Podcasts about cpas

Have you ever had that one memory that sits in the back of your mind?  That thing you wish you'd done differently? Something you didn't say, something you did say, the opportunity you passed up, the relationship you didn't repair, or the career move you waited too long to make?  Most people don't just have one regret; they carry an entire portfolio of regrets with them.  And if you're an accountant, a tax preparer, or you're a high-stress professional, you likely have a detail-driven brain, and regret often impacts you a little differently. Because you're used to precision. You're used to accuracy. You're used to double-checking before you file anything. So when your brain looks back at your life, it tends to audit every moment with the same level of scrutiny.  And suddenly? Something from ten years ago starts feeling like a mistake you should have prevented.  Today, I want to help you rethink the entire emotional experience of regret.  What it is, what it does, why it feels so heavy, and how you can use it in a way that actually moves you forward in life instead of holding you back.  More importantly, I want to show you how The RE*INVENTION™ Process helps you transform regret.  This is one of the top emotions we work on inside the program.  And my clients tell me when they do this work, they stop using their past as evidence of what they think has gone wrong, and start using it as fuel for their future.  Let's dive in… Join us in a community built specifically for accountants and high-stress professionals.  You'll receive support, accountability, and a community that understands what you're going through. We focus on stress reduction, increasing productivity, time management, goal achievement, health, happiness, and desired lifestyle:  https://www.financialadventure.com/community I'm inviting you to sign up for the free private podcast where I do a deeper dive into this topic on the Mastering Your Mindset Moments podcast for high-stress professionals: https://www.financialadventure.com/private Schedule your Complimentary Stress Audit and Clarity Session, where we'll work together to create a clear and focused plan for you to move forward so you'll immediately start enjoying your life with less stress, increased productivity, and more time to spend doing what you love with the people you care about: https://www.financialadventure.com/work-with-me Accountants, CPAs, Bookkeepers, Tax Preparers & Financial Professionals, sign up here to get updates on upcoming opportunities & grab the Audit Of Your Well-Being & Balance Guide here: https://www.financialadventure.com/accountant Ready to set up your business?  I have a program to help you get your business set up so that you can start making money.  Sign up for this program here: https://www.financialadventure.com/start Are you ready to try coaching?  Schedule an Introductory Coaching Session today.  You'll have the opportunity to see how you like coaching with an Introductory Coaching Session: https://www.financialadventure.com/intro Join us in the Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB if you are ready to take control of your business finances and create the profitable business you are striving for.  Are you ready to generate revenues and increase the profit in your business: https://www.financialadventure.com/profit If You Are Ready To Choose, Start Or Grow Your Side Hustle, Get Your Free Checklist And Assessment Here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sidehustle Grab Your FREE guide:  5 Essential Strategies For Stress-Free Bookkeeping: https://www.financialadventure.com/5essentials Your FREE Online Virtual Bookkeeping Business Starter Guide & Success Path Is Waiting For You: https://www.financialadventure.com/starterguide Join Our Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbusinessownersultimatediybookkeepingboutique The Strategic Bookkeeping Academy, including Bookkeeping Basics, is open for registration!  You can learn more and sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sba Looking for a payroll solution for your business?  You can get an exclusive 15% discount on your payroll services when you sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/adp QuickBooks Online - Save 30% Your First 6 Months: https://www.financialadventure.com/quickbooks Sign up for a virtual coffee chat to see if starting a Bookkeeping Business is right for you: https://www.financialadventure.com/discovery Show Notes:  https://www.financialadventure.com This podcast is sponsored by Financial Adventure, LLC ~ visit https://www.financialadventure.com for additional information and free resources.

105 From Navy Vet to Multi-Industry Investor: Marcus Norman Reveals Wealth Strategies That Work The Entreprenudist Podcast https://entreprenudist.com Welcome to another game-changing episode of The Entreprenudist Podcast, the show where real entrepreneurs and business owners tell their stories with transparency, strategy, and truth. In this episode, we sit with Marcus Norman, a Navy veteran turned multi-industry investor known for his expertise in: -House Hacking -ATM Business Ownership Real Estate Investing -Starting a Business vs Buying a Franchise -Growing a Successful Podcast -Investing in CBD & Hemp -Understanding What Makes Money, Not Hype Marcus breaks down: -How he went from a five-bedroom liability to cash-flowing real estate -The mindset shift that separates successful investors from those stuck in analysis paralysis -How to truly understand how an investment makes money -Why working with experts is not optional His personal journey from the Virgin Islands to the military… and into wealth creation

Key Takeaways: Rock Dividends: These provide a special way to earn income with fewer taxes, similar to how cash value life insurance pays dividends. Check Stability First: Before investing, it's important to make sure the company is financially strong and dependable. Know the Tax Rules: It's important to understand how these dividends affect your taxes, including how they change your cost basis and how they might lead to capital gains in the future. Smart Reallocation: Moving money from real estate into high-yield, tax-efficient stocks can be a smart choice when market conditions change. Plan with Experts: The discussion highlights how important it is to work with financial advisors and CPAs so you can make informed decisions and avoid expensive mistakes.   Chapters: Timestamp Summary 0:01 Exploring Tax Efficient Income Through Rock Dividends 1:46 Exploring Tax-Free Dividends Through Life Insurance and Preferred Stock 3:59 Exploring Wealth Building Through Bitcoin Treasury Companies 7:09 Understanding Tax Implications and Due Diligence in Investments 10:03 Real Estate Repricing and Investment Strategies for Wealth Growth   Powered by ReiffMartin CPA and Stone Hill Wealth Management   Social Media Handles    Follow Phillip Washington, Jr. on Instagram (@askphillip)   Subscribe to Wealth Building Made Simple newsletter https://www.wealthbuildingmadesimple.us/   Ready to turn your investing dreams into reality? Our "Wealth Building Made Simple" premium newsletter is your secret weapon. We break down investing in a way that's easy to understand, even if you're just starting out. Learn the tricks the wealthy use, discover exciting opportunities, and start building the future YOU want. Sign up now, and let's make those dreams happen!   WBMS Premium Subscription   Phillip Washington, Jr. is a registered investment adviser. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. Investments involve risk and, unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial adviser and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed herein. Past performance is not indicative of future performance.

In this episode, host Cary Sinnett is joined by Jeff Levine, CPA, CFP, and nationally recognized tax planning thought leader, to examine one of the most persistent dilemmas in personal financial planning: the tension between income tax strategies and estate tax minimization. They explore why these two priorities often conflict and walk through practical examples CPA financial planners face when advising clients on gifting, step-up in basis, trust structures, and navigating compressed tax brackets. Jeff explains how changes to the federal estate tax exemption, evolving client priorities, and multi-generational considerations require a fresh look at long-standing estate planning techniques. Whether you are working with high net worth business owners or everyday clients with legacy concerns, this episode offers clear guidance on when to prioritize short-term tax efficiency, when to focus on long-term wealth transfer, and how to serve both goals when possible. Topics Covered: Why estate and income tax strategies often work against each other The trade-off between gifting highly appreciated assets versus preserving step-up in basis When income tax planning should take priority even for affluent clients Rethinking outdated uses of credit shelter trusts in the modern exemption environment Grantor versus non-grantor trusts and the income tax implications of each Building flexibility into irrevocable trusts through toggling, decanting, and situs changes AICPA Resources: Toolkit: Year-end planning Article:  Tax Trifecta Trust after H.R. 1 Article: Year-End Planning Through the Lens of H.R. 1 Guide Excerpt: The Adviser's Guide to Financial & Estate Planning: V4 This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.

Join The Creative Finance Playbook Coaching Program & Learn Directly from Jenn & Joe:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativefinanceplaybook.com/How to Find REAL Buyers & Close Deals FAST (No Banks, No Waiting!) | Creative Finance Playbook ft. Daniel McClamStruggling to find real buyers for your deals? This ONE platform connects you to verified cash buyers in SECONDS — no banks, no gatekeepers, no excuses.What if finding real cash buyers was as easy as one click? In this episode of Creative Finance Playbook, Jenn & Joe Della Fave sit down with Daniel McClam, founder of InvestorBase, to reveal how investors are finding qualified buyers, closing deals faster, and scaling without relying on banks, agents, or luck.Whether you wholesale, flip, or buy creatively through Seller Financing, Subject-To, or Lease Options, you'll learn how to turn cold leads into real closings and automate your buyer pipeline.Inside this episode:

Avoiding simple mistakes with the IC-DISC can mean the difference between maximizing tax benefits and leaving money on the table. In this episode of The IC-DISC Show, I sit down with Brian Schwam, National Managing Director of International Tax Services at WTP Advisors, to talk about the most common IC-DISC misconceptions that trip up practitioners and the underutilized opportunities many businesses are missing. Brian walks through the critical timing rules that confuse even experienced CPAs, including the 60-day and 90-day payment requirements that many practitioners misapply. He explains how the reasonable estimate safe harbor actually works and why paying the minimum amount can accidentally cap your commission at twice that figure. We cover the ordering rules for distributions, the often-misunderstood $10 million threshold, and why the transactional calculation method isn't nearly as impossible as people think. Brian also clarifies that IC-DISC dividends are subject to the net investment income tax, despite what some practitioners might believe. The conversation shifts to creative structures most companies never consider. Brian explains how multiple DISCs can fund executive bonuses at qualified dividend rates instead of ordinary income rates, saving both employment taxes and up to 17% in federal tax for recipients. He describes evergreen dividend resolutions that eliminate the stress of year-end cash movements and shared-DISC structures that make the strategy economical for smaller exporters with under $3 million in sales. These approaches work for both flow-through entities and C corporations looking to avoid double taxation. After more than three decades in international tax, Brian brings clarity to a strategy that looks deceptively simple on paper but contains hidden complexity at every turn. This episode delivers practical guidance you can use immediately, whether you're a practitioner helping clients or a business owner evaluating your own structure.   SHOW HIGHLIGHTS Paying the minimum 50% under the 60-day rule accidentally caps your total IC-DISC commission at twice that amount, limiting flexibility. Companies with export sales over $10 million can still use an IC-DISC—the cap only limits income deferral, not eligibility. Multiple DISCs can fund executive bonuses at qualified dividend rates, saving up to 17% in federal tax versus ordinary income. The transactional calculation method isn't impossible—most companies in 2025 can pull the data needed to maximize their IC-DISC benefit. Evergreen dividend resolutions eliminate 60-day and 90-day payment stress by automatically distributing commission rights on December 31st each year. Shared DISC structures let exporters with under $3 million in sales split compliance costs while each partner keeps their full tax benefit.   Contact Details LinkedIn - Brian Schwam (https://www.linkedin.com/in/brian-schwam-b6026a3/) LINKSShow Notes Be a Guest About IC-DISC Alliance Brian SchwamAbout Brian TRANSCRIPT (AI transcript provided as supporting material and may contain errors) Dave: Hi Brian Welcome to the podcast. Brian: Hi Dave. Thanks for having me. Excited to be here. Dave: Yeah, my pleasure. So quick intro, Brian is, what's your title with WTP? Brian: National Director of National Managing Director of International Tax Services, which encompasses export incentives as well as more general international tax consulting. Okay, Dave: And that's at WTP advisors? Brian: Correct. Dave: And you and WTP advisors are founding members of the IC-DISC Alliance along with my firm and myself. Brian: That is correct. Dave: And so are you brand new to this international tax business? Did you pick it up last year or something? Brian: That's funny. I don't think I look like I picked it up last year. I've been been full-time international tax since 1992IC, and prior to that I spent a few years as a generalist, which I think makes me a better international tax person, but it's been a few years, been around the block a few times. Dave: Well, I think it makes you better. I always introduce you as the IC-DISC guru. Now that Neil Block has retired, I think you can now take over the mantle of godfather of the IC-DISC, Brian: Right? Or the step godfather. I don't know if anyone can ever replace Neil. He had a lot of knowledge, has a lot of knowledge in this area and a lot of experience, and I'm just kind of flattered to be compared to him. Dave: Well, Neil was, I think my inaugural or second guest, and I think he's only been on the podcast once. So I think you're trumping Neil with this either your second or third visit. Brian: I think it's the third visit. And Neil's retired and joined the Good Life and I'm not, so that's probably why I've beaten them as far as number of appearances. Dave: There you go. Well, today I want to talk about IC-DISC. I want to talk about misconceptions and maybe underutilized opportunities. So the IC-DISC is straightforward as can be cut and dried. Anybody can prepare the return, anybody can do the calculation. Easy peasy. There's nothing to your toe on. Is that accurate? Brian: That's far from accurate. Okay. Strength. Yeah. A lot of practitioners think that is the case, but I've seen more than a handful of IC-DISC returns and IC-DISC calculations done by generalists that definitely have a flare for not knowing what they're doing or not understanding the rules. And for a six page tax return that looks very straightforward. You'd be surprised how many of them are completely incorrect. Dave: Yeah, it's kind of deceiving, right? Because even the instructions for the return are only a handful of pages, right? Like six or eight pages. Brian: And then there's a couple of lists of codes and things that make 'em a little longer. But yeah, there's not much to it. But I mean, initially there are some statutory and regulatory things that have to be done, have to be done the correct way, and the rules are very draconian. If you don't do it the correct way, there's really no way to remedy the fact that you set up, you just deal with the consequences of having a disqualified IC-DISC, which means you've lost your IC-DISC benefits prospectively and you set up a new one or you forego the benefits No in between, really? Dave: Yeah. Brian: So some of these misconceptions that I've run into could lead to a IC-DISC being disqualified. Dave: So what's the first one that comes to mind? Brian: The first one that comes to mind really for me in practice is how does the 60 day rule and the 90 day rule work, this has to do with when do I have to move money to the IC-DISC? And some people don't understand it and they do things that make it not a problem. Other people do things, they don't understand it and it becomes a problem. So the 60 day rule basically says you must fund a reasonable estimate of the IC-DISC commission to the IC-DISC within 60 days after the end of the IC-DISCs year. It sounds very straightforward, but some people ignore that rule and some think they have to pay it all before the end of the year, but they don't have a 60 day window after the end of the year to accrue that IC-DISC commission and pay a portion of it. The other thing I see people do with the 60 day rules, they don't have all the information. They estimate a number. They say, oh, let's say the commission's going to be a thousand dollars and they pay $500 to the IC-DISC by the end of the 60th day. Well, what have they just done? Well, the 60 day rule says, yeah, you have to pay a reasonable estimate in the regulation. There's a safe harbor that says a reasonable estimate is at least 50% of the final IC-DISC commission. So by moving the least amount of money possible, they then limit their potential IC-DISC commission to two times that number. So rather than saying, oh, I think my IC-DISC commission's going to be a thousand and I'll pay 800 so that I have flexibility to go up to 1,600, they pay 500 and it can never be more than a thousand because there's a lot of information that's going to come out after the end of the year that's going to affect taxable income. And they generally don't know those things within the first 60 days after year. Dave: And what about for, I think this is for accrual basis taxpayers or accrual basis related suppliers. What about if it's a cash basis related supplier? Brian: Well, if it's a cash basis related supplier, now we're outside the DIS rules, but we're in the tax accounting. And in order to get a deduction, the payment does need to be made before the end of the year. If the payment is made after the end of the year, within that 60 day window, you've now pushed the deduction to the subsequent year, which really most people wouldn't be happy with. They want the production in the year that the exports arise, not in the subsequent year. So the other rule having to do with the moving of the cash is the 90 day rule, which says that you have to pay the IC-DISC any remaining commission within 90 days after the commission has been finalized. Well, finalized really means when did I file my IC-DISC return? And so it's an original return. It can be filed as late as eight and a half months after the end of the year. So you really have 11 and a half months from the end of the year to pay the remaining amount. So if we assume calendar year, that's a September 15th filing and a December 15th funding deadline for the remaining commission. I see a lot of practitioners out there that think the 90 days ends on the filing of the IC-DISC return, not starts on the filing of the IC-DISC return. So then they rush to pay that money and then they think they have a problem if they haven't paid it by the time they file. So I mean, there's no harm in paying it early, but that's not how the rule works. And then if someone's determining and amending a IC-DISC return and they owe more funds to the IC-DISC, they have 90 days. So when they file that IC-DISC return, amended IC-DISC return to make that extra payment to the, now, the other misconception is, well, what happens if my 60 day payment was greater than the final commission? I overestimated. So then the 90 day rule says if the IC-DISC received too much under the 60 day rule, it has 90 days that same 90 day window to pay back the overage back to the related supporter. So most people don't understand those rules and they do things that either potentially cause a problem or they create a lot of self-induced anxiety. They think they have to do something sooner than they have to do it. Dave: And speaking of the due date, if somebody wants to file their IC-DISC return in September, do they have to file an extension like to do their corporate return by March 15th? Brian: Nope. That is no, eight and a half months is the due date. There's no extension for a IC-DISC return. That is just the due date. Dave: And then what about if somebody wants to electronically file the IC-DISC return? How does that work? It doesn't. Okay. Brian: And why is that? Dave: Can't you electronically file Brian: Everything? Unfortunately not the IC-DISC, the 1120 IC IC-DISC is still a return that requires a paper filing. And sometimes clients don't realize that and they forget to file. And the good news is there's only a hundred dollars penalty for a late filing. But the bad news is if you keep continually don't file the IRS could. They could terminate your IC-DISC election. But yeah, there's no electronic filing. And then there's, there's another form. You also can't electronically file that relates to the IC-DISC, that it's the form 84 0 4, which relates to an interest charge that a taxpayer who owns a IC-DISC may have to pay if income is deferred to the IC-DISC and not distributed out as a qualified dividend to that shareholder. There's a lot of misconception around that form. And the first misconception is sometimes they think the IC-DISC needs to file that form and pay the interest. That is not true. That is not true. And so many times I'm asked to file that and I'm like, I can't file it. I can't prepare it. I don't know the information that goes on. And it's based on the shareholder or the disk. And if the shareholder is S corporation or a partnership, it's not based on that entity, it's based on its shareholders or partners. And there could be multiple 84 oh fours filed. And then oftentimes there's a surprise like, oh, I have to pay interest. I didn't know I had to pay interest. Well, it is called an IC IC-DISC, and the IC stands for interest charge. So that should not come as a surprise, but it often does. Dave: Okay. Wow, Brian: Go ahead. Yeah, so we're still on moving cash around. So there's also timing of when the shareholder of a picks up dividend income. So a lot of people think that if they pay the IC-DISC within that 60 day window after the end of the year and pay the dividend in the same 60 day window, somehow the dividend is recorded as though it happened on December 31st, and there's no deferral of the income in the IC-DISC. That's just flat out wrong. A dividend is taxable when it's declared, and most likely it's not going to be declared as of the end of the year. Dave: So that's like a miss application of the age old matching principle in accounting? Brian: Yes. Yes, definitely. Or a misapplication of someone thinking they have a evergreen dividend resolution, which I won't get into at the moment, but it's something that is used to accelerate dividends so that they do match the deduction of a IC-DISC. And you can't just match it because you have to match it because there's some reason to match it or there's action that's taken that would cause it to be matched. Dave: And I've heard some professionals maintain that because they're basically accelerating the dividend income to the current year, thereby bypassing the inherent deferral. That's okay, because why did the IRS care if they got paid a year early? Do you think that's, what's your opinion of that? Brian: I think that's a nice practical approach to that issue. I use it myself. I don't think that the IRS would audit a taxpayer and say, oh, by the way, you picked up that dividend too early. I'm going to write you a refund check. Dave: Yeah. Brian: Plus interest, I don't think, Dave: Now what if there was an audit though, and you had an issue where the audit period it covered had a mismatch so that if there was a year that you say it was the 2022 tax year and the dividend income should have been recognized in 2023, but they recognized it in 2022, and then let's just say they did an audit from of 2023 in isolation, and then let's say in 2023, the client didn't use the IC-DISC or had a much smaller commission amount, could the IRS potentially say, we don't care about 2022. In 2023, you should have recognized the dividend income. Brian: They they certainly could. And then they'd say, well, 2022 is closed. We can't adjust that. So it's always better to not fall into that fact pattern, but it happens. Definitely happens. Dave: So it Brian: Sounds like the good news is there's not a lot of IC-DISC audits that go, Dave: Yeah. So you're saying it sounds like when in doubt, just follow the rules, it sounds like. Brian: Yeah. Dave: When Brian: In doubt follow the rules, don't make up your own rules, for Dave: Sure. Yeah. Well, and I think part of the problem is people may not be aware of the rules. Brian: They're not, and then they just fill in the blank. Their brain fills in the blank with what they think makes sense. Dave: Yeah, because a lot of be a lot of differences between the IC-DISC and say an S corp, right? Like the election to be treated as an S corp does not have the same deadline urgency as the election be treated as a IC-DISC. Is that correct? Brian: I'm not a hundred percent sure, but there might, yeah, I am a hundred percent sure. Because if you miss the deadline for the S selection, there's automatic relief available for the S selection to be made late. There is no automatic relief available for a IC-DISC election. Either you've met the requirement to file it within the first 60 days of the corporation its existence, or you haven't. Now, there are exceptions, and we have written some private letter ruling requests in the past to get be granted relief for missing that 90 day window, but that's an extensive Dave: Miss. Yeah, understood. And then some other, Brian: And you may not know for two years whether you're going to get the relief or Dave: Yeah, I know I've had CPAs tell me that they frequently will just include the form 25 53 S corp election with the filing of the initial S corp return. Brian: That's allowed. And that's allowed, Dave: Yeah. Obviously you can't do that with the IC-DISC return. Brian: No, no. So then on the topic dividends, there's also some misunderstanding or misconception of whether a dividend from a IC-DISC is subject to the net investment income tax, the 3.8%. Dave: Oh, yes. I've heard people take that position that it's not subject to. What are your thoughts? Brian: Well, my thoughts are that many years ago, like 11 years ago, the IRS came out and said, it's definitely subject to the commission IC-DISC paying a dividend. That dividend is definitely subject to the net investment income tax. So I personally don't get involved in individual returns, so I don't know what people are doing, but if I'm ever asked, that's what I'll tell somebody. And I say, you can take whatever position you're comfortable taking, but this is the position I know the IRS would take. Dave: Okay, that makes sense. What other pitfalls do you see or misconceptions Brian: People have? So when I see IC-DISC, there's a $10 million, let's call the $10 million deferral cap with regard to a IC-DISC. And what that means is any IC-DISC commission related to export sales made by the related supplier, which are greater than 10 million above that $10 million threshold, create what's called a deemed dividend. You're not allowed to defer any of that income in the IC-DISC. Well, in practice or in the real world, people think, oh, I can't have more than 10 million of export sales. If I go over 10 million, I can't use the disk. That's clearly not true. I have clients that have seen clients that have billions of dollars of export sales. They just have a very large deep dividend that goes along with the IC IC-DISC commission. There is no limitation on the amount of export sales, the limitations on how much of the income you can defer the IC-DISC if you have more than 10 million of export suit. Dave: Okay. Brian: I've also seen related to that issues where someone's exporting military property. So military property, half of the income is a deemed dividend automatic under the rules. And then I've seen where they then add, and let's say the sales were over 10 million, they've added, they made an additive, they took half of the commission on the military property, and they said, oh, my sales are more than 10 million. I have additional deemed dividend as well. That's not how it works. The way it works is you compute your deemed dividend on the sales in excess of 10 million, and then from that you subtract the deemed dividend related to the military property. And so the most your deemed dividend can be is related to that $10 million cap. Dave: Okay. Yeah, I was less familiar with the military aspect of it. I don't think any of my clients are exporting military property. Brian: That's just an example. I mean, there's other things that give rise to deemed dividends as well. For example, one way you can defer income in a IC-DISC is to loan the money back to the related supplier. Under a producer loan arrangement, there's very specific facts that support the ability to use a producer loan. But then each year, the interest that's earned on that producer loan is a deemed dividend. Dave: Oh, sure. Brian: Whether it's paid or not. So whether the interest is paid, and then when the dividend is actually paid, it's not taxable because we've got a lot of ordering rules in the IC-DISC about when things get paid out and how they get paid out, and I don't have all day, but that's another area where I think there's a lot of misunderstanding. Dave: Okay. Brian: Oh, well, so I can focus on one small part of that is the IC-DISC in year one has the income of a hundred. In first quarter of year two, they pay out the 100 to the IC-DISC and the DIS pays the dividend. And in year two, it earns $300, and that gets paid in year three. Well, I hear all the time, well, I don't have any income deferred to the DIS because I earned the a hundred dollars in year one, I paid it in year two, and I paid the dividend in year two, and then I had income for year two of $300 that I paid in year three. Well, it doesn't work that way. In the DIS world or in the tax world in general, current earnings are always considered to be distributed first. So that a hundred dollars that gets paid out in year two is really coming from the year two earnings. And the year one earnings are still sitting in the deferred, thus giving rise to the interest charge that someone thinks they're avoiding. Dave: Okay. Brian: So there's some misconception about how that works. Dave: So I have one I just thought of, and I've heard this is the one, the misconception I've probably heard the most. Under no circumstances can the IC-DISC commission create a loss at the related supplier level? No matter how you do the calculation, it's Brian: Impossible. That's a big misconception. Dave: Yeah, Brian: There's no rule. There is no rule like that. Okay. So the rule is actually applied at the level in which you're computing the IC-DISC commission. So if you have exports with a profit, but overall your company has a loss, you can still compute a IC-DISC commission on those export sales because they have profit. Now, you can't cause the profit on the export sales themselves to become a loss. So let's say your export sales are making 2% bottom line, but overall, your company loses 3% bottom line. Some people will think, I can't get a IC-DISC commission. I have a loss. That's not true. You can claim a IC-DISC commission, but it cannot be more than 2% of the export profit because then makes the profit on the export zero, but it can't go below zero. Dave: And that's if you're using what we would call the standard or simple calculation. Brian: That's the simple calculation. Now, if you're doing something more detailed and you're calculating a IC-DISC commission on a product or product line or a transaction, you apply that no loss rule at that level. So you can have a number of transactions that are profitable, you can have a number of transactions that are not profitable, and then different rules apply. There's really people think, oh, there's two methods to compute a IC-DISC commission. That's probably another big misconception. There's really 18 methods to compute a IC-DISC commission, and you can choose one that allows you to get a commission but doesn't create a loss, and in some cases does actually allow you to create a loss. Dave: And is that methodology difference? I can't think of the technical accounting term, like where if you change your inventory method, you have to notify the IRS or you make an accounting change. This isn't like that, right? You don't have to each year notify the IRS. We used the 4% method last year, we're using the 50% this year, or we're doing other methodology. Correct. Brian: So you technically notify them by checking various boxes on the IC-DISC return, but it's not like a change in the accounting method where you have to apply for a change and have it approved or have an automatic change. This is considered a change in facts. And however your facts bear out, you can claim whatever commission you're allowed to claim. Dave: Now, when you do that transactional calculation, another misconception I hear is that it's just impossible because there's all this data that the company doesn't have, and it's so complicated to do it that just nobody has the ability to do it. Nobody can do it. Nobody wants to do it. Talk to me about that. Is the data really impossible to get from the clients? There no client that can provide any data that can be used. Brian: There may be handful that can't, but by and large, most companies have the ability in 2025 to obtain that data. When the rules were written in 1972, I'd say it was probably flipped where only a handful could probably get that information. And the vast majority of companies would never be able to get that information. But somebody wrote the regs that way back in the early seventies, and with the idea that you could get transactional information and compute the dis commission transactionally as opposed to at a higher level where everything's grouped together or a simple calculation. But in 2025, it's very, I have a hard time determining conceiving of a company that can't get some information pulled together. And that's the other, there's a related misconception. Oh, I have to tie out every dollar of my cost of good sold before I can tell you I have cost of good sold data for a transaction. Well, that's just not true because in the real world, companies make journal entries adjusting the cost of good sold. They don't do it at a transactional level. There's other things that schedule M'S on a tax return that affect cost of good sold. And so no, you don't have to nub that out to the last dollar to say, I have transactional data. You have to be able to identify what you can and what you can't identify gets allocated or apportioned across all the transactions. And if you think about it, if you say, I can't get anything, you're really apportioning all of the costs over everything anyway. That's the ultimate in apportionment. There's not even any allocation. You're just saying, oh, every one of my transactions has the same margin as a result, which is really factually never the case. Dave: Well, and I just thought of another one, and this isn't maybe a misconception as much as it is a misinterpretation. I can't tell you how many IC-DISCs I see that the related supplier is a flow through entity, yet they have the individuals own the IC-DISC. Have you seen this before? Brian: I've seen it. And sometimes they think that's the way it had to be. Sometimes they hadn't really thought of. It depends how they're using it. But the real downside to that is the IC-DISC commission reduces the income of the flow through entity, thus reducing the basis they have in their shares of that flow through entity. And then the dividend gets paid to the individual and there's no basis increase the dividend income. And unless they contribute the funds back to the business, they're eroding away their basis stock, which ultimately will result in a higher gain if they ever sell their business. Dave: When the ownership of the IC-DISC matches the ownership of the related supplier. Can you think of a scenario where it is actually beneficial for the individual shareholders to the IC-DISC instead of the related supplier? Brian: Yes. There are situations depending on where this shareholder lives. So let's say the shareholder lives in, say the company is operating in a state with a state income tax, but the shareholder lives in a state that doesn't have a state income tax. It's possible to get that dividend to the shareholder tax free, where maybe if it went through the S corporation or the partnership, it would not be tax free. Dave: I see. And you're talking about tax free at the state level? Brian: Yes. Federally, I don't really see in a regular IC-DISC that's just been used to pay dividends to the owners of the supplier. I don't see, unless it's a C corporation, in that case, you don't want the IC-DISC owned by the C corp, but if it's a flow through entity, you generally get the same tax answer, whether it's owned directly by the flow through entity or directly by the shareholders. Dave: Okay. Oh, I just thought of another misconception. It's funny, when we started this column, I only had a handful of misconceptions. But the more we talk, the more we think of. So here's another one. Say you have a flow through as the related supplier yet for whatever reason, you want the IC-DISC to be owned by the individual shareholders. Well, I've been told several times that the ownership of the IC-DISC must match the ownership of the related supplier. There is no option to do otherwise. Is that accurate? Brian: That's a fairly strong statement. So the answer to that is no, it's not absolutely not required. Now, if the shareholders are related to one enough FAMILIALLY related, and there appears to be donative intent. So if mom and dad own a company and set up a IC-DISC and transfer it to the kids, there is some old IRS guidance out there that says, Hey, when a IC-DISC commission's paid to that IC-DISC, mom and dad are making a gift to kids. So that's a pattern you want to avoid, which is pretty easy to avoid, frankly. Dave: And you would avoid that by just setting up a new IC-DISC that the children would Brian: Set up initially and not get transferred by Dave: To the right and where the kids are making the capital contribution to Bible stock and Brian: Right. Exactly. But that's the one little gray area. Otherwise, there are some people out there that set up a IC-DISC to fund bonuses for executives. And we've kind of transitioned here away from misconceptions to underutilized opportunities because really that's an opportunity where you can use a IC-DISC to fund bonus payments to key executives and owners, or not owners, and it doesn't save the company any money, but it certainly saves the recipients a good amount of tax because if they get bonuses, they're paying tax, whatever their ordinary rate is, let's just say 37%, where plus there's payroll tax of 3.8%, whereas if it's funded through a IC-DISC, they pay tax at the qualified dividend rate plus the 3.8%. So it's a 17% rate differential on that type of income between the wages and the qualified dividend for the recipient. Dave: And I guess it would also save the employer portion of the employment taxes as well, right? Brian: Well, it saves the employee and the employer, but it's replaced by the Obamacare net investment income tax. So they're both 3.8%. Dave: But if you had a simple example where an employee had a base salary of a hundred thousand dollars and they had a $20,000 bonus that was paid through the IC-DISC, that would've been subject to Brian: Fica. I'm thinking about people that are making more than Dave: Understood, Brian: But you can save FICA tax as well, Dave: And the Brian: Employer and the Dave: Employee, and that's kind of what I was thinking of. And even when they get above that limit, there's still the 1.45% that I think has no cap. Brian: Right. But again, that's the employer portion. Then there's the employee portion together that's 3.80, Dave: Right, which is the, Brian: So you've got the Obamacare tax. Gotcha. Dave: Well, that reminds me of another misconception that you had alluded to, and that is that a related supplier can only have one IC-DISC affiliated with it. Is that true? Brian: That is not true. Related supplier could have a thousand IC-DISCs if it wanted to. Dave: In fact, that option you mentioned of the employee owned IC-DISC, I usually see that as that being an additional IC-DISC kind of in addition to the primary IC-DISC. Is that usually how you see it? Brian: I see that way as well. Yeah, for sure. Or I see IC-DISC A is going to fund bonuses for the C level executives, and then IC-DISC B is going to fund bonuses for middle management. And so middle management IC-DISC has a targeted amount, and the upper level IC-DISC may not have a targeted amount. It might just be unlimited. Dave: Now, the drawback is if you have multiple disk, the combined commission amount for all of them cannot exceed what it would've been if you had just one IC-DISC. Right. It's not a mechanism to create larger combined Brian: That definitely can't, doesn't work. Yeah, it definitely would. But yeah, you can definitely set up different structures to fund bonuses for different people, or if it's a C corporation, and we don't see a lot of C corporations with IC-DISCs. But if you're a closely held C corporation, you can have a shareholder owned IC-DISC, and if you're in the habit of paying dividends, you can pay commissions to a DIS instead of paying those dividends, Dave: Avoiding the double taxation in Brian: The corporate layer. Exactly. So that's an underutilized opportunity in my opinion, because there's got to be more closely held C corps out there than the amount that are using IC-DISCs. Dave: And I guess another one, we touched on this earlier, but the evergreen dividend resolution, what's this all about? Why is this an opportunity? What are the benefits of Brian: It? So the evergreen dividend resolution basically says the IC-DISC is going to distribute, its right to receive a commission each year on the last day of its year. So that accelerates the dividend into the same year as the commission expense. That alleviates the need to move money under the 60 day rule and 90 day rule. There's no reason to move the money if you're not trying to qualify a receivable. That's what those rules relate to, whether you're as receivable as qualified or not. So that's a benefit. It also can guard against the law change where the rate on the dividend income would go up in the subsequent year. You can avoid that. But a lot of practitioners treat their IC-DISC like they have an evergreen, but they don't actually have it. And that's a problem in my mind. But if you have it, it just makes everything a lot easier. You don't have to try to figure something out by the end of February. You figure it out once and you just treat it like it all happened at the end of the year. And I know that that works because I had a client years ago that was in tax court in the great state of Texas. The issue came up. I wrote up a brief for the client, and the tax court accepted the evergreen as a viable dividend resolution Dave: Because in a way, didn't the tax court almost defer that to the state rules? Brian: Well, they just fall under. So you can have a dividend, you can create a dividend under state corporate law just by writing a resolution, but you have to have the income to support the dividend, to have a dividend for tax purposes. So if you have the resolution that says, I'm declaring a dividend on December 31st every year, then based on facts, you either do have a dividend or you don't for tax purposes depending on how much income you have. So it just falls back on that probably one other underutilized Dave: Opportunity. Well, Brian, before you move, I just wanted to talk about the evergreen, I guess is the biggest drawback that the taxpayer would miss out on the deferral. Brian: That's one of the drawbacks. The other drawback has to do with the interplay between all of this and this 4 61 L limitation, which limits how much of a flow through loss a taxpayer can deduct in a year. So you could have a situation where the IC-DISC dividend on a transaction by transaction basis becomes so large, the commission becomes so large, it creates a loss and the flow through entity, the shareholder can only deduct a certain amount of that loss, but they would have to potentially pick up all the dividend income Dave: And then Brian: Deduct that loss at a later point in time. Now, personally, I'm still getting a permanent rate benefit out of it. So if I'm not going to sit on this loss for years and years, I think it's okay. But if I'm going to sit on that loss year after year after year and not utilize it, then I don't want to be picking up those dividends that I can't utilize the losses. So it just requires some additional coordination between the CPA and us and the client to determine exactly what the right commission should be. Dave: Okay. So you're about to, Brian: And that's another misconception. Dave: Yeah, go ahead. Brian: Yeah, like, oh, my commission has to either be whatever I compute or zero can't be anywhere in between. That's a misconception because I can target an amount, and as long as my IC-DISC commission agreement gives the related supplier the unilateral power to include or not include a IC-DISC export sale in the IC-DISC calculation, I can pick and choose whatever number I want that to be so that I don't have a 4 61 L problem, or I don't have the number be bigger than I can utilize. In other words. Dave: And that's because the IRS does not require you to capture every export sale. So that's basically limit the IC-DISC commission to a specific amount and back into which of the export sales you'll basically exclude from the calculation. Brian: Right? Right. Exactly. Exactly. But again, also we like to see that supported in the IC-DISC commission agreement. And then the last underutilized opportunity has to do with G there. Having a IC-DISC does have some cost. So if I don't have at these 3 million of export sales, it might be questionable whether I can really benefit economically benefit from a IC-DISC. When I look at the cost and the benefit, well, there are structures out there that we'll call a shared ING IC-DISC where partner like small exporter can invest in a partnership. That partnership owns a IC-DISC. Maybe there's five or six investors in the partnership. They're all unrelated. They all have, let's call it a million dollars of export sales. And on a standalone basis, there'd be too much cost for setting up the disk compliance to offset the tax benefits, but it'd be greater than the tax benefits. But if I can use a shared disk, then I only have to share a portion of the cost, the annual cost of the IC-DISC, but I still get my tax benefit. And really what happens with the other partners? So the partnership owns the IC-DISC. The IC-DISC earns that commission from the related supplier, then the IC-DISC pays all of its dividends to that partnership, and the partnership can then allocate the dividends back to the individual exporters based on their contribution. So it's a way for smaller companies to still get a tax benefit out of it. And I seen very few of these out there. So there's got to be thousands of companies that export that just don't export enough to have their own IC-DISC. Dave: Yeah, yeah. No, that's an interesting opportunity. And I agree based on my experience. I mean, I've talked to so many people in the past, or I did talk to so many people who exported $2 million or less, and I'd have to say to them, it's probably not worth the time and the cost because there's time on their end and then there's hard cost to have the work done. Brian: Yeah. I've had the same conversation countless times with companies as well. It's really something that both exporters and their CPAs should be aware of because the CPAs are in the best position to know that their clients are doing some level of export. Dave: And I just thought of another misconception, and that is that the virtually from the day after the IC-DISC rules were enacted, prognosticators started saying that the IC-DISC is going away. It's just going to be a short-lived thing. And even in the two decades I've been involved in IC-DISC work, I've heard this from so many tax practitioners, oh yeah, this thing's going away anyway, why bother? Brian: Yeah. Well, it really, for it to go away would fly right in the face of current policy in the administration. So I don't think it's going away anytime soon. Some of the benefits have been whittled away over time with some of the other provisions that are coming into play, but it's really not going to get repealed anytime soon. Certainly not in the next four years after that, who knows. But certainly it's good for the next four years. But it's funny, in 2003 with the Bush tax cuts, they brought in this concept of qualified dividend income, which really revitalized the use of the IC-DISC for a lot of pass through businesses. One of the big four firms said, oh, it's going to be a technical correction, and the qualified dividends are not going to include the dis dividends. Well, here it is 22 years later, I'm still waiting for that technical correction out of Congress, but I guarantee you that they've advised their clients to use the IC-DISC, even though they were out there saying, oh, no, no, no, no, no. This is an error. It's going to go away. Dave: Well, I had this conversation, I think it was in 2009. I think the preferential dividend rate was IC-DISCussed going away at the end of 2010. If I have my time horizon. And I remember it was late summer of I believe oh nine, talked to the potential client, they connected me to the CPA, and this was the international tax partner of a top 50 CPA firm. And she said to me, quote, I think you're being reckless even bringing this idea up to my client. I said, why is that? She said, are you not aware of house resolution such and such that hadn't been passed, but the resolution was going to ever go away? And she said, if this is passed, then this will not be usable beyond the 2010 tax share. And she said, we think it's reckless and not even sure why you'd want to bother with it if you can only at max use it for a year and four months. And I remembered saying, I appreciate that. You may not think it's worth it, but I wonder if the client, when he does the ROI calculations, if they might think it's worth it. Because even if they only used it for a year and a half, it still might be worth the cost to set it up, the compliance cost and the cost to shut it down. Brian: That whole analysis took place in 2007, 2010, 2012. I remember, I'm not proud of this, staying up late on New Year's night of 2013, so I could watch Congress vote because they let the qualified dividend rate lapse and then they had to reenact it the next day. And they did it on January 1st, and I sat in front of the TV watching. I was fairly invested in whether they were going to vote for it Dave: Or not. Yeah. Well, I think that's appropriate. You're a little bit like the soup Nazi from Seinfeld. He is got such passion for his customers. Brian: There you go. Yeah, I definitely am passionate about what I do because I love what I do. I couldn't imagine not doing it. Dave: Yeah, I find the same. Brian: And I love helping taxpayers legitimately reduce their tax burden. Dave: Well, and the clients that we help tend to be entrepreneurial type companies, they're not Fortune 500. And I've seen where this can legitimately make a difference in freeing up cash to buy more equipment, hire more people. It's quite a stimulus. Brian: Also not a misconception is Fortune 500 companies can't use a IC-DISC. It's really for private companies. Dave: Yeah. Brian: It's not something that you'll see a lot of or any private public companies utilize. Dave: Okay. Well boy, we've covered a lot. Anything left to cover? Any other misconceptions or opportunities you can think of? Brian: Nothing that I don't think we've IC-DISCussed. Dave: Okay. Well, I have one final kind of fun question. So with the benefit of hindsight, if you could go back in time and give advice to, say your 25-year-old self, what advice might you give to yourself? Brian: It's going to be completely non-tax related. Dave: That's okay. Brian: If you tear a ligament to your knee, get it repaired. I did that and I didn't get it repaired. And ultimately I got a new knee, which works just as well as the original with a lot more probably pain in the interim. Dave: Gotcha. Okay. Well that's good advice. So the takeaway, if you're 25 years old and you have a ligament tear, don't wait 30 years to get it fixed Brian: Or to not get it fixed at all and just get an artificial knee. Dave: Yeah. Understood. Well, Brian, thank you so much. This was really fun. I mean fun by a couple of IC-DISC nerds. I guess not everybody would consider this conversation fun, but I thought it was a lot of fun and I appreciate the expertise that you bring to this matter. Brian: I appreciate the opportunity to be here and chat with you about it. And maybe in the future there'll be some more topics we can talk about. Dave: Yep. I would enjoy that. We should make it an annual tradition. Brian: That sounds like a good idea. Dave: Alright. Hey, have a great day, Brian. Brian: You too, David. Dave: There we have it. Another great episode. Thanks for listening in. If you want to continue the conversation, go to ic IC-DISC show.com. That's IC dash D-C-S-H-O w.com. And we have additional information on the podcast archived episodes as well as a button to be a guest. So if you'd like to be a guest, go select that and fill out the information and we'd love to have you on the show. So it we'll be back next time with another episode of the IC-DISC Show. Special Guest: Brian Schwam.

104 Startups Beware: The Legal Traps Every Founder Faces |  Matthew Fornaro, P.A.   The Entreprenudist Podcast https://entreprenudist.com Running a business without understanding the law is one of the biggest risks an entrepreneur can take. In this episode of The Entreprenudist Podcast, we sit down with Matthew Fornaro, attorney and founder of Matthew Fornaro, P.A., a law firm dedicated to helping businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups navigate complex legal challenges. Matthew breaks down the essential protections every business owner needs, the silent legal threats entrepreneurs overlook, and the costly mistakes that can derail your entire company. In this episode, you'll learn: ✔️ The most common legal risks startups face ✔️ Why solid contracts protect your business more than you think ✔️ Intellectual property basics every founder should understand ✔️ Partnership and equity pitfalls to avoid ✔️ Compliance issues that can quietly sink a business ✔️ When to hire a lawyer and the right questions to ask Whether you're launching a new venture or scaling a growing business, this conversation is packed with practical legal guidance to keep your company protected and future-ready.

Understanding financial management is essential for law firm owners because it allows them to make informed decisions that can positively impact their firm’s profitability. By having a clear grasp of their financial picture, they can identify areas for improvement, make strategic adjustments, and ultimately increase their firm’s cash flow and overall profit. What are some common blind spots that can negatively impact a law firm’s financial management? One common blind spot is overlooking accounts receivables, which can lead to delayed or unpaid client payments, affecting the firm’s cash flow. Another blind spot is not capturing all billable time, resulting in lost revenue. Additionally, paying unnecessary interest, whether on debts or loans, can also hinder a firm’s financial health. Addressing these blind spots is crucial for maintaining financial stability and maximizing profitability. How can law firm owners effectively manage their cash flow to ensure financial stability? Law firm owners can manage their cash flow effectively by monitoring and analyzing their financial statements regularly. Key statements such as profit and loss, balance sheet, statement of cash flows, and accounts receivable aging provide valuable insights into the firm’s financial health. By understanding these statements and seeking guidance from professionals like CPAs or business coaches, owners can make informed decisions to optimize cash flow and maintain financial stability. What strategies can law firms implement to create a simple budget and utilize overflow cash flow effectively? Instead of traditional budgeting, law firms can rely on periodic reviews of financial statements to guide their financial decisions. By analyzing income, expenses, and cash flow trends, firms can establish a baseline for their financial management. Setting aside a buffer for unexpected expenses and planning for one-off payments like taxes or contributions can help firms utilize their cash flow efficiently and strategically. Why is it important for law firm owners to have a basic understanding of their financials, even if they are not numbers-oriented? Law firm owners should have a basic understanding of their financials because it allows them to identify opportunities for improving profitability and optimizing cash flow. By recognizing key financial indicators and making informed financial decisions, owners can unlock hidden potential within their firm and enhance their overall financial success. Understanding financial management doesn’t require being a numbers expert but rather a willingness to engage with the financial aspects of running a law firm effectively.

Starting a mortgage career is hard enough. Starting in your late 40s—with no industry background—and still becoming a $100M producer by year three?That's the story of Larry Gonzales, and it's one every loan officer who wants to grow their mortgage business should hear. This episode breaks down the mindset, networking strategies, and niche loan products that helped Larry win in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the country.Larry isn't doing it with magic leads or gimmicks. He's doing it with old-school fundamentals and ruthless consistency updated for the modern market. You'll hear how he went from “brand new LO nobody knew” to the VA and Non-QM go-to on Oahu, the “digital mayor” of his market, and a relentlessly disciplined operator who's built a life and business that actually feel good to live in.Top Takeaways for Loan Officers:1️⃣ How Larry hired support early, stopped processing his own loans, and focused his time on what actually moves the needle: shaking hands, kissing babies, status calls to listing agents, and being seen in the community—online and offline.2️⃣ The exact rhythm for weekly content: market updates, MBS Highway data, local Board of Realtors stats, and short educational reels. Plus, how to hire a VA team that repurposes one 15–20 minute video into a week's worth of social content and newsletter touchpoints.3️⃣ The 4:00 AM routine, journaling, gratitude, and planning rituals that keep top producers sharp, and how Larry expanded from VA specialist into Non-QM, DSCR, bank statement, and foreign national loans—plus how he uses stories and lunch & learns so Realtors and CPAs actually know what he can solve.Books Mentioned in This EpisodeBecoming Supernatural: How Common People are Doing the Uncommon – Dr. Joe DispenzaNinja Selling – Larry KendallGivers Gain: The BNI Story – Dr. Ivan MisnerABOUT TIM BRAHEEMWith more than 25 years of experience as a highly successful mortgage professional, industry leader, educator, and life coach, Tim Braheem is committed to engaging with people on a deep level and helping them uncover the barriers they have placed in the way of having the level of success they deserve in both their business and personal lives.FOLLOW Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/tbraheem/LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/timbraheemTHE LOAN ATLASJOIN ► https://go.theloanatlas.com/membership FOLLOWInstagram ► https://www.instagram.com/theloanatlas/YOUTUBE ► https://www.youtube.com/@LoanAtlas----------

Yes there's a thin line between helping out vs being taken advantage of, and in comedy you have to pay attention or you will get taken advantage of a lot! Here's a quick story about 2 times where I had each of these things happen . . . or almost happen. Please listen and subscribe - my stories are short, behind the scenes things that happened to me as a comedian. They come out 1 time per week!  https://www.TheWorkLady.com  Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn't just entertainment—it's a business skill that drives communication, connection, and stress relief.   A conference keynote speaker, Master of Ceremonies, and comedy writer, Jan has written material for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well as radio, TV, and syndicated cartoon strips. She's the author of two books—Finding the Funny Fast and Convention Comedian—and her insights on humor in business have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post. For over 25 years, she has been helping leaders and teams discover how to bounce back from setbacks, embrace change, and connect through comedy.   Jan has delivered keynote speeches at thousands of events nationwide, from the Federal Reserve Banks to the Mayo Clinic, for industries that include healthcare, finance, government, education, women's leadership events, technology, and safety & disaster management. Her client list features respected organizations such as: Healthcare: Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Abbott Pharmaceuticals, Health Information Management Associations, Assisted Living Associations Finance: Federal Reserve Banks, Merrill Lynch, Transamerica Insurance, BDO Accounting, American Institute of CPAs, credit unions, banking associations Government: U.S. Air Force, Social Security Administration, International Institute of Municipal Clerks, National League of Cities, public utilities, correctional associations Women's Leadership Events: Toyota Women's Conference, Go Red for Women, Speaking of Women's Health, Soroptimists, Women in Insurance & Financial Services Education: State superintendent associations, community college associations, Head Start associations, National Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals Safety & Disaster: International Association of Emergency Managers, Disney Emergency Management, Mid-Atlantic Safety Conference, risk management associations   Her background as a Washington, D.C. marketing executive gives her a unique perspective that blends business acumen with stand-up comedy. Jan was also honored with the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives "Excellence in Education" Award. Along with her podcast Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips from a Comedian, Jan also produces Comedian Stories: Tales From the Road in Under 5 Minutes. Whether she's headlining a major convention, hosting a leadership retreat, or teaching resilience at a safety conference, Jan's programs give audiences the tools to laugh, learn, and lead.  

Welcome back to another episode of The Richer Geek Podcast. Today we are joined by Chris Hervochon, CPA, CVA, a numbers-driven advisor who helps growth-minded entrepreneurs make smarter financial decisions. Chris shares how good accounting goes far beyond tax season, why advisory-based CPAs can save you tens of thousands, and the real difference between bookkeeping, controllers, and fractional CFOs. He also breaks down how to prepare your business for a future sale and the hidden risks most founders never check. If you're ready to run your business like the asset it should be, this episode will help you get there. In this episode, we chat about… Chris shares how his career went from accounting to pro golf and eventually to running his own CPA firm. He explains why traditional CPAs focus on volume and often can't offer real advisory or proactive support. Breakdown of the differences between bookkeeping, controllers, and fractional CFOs. Discussion on how upcoming tax law changes may impact business owners in the next few months. Chris talks about what makes a business valuable and how owners can reduce risk to increase that value. Key Takeaways: A strategic CPA gives advice year-round, not just during tax season. Growing businesses need consistent check-ins, quarterly at minimum, monthly if possible. Your finance function should stay within 1–3% of your revenue to stay effective. Entity structure and tax planning are major sources of missed savings for entrepreneurs. Buyers pay for stable, low-risk cash flow, not a business that depends on the owner.   Resources from Chris LinkedIn  | Better Numbers Resources from Mike and Nichole Check out our latest project here: Barcelona Hotel Fund LinkedIn  | Gateway Private Equity Group | Nic's guide

#BusinessValuation #BusinessExit #SmallBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessBuying #SellMyBusiness #DavidCBarnett #BusinessOwner #ExitPlanning #BusinessWorth See our video on MPSP valuations and learn more about our services to help sell your business at https://www.HowToSellMyOwnBusiness.com Find the Defenders of Business Value here: https://www.defendersofbusinessvalue.com/ep-133-the-story-that-sells-your-business-with-charlie-stanton/ *** Today, I want to tackle one of the biggest questions every business owner faces: How do you put a price on a business? Whether you're thinking about selling in a few years or just want to plan for the future, understanding how valuations work — and which type you actually need — can make a huge difference. Learn more about business pricing, exit prep, and MPSP reports: HowToSellMyOwnBusiness.com Watch the full video here: https://youtu.be/6AFQjkl-Mvs #BusinessValuation #SmallBusiness #SellMyBusiness #Entrepreneurship #BusinessExit #BusinessValue #BusinessBuyerAdvantage #DavidCBarnett **** YouTube Chapters 00:00 – Intro 00:40 – Why Business Valuation Matters for Owners 02:00 – The Podcast That Sparked This Conversation 03:30 – Different Lenses = Different Prices 05:00 – Buyer Insight vs. Seller Expectations 07:30 – The “Most Probable Selling Price” (MPSP) Explained 09:00 – Why You Can't Just Average Comparable Sales 11:15 – Understanding Valuation Databases and Multiples 13:00 – Common Misconceptions About Valuation Formulas 15:00 – How Certified Appraisers, CPAs, and Brokers Differ 17:45 – Real Examples: $1.6M vs. $571K Valuations 21:00 – How Bad Assumptions Skew Business Value 23:00 – The Dangers of Discounted Cash Flow for Small Firms 25:30 – Why Buyers Don't Pay for Your “Future Potential” 27:45 – When and Why to Get an MPSP Report 30:00 – How a Small Margin Change Can Boost Business Value 32:00 – The Real Reward of Business Ownership 34:00 – Tax Tip: Deduct Your Valuation This Year 35:00 – Wrap-Up and Next Steps **** - Join David's email list so you never miss any new videos or important information or insights, RECEIVE 7 FREE GIFTS!!- https://www.DavidCBarnettList.com **** Do Business with David using these incredible internet links... - David's Blog where you can find hundreds of free videos and articles, https://www.DavidCBarnett.com - Book a call with David and let him help you with your project, https://www.CallDavidBarnett.com - Learn how to buy a successful and profitable business in a risk-controlled way https://www.BusinessBuyerAdvantage.com - Get help selling your business, https://www.HowToSellMyOwnBusiness.com - Get better organized in your business, https://www.EasySmallBizSystems.com - Learn to make better cash flow forecasts and write incredibly effective business plans from scratch!, https://www.BizPlanSchool.com - Learn to build an equity asset with insurance! visit https://www.NewBankingSolution.com -Did you sign up for an expensive Merchant Cash Advance for your business and now struggle to make the payments? Find out how you can negotiate your way out at https://www.EndMyMCA.com

Get your FREE 7 Pricing Essentials for CPAs and EAs here:https://geraldinecarter.com/7What if scaling back didn't have to mean awkwardness or guilt?In this episode, Suzanne talks about how she reduced her hours, increased prices, and let go of not-fitting clients in a way that still felt kind — kind enough that she'd be perfectly happy to bump into past clients at the post office. If you're craving fewer hours but want to handle the transition with warmth and respect, this conversation shows exactly how that can look.…Link to full shownotes: https://www.businessstrategyforcpas.com/376…Want Pricing Essentials?If you feel trapped by your own accounting firm, it's not because of the work – it's how you've priced the work. Too many accountants are stuck in undercharging, overdelivering, and people-pleasing cycles. Break the pattern with my short PDF guide: 7 Pricing Essentials »It's free and you can read it in 5 minutes.I want to help you get your prices up without losing loyal clients.  …Want client interviews?310 From Exhausted to Having Her Life Back: Wendy Norman, CPA304 From 55 Down to 15 Hours; Same Take-Home Pay with Melissa Downs, EA293 What it Takes to Work 15 Hours per Week with Erica Goode, CPAComplete list:geraldinecarter.com/client-interview-episodes…FOUR ways I help overworked CPAs go down to 40 hours without losing revenue or hiring:THE EMAIL COURSE – Freegeraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsStop Working Weekends will teach you how to reduce your hours without giving up revenue. THE BOOK – $9.99geraldinecarter.com/bookDown to 40 Hours – A Roadmap for CPAs to End Overworking Without Losing RevenuePEAK FREEDOM COMMUNITY – $197/mogeraldinecarter.com/peak-freedomFor solo and small accounting firm owners who want to rise above the insanity of hustle-cultureDOWN TO 40 HOURS ACCELERATOR – $995/mogeraldinecarter.com/40For the overworked CPA at multiple six figures of revenue who is ready to stop working weekends, wants to implement overdue changes, and doesn't want to do it alone. You'll make progress faster and with more confidence. … Get your FREE 7 Pricing Essentials for CPAs and EAs here:https://geraldinecarter.com/7

There's often a misconception when it comes to figuring out what you'll be taxed on in your business.  This is normally referred to as your net income.  Many business owners will take a look at their business bank account and think this is the number they will use for their net income or what they will be paying taxes on, but it isn't an accurate way to look at it, and it causes a lot of problems, especially if that bank account balance is lower than the actual net income.  I've heard many times that business owners don't think they will owe much for taxes because they only have a small dollar amount in their bank account.  In today's podcast episode, I cover some of the main reasons why there may be a gap between your bank balance and your net income.  It may seem like your bank balance would be an accurate way to tell what you'll be paying taxes on, but you'll find out today what can cause this number to not match what your true profit and loss or net income amount.  Whether you are starting a business or side hustle, you're a self-employed individual, a solopreneur, entrepreneur, mompreneur, freelancer, small business owner, a remote, virtual, online, or in-house bookkeeper or accountant, a virtual assistant or VA, or other professional, when you are trying to figure out what you're tax liability will be based on, I want you to make sure you are as prepared as possible for filing your taxes, and you don't have any surprises pop up… Join us in a community built specifically for accountants and high-stress professionals.  You'll receive support, accountability, and a community that understands what you're going through. We focus on stress reduction, increasing productivity, time management, goal achievement, health, happiness, and desired lifestyle:  https://www.financialadventure.com/community Schedule your Complimentary Stress Audit And Clarity Session, where we'll work together to create a clear and focused plan and overcome the obstacles that stand in your way so that you can move forward and immediately start enjoying your life with less stress, increased productivity, and more time to spend doing what you love with the people you care about: https://www.financialadventure.com/work-with-me Accountants, CPAs, Bookkeepers, Tax Preparers & Financial Professionals, sign up here to get updates on upcoming opportunities & grab the Audit Of Your Well-Being & Balance Guide here: https://www.financialadventure.com/accountant Ready to set up your business?  I have a program to help you get your business set up so that you can start making money.  Sign up for this program here: https://www.financialadventure.com/start Are you ready to try coaching?  Schedule an Introductory Coaching Session today.  You'll have the opportunity to see how you like coaching with an Introductory Coaching Session: https://www.financialadventure.com/intro Join us in the Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB if you are ready to take control of your business finances and create the profitable business you are striving for.  Are you ready to generate revenues and increase the profit in your business: https://www.financialadventure.com/profit If You Are Ready To Choose, Start Or Grow Your Side Hustle, Get Your Free Checklist And Assessment Here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sidehustle Grab Your FREE guide:  5 Essential Strategies For Stress-Free Bookkeeping: https://www.financialadventure.com/5essentials Your FREE Online Virtual Bookkeeping Business Starter Guide & Success Path Is Waiting For You: https://www.financialadventure.com/starterguide Join Our Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbusinessownersultimatediybookkeepingboutique The Strategic Bookkeeping Academy, including Bookkeeping Basics, is open for registration!  You can learn more and sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sba Looking for a payroll solution for your business?  You can get an exclusive 15% discount on your payroll services when you sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/adp QuickBooks Online - Save 30% Your First 6 Months: https://www.financialadventure.com/quickbooks Sign up for a virtual coffee chat to see if starting a Bookkeeping Business is right for you: https://www.financialadventure.com/discovery Show Notes:  https://www.financialadventure.com This podcast is sponsored by Financial Adventure, LLC ~ visit https://www.financialadventure.com for additional information and free resources.

On this episode of the Woodard Report podcast, Joe speaks with Blake Oliver about his new book, Building a Sustainable Accounting Firm, and the shift from transactional, hourly-based accounting to outcome-driven, productized services. Blake explains how firms can escape the "transactional treadmill" by redesigning pricing, redistributing workload to reduce seasonality, and adopting recurring, standardized service packages that elevate client experience. About Blake Oliver Among many other things, Blake founded Earmark so listeners can earn continuing professional education credits for listening to his shows and many more accounting and tax podcasts. The goal of the Earmark app is to make it easy and fun for fellow CPAs to learn and earn CPE every week. Because if you learn every week, it's easy to get the hours you need without stress. And we could all use a little less stress in our lives. Connect with Blake on LinkedIn Learn more about the Earmark app Learn more about Blake's new book Thank you to our show sponsor, Canopy! Unclunk your firm with Canopy, the fully integrated practice management that helps accountants build the firm they always wanted. The suite includes client and document management, workflow, time and billing, engagements and proposals, and more. Check out getcanopy.com. Learn more about the show and our sponsors at Woodard.com/podcast

If you're looking for a way to transition to Advisory services, but not sure how to go about it, you will want to attend this webinar. Bryan Perdue from Autymate has created a platform that combines inputs from multiple sources, applies strategies from over 250 business best sellers, and creates an action plan that you can guide your clients through to drive results. Filling in for Matthew while he is away is the always entertaining Sharrin Fuller!Learn More about Autymate here:https://snip.ly/QBPHAUTY QB Power Hour is a free, biweekly webinar series for accountants, ProAdvisors, CPAs, bookkeepers and QuickBooks consultants presented by Dan DeLong and Matthew Fulton who are very passionate about the industry, QuickBooks and apps that integrate with QuickBooks.Earn CPE through Earmark: https://bit.ly/QBPHCPEWatch or listen to all of the QB Power Hours at https://www.qbpowerhour.com/blogRegister for upcoming webinars at https://www.qbpowerhour.com/00:00 Introduction and Event Kickoff00:52 Meet the Hosts and Guest Speaker03:20 Overview of Today's Agenda04:40 Poll Question and Intuit News06:11 The Role of AI in Accounting17:21 Challenges and Opportunities in the Accounting Industry33:01 Automate: A Solution for Accountants37:59 Introduction to the Exciting New Platform38:07 Incorporating Bestselling Books into Business Strategies38:26 The Five Pillars of Business and AI Integration39:05 Simplifying Business Management with AI39:25 Free Gift and Upcoming Features40:54 Connecting to Multiple Systems41:24 Creating a Single Pane of Glass for Clients42:19 Expanding Advisory Services Beyond Financials44:13 Interactive Tutorials and Dashboard Overview50:55 Creating and Assigning Strategies51:45 Gamification and Client Accountability01:02:49 Pricing and Value Proposition01:06:08 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

The number one complaint isn't pricing, it's confusion..Big 4 TransparencyBy Dominic Piscopo, CPAFor CPA TrendlinesFor many business owners, finding the right accountant feels like an impossible task. You're trusting someone with your finances, your future, and sometimes even your peace of mind. But in an industry dominated by word-of-mouth and vague Google listings, Sam's List has emerged as a game-changing alternative: a review-based directory for CPAs, bookkeepers, fractional CFOs, and financial advisors, designed to make trust and transparency easier for everyone.  MORE Dominic Piscopo | MORE Private Equity | MORE Pay & Compensation In this episode of Big 4 Transparency, host Dominic Piscopo speaks with co-founder Kimi Green, who shares the wild story of how the viral idea from entrepreneur Sam Parr (of My First Million) turned into a thriving lead-generation platform - and how she found herself leading it with no prior experience in accounting. “I despised accounting,” Green laughs. “I didn't even ask follow-up questions when someone told me they were a CPA.” 

Most owners in the trades do not have a revenue problem. They have a profit problem. Ben Hansen, the Profit Doctor, joins me to break down why you are working harder than ever with nothing to show for it and how to fix it.   In this episode, I sit down with Ben Hansen, the Profit Doctor, to dig into why so many blue collar entrepreneurs are incredible operators and terrible CFOs for their own company. We talk about the gap between turning wrenches and understanding your numbers, why most bookkeepers and CPAs are not setting you up to win, and what to do if your revenue is climbing but your profit is stuck.   Ben walks through his 4-part profit prescription, the difference between profit, revenue, and cash, how to think about pricing in the trades, and why you should stop doing the jobs that always lose you money. We also get into profititis, the 50–20 rule, and how cutting the worst 20 percent of your customers and work can be the fastest way to double what you keep. __ ► Free resource: 90 Day ROI Playbook — Multiply Your Profits with the Skills No One Trains https://bitnw.academy/roiplaybook   __ Guest: Ben Hansen, Profit Doctor Topic(s): Scale lean, boost margins, and build a business that actually gives you freedom, not just bigger numbers. https://profitdoctor.com/   Music Licensing by Audiio License #: 0981896904 #profit #profitability #smallbusiness

In this episode of Clover, I sit down with fellow Austinite, community builder, and multi-pivot queen Heather Trumpfheller for a conversation that hits on career, identity, sobriety, boundaries, and what it really means to build community with intention.We talk about:Her winding career path & permission to pivotGrowing up a storytelling-obsessed kid in Dallas, studying broadcast journalism at Mizzou, and working at an NBC stationThe scary identity shift of leaving journalism, trying PR, and then being “discovered” in the Central Market checkout line and pushed into salesWorking 11 years for the same leader, getting moved to Boston, and realizing she had outgrown a company she deeply lovedThat “make it obvious” moment & walking away from misalignmentThe gut-check prayer the morning she asked for a sign to quitThe wild 1:1 where her boss suggested a new role and she realized the real answer was: “I quit.”How she took six months to get clear on her values, not her job titleNetworking, mentorship & operationalizing relationships (without feeling icky)Why you should never wait until you need a job to start networkingBuilding “relationship capital” with systems: calendar-blocked Friday follow-ups, notes on people, and being intentional about second-degree connectionsHer take on mentorship as seasonal, specific, and often most powerful outside your current companyHow to make a compelling outreach ask that actually gets answeredSobriety, boundaries & redefining worth beyond achievementHitting her two-year sober anniversary and realizing how much she'd been numbing with alcoholRecognizing when your self-worth is tied to numbers, titles, and likabilityUsing how you feel after events and interactions as data to set better boundariesWhy she now sees boundaries as a gift—to herself and to the people around herLeading Austin Women in Tech & building true communityMoving to Austin not knowing anyone and finding Austin Women in Tech through a random MeetupStarting as membership director, then becoming president, and helping grow the org to hundreds of membersWhat it's like to motivate and lead in a volunteer-only environmentWhy volunteering is a low-risk way to practice leadership, test new skills, and expand your networkHer current work: community, referrals & women-owned businessesHer role as Chief Growth Officer at Switchboard, a platform connecting skilled virtual volunteers with global mission and ministry organizations Switchboard+1Her work with What She Said and the RFRL app, a referral platform that routes everyday recommendations (CPAs, lawyers, favorite coffee shops) to women-owned businesses and rewards the people making referrals What She Said, Inc.+1Why she believes abundance follows alignment—and how these roles line up perfectly with the life she actually wantsInfluence without the titleHow to lead before you have the formal authorityWhy influence isn't always the loudest person or the biggest title—it's consistency, clarity, and alignmentLinks & resources mentioned:Connect with Heather on LinkedInAustin Women in Tech (AWT) – the nonprofit community Heather led as presidentWebsite: awtaustin.org Switchboard – virtual volunteering platform connecting skilled volunteers with

In this episode, we sit down with Lisa Smith who is a functional medicine dietitian, gut-health expert, and founder of Lisa Smith Wellness. We explore the realities of deep stress and the health impacts that so many accounting firm owners quietly carry. We start by talking about the concept of “deep stress,” how it differs from everyday overwhelm, and why professionals who juggle multiple roles often don't realize their bodies are stuck in long-term survival mode. Lisa breaks down the signs many CPAs ignore: waking up tired, constant tension, reliance on caffeine or wine, disrupted sleep, brain fog, and that ever-present feeling of being “on.”Timestamps:03:55: Introducing the concept of deep stress05:58: How stress impacts sleep and cortisol07:57: What entrepreneurs consistently overlook in wellness10:50: Habit change and understanding personal motivators12:52: Redesigning your life and business through intentionality16:34: Long-term health implications of unmanaged stress18:59: Feeling trapped in your business and how to begin unwinding it23:05: Reducing stress and improving clarity24:26: Price's Law, the Pareto Principle, and understanding real productivity29:14: Pre-tax-season tips for improving energy and well-being30:46: The “campfire method” for stabilizing daily energy34:29: Lisa's book recommendations for leaders and entrepreneursLisa's Resource Recommendations:Prepare Your CPA Firm for A Sale by Brannon Poe [https://poegroupadvisors.com/prepare/]Atomic Habits by James Clear [https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-Proven-Build-Break/dp/0735211299]The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson [https://www.amazon.com/Slight-Edge-Turning-Disciplines-Happiness/dp/1626340463]Who Not How by Dan Sullivan [https://www.amazon.com/Who-Not-How-Accelerating-Teamwork-ebook/dp/B0867ZJ151]Traction by Gino Wickman [https://www.amazon.com/Traction-Get-Grip-Your-Business/dp/1936661837]The Common Path to Uncommon Success by John Lee Dumas [https://www.amazon.com/Common-Path-Uncommon-Success-Fulfillment/dp/1400221099]Journaling Guide: [http://lisasmithwellness.com/the-morning-mindset-journal]Connecting with Lisa:  Listen to my Pretty Well PODCAST https://apple.co/3Y2IbSZ Visit my Website https://lisasmithwellness.com Read my Wellness BLOG  https://lisasmithwellness.com/blog/ Find me on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/prettywell_podcast/ lisa.lsw@outlook.com Link to full listing: https://poegroupadvisors.com/practice/sc2038/ Firm Highlights:- Young, energetic owner committed to staying 10+ years to run and grow the firm.- Selling 70–100% equity, with plans to offer key employees an ownership stake.- 3+ CPAs on staff and over 20 employees.- High-net-worth clients with strong loyalty and consistent referrals.- 78% of services tied to business clients.

Have you ever noticed that some problems just move into your life, and it never feels like they'll ever be solved?  They take over your life, and you tell yourself things like, “Ugh. I don't have the energy to deal with this right now.”  So you let them stay in your life.  Before you know it, the days you are dealing with these problems turn into months, and months turn into “I guess this is just how my life is now.”  Today I want to talk to you about those kinds of problems.  The ones you've just decided to accept, even though deep down, you know you could solve them. The ones you think are “too big,” “too complicated,” or “too exhausting” to figure out.  And if you're an accountant or a high-stress professional, I already know you have at least one of these floating around in your life.  How do I know this?  Because I've been there myself.  Maybe you're dealing with a problem at work.  It could be something that takes up a big chunk of your time every single day, but you haven't changed because “that's how we've always done it.”  Maybe it's a habit, procrastinating on big projects, snacking on junk food late at night because you're too tired to cook something healthy, scrolling at night when you know you need sleep.  Maybe it's a relationship you're not happy with.  It could be with a client, a coworker, or a family member, and you continue to tiptoe around it because solving it feels like it is going to be hard or messy.  Whatever you're dealing with, I want to help you understand one thing today.  You can solve your problems.  You're supposed to solve your problems.  And solving them opens the door to opportunities you don't even see yet.  This is the work we do inside The RE*INVENTION™ Process, not because solving problems is the point, but because solving problems is what creates the life you actually want.  Let's dive in… Join us in a community built specifically for accountants and high-stress professionals.  You'll receive support, accountability, and a community that understands what you're going through. We focus on stress reduction, increasing productivity, time management, goal achievement, health, happiness, and desired lifestyle:  https://www.financialadventure.com/community I'm inviting you to sign up for the free private podcast where I do a deeper dive into this topic on the Mastering Your Mindset Moments podcast for high-stress professionals: https://www.financialadventure.com/private Schedule your Complimentary Stress Audit and Clarity Session, where we'll work together to create a clear and focused plan for you to move forward so you'll immediately start enjoying your life with less stress, increased productivity, and more time to spend doing what you love with the people you care about: https://www.financialadventure.com/work-with-me Accountants, CPAs, Bookkeepers, Tax Preparers & Financial Professionals, sign up here to get updates on upcoming opportunities & grab the Audit Of Your Well-Being & Balance Guide here: https://www.financialadventure.com/accountant Ready to set up your business?  I have a program to help you get your business set up so that you can start making money.  Sign up for this program here: https://www.financialadventure.com/start Are you ready to try coaching?  Schedule an Introductory Coaching Session today.  You'll have the opportunity to see how you like coaching with an Introductory Coaching Session: https://www.financialadventure.com/intro Join us in the Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB if you are ready to take control of your business finances and create the profitable business you are striving for.  Are you ready to generate revenues and increase the profit in your business: https://www.financialadventure.com/profit If You Are Ready To Choose, Start Or Grow Your Side Hustle, Get Your Free Checklist And Assessment Here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sidehustle Grab Your FREE guide:  5 Essential Strategies For Stress-Free Bookkeeping: https://www.financialadventure.com/5essentials Your FREE Online Virtual Bookkeeping Business Starter Guide & Success Path Is Waiting For You: https://www.financialadventure.com/starterguide Join Our Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbusinessownersultimatediybookkeepingboutique The Strategic Bookkeeping Academy, including Bookkeeping Basics, is open for registration!  You can learn more and sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sba Looking for a payroll solution for your business?  You can get an exclusive 15% discount on your payroll services when you sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/adp QuickBooks Online - Save 30% Your First 6 Months: https://www.financialadventure.com/quickbooks Sign up for a virtual coffee chat to see if starting a Bookkeeping Business is right for you: https://www.financialadventure.com/discovery Show Notes:  https://www.financialadventure.com This podcast is sponsored by Financial Adventure, LLC ~ visit https://www.financialadventure.com for additional information and free resources.

Most business owners think taxes are meant to take their money—but that's a lie. In this episode, Tiffany breaks down how the tax system is actually designed to reward business owners and investors. You'll learn how to use smart tax strategies and planning tips to keep more of what you earn. Discover why most CPAs keep things confusing, how the wealthy legally pay less, and what simple steps you can take to start maximizing income and reducing taxes today. Listen now to change the way you see taxes forever.   Next Steps:

103 The Realities of Business, Leadership & Public Adjusting | A Deep Dive with Jack Hanks   The Entreprenudist Podcast https://entreprenudist.com In this episode of The Entreprenudist Podcast, we sit down with Jack Hanks | President of VPA Claims, for one of the most honest and wide-ranging conversations in the industry. Jack shares decades of business experience, revealing the lessons, mistakes, insights, and realities that shaped his journey. From the early challenges of entering the public adjusting world to navigating acquisitions, leadership, private equity, due diligence, and building a reputation , nothing is off the table. -------------------------- VPA Public Claims Adjusting At VPA Claims, we fight for property owners, not insurance companies. Our experienced team, led by Jack Hanks, guides you through the entire claims process, from assessment to negotiation, ensuring you get the maximum settlement you deserve. Don't navigate your insurance claim alone. Contact VPA Claims today for a free consultation and let us handle the hard work while you focus on restoring your home or business. visit https://www.vpa.claims/ to get started!  ----------------  About the Host:  Randolph Love III is the Founder and CEO of ShieldWolf Strongholds, where he helps Franchisors, CPAs, Attorneys, Doctors, Realtors, Contractors, and other Business Owners, Entrepreneurs, Home Owners, and Retirees, secure lasting financial legacies.  He is also a trusted franchise consultant, author of the book The Miracle Money Vehicle: How To Make Money Make Babies, and host of The Liquidity Event, a premier gathering on business growth, financial independence, and legacy planning.  As host of The Entreprenudist Podcast, ranked in the Top 10% worldwide by ListenNotes.com, Randolph shares bold, practical insights that challenge traditional thinking. A sought-after speaker, his dynamic style empowers audiences to reduce taxes legally, grow wealth strategically, and take control of their financial destiny. Additionally, he is also the publisher of The Liquidity Journal, a dynamic publication for business owners, entrepreneurs, executives, retirees, and investors. Focused on leadership, strategy, systems, and motivation, it delivers actionable insights that empower readers to grow, lead, and innovate in today's business world.

Hello Everyone! Hope you all have had a great beginning to December. Do we have a show for you today... Back in the studio, let's hear it for our favorite CPAs... Lakes Area CPAs and let's Make Taxes Fun Again! Chris and Caroline dive into A TON of tax tips that could really help you this tax season. They also talk about their expansion around the Lakes Area - taking on more clients than ever - from Pequot to Aitkin to Brainerd there is definitely branch near you! As always, thanks for Chris and the whole Lakes Area CPAs crew for being our main sponsors of the Listen Local Podcast! After Tax Talk... we dive into some local happenings, including the Lie heard around the BLA (really the whole state) that took place in Nisswa after our beloved Festival of Lights.**UPDATED... no surprise... said 'assult claim' has been dismissed.Hear about that and so much more on this episode of the Listen Local Podcast! And as always... HUGE Thanks to our sponsors Pequot Lakes and Gull Lake Sanitation, Hanneken Insurance, Hills Detailing Center, Craguns Legacy Courses, Pequot Lakes EDC, Refined Lending w/ John Kinkaede, Party Time Rental and our PRESENTING SPONSOR Lakes Area CPAs! Instagram: ListenLocalMNBlazeAirMNWoodsToWaterMNNorthwoodsAgent Facebook:Listen Local MNBlazeAirMNWoodsToWaterMN

Join The Creative Finance Playbook Coaching Program & Learn Directly from Jenn & Joe:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://creativefinanceplaybook.com/Stuck at 1–2 rental properties and feel like the banks are holding you back? In this episode of Creative Finance Playbook, Jenn & Joe Della Fave break down why most investors never grow past a couple doors—and how to scale your portfolio without banks, without perfect credit, and without massive down payments.You'll learn how we went from BRRRR and fixer-uppers to building wealth with creative finance strategies like seller financing, subject-to, lease options, and rent-to-own—so you can buy turnkey properties, pay little to no money down, and still create passive income real estate cash flow.Inside this training, we cover:

What's the view of finance executives about the U.S. economy and their own businesses? And what's the latest from the IRS on new Trump accounts? Find out more in this quick-hitting episode that summarizes several topics, including the December digital edition of the magazine. What you'll learn from this episode: A summary of CPA decision-makers' sentiment about the economy and their own businesses. The planned publication schedule for JofA podcast episodes in December and early January. A mention of recent IRS news in the JofA. The future-focused look at the profession and other content in the JofA's December digital edition.

Today, John and Nick dive into the Big Beautiful Bill and what its changes mean for retirees and pre-retirees as the year winds down. They break down updates to tax brackets, standard and senior deductions, SALT caps, and Roth conversion strategies, while sharing tips on avoiding common pitfalls. Plus, they touch on credits and deductions like charitable giving, auto loans, and solar panels to help listeners make the most of these changes.   Helpful Information: PFG Website: https://www.pfgprivatewealth.com/ Contact: 813-286-7776 Email: info@pfgprivatewealth.com   Disclaimer: PFG Private Wealth Management, LLC is an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Information presented is for educational purposes only and does not intend to make an offer or solicitation for the sale or purchase of any specific securities, investments, or investment strategies. The topics and information discussed during this podcast are not intended to provide tax or legal advice. Investments involve risk, and unless otherwise stated, are not guaranteed. Be sure to first consult with a qualified financial advisor and/or tax professional before implementing any strategy discussed on this podcast. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Insurance products and services are offered and sold through individually licensed and appointed insurance agents.   Speaker 1: This week on Retirement Planning Redefined, still a lot of questions out there about the Big Beautiful Bill and what happened earlier this year and some of those changes. So, we thought we would talk about that and touch on that as the year is winding down here on the podcast. So, stick around. Let's get into it. Hey, everybody. Welcome into Retirement Planning Redefined with John and Nick from PFG Private Wealth. Find them online at pfgprivatewealth.com.   Guys, I know it's been around for a couple of months now, half a year or whatever, but still a lot of questions and things going on with the Big Beautiful Bill changes, especially as it affects retirees and pre-retirees. So, we thought we would dive back in and have a conversation on some of this and just maybe touch on some of the things you guys are still hearing a few months later and see if we can break this down a little bit for folks and help them out. John, how are you doing this week?   John: Hey, I'm doing all right. Just getting ready for Thanksgiving here and just looking for some downtime right now.   Speaker 1: Yeah, it's right here upon us. Nick, you're double whammy. You got Thanksgiving and then you got a wedding right after that. So, congratulations and happy holidays.   Nick: Thanks. Yeah, it's going to be a busy end of the year.   Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. Well, speaking of, let's get into our topic here because there's lot of stuff that's happening and changes and whatnot. So, let's just dive into some of the things and break some things down. The big piece obviously was that the tax brackets that we were under the TCJA since 2017 got extended. All year, we were wondering if that was going to happen as the year was winding down. This stuff was going to wrap up at the end of this year, but they extended it and they made it permanent. So, talk to me about that, whoever wants to take this. That's interesting language and confusion for some people, but what's your thoughts on the tax brackets being extended?   John: Yeah, so the tax brackets from 2017 now remain in place where they were set to expire. So, they're as permanent as I guess you could be when it comes to tax brackets-   Speaker 1: To Washington.   John: ... to Congress. Yeah, exactly. So, obviously, Congress can make some changes at some point, but for right now, this is where we are. For retirees, important to take a look at historically where tax brackets have been and if you really pay attention where in some pretty low tax brackets if you look throughout time. So, now could be advantageous to some people to really develop some strategies to take advantage of this low tax bracket period for themselves because permanent doesn't mean too permanent as we just discussed. Depending on what happens, the next administration, things could not become permanent.   Speaker 1: So I mean, one of the things Roth conversions has been really on the radar for many people for the last number of years because to your point of the historical tax lows, so now you do have some time to Roth over time for at least a couple more years anyway, until what, '28 or '29 potentially.   John: Yeah, so Roth conversions is definitely something we implement for clients, and while this is going to be in place for the next few years. Maybe we get a little bit more aggressive and I think we're going to touch on it a little bit more in the podcast. We'll talk about some of the pitfalls to avoid with that because there are some new deductions that you want to remain below.   Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, for sure. Well, Nick, let's have you just jump in and tackle some of that. So, talk to me about some of the deductions, the standard stuff, some of these other pieces that they locked into place and some things we might want to know and think about.   Nick: So for people that aren't familiar with the jargon when it comes to the tax or they don't prepare themselves, essentially people have two options. They can either use the standard deduction, which is what the majority of W-2 earners do especially or they can itemize. So, the reason that people would itemize historically is they would have enough expenses maybe through a business, maybe through interest from a mortgage or kids or different things that would allow them to itemize and there'd be a benefit to them from a tax perspective.   But when this was originally put into place and the standard deduction was increased, it really shifted it to people being able to just, for the most part, use the standard deduction, which previously about $29,500 for joint, $14,600 for single, and the updated number is going to be $31,500 for joint and then $15,750 for single. So, it's bumped up a little bit. Years ago, it was lower, and so there would be a lot of people that would get caught between the standard and the itemized, but it is a benefit for quite a bit of people.   Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, there's some decent numbers here we're talking about. When you take the standard deductions, it's going to be hard to get there, but you could really make a big dent. We'll talk about some of the add-on deductions as well here in a second. Does the SALT cap change a lot of things for you guys in Florida? I'm not sure versus other states like New York or California, New Jersey, and I guess maybe to clarify, John, what is the SALT cap and can you break that down a little bit?   John: So I'll punt this to Nick. He just actually did this with a client. So, he can give a personal story, which is probably better than me.   Nick: Yeah. So, the SALT cap is really state and local tax. It is or historically has been much more relevant in states that have higher property tax and/or state income tax. So, a lot of the northeast states, really just a lot of states in general. Here in Florida, we don't necessarily run into this a ton, however, we do have quite a few clients that do the snowbird thing.   Speaker 1: Yeah, sure.   Nick: So they have to incorporate taxes in other states and that thing. So, the reality is that it had previously been a benefit for people that were paying a large state income and/or property taxes. They could use it to offset the tax that they paid against their federal income. I guess when the legislation was changed, I think it was like 2017, 2018, they had reduced that SALT cap to $10,000. So, that really had an impact from the perspective of especially high income earners in states that had those different taxes that were applicable. It did cause a decently effective increase in taxes for them.   So, with the good old lobbying that's done, they went ahead and increased that from the $10,000 that's been in place for the last five, six years to $40,000 cap for incomes below $500,000. So, although we don't see it here, we have recently had some clients moving into homes that do have pretty significant property taxes. Although they're not paying state income tax, the level of the property taxes where they've gotten with the run-up in real estate around this area, it has become a little bit more relevant than it was previously.   Speaker 1: And so that could make a difference. So, again, you want to make sure that of all these changes that are potentially there, you're talking with your financial professional and your CPAs and working together on making sure that you're being as effective as possible. So, John, you punted that one back over to Nick. I'll give you this one, the senior deduction. There was a lot of talk, obviously, a lot of campaigning on just getting rid of taxes on social security. They did their bartering and their deals and they came up with this senior citizen deduction. I mean, it's not bad for a number of years. It's like you're not paying social security taxes, but it's a little confusing for folks. So, can you break down some of the data on that?   John: Yeah, so it was initially discussed as, "Hey, we're going to eliminate social security tax." This has come up a little bit with some clients asking, "Hey, did they get rid of it?" And the answer is, your social security still is taxed, but if you're above the age of 65, you do get what they call a senior citizen deduction. That's $6,000 per person, $12,000 married filing jointly, and there are some income limits to it. The single is $75,000 and the joint is $150,000. So, I would say over the last few months, we have been doing quite a bit of planning to make sure people stay below these thresholds to maximize the deduction and when we're doing our projections for this year and upcoming years, for some people, it's a big difference.   It's a nice little benefit for these retirees who unfortunately over the last few years are really impacted with inflation. I mean, the cost of everything is up. I know CPI recently, I think last year was like 2 to 3% or something, which doesn't feel like that, but if you're on a fixed income, this is a pretty big deal. So, it's nice to see some of these retirees get some relief, but especially with this one more than others, I think if you can stay below those income thresholds, now's the time to do it because as of now, they're expiring in 2028. So, you really only have about two or three years to really take advantage of this.   Speaker 1: Be effective. Yeah. I mean to your point, Nick earlier was talking about the $31,500 for the standard, and then you slap another $12,000 for married, right? Then you slap another $12,000 on here. I mean, that's pretty hefty, right? So you could get really efficient with this. It's just a matter of making sure that you're, again, jumping in and taking advantage of it while you can. Any thoughts on that, Nick?   Nick: Yeah, no, just like anything else, what you can see a little bit with some of these changes are that there's certain gaps that it's stepped in to help with. The reality is a lot of times it's going to be people that are middle, upper middle class, but from a tax perspective, so if they can keep their income under the 150 for a joint household, that tends to be a middle, upper middle class family.   Speaker 1: Well, it's funny you say that because there was so much argument about, "Oh, they're going to do stuff for just the wealthy," but a lot of the changes that were put in on the Big Beautiful Bill really actually do help lower and middle class like these. So, I mean, I think there's some good benefits to the bill for everybody. There's some things that obviously are a little weird too.   Nick: Oh, for sure.   Speaker 1: You got to be effective with it.   Nick: Yeah, yeah, for sure. The devil's always in the details. Absolutely. That's the case with any legislation that is this large and this comprehensive. But those are the standard deduction and the senior citizen deduction are definitely two that are going to have a pretty substantial impact on a large group of people.   Speaker 1: John, I'm going to go back to you for a minute because we were talking about the Roth earlier. We tossed that in there at the beginning piece there. Again, clearly, this is a good time to think about the fact that it is still alive for a little bit. So, again, Rothing over time is back on that table as we talked about, and so that may be a really effective part of your strategy. You do not want to ignore it because it still could be a limited window.   John: Correct, yeah. So, definitely that's one thing we're looking at currently is what's the right amount of Roth conversions to be doing at this time. So, it is a great time to-   Speaker 1: Any traps in there? Any pitfalls we should be aware of?   John: Yeah, so I was going to say there's definitely a good time to be aggressive with it, but with this new senior citizen deduction, if you're doing some conversions, you want to make sure you stay below those thresholds to take advantage of that additional $6,000 per person. So, now is a great time to be aggressive with this, but at the same time, you want to be cautious because there are some things you could be missing out on if you get too aggressive. So, like we've always said, look at the plan, talk to your CPA, talk to your financial advisor. One of the most important things going into retirement is avoid unnecessary taxes. So, it's just an eroding factor on your money. So, if you can avoid it, that just helps you overall.   Speaker 1: Well, people tend to stay confused if we don't do this about the whole brackets and the steps anyway, right? Because I think a lot of people think, "Oh, I'm in the 22% bracket. That stayed. Yay, cool. I'm still there. I don't have to go up," but every dollar is taxed at that and that's not how it works. That's what I think confuses people. So, when you're talking about maximizing your Roth or something like that, you want to maximize those steps in that bucket, if you will. So, that you just don't pop into the next bracket if you can. Is that accurate?   John: Correct, yes. You definitely want stay within the bracket, not really jump up, and sometimes it's okay to jump up as long as you understand how much-   Speaker 1: Yeah, not every dollar is going to be at 24 if you popped up to 24.   John: Correct, yeah. I mean, we have some clients that are doing some Roth conversions from an inheritance standpoint, so they look at it and say, "Well, I'll pay 22 so my kid doesn't have to pay 30, whatever, whatever it is."   Speaker 1: Right, yeah.   John: Depending on your situation, you really want to pay attention to what bracket you'll be, what your effective rate is, and just don't do it willy-nilly. You want a strategy.   Speaker 1: Yeah, if you have $1 million you want to convert from a traditional 401 over to a Roth, you want to make sure that you're not going bracket busting on that, right? Don't do it all at one time. Again, Roth over time, right? That's the conversation piece there. So, what else is of note in the bills, guys? Nick, what's some other things that jumped out at you?   Nick: Yeah, I think it's definitely less applicable for many people, but they did bring back bonus depreciation for... It's typically used by small businesses or landlords, oftentimes applies to qualified business expense or rental property purchase. For example, it can have to do with vehicles, large equipment where a company can accelerate the depreciation into the year, instead of spreading it out over multiple times, which can help offset if they're having a really good year from an income perspective or just bring down the taxes in general.   From the standpoint of a couple of other things, I'll have John speak to the EV credit because he took advantage of pretty much all the EV stuff that you could. But one of the deductions, additional deductions that they had put in place is for auto loan interest deduction. So, it's an above the line. It applies to cars purchased in 2025 or later, and the car has to have final assembly in the US.   Speaker 1: That's a funny one right there. It's like how much of that this qualifies, right? So what's final assembly mean? Is there a percentage break?   Nick: There's definitely cheat sheets out there. Ask your local AI machine.   Speaker 1: Or dealership I suppose.   Nick: Yeah, yeah, the dealers will definitely know, but once again, there's an income threshold on that. So, income above $100,000 won't qualify. From a charitable giving standpoint, there is an above the line deduction for people that do not itemize. So, $1,000 per person or $2,000 for married filed and jointly.   Speaker 1: It's not a lot, but I mean it's still something, especially in the season of giving, right? It's above the line. So, give some money.   Nick: Yeah, exactly.   John: Better than nothing.   Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly.   Nick: For sure.   Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure. Well, what about that EV thing, John?   John: Yeah, so the vehicle EV credit went away at the end of September, so that one can no longer be used. So, that was if you bought new, there was a tax credit you could obtain and then if you bought used, there was something you could actually get as well depending on the value of the car. If you were actually leasing, basically, the dealership got the credit, which would hopefully reduce your payment depending on how good you are at negotiating.   Speaker 1: Got you.   John: But the big one that we've been talking to clients about, and I did myself, which Nick was referencing, was solar panels. So, after 12/31/2025, you will not get that 30% reduction for solar panel installation on your house.   Speaker 1: Yeah, it might not be enough time now, huh? I wonder if you could get that done.   John: It depends how quick your contractor is. I'll tell you, by the time I agreed to mine, I thought it'd be about a month out and I think within two to three weeks, they got me on the calendar and put it in. So, I had mine in much faster than anticipated, which I was happy about, but it's a 30% tax credit. If you put some solar panels on the roof, it just has to be installed by 12/31. It doesn't have to pass inspection or anything as far as I know. It needs to be installed by that date. But I'll tell you, for those that are comparing this, I just got my first bill from the energy company and there still is a fee to be on their grid.   In Florida here, apparently with these hurricanes, there's additional fees that we're getting charged to build the grid back up and to pay for the emergency services. A funny conversation with the person, I said, "Well, when it's built back up, does this go away or whenever we're done paying for the cost of the emergency services?" Yeah, that's a good question.   Speaker 1: That's a question.   John: Well, let's take a look at that.   Speaker 1: On ours here in North Carolina, we have storm repair tax or whatever. It's been on there for a number of years now, and it's like, but when the storms are repaired, what then? Ongoing storm.   John: I'm like, "Okay, so this is just an ongoing bill-"   Speaker 1: Pretty much.   John: ... regardless of my usage that I'm doing here.   Speaker 1: Another way for them to just hit us with something and go, "Oh, but it's necessary." Yeah. Okay. All right. Well, final one here I thought was interesting was the no tax on tips one, right? Might not affect necessarily your client base, but maybe their kids or grandkids, especially a lot of service industry in Florida. So, no tax on tips up to 25 grand, I think, and that's temporary as well, but that could be interesting. Any final thoughts as we go to wrap this up guys? Anything, Nick, on something we should do now or be effective as the year's winding down?   Nick: I mean, I wouldn't say that there's a lot to do before the end of the year when it relates to this. I think this is a good example though, and one of the conversations that we have with people is that just because a certain strategy is best now doesn't mean it's going to be best in 5 years or 10 years or 15 years. So, when you see a bill like this and with the different changes, something's becoming permanent, something's changing, new rules that are built into sunset, it just shows you how important it's to plan, to build in flexibility, have options both now or later on in retirement, have different buckets of money and really just have a strategy moving forward so that you can benefit no matter what's happening.   Speaker 1: All right. John, final thoughts from you?   John: Not too much. I think we hit mostly everything. I think just being aware of where we are. Historically, tax brackets to me is something to take a look at because I think part of this new bill added, I think, 2.4 trillion of new debt over the next 10 years and I think 4 trillion increase in debt ceiling. So, there's a lot of-   Speaker 1: Future tax liability.   John: There's a lot of trillions getting created here. So, just be wary of what's down the road. So, it's good to just take a look at your overall strategy.   Speaker 1: Yeah, good point. Timelines, definitely got still a couple of years left, but just be effective and get on it as soon as possible because we all know time just zings it right by. So, if you've got some questions, need some help, reach out to the team at pfgprivatewealth.com That's pfgprivatewealth.com and have a conversation with John and Nick and the whole team today and just get started. Don't forget to subscribe to Retirement Planning Redefined on Apple or Spotify or whatever podcasting app you enjoy.   You can find all that information again at the website as well or check the show links. There's some just stuff in the descriptions there. So, pfgprivatewealth.com. Guys, thanks for hanging out. Appreciate it. Hope everybody has a great holiday season and happy Thanksgiving everyone. We'll see you next time here on the podcast.  

Get your FREE 7 Pricing Essentials for CPAs and EAs here:https://geraldinecarter.com/7Struggling to hold business boundaries without risking relationships?Here's the thing: boundaries aren't barriers; they're operating instructions that make your firm calmer, more profitable, and easier to run.In this episode, Peak Freedom's mindset coach Natalie Hunt helps unpack what gets in the way – people-pleasing, guilt, and the urge to control reactions – and replaces it with better beliefs, rules you choose, and scripts.Learn to stop rescuing late clients, end after-hours emailing, protect time, and feel in the driver's seat.…Link to full shownotes: https://www.businessstrategyforcpas.com/375…Want Pricing Essentials?If you feel trapped by your own accounting firm, it's not because of the work – it's how you've priced the work. Too many accountants are stuck in undercharging, overdelivering, and people-pleasing cycles. Break the pattern with my short PDF guide:7 Pricing Essentials »It's free and you can read it in 5 minutes.I want to help you get your prices up without losing loyal clients.  …Want client interviews?310 From Exhausted to Having Her Life Back: Wendy Norman, CPA304 From 55 Down to 15 Hours; Same Take-Home Pay with Melissa Downs, EA293 What it Takes to Work 15 Hours per Week with Erica Goode, CPAComplete list:geraldinecarter.com/client-interview-episodes…FOUR ways I help overworked CPAs go down to 40 hours without losing revenue or hiring:THE EMAIL COURSE – Freegeraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsStop Working Weekends will teach you how to reduce your hours without giving up revenue. THE BOOK – $9.99geraldinecarter.com/bookDown to 40 Hours – A Roadmap for CPAs to End Overworking Without Losing RevenuePEAK FREEDOM COMMUNITY – $197/mogeraldinecarter.com/peak-freedomFor solo and small accounting firm owners who want to rise above the insanity of hustle-cultureDOWN TO 40 HOURS ACCELERATOR – $995/mogeraldinecarter.com/40For the overworked CPA at multiple six figures of revenue who is ready to stop working weekends, wants to implement overdue changes, and doesn't want to do it alone. You'll make progress faster and with more confidence. … Get your FREE 7 Pricing Essentials for CPAs and EAs here:https://geraldinecarter.com/7

Navigating the year-end chaos is often top of mind for many business owners, professionals, and accountants during this challenging time when there is so much to do, not only in our professional lives but in our personal lives as well.  During this year-end rush, it's easy to worry about how you'll manage the stress and ensure you not only get everything done but also find time to enjoy your holidays as well.  In today's podcast episode, I walk you through some of the steps I work on with my one-on-one clients.  These simple steps will help you navigate this busy time and help you savor the joy of the holidays.  Whether you are starting a business or side hustle, you're a self-employed individual, a solopreneur, entrepreneur, mompreneur, freelancer, small business owner, a remote, virtual, online, or in-house bookkeeper or accountant, a virtual assistant or VA, or have a professional career, going into the holiday season with a plan, knowing the right balance between your professional life and your personal life, and making sure you take the time for your own well-being will definitely have an impact on every moment you get to enjoy during the upcoming holiday season… Join us in a community built specifically for accountants and high-stress professionals.  You'll receive support, accountability, and a community that understands what you're going through. We focus on stress reduction, increasing productivity, time management, goal achievement, health, happiness, and desired lifestyle:  https://www.financialadventure.com/community Schedule your Complimentary Stress Audit And Clarity Session, where we'll work together to create a clear and focused plan and overcome the obstacles that stand in your way so that you can move forward and immediately start enjoying your life with less stress, increased productivity, and more time to spend doing what you love with the people you care about: https://www.financialadventure.com/work-with-me Accountants, CPAs, Bookkeepers, Tax Preparers & Financial Professionals, sign up here to get updates on upcoming opportunities & grab the Audit Of Your Well-Being & Balance Guide here: https://www.financialadventure.com/accountant Ready to set up your business?  I have a program to help you get your business set up so that you can start making money.  Sign up for this program here: https://www.financialadventure.com/start Are you ready to try coaching?  Schedule an Introductory Coaching Session today.  You'll have the opportunity to see how you like coaching with an Introductory Coaching Session: https://www.financialadventure.com/intro Join us in the Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB if you are ready to take control of your business finances and create the profitable business you are striving for.  Are you ready to generate revenues and increase the profit in your business: https://www.financialadventure.com/profit If You Are Ready To Choose, Start Or Grow Your Side Hustle, Get Your Free Checklist And Assessment Here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sidehustle Grab Your FREE guide:  5 Essential Strategies For Stress-Free Bookkeeping: https://www.financialadventure.com/5essentials Your FREE Online Virtual Bookkeeping Business Starter Guide & Success Path Is Waiting For You: https://www.financialadventure.com/starterguide Join Our Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbusinessownersultimatediybookkeepingboutique The Strategic Bookkeeping Academy, including Bookkeeping Basics, is open for registration!  You can learn more and sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sba Looking for a payroll solution for your business?  You can get an exclusive 15% discount on your payroll services when you sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/adp QuickBooks Online - Save 30% Your First 6 Months: https://www.financialadventure.com/quickbooks Sign up for a virtual coffee chat to see if starting a Bookkeeping Business is right for you: https://www.financialadventure.com/discovery Show Notes:  https://www.financialadventure.com This podcast is sponsored by Financial Adventure, LLC ~ visit https://www.financialadventure.com for additional information and free resources.

In this episode of Building the Premier Accounting firm, host Roger Knecht discusses building a premier accounting firm with guest Lahari Neelapareddy, founder of Tax Hero and LN Accounting Advisors. They cover Lahari's journey from public accounting to specializing in e-commerce and consumer packaged goods, emphasizing the value of niche marketing and advisory services over traditional compliance work. Lahari shares insights on sustainable growth, avoiding burnout, and the importance of continuous learning for accounting professionals. In This Episode: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Spotlight 01:43 From CPA to Entrepreneur 03:13 Starting an Accounting Firm 07:14 Small Business Accounting Challenges 08:52 Evolving Service Offerings and Specialization 12:33 Niche Marketing and Tax Hero 17:32 CFO and Advisory Services 20:24 Defining CFO Advisory Value 26:15 Client Relationships and Pricing 29:58 Lessons Learned: Sustainability Over Growth 33:23 Closing Thoughts and Resources Key Takeaways: Specialize in a niche industry to enhance marketing and scalability, as Lahari did with e-commerce and CPG brands. Prioritize value-added services like CFO and advisory over compliance work to increase client retention and pricing. Define clear service packages and scope of work to manage client expectations and minimize scope creep. Focus on sustainable growth, emphasizing efficiency and maintaining passion to avoid burnout, rather than solely chasing rapid revenue. Continuously Learn through podcasts, mastermind groups, and peer interactions to stay updated and avoid reinventing processes. Featured Quotes: "I didn't think I would start an accounting firm. Because when I thought of people that owned accounting firm, I only thought tax, right? Like people that are CPAs that do tax returns at their desk. And the image is like very boring is the image that most people get, right?" - Lahari Neelapareddy. "I wanted to add value to my clients. I think that was always there. And the second thing was like, I wanted like a good work culture that I think is maybe still lacking in big four and the public accounting world, but definitely was lacking in the time that I was there." - Lahari Neelapareddy. "Sustainability over growth sometimes, right? Because growth will come automatically, but you need to make sure that you don't lose that passion and that you're sustaining it." - Lahari Neelapareddy. Conclusion: Thank you for joining us for another episode of Building the Premier Accounting Firm with Roger Knecht. For more information on how you can establish your own accounting firm and take control of your time and income, call 435-344-2060 or schedule an appointment to connect with Roger's team here. Sponsors: Universal Accounting Center Helping accounting professionals confidently and competently offer quality accounting services to get paid what they are worth.   Offers: I'd love to offer two resources to your audience. First, a free discovery call—whether you're an e-commerce business wanting to simplify sales tax or an accountant interested in partnering with us, you can book a time with me at https://taxhero.net/contact/#demo Second, you can download our up-to-date Economic Nexus Chart, a quick guide to understanding sales tax nexus across the US, at https://taxhero.net/blog/economic-nexus/#download For more information related to Lahari consider the following: TaxHero: https://taxhero.net/, and LN Accounting: https://www.lnaccountingadvisor.com/ Get a FREE copy of these books all accounting professionals should use to work on their business and become profitable.  These are a must-have addition to every accountant's library to provide quality CFO & Advisory services as a Profit & Growth Expert today: "Red to BLACK in 30 days – A small business accountant's guide to QUICK turnarounds" – This is a how-to guide on how to turn around a struggling business into a more sustainable model. Each chapter focuses on a crucial aspect of the turnaround process - from cash flow management to strategies for improving revenue. This book will teach you everything you need to become a turnaround expert for small businesses. "in the BLACK, nine principles to make your business profitable" – Nine Principles to Make Your Business Profitable – Discover what you need to know to run the premier accounting firm and get paid what you are worth in this book, by the same author as Red to Black – CPA Allen B. Bostrom. Bostrom teaches the three major functions of business (marketing, production and accounting) as well as strategies for maximizing profitability for your clients by creating actionable plans to implement the nine principles. "Your Strategic Accountant" - Understand the 3 Core Accounting Services you should offer as you run your business. help your clients understand which numbers they need to know to make more informed business decisions. "Your Profit & Growth Expert" - Your business is an asset. You should know its value and understand how to maximize it. Beginning with the end in mind helps you work ON your business to build a company you can leave so that it can continue to exist in your absence or build wealth as you retire and enjoy the time, freedom, and life you want and deserve. Learn what it is you can do to become an author, leveraging your expertise to market your services effectively and get the clients you deserve.  This is a webinar you don't want to miss.  Learn from Mike Capuzzi what a Shook is and how you can use it to position yourself as the Premier Accounting Firm in your area.  This is a must-see presentation so get ready to take some great notes.   In addition to becoming an author, see what you can do to follow the Turnkey Business plan for accounting professionals.  After more than 40 years we've identified the best practices of successful accountants and this is a presentation we are happy to share.  Check it out and see what you can do to be in business for yourself but not by yourself with Universal Accounting Center.   It's here you can become a:   Professional Bookkeeper, PB Professional Tax Preparer, PTP Profit & Growth Expert, PGE   Next, join a group of like-minded professionals within the accounting community.  Stay up-to-date on current topics and trends and see what you can do to also give back, participating in relevant conversations as they relate to offering quality accounting services and building your bookkeeping, accounting & tax business.   The Accounting & Bookkeeping Tips Facebook Group The Universal Accounting Fanpage Topical Newsletters: Universal Accounting Success The Universal Newsletter   Lastly, get your Business Score to see what you can do to work ON your business and have the Premier Accounting Firm. Join over 70,000 business owners and get your score on the 8 Factors That Drive Your Company's Value.   For Additional FREE Resources for accounting professionals, check out this collection HERE!   Be sure to join us for GrowCon, the LIVE event for accounting professionals to work ON their business. This is a conference you don't want to miss.   Remember this, Accounting Success IS Universal. Listen to our next episode and be sure to subscribe.   Also, let us know what you think of the podcast and please share any suggestions you may have.  We look forward to your input: Podcast Feedback   For more information on how you can apply these principles to start and build your accounting, bookkeeping & tax business please visit us at www.universalaccountingschool.com or call us at 8012653777  

Alcohol and comedy clubs go together very well - which can lead to drama! And not all drama is because someone is drunk. Here's a quick story about a night where alcohol caused drama in the front row . . . but not how you would think.  https://www.TheWorkLady.com  Jan McInnis is a top change management keynote speaker, comedian, and funny motivational speaker who helps organizations use humor to handle change, build resilience, and strengthen leadership skills. With her laugh-out-loud stories and practical tips, Jan shows audiences how humor isn't just entertainment—it's a business skill that drives communication, connection, and stress relief.   A conference keynote speaker, Master of Ceremonies, and comedy writer, Jan has written material for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno as well as radio, TV, and syndicated cartoon strips. She's the author of two books—Finding the Funny Fast and Convention Comedian—and her insights on humor in business have been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post. For over 25 years, she has been helping leaders and teams discover how to bounce back from setbacks, embrace change, and connect through comedy.   Jan has delivered keynote speeches at thousands of events nationwide, from the Federal Reserve Banks to the Mayo Clinic, for industries that include healthcare, finance, government, education, women's leadership events, technology, and safety & disaster management. Her client list features respected organizations such as: Healthcare: Mayo Clinic, Kaiser Permanente, Abbott Pharmaceuticals, Health Information Management Associations, Assisted Living Associations Finance: Federal Reserve Banks, Merrill Lynch, Transamerica Insurance, BDO Accounting, American Institute of CPAs, credit unions, banking associations Government: U.S. Air Force, Social Security Administration, International Institute of Municipal Clerks, National League of Cities, public utilities, correctional associations Women's Leadership Events: Toyota Women's Conference, Go Red for Women, Speaking of Women's Health, Soroptimists, Women in Insurance & Financial Services Education: State superintendent associations, community college associations, Head Start associations, National Association of Elementary and Middle School Principals Safety & Disaster: International Association of Emergency Managers, Disney Emergency Management, Mid-Atlantic Safety Conference, risk management associations   Her background as a Washington, D.C. marketing executive gives her a unique perspective that blends business acumen with stand-up comedy. Jan was also honored with the Greater Washington Society of Association Executives "Excellence in Education" Award. Along with her podcast Finding the Funny: Leadership Tips from a Comedian, Jan also produces Comedian Stories: Tales From the Road in Under 5 Minutes. Whether she's headlining a major convention, hosting a leadership retreat, or teaching resilience at a safety conference, Jan's programs give audiences the tools to laugh, learn, and lead.  

Alan Porter was this week's guest on Success Profiles Radio. He is a retired Blackhawk helicopter instructor pilot with 21 years in the U.S. Army, and discovered his true calling when a life insurance policy saved his family from financial ruin after the tragic passing of his daughter-in-law. He is the CEO of Strategic Wealth Strategies, and leads a powerhouse team of CPAs, tax attorneys, and elite financial professionals dedicated to delivering tax-free retirement solutions and bulletproof financial strategies. We discussed the biggest financial mistakes people make, devastating stories of people who didn't have life insurance or long-term care insurance, the decision of whether or not to take Social Security at age 62, and using tax-free investment vehicles to keep more of what you've earned. In addition, we talked about creating guaranteed lifelong income, becoming our own bank, not wasting money on taxes, and his book Tax Free Retirement Solution. We discussed so much more on the show. You can listen and download it on Apple Podcasts/Tunes, Spotify, Audible, Amazon, iHeart Radio, and at https://toginet.com/shows/successprofilesradio/

If you're a physician with at least 5 years of experience looking for a flexible, non-clinical, part-time medical-legal consulting role… ...Dr. Armin Feldman's Medical Legal Coaching program will guarantee to add $100K in additional income within 12 months without doing any expert witness work. Any doctor in any specialty can do this work. And if you don't reach that number, he'll work with you for free until you do, guaranteed. How can he make such a bold claim? It's simple, he gets results…  Dr. David exceeded his clinical income without sacrificing time in his full-time position. Dr. Anke retired from her practice while generating the same monthly consulting income.  And Dr. Elliott added meaningful consulting work without lowering his clinical income or job satisfaction. So, if you're a physician with 5+ years of experience and you want to find out exactly how to add $100K in additional consulting income in just 12 months, go to arminfeldman.com.                                                          =============== This podcast is sponsored by the Physician Executive MBA Program at the University of Tennessee Knoxville's Haslam College of Business. Thinking about a nonclinical career path? In just one year, our physician-only MBA gives you the business and leadership skills to pivot, whether into administration, consulting, entrepreneurship, or beyond. Join a nationwide network of over 1,000 physician leaders. Learn more at nonclincicalphysicians.com/physicianmba.                                                          =============== Get the FREE GUIDE to 10 Nonclinical Careers at nonclinicalphysicians.com/freeguide. Get a list of 70 nontraditional jobs at nonclinicalphysicians.com/70jobs.                                                                                                 =============== Real estate investor Lane Kawaoka explains how he utilized single-family rentals, private placements, and syndications to transition from a W-2 engineering job in Seattle to living and investing in Hawaii while building long-term wealth. He shares how he achieved accredited investor status, why he shifted away from owning scattered rental properties, and what he looks for when evaluating larger apartment and alternative deals so that high-income professionals don't end up in "sucker" investments. Kawaoka also walks through the tax side of the "wealth elevator," including how depreciation, real estate professional status, and oil and gas projects can complement or improve on traditional 401(k)-style strategies. Along the way, he talks about the limitations of short-term rentals and residential assisted living for busy clinicians, the importance of pushing CPAs beyond the default playbook, and why surrounding yourself with an experienced investor community is just as important as the deals themselves. You'll find links mentioned in the episode at nonclinicalphysicians.com/wealth-elevator/  

"Do I need a degree to become a bookkeeper?" The short answer: no. Just about anyone can become a bookkeeper. The long answer? No–just about anyone can become a bookkeeper. BUT… Not everyone SHOULD become a bookkeeper. The truth is, you don't need much of anything in order to get hired as a bookkeeper. Clients won't ask. CPAs won't demand to see your degree or license. It's not likely to ever come up. But getting hired is one thing. Staying hired? That's another. Client retention and referrals are a huge part of making your business sustainable. To do that, you need to do your work well. And to do your work well, you only need one thing… Can you guess what it is? No? Hit play and I'll tell you all about it!   EPISODE RESOURCES: Season 2 of Profits & Prosecco is HERE! Kick off your newest podcast addiction (or celebrate its return!) and listen to Episode 1 now: https://open.spotify.com/show/4dB0ZE8JaxqrkImm3Ifxrb  Sick of imposter syndrome keeping you stuck? Join the new + improved BECOME A BOOKKEEPER now: https://www.katieferro.com/become  Want a peek behind the curtain into LIBBY, my program all about what it really takes to have a simple and scalable (and successful) bookkeeping business? Get access to my free, on-demand four-part series, 6 Secrets to a Simple, Scalable Bookkeeping Business: www.katieferro.com/6-secrets Learn how to take your bookkeeping skills and turn them into a business that allows you to replace (or surpass) your corporate salary, be present for your life, and profoundly impact your clients without selling your life in the process by joining Life by the Books (LIBBY).     CONNECT WITH KATIE: Website: https://www.katieferro.com/ For first dibs (and the best prices!) on new offers from me, follow me on Instagram, then subscribe to my email list:  IG: www.instagram.com/orderlyaccountingbykatie Email Opt In: www.katieferro.com/email

Visa has announced a major overhaul of its commercial credit card data standards through its new Commercial Enhanced Data Program (CEDP), and businesses should take notice in order to avoid paying significantly higher rates. Eric Cohen, CEO at Merchant Advocate, explains what this means for businesses and why CPAs need to be paying attention. Topics discussed:What CEDP is and why Visa is moving away from the old systemImpacts that controllers, CFOs and public accountants should be preparing forCommon system and data problems that could cause business to fall out of complianceWhat CPAs should be asking their payment processors nowPreview of another big pending issue in the credit card processing world Resources:Visa CEDP Explained: What Every B2B Merchant Needs to KnowLearn more about Merchant Advocate and their special offer for NJCPA membersBusiness Management Knowledge Hub #IssuesWatch #podcast #visa #cedp

In this Journal of Accountancy branded podcast episode, Clint Costa, CPA, J.D., LL.M., a senior wealth strategist at Choreo, talks with Matt Gotlin, Choreo's chief investment officer, on trends in investment management and tips for CPAs to advise clients.

In this episode of the Perfect RIA Podcast, hosts Matthew Jarvis and Steven Jarvis discuss the importance of actionable tax planning strategies for financial advisors. They explore the dynamics of their family relationship, the significance of basic tax planning, and how to build collaborative relationships with CPAs. The conversation also covers the role of 1099 letters in tax preparation, the nuances of Roth conversions, and the support provided through office hours for advisors. Additionally, they highlight the value of the 37-point checklist in ensuring comprehensive financial planning. Navigating Tax Planning: Insights from the Jarvis Brothers [Episode 337] Resources in today's episode: - Matt Jarvis: Website | LinkedIn - Steven Jarvis: LinkedIn | Podcast | The Summit 2026 - Learn More about our Coaching Programs

Tax season doesn't have to be a scramble — and today's guests show farmers exactly how to get ahead. We're joined by two ag-focused CPAs: Mackenzie Sprain from LattaHarris and Hannah Mann from Pioneer Accounting LLC. One brings deep ag tax expertise, the other specializes in helping farmers build cleaner records and better financial visibility — together, they give producers a complete roadmap for winning tax season before it starts.We open with an honest look at the 2025 tax landscape: inflation pressures, high interest rates, shifting policy environments, and the growing relevance of tools like Section 180 deductions, R&D credits, conservation program rules, CRP tax treatment, and more. Mackenzie and Hannah outline how year-round planning beats last-minute spending — and why quarterly conversations with your accountant can save thousands.From there, we dig into the power of modern recordkeeping. Tools like Ambrook allow producers to tag expenses by enterprise, monitor breakevens in real time, organize receipts, and make equipment or land decisions with clarity instead of guesswork. The CPAs share real stories of farmers who uncovered hidden savings, improved profitability, or avoided costly mistakes simply by keeping organized, digital records.We also cover common mistakes farmers make — outdated depreciation schedules, misclassified wages, partnership changes not reported, misunderstood conservation payments, or relying on handshake agreements without tax implications in mind. Mackenzie and Hannah walk through the opportunities available for 2025: Section 179 planning, bonus depreciation limits, energy tax credits, R&D credits for agronomy trials, and strategies to minimize interest-driven tax impacts.We close with actionable takeaways: start early, track continuously, communicate often, and use technology to transform tax planning from compliance into strategy. If you want to reduce stress, avoid surprises, and make tax season another profit tool for your operation, this episode is packed with practical, CPA-approved guidance you can apply immediately. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitllc Connect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, we demystify tax season for female real estate investors, proving it doesn't have to be stressful or last-minute. Drawing on our personal experiences, we share practical systems for year-round organization, from mastering 1099 and W-9 requirements to distinguishing between capital expenditures (CapEx) and repairs for smarter tax benefits. We also highlight the value of digital bookkeeping tools, such as QuickBooks, and discuss the advantages of hiring a real estate-specific bookkeeper. Additionally, we detail the importance of preparing quarterly estimated tax payments to avoid penalties. The conversation covers setting up digital filing systems for receipts and closing statements, maintaining a Properties Quick Guide, and diligent record-keeping for those pursuing Real Estate Professional Status (REPS). You will learn actionable steps to streamline processes, maximize deductions, and work effectively with CPAs. Packed with community resources and honest advice, this episode provides empowering strategies to help you face tax time with confidence and focus on building your real estate success. Resources:Simplify how you manage your rentals with TurboTenantGet in touch with Envy Investment GroupGet the deets on working with the WIIRE BookkeeperMake sure your name is on the list to secure your spot in The WIIRE Community Leave us a review on Apple PodcastsLeave us a review on SpotifyJoin our private Facebook CommunityConnect with us on Instagram

Have you ever woken up, looked at your calendar, and felt that familiar heaviness or weight in your chest?  The weight of a problem or challenge that you've been carrying for weeks, months, or maybe even years? Maybe it's a client situation that keeps spiraling, a workload issue you swear you're going to streamline “when things slow down,” or a personal struggle you've gotten so used to that it feels like part of your identity.  If you're like most accountants, CPAs, business owners, and high-stress professionals, you're incredible at solving other people's problems, but when it comes to your own, something strange happens. You start to think things like, “It's too hard.”  “It's not worth the effort.”  Or, “This is just how things are for me.”  And so you keep living with a problem you could absolutely solve.  What I want to offer you today is something that has changed not only my life but also many of my clients' lives, and it's at the heart of The RE*INVENTION™ Process.  There is no problem in your life that you cannot solve.  Not one.  And the moment you begin to believe that, even just a little, your entire life opens up.  Today, I'm going to help you see your problems differently. I'm going to help you think the way high-performing, calm, emotionally regulated problem-solvers think. I'm going to show you how problems and challenges in your life can become doorways to opportunity, but only if you're willing to walk through them.  Let's dive in… Join us in a community built specifically for accountants and high-stress professionals.  You'll receive support, accountability, and a community that understands what you're going through. We focus on stress reduction, increasing productivity, time management, goal achievement, health, happiness, and desired lifestyle:  https://www.financialadventure.com/community I'm inviting you to sign up for the free private podcast where I do a deeper dive into this topic on the Mastering Your Mindset Moments podcast for high-stress professionals: https://www.financialadventure.com/private Schedule your Complimentary Stress Audit and Clarity Session, where we'll work together to create a clear and focused plan for you to move forward so you'll immediately start enjoying your life with less stress, increased productivity, and more time to spend doing what you love with the people you care about: https://www.financialadventure.com/work-with-me Accountants, CPAs, Bookkeepers, Tax Preparers & Financial Professionals, sign up here to get updates on upcoming opportunities & grab the Audit Of Your Well-Being & Balance Guide here: https://www.financialadventure.com/accountant Ready to set up your business?  I have a program to help you get your business set up so that you can start making money.  Sign up for this program here: https://www.financialadventure.com/start Are you ready to try coaching?  Schedule an Introductory Coaching Session today.  You'll have the opportunity to see how you like coaching with an Introductory Coaching Session: https://www.financialadventure.com/intro Join us in the Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB if you are ready to take control of your business finances and create the profitable business you are striving for.  Are you ready to generate revenues and increase the profit in your business: https://www.financialadventure.com/profit If You Are Ready To Choose, Start Or Grow Your Side Hustle, Get Your Free Checklist And Assessment Here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sidehustle Grab Your FREE guide:  5 Essential Strategies For Stress-Free Bookkeeping: https://www.financialadventure.com/5essentials Your FREE Online Virtual Bookkeeping Business Starter Guide & Success Path Is Waiting For You: https://www.financialadventure.com/starterguide Join Our Facebook Community:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbusinessownersultimatediybookkeepingboutique The Strategic Bookkeeping Academy, including Bookkeeping Basics, is open for registration!  You can learn more and sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/sba Looking for a payroll solution for your business?  You can get an exclusive 15% discount on your payroll services when you sign up here: https://www.financialadventure.com/adp QuickBooks Online - Save 30% Your First 6 Months: https://www.financialadventure.com/quickbooks Sign up for a virtual coffee chat to see if starting a Bookkeeping Business is right for you: https://www.financialadventure.com/discovery Show Notes:  https://www.financialadventure.com This podcast is sponsored by Financial Adventure, LLC ~ visit https://www.financialadventure.com for additional information and free resources.

What happens when technical excellence meets deep human empathy? In this episode, Carl Richards, CFP®, author of Your Money and creator of the famed "Sketch Guy" column in The New York Times, joins host Cary Sinnett to explore how CPA financial planners can foster trust through simplicity, storytelling, and purposeful conversation. Carl shares how sketches can cut through complexity, how planners can create space for real client understanding, and why listening with intention may be your most powerful technical skill. Whether you're coaching a client through uncertainty or explaining a nuanced tax strategy, Carl shows how precision with purpose is the future of trusted planning. You'll Learn in This Episode: Why financial planners are in the behavior change business Carl challenges CPA financial planners to see their role not just as experts, but as guides who help clients change the way they think and act with money. How technical precision with purpose can lead to greater outcomes Carl explains how our drive for technical perfection can sometimes overshadow the deeper emotional and behavioral work required to truly serve clients well. Practical ways to build trust through clarity and vulnerability Learn how to shift your communication from "Here's the solution" to "Let's explore this together"—and how that builds long-term trust. Whether you're a numbers-first technician or a holistic planner striving to connect more deeply with clients, this episode offers both insight and inspiration. Resources: Podcast: Turning Panic into Trust Video: Old Problems, New Solutions: Techniques for Solving Concentrated Stock Positions Podcast: The why, what, and how behind legacy planning for your clients This episode is brought to you by the AICPA's Personal Financial Planning Section, the premier provider of information, tools, advocacy, and guidance for professionals who specialize in providing tax, estate, retirement, risk management and investment planning advice. Also, by the CPA/PFS credential program, which allows CPAs to demonstrate competence and confidence in providing these services to their clients. Visit us online to join our community, gain access to valuable member-only benefits or learn about our PFP certificate program. Subscribe to the PFP Podcast channel at Libsyn to find all the latest episodes or search "AICPA Personal Financial Planning" on your favorite podcast app.    

It's Cyber Monday, and Andrew and Jay dive into year-end strategy, the real cost of Black Friday sales, and why deep discounts often hurt more than they help. They also discuss how lean manufacturing practices literally saved an entire 60,000 sq ft facility after a major fire. Elsewhere, Andrew shares the importance of using LinkedIn with intention, how handwritten notes beat (or should be combined with) AI transcription for capturing insights, and why business owners must prioritize end-of-year tasks before the December panic hits. Jay breaks down inventory strategy, shop-floor safety improvements, and the hard truth about tax planning, CPAs, and executing (not just dreaming) your business vision.Books mentioned: Simple Numbers, Straight Talk, Big Profits!: 4 Keys to Unlock Your Business Potential by Greg CrabtreeTax-Free Wealth by Tom Wheelwright

Most business owners are overpaying their estimated taxes by $15,000–$20,000 a year — and their CPAs are telling them it's “the safe thing to do.” In this episode, Tiffany Phillips exposes how fear-based accounting advice quietly drains your cash flow and gives the IRS an interest-free loan. You'll learn the truth about estimated taxes, how safe harbor rules really work, and the simple calculation that keeps you penalty-free without overpaying. Tiffany walks through real client examples that saved tens of thousands in unnecessary payments — plus the exact system you can use to keep more money in your business year-round. If you're tired of blindly trusting your CPA and ready to start paying smarter, this one's a must-listen.   Next Steps:

In this episode, Rory speaks with Phil Whitman, President and CEO of Whitman Advisory, one of the leading advisory organizations serving CPA firms nationwide. Phil shares how his firm evolved from succession and M&A consulting into a multi-service advisory platform helping firms improve profitability, recruit talent, and prepare for the what comes next in the world of accounting. He explains how private equity has reshaped the accounting profession, what firms can learn from early deals like EisnerAmper, Citrin Cooperman, and Cherry Bekaert, and why 2026 could be “the year of the tuck-in.” Phil also outlines the four keys to building a world-class firm—communication, trust, partner alignment, and accountability—and why culture and capital structure matter as much as multiples. Want to know how CPAs can position their firms to attract investment, grow through acquisition, and thrive in the age of private equity? Find out in this conversation with Phil Whitman.

Ashley Garner shares how he scaled from duplexes to 196-unit acquisitions, overcame fear, and built a multifamily business powered by outsourcing and relationships.In this episode of RealDealChat, Jack Hoss interviews Ashley Garner of ABG Multifamily, who reveals how he went from flipping student rentals with his father to buying large multifamily properties — including his most recent 196-unit acquisition.Ashley explains why “go bigger sooner” has become his core philosophy, how fear and past failures shaped his decision-making, and why outsourcing has been the key to unlocking scale. He breaks down exactly how he sources deals, works with brokers and direct-to-seller channels, and builds passive-income opportunities for investors.Ashley also shares how he uses virtual assistants, third-party management, legal partners, and AI tools to grow without burning out — and why letting go is the hardest skill for most entrepreneurs.What You'll LearnHow Ashley transitioned from small rentals to 196-unit acquisitionsWhy going bigger sooner accelerates financial freedomHow fear, failure & foreclosures shaped his investing philosophyUsing outsourcing & VAs to scale beyond your personal limitsThe truth about direct-to-seller vs broker deal sourcingWhen to switch CPAs, attorneys & property managersHow to evaluate passive-income syndicationsThe keys to picking markets (and why he focuses on North Carolina)How AI is helping him review documents & speed up decisions

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Get my new book: https://bronsonequity.com/fireyourselfDownload my new special report - How to Use Inflation to Your Advantage - www.bronsonequity.com/inflationIn this episode of the Mailbox Money Show, Bronson and Nate sit down with leading real estate tax strategists Amanda Han and Matt MacFarland to unpack the most effective tax strategies for real estate investors today.Amanda is a CPA and real estate investor with a degree from UNLV, over two decades of tax planning experience, and national features in outlets like CNBC, Money Magazine, and Google Talks. Matt is a CPA with an accounting degree from UCLA and a Masters in Taxation from USC, specializing in tax strategies for real estate investors and high-net-worth clients for over 20 years.Together, Amanda and Matt explain why taxes are the greatest lever for growing wealth, how proactive planning can dramatically reduce tax burdens, and why most investors miss the biggest deductions available to them. They break down how high-income earners can use real estate to offset taxes, why timing matters in tax planning, and the common misconceptions that hold investors back. TIMESTAMPS00:41 - Episode Overview01:06 - Nate's Low Effective Tax Rate Story01:39 - Tax Challenges for High-Net-Worth Investors02:01 - CPAs vs. True Tax Strategists02:24 - Guest Intro: Amanda Han and Matt MacFarland03:29 - Guests' Background in Real Estate and Big Four04:37 - Starting a Firm for Everyday Real Estate Investors05:19 - Tax Rate Disparities: Self-Employed vs. Real Estate Investors07:04 - Overcoming CPA Conservatism and Audit Fears07:46 - Introducing Tax Strategy to New Clients08:54 - Proactive Tax Planning Before Major Life Events09:36 - Tax Avoidance vs. Evasion Explained09:47 - Strategies for Business Exits and Big Gains11:04 - Planning 2-3 Years Ahead for Large Exits11:42 - Opportunity Zones: Deferral and Tax-Free Growth13:30 - Navigating Tax Law Changes and Self-Education Resources15:53 - Role of ChatGPT in Tax Planning17:47 - Offsetting Gains from Development Projects20:08 - New 100% Write-Off for Manufacturing Real Estate21:40 - Unique Real Estate Niches for Tax Benefits23:02 - Foundational Buy-Create-Refi-Depreciate Strategy24:58 - Key Questions to Vet a Tax Strategist26:48 - Lifetime Tax Losses for Physicians28:57 - Real Estate Marriage Tax Loophole29:52 - Short-Term Rental Loophole for W-2 Offset30:54 - Closing and Contact Info31:52 - Debrief: Value of Tax Strategists and Resistance MindsetConnect with the Guest:Website: https://www.keystonecpa.com/Instagram (Amanda Han): @amanda_han_cpaYoutube (Amanda Han): https://www.youtube.com/@amandahancpa#TaxStrategy#RealEstateInvesting#WealthBuilding#PassiveIncome#OpportunityZones#CPATips#MailboxMoney

Get your FREE 7 Pricing Essentials for CPAs and EAs here:https://geraldinecarter.com/7Stuck in hourly billing and chaos? The smarter path to growth might be saying no more – turning away work, raising prices, and standardizing before you scale. In this episode, Lori Yearwood, CPA, shares how she let go of clients, dropped hourly, and built packages with add-ons, gaining a day-plus each week to work on the business while revenue climbed.…Link to full shownotes: https://www.businessstrategyforcpas.com/374…Want Pricing Essentials?If you feel trapped by your own accounting firm, it's not because of the work – it's how you've priced the work. Too many accountants are stuck in undercharging, overdelivering, and people-pleasing cycles. Break the pattern with my short PDF guide: 7 Pricing Essentials »It's free and you can read it in 5 minutes.I want to help you get your prices up without losing loyal clients.  …Lori's website:https://www.zealaccountingsolutions.com/…Want client interviews?310 From Exhausted to Having Her Life Back: Wendy Norman, CPA304 From 55 Down to 15 Hours; Same Take-Home Pay with Melissa Downs, EA293 What it Takes to Work 15 Hours per Week with Erica Goode, CPAComplete list:geraldinecarter.com/client-interview-episodes…FOUR ways I help overworked CPAs go down to 40 hours without losing revenue or hiring:THE EMAIL COURSE – Freegeraldinecarter.com/stop-working-weekendsStop Working Weekends will teach you how to reduce your hours without giving up revenue. THE BOOK – $9.99geraldinecarter.com/bookDown to 40 Hours – A Roadmap for CPAs to End Overworking Without Losing RevenuePEAK FREEDOM COMMUNITY – $197/mogeraldinecarter.com/peak-freedomFor solo and small accounting firm owners who want to rise above the insanity of hustle-cultureDOWN TO 40 HOURS ACCELERATOR – $995/mogeraldinecarter.com/40For the overworked CPA at multiple six figures of revenue who is ready to stop working weekends, wants to implement overdue changes, and doesn't want to do it alone. You'll make progress faster and with more confidence. … Get your FREE 7 Pricing Essentials for CPAs and EAs here:https://geraldinecarter.com/7

Most high-earning business owners are missing a legal, IRS-approved strategy that could save them tens of thousands in taxes — the backdoor Roth IRA. In this episode, Tiffany Phillips explains how this overlooked wealth-building tool works, who qualifies, and what you need to do before December 31 to take advantage of it. You'll learn why even successful entrepreneurs get bad advice from compliance-focused CPAs, how to avoid the costly mistakes that ruin this strategy, and how to use it as part of a bigger plan for tax-free retirement income. If you're making over the Roth IRA income limit and still want tax-free growth, this episode could literally change your financial future.   Next Steps: