesses in New York City and throughout the nation.  We work with the self-employed, freelancers, LLC, C-Corporations and S-Corporations to help them with their accounting and tax needs.


Jonathan Medows, CPA

MEDOWS CPA, PLLC

http://www.medowscpa.com

http://taxblog.medowscpa.com

info@medowscpa.com

A Unique, Boutique New York CPA Firm Serving the Needs of Individuals & Small Businesses

Learn About IRS Laws for Self Employed and Freelancers

If you are self employed, it is a different life when it comes to tax season in New York. Make sure you learn about IRS laws from a CPA self employed and freelancers in New York, so you are up to date on what is asked of you. There are many things that you might not have realized until you have looked up the information for your self employed business. Here is a bit of information that may help you understand the IRS laws in New York for your new self employed or freelance position.

If you are self employed you will need to pay self employment tax in Manhattan. The self employment tax will take care of your social security and Medicare. It is how many employees which would be paying into it through an employer.  Since you work for yourself, you technically do not receive a paycheck so you will not be paying taxes in NY this way. You want to make sure that you pay them every year. If you do not pay these self employment taxes you will be responsible or paying the taxes plus all late fees and interest once they become late. It is much easier to have everything taken care of throughout the year than to wait until they contact you. If you are trying to figure out how much tax to take out for the self employment tax in New York or Manhattan, it is usually around 15.3% so you are able to calculate this out of your earnings monthly or how ever you feel is easier for you.

In the end of the year when tax season arrives, you are able to deduct half of your self employment tax which you have already saved up. This is figured after your gross income for the year. Other options you have are the pay as you go option and can ask a CPA for Freelancers New York. You can make NY tax payments when you file at the end of the year rather than having to hold onto the cash in the meantime. It’s easier to balance your books as you go as opposed to waiting once a year and then trying to figure out where all the money went.

You may want to consider hiring a tax preparer in New York, if you are self employed. This will make it much easier for you, especially if this is something you have never had to deal with before. Filing your own taxes NY for a self employed company is much harder than filing as if you worked for someone else. You want to make sure everything is complete to the “T” without errors that may cause you heartache in the end.

It is a great idea to learn about IRS laws for those who are self employed and freelancers in Manhattan, if you are considering these types of jobs. This information from a Manhattan freelancer CPA will give you a heads up on how much responsibility is going to be put into your hard work and effort. The IRS may scare you at first but if you are knowledgeable or hire a CPA for Freelancers New York to know about the rules they have for you as well as hiring a great tax preparer NY, there will be no problems.

About us: MEDOWS CPA, PLLC is a boutique New York CPA NY Firm serving the needs of Individuals & Small Businesses in New York City and throughout the nation.  We work with the self-employed, freelancers, LLC, C-Corporations and S-Corporations to help them with their accounting and tax needs.

Jonathan Medows, CPA

MEDOWS CPA, PLLC

http://www.medowscpa.com

http://taxblog.medowscpa.com

info@medowscpa.com

A Unique, Boutique New York CPA Firm Serving the Needs of Individuals & Small Businesses