Going back to the basics;Objectives of Accounting!

Accounting systems have been known to help organizations to achieve their objectives. They provide a reliable framework and are able to consistently produce accurate as well as precise financial information.

As providers of corporate payroll services and bookkeeping services in San Antonio, we carry a lot of knowledge about accounting. Therefore, the key objectives of accounting are going to be discussed in this blog. Let’s see a summary of the same in the following points: 

1. The Process of Recording
The very first role of the process of accounting is to maintain a complete, systematic, permanent, as well as an accurate record of all transactions of a business. These transactions could be retrieved as well as reviewed whenever deemed necessary. A reliable financial record becomes the backbone of any accounting system. Without such a system, all other objectives of accounting get compromised. 2. The Process of Planning We all know that organizations always need to plan how they intend to allocate their resources. These include labour, cash, machinery, materials, as well as equipment for competing requirements in the future. One of the most effective ways of executing this is by using many forms of budgets. Budgeting becomes a huge component of managerial accounting. Budgets have the capability of enabling organizations to plan for the future. They anticipate business needs as well as resources. The process of budgeting helps in the coordination of various segments. 3. The Process of Decision Making
Accounting is a process that helps the managers in making a range of business decisions. It also helps with developing policies in order to make the processes of the organization much more efficient than they already are. Management decisions based on accounting information include the following examples:
-What is the price that should be charged for products as well as services for achieving the maximum profit?
-What all products should be produced when there is a shortage of resources, like cash, material, or labour, for maximizing profit?
-Does the business currently need to acquire financing?
There are many more examples like these. 4. The Performance
The accounting helps to determine how well is the performance of a business. It summarizes the financial information into quantifiable measures. Organizations should always have a reliable source for measuring their key performance indicators or KPIs. On the basis of this, they would be able to improve their performance. They can easily compare themselves against their own performance in the past, and against their competitors.
5. The Liquidity
Often, the reason for the failure of many businesses is the mismanagement of cash. Accounting helps businesses in knowing how much cash, as well as other liquid resources, are available at their disposal, for paying for the financial commitments of the business. This kind of information is needed for working capital management. In this way, organizations get help in reducing the risk of bankruptcy, with the help of timely detection of their financial bottlenecks. There are many other objectives of accounting, that become the reason as to why the process becomes so imperative.
If you have realized the importance of accounting systems, and are looking for corporate payroll services, bookkeeping services or any other business accounting services in San Antonio, then visit http://www.uhlenbrockcpa.com/ or contact 210-701-1040. 

Get Smart While Tax Preparation

Everyone who is working around tax preparation services in San Antonio knows that the first quarter of the year is the time when the tax season preparation typically heats up for all businesses out there. It’s a time when there is paperwork that needs to be organized. It has the goal of creating a return. This needs to be accurate and shouldn’t hold any financial surprises for the company.

If you get smart and plan early, then the business will be able to stay on top of the paperwork. In this blog, you will find many key initiatives that are worth taking now, so that your business is on top of the tax game. and has the latest information.

Have a look at the following:

1. Organizing tax paperwork
Providers of tax preparation services in San Antonio believe that the process of planning really heats up in January. This is when the companies begin to send out and receive essential tax documents. So, in case you have a small organization, it's important to get a head start. This will avoid a last-minute rush. When you connect with your tax professional, it will help you to get a handle on categorizing documentation.

2. Filing the taxes
It’s great how you can now begin working on your returns, at the earliest that you'd like. Therefore, it doesn’t matter whether you are doing it yourself with tax software or partnering with a tax preparer and using their tax preparation services in San Antonio. However, your return won't be reviewed and processed will the IRS until the official start date.

3. Requirements of the tax preparer
When you decide to work with a tax preparer, you need to understand that they will be needing some key documentation. For starters, they will need proof of your identity. If the case is that they are preparing taxes, on behalf of the business that you own, you will be required to give your Employer Identification Number. This is also known as a tax ID.

The preparer would also try to understand your finances. This would include income from gross receipts from services or sales, returns, sales records, other income, and business bank account interest. It would also include the cost of goods that were sold, including inventory, the ending dollar amount of inventory, the total dollar amount of beginning inventory, items that were removed for personal reasons, and needed materials as well as supplies. A tax preparer also needs your business expenses. These would be the ones that could qualify you for deductions. It would also include credits that reduce the overall tax liability.

Apart from these three important tips on getting smart about preparing your taxes, there are some more like understanding qualified credits as well as deductions, taking advantage of the new tax laws, keeping up with your home state's tax issues, itemizing business expenses, calculating projected payroll taxes, considering an extension, etc.

To know more about such topics, and to get efficient tax preparation services in San Antonio, get in touch with Uhlenbrock CPA at 210-701-1040.

Are You a Beginner at Bookkeeping?

Hey there, are you new to the world of bookkeeping? When you are diving into the pool of accounting in North San Antonio, you are bound to come across the term and the process of bookkeeping! So, isn’t it better to explore the subject than to be intimidated by it?

Let’s explore bookkeeping for beginners!

Single or double-entry bookkeeping?
When you think about single-entry bookkeeping, think of it like keeping your check register. It’s all about recording transactions as the bills are being paid, and making deposits into the company account. Usually, it only works if we have a small company at hand, which has a low volume of transactions.

In other scenarios, where the company is of any complexity as well as size, you should set up a double-entry bookkeeping system. This is where at least two entries are made for each and every transaction. Credit is made to another accounting after a debit is made to one account. This becomes the key to double-entry accounting.

Using cash or accrual accounting?
Whether or not should one be using a cash or accrual accounting system would be one of the first decisions that one would have to make when setting up the bookkeeping system. If you are looking at accounting in North San Antonio for operating a small business from home or even if it is a larger consulting practice coming from a single-person office, it’s better to go with cash accounting. Using cash accounting would mean recording your transactions when the cash changes hands. When using accrual accounting, you would be recording purchases or sales immediately. This would be the case even if the cash doesn't change hands.

A better look at assets, liabilities, and equity
One thing to remember before anyone sets up their bookkeeping system is that they have to understand the firm's basic accounts. This includes the assets, the liabilities, as well as the equity. Assets refer to those things that the company owns. This includes the company’s inventory as well as accounts receivables. On the other hand, the liabilities refer to those things that the company owes. This includes what they owe to their accounts payable or suppliers, business and bank loans, mortgages, as well as any other debt on their books. Lastly, equity refers to the ownership that a business owner, as well as any investors, have in the firm.

There is a lot more to know about bookkeeping services San Antonio, but these basics will help in giving you a good direction!

Why Is Getting Your Taxes Prepared By a Professional So Important?

When it comes to tax preparation services in San Antonio not many people are convinced that it is something they need. Therefore, there is a major need to make people aware of the fact that there is a lot that they are missing out by not allowing a professional to help in preparing their taxes. 

In this blog, we will be focusing on the numerous advantages that a person enjoys when he chooses to have a professional prepare his taxes.

Have a look at the following points and decide if you want to be that person or not:

1. Easing the Burden:
When it comes to some tax returns, they can be really complicated. If you are a small-business owner, and you itemize your deductions, then you have to complete as well as file IRS 1040, Schedule C, Schedule A, and also Schedule SE, along with other forms. Each of these forms requires loads of information from the taxpayer's records. This can be information like amounts that are listed on 1099s or 1099-INTs. Navigating yourself through complicated tax returns is time-consuming. The risk of errors gets increased with the forms that need to be filed. Therefore, a professional tax service helps ease this burden.

2. Reducing the Errors:
The IRS always keeps a list of the most common tax errors that people make. On this given list, there are computation errors while entering payments on the wrong line, determining taxable income, and even simple math errors. When there is an error on the return, it can majorly delay any refunds that are due. If the mistake results in tax liability, then the fines, as well as interest, accrue from the date on which the taxes were filed. No tax professional is flawless, but the chances of making a very simple mistake are reduced when you use tax preparation services in San Antonio. 

3. Avoiding Adverse Consequences:
When signing the end of a tax return, you are declaring that the information is true as well as accurate to the best of your knowledge. If IRS happens to audit your return and it finds errors, then you could face some serious legal consequences. When you have a professional to prepare your tax returns, it adds a little safeguard to all such potential liabilities. Everyone needs to be cautious though. Of course you should be going over the return yourself, for ensuring that all the numbers are correct.

There are many more such advantages which tell you why tax preparation services in San Antonio are so important to use. 

To know more about tax consulting North San Antonio, get in touch with Uhlenbrock CPA at 210-701-1040.

How Can I Prepare Myself For Tax Filing?

If you’re at a point in your life, where you just need someone to guide you through the procedure of tax preparation and filing, then you’ve come to the right blog.

You can simply choose to do the following to help yourself:

1. Decide to start your tax planning a little early

When the tax year is beginning, you can choose to plan how you are going to arrange the financial affairs. This is to be done in order to lower your tax bill. However, there is something that you should keep in mind. In case, your tax affairs are too complicated for you to handle you might just need some expert advice. Let’s say you earn investment income or are self-employed, you might go for tax preparation services in San Antonio. They could recommend strategies that minimize and defer your taxes. 

2. Keeping good receipts and records throughout the year

One of the best things to do is to organize as well as file receipts as and when they come in. This makes it fairly easy at tax time. This will include tax information slip. It would also go on to include supporting documents, like bills, receipts for car, credit card statements, business expenses like home or office etc, stock transactions, and records of the business, housing, and rental property.

3. Making sure that you are receiving all tax information slips

This would be including receipts for charitable donations, RRSP contributions etc. Bot only this, but it also includes the following:

• In case of you being an employee- T4 slip  

• In case of you receiving a pension income, self-employed commissions, lump-sum payments, or even annuity income - T4A

• In case of you earning an income from a trust- T3

• In case of you receiving investment income- T5

Something that everyone should remember about issuing these slips is- 

All these slips should be issued by February 28th. This is with an exception for the T3, as that is issued 90 days post the trust’s tax year-end.

Don’t worry, if, in the end, you still feel lost, or simply not up to the task, then you could just go for tax preparation services in San Antonio. Preparing yourself for tax preparation is possible if you are willing to learn and willing to take a risky chance of getting a few things wrong on the way. 

To know more about tax preparation services in San Antonio and avail services of tax consulting North San Antonio, get in touch with Uhlenbrock CPA at 210-701-1040.

What should you be looking for in a Tax Preparer?

As an experienced provider of CPA services in San Antonio, we’ve realized that the fact of our lives is, we cannot avoid taxes. This is true in every case, especially when you own a business. Therefore, we might as well do our taxes in the way we’re expected to. The process of tax preparation is one of those less explored and unwanted ones. There are so many people who would just love to skip it. This leads to waiting till the eleventh hour and starting to deal with it when there’s not much time left. To state the obvious, this isn’t the ethical or smart way to deal with taxes. All in all, it leads to disasters. Being late in submitting tax requirements is inexcusable to the IRS. 

Therefore, a smarter way is hiring a good tax preparer who offers great tax preparation services in San Antonio and takes care of all the requirements within the time limit. Following is what you should be looking for in a tax preparer:

1. Make sure he or she is proactive

When looking for tax preparation services in San Antonio, make sure that your tax preparer. is proactive. This is because, it would mean that they will take the initiative of doing things, without having to be prompted. They will be able to foresee the plausible problems. Not only this, but they will also come up with a solution for the same. He or she would know what to expect and be ready for facing it.

2. The more the experience, the better

All qualities in a provider of CPA services in San Antonio, are born out of their experience. Therefore, when looking for someone, go with the one who has plenty of experience in his field already. Keep in mind, that you want someone who is not only exposed to many books and theories but has been exposed to real life situations as well.

3. A great skill set

Look for someone who comes under certified public accountants. When you go with someone who possesses a degree, you can be sure they have the right knowledge as well as expertise. The CPAs have studied accounting for many years and get updated with the development in the legal aspects too.

And that’s why, the above become the essential things to look for in a tax preparer. For professional CPA services in San Antonio, call us at 210-701-1040.

Part 2 - Why hire a professional for tax preparation?

In “Why hire a professional for tax preparation? Part 1” we discussed a few reasons for the same. They included saving money and time, as well as playing it safe. However, we also concluded on a note that there are more reasons to be discussed for one to be convinced of the importance of hiring a professional for tax preparation. You need to understand that you not only need an accountant for bookkeeping services in San Antonio but also for tax related processes.

Therefore, in this second part we are going to explore new reasons to hire a CPA in San Antonio - 

4. The experience of a professional always counts.

Usually, the tax professionals that promise a great tax preparation service have been around in the business of accountancy for quite some time. This gives them an edge in understanding all the nuances that come along in filing taxes. Such nuances are faced by all accountants regardless of them working on a joint, individual, or even business basis.

This is exactly where you let their experience benefit you and your work. Their experience would help you get through the whole process quickly as well as in an effortless manner.
A professional tax preparer would deal with the IRS, if it ever comes to a situation where there are any kinds of questions on your return. In case of you being a self-file, the IRS comes directly to you looking for answers that regard your filing. This means that hiring a tax professional in such a situation is a great idea, since you are not only paying and getting their services, but you get their experience as a big add-on in the event of an audit.

5.  Taking you out of despair

All the above reasons of hiring a tax professional, tell you everything about their special skills and how they can use the same, to give you a great tax preparation service. However, not everyone wants a person, to just barge in, execute the process and go away. After all, this is your money we are talking about. Don’t you want to know why and where is it getting spent? Therefore, you do not need tax professionals only because of what they know. You want them, also because they can explain what they know. Hence, when you hire a professional tax preparer, you are hiring someone who can clear all your doubts, and answer all your questions, no matter how difficult or basic they are.

Therefore, hiring a professional for bookkeeping and tax preparation San Antonio is a great way to go about tax preparation. Get your tax preparation related questions answered by the experts in San Antonio. Call Uhlenbrock CPA at 210-701-1040.

Tracking Self-employed Expenses - Part 2

As we discussed in the previous blog, if you are self- employed then you need to track your self-employed expenses. Of course, you could take the assistance of tax preparation services in San Antonio but before any of that, you need to know how to track your business expenses when you are working for yourself and not an employer.

It is only after this tracking process that you would be able to move on to the next step of corporate tax preparation in San Antonio.

 

Hence, here are the continued tips on how to track your business costs also called self- employed expenses-

Organize it all

In today’s digital world, it would not be a surprise if you get a few of your receipts via e-mail. Now that you are aware of this, you should create one folder in your email that would only be used to store the expenses of the business.

It is a very smart move to store photos of the paper receipts that you receive apart from the e-mail ones. Of course, you should keep these paper receipts in a physical folder as well. However, when you compare the chances of you losing a paper receipt, they are definitely more than you losing a digital copy of the same.

One of the best things you could do for yourself as someone who is self-employment is to record everything. This means taking into consideration each business expense that you make and file the receipts according to that.

All you have to do is make sure not to procrastinate when it comes to such activities.

As a provider of tax services in San Antonio, we know how important it is important to keep your receipts and tax returns for at least a period of three years. This is helpful if you are audited.

Filing quarterly-estimated taxes

Finally, we come to the last step of it. Filing your quarterly estimated taxes is the only way to keep your business costs in an amazing shape. Any kind of failure in filing would result in penalties to the IRS. This is something you would want to avoid in every case.

Paying your taxes throughout the year is the best way to go about it. For more tips like these and the best corporate tax preparation San Antonio, contact Uhlenbrock CPA today!

Accounting Basics for Small Businesses

As majorly successful accounting and tax professionals in San Antonio, we are well-aware of how important accounting can be for small businesses. We practice corporate tax preparation in San Antonio and consider it our duty to keep you informed about the same.

It is safe to say that bookkeeping is imperative for any business. If you are a small business owner, then it’s necessary for you to recognize that the best practices that are used by Fortune 500 companies definitely apply to you as well. For success in any size business, the basic accounting principles are important. Disciplined financial analysis and brilliant record-keeping would not only help in monitoring the expenses but also discover bright new avenues of growth for your business. On top of it all, this behavior ensures you to be responsible when it comes to your employees and the tax obligations you hold towards the government.

Tax professionals in San Antonio would tell you that accounting does more than just management of debits and credits. It comes into play quite often in daily business activities and decisions than we may realize.
Here’s how:

• Smooth Operations

By creating a detailed and appropriate budget we can easily discover the inefficiencies that lie within the business operations. This would then lead to solutions and smooth business operations.

• Understanding the Financial Position

Corporate tax preparation in San Antonio would help you understand your financial position better. This would make you realize and spot all the problematic areas that interfere with loans which are earmarked for business expansion.

• Being Alert

Accounting can help you stay alerted when it comes to a sudden change in sales revenues or vendor costs which could further cause major industry changes.

• Monitoring

Proper accounting practices for small businesses can help in close monitoring of the accounts receivable that would illustrate behaviors or trends in the customer base. It could also prove to be very helpful when it comes to cutting down on the costs that are incurred by pursuing late payers.

Tax professionals in San Antonio have observed that often small businesses fail because of the cash flow running dry. This brings forward the problem of not paying enough attention to the accounting of a small business. A good accountant can take care of it for you. For the best services of an accountant including corporate tax preparation in San Antonio contact ‘Uhlenbrock CPA’ today!

Great Ideas for an Accounting Blog

As successful tax professionals in San Antonio, we at Uhlenbrock CPA know the importance of knowledge sharing in accounting. A blog is one of easiest ways to share your knowledge, thought and opinion.

But how do you choose topics for your accounting blog? We have great ideas for your accounting blog. These simple tips can change the way people respond to your blog. Just a few changes here and there can really make a big difference in your writing. Here’s how we can not only help you with services like corporate tax preparation San Antonio but also give you amazing writing ideas:

A blog is an on-going task
This is something you should always remember. Because this means that you have to keep finding material that works with the audience continuously. You have to keep asking yourself, what is it that you can write about? Building a few places as references is the first step to making it all much easier. One of the easiest ways to build such references is to have a look at what the other accountants are blogging about.

Stay away from plagiarism
Just because you got inspired from a blog does not mean you have to copy it. As tax professionals in San Antonio who blog, we know that plagiarism is insulting and till an extent even illegal. The best way is to understand the blog and write it in your own language with quality content from your side added to it.

Keep it basic
When you think of writing an advisory blog, remember to keep it filled with ‘general advice’. Although this would be free for the people reading it, eventually it would become bait. This would make people come to you for more specific advice on their topics. That’s how you would enter the market. With this, you would also be building and increasing your online reputation and tapping potential customers on a global level.

News
It’s very important to keep in touch with relevant information in the news. This would help you stay updated and put up current information in your blog. No one wants to read outdated information when it comes to accounting blogs. Remember, it has to be presented well to catch the eyes of your readers.

You could get in touch with us to get more creative ideas for your accounting blog. In fact, our blogs contain great information to refer to for your own blog. We also offer the best services of corporate tax preparation in San Antonio along with many other services. Call 210-701-1040 to know more about our services.

Why is it Imperative to Keep Good Accounting Records?

All of us maintain accounting records. But, not all of us do it the way it should be done. Since Uhlenbrock CPA has been providing the services of corporate tax preparation in San Antonio we can tell you exactly why good accounting records are necessary.

Here are the reasons why it's imperative to keep good accounting records:

Efficient Business Operations
Maintaining good records of your business would help you identify all your liabilities, assets, weaknesses and strengths. Once you identify the details attached to these, it will enable you to make much better decisions financially. The records which are accurate also lead to better business forecasting and reporting. Also, the objectives and goals set for the business on the basis of this accurate information are more easily measurable and achievable.

Avoid IRS Audits
As a business owner, you must be aware of the fact that it’s a compulsion for every business to keep a record of all its transactions. As Tax Professionals in San Antonio, we know how these records are used to file taxes. IRS gets an opportunity to audit your company as soon as they spot any flaw or irregularity in these accounting recordings. In short, maintaining good records will assure the avoidance of an IRS audit which can be a big relief.

Prepare Financial StatementsApart from using accurate records for corporate tax preparation in San Antonio, they are also used to prepare an income statement. Even when applying for a business loan, you will need to show these records and they need to be accurate for the same. Proper and flawless records also help you create goals that would lead to the growth of your company.

Stay Organized
As the best Tax Professionals in San Antonio, we have a lot of experience. In all these years we have witnessed multiple cases where businesses lose their organization skills. It usually happens when it comes to working with many different suppliers, vendors, and customers. But, when a business decides to keep good accounting records it makes sure that the accounts receivable and payable in order. Also, in the case of an invoice related dispute, the documentation helps simplify the resolution.

Ultimately, the key to keeping good records is to hire the best tax Professionals in San Antonio. Hire someone like Uhlenbrock CPA who can provide you with flawless corporate tax preparation in San Antonio. Call 210-701-1040 today.

Tips to Hire Tax Preparation Services in San Antonio

With time the tax laws are becoming complicated and it has become difficult to stay updated constantly. There is no space to commit tax planning and filing mistakes anymore. So, what do you do to avoid filing wrong returns? You hire a professional tax preparation services in San Antonio. But, with so many options for tax professionals out there, it becomes a difficult process altogether.

 Here are some tips to your rescue and will assist you in choosing the best tax preparer:

• Background Check

Before hiring a professional for their tax preparation services in San Antonio it’s imperative to run a thorough background check on them. The best way to go about it is to check with licensing agencies and professional organizations to see whether there are any complaints lodged against the preparer you are going to hire. Do not reject a preparer solely because he has a complaint on himself. Study the matter and then make a decision.

• The Eligibility to File your Returns
  

Just because you were impressed with the preparer’s presentation skills don’t rush into it. See if they are legally eligible to file your returns or not. For example, one of the IRS regulations is that all paid tax return preparers (including CPAs and attorneys) should have a Preparer Tax Identification Number to prepare federal income tax returns. Check for the state regulations like these before hiring tax preparation services in San Antonio.

• How Comfortable are You?

Keep in mind that the journey of the process to file your returns is going to be a long one. In this case, you would want someone who you are comfortable with. You should feel free to ask any question from them. When it comes to Tax Services in San Antonio ‘Uhlenbrock CPA’ is the best choice. We tell you things like important documents to bring along and make you feel comfortable rather than intimidated. 

• How Available is your Preparer?

Filing the returns and being done with them is not how it works. You would want a preparer who is available if any problem comes along in the future. Make sure you know how to reach them even in the off-season. An unavailable preparer is as good as hiring no one at all.

So the next time you think of hiring a professional for tax preparation services in San Antonio make sure to follow these simple tips and you’ll be good to go. For the best tax Services in San Antonio contact ‘Uhlenbrock CPA’ and leave it to us. Schedule a visit today, cal 210-701-1040.

Bookkeeping Basics Every Business Owner Needs to Know by Uhlenbrock CPA

Bookkeeping is an important part of accounting process. It is not possible to maintain balanced books with accurate bookkeeping. But most business owners find bookkeeping cumbersome and time consuming and it is often overlooked. Business processes involve various financial transactions that need to be tracked. An organized bookkeeping system allows the business to get insights into performance of their business and its profitability. Bookkeeping also has an influence on tax planning and other accounting processes. For professional tax preparation services in San Antonio, get in touch with Uhlenbrock CPA.

Are you unsure on where to start with bookkeeping for your business? Here are few bookkeeping basics that you need to know –

·         Maintain electronic registers or ledgers of cash to track income and expenses regularly. You can also maintain manual cash registers, but managing paper receipts can be difficult. Keep separate journals for Cash Disbursements and Cash Receipts.

·         If your business involves physical goods, take stock of goods on hand and match them with inventory listed. Carefully track the inventory on a regular basis.

·         While filing invoices, store them in a chronological order. It is advisable to keep Invoices that need to be paid first followed by receivables.

·         At the time of tax filing, you need to file various tax forms. Tax professionals will rely on your bookkeeping records for details that need to be filled in tax forms. If your bookkeeping is not accurate, it will influence the tax preparation and filing process.

·         Tally bookkeeping records with bank statements to get a clear idea of where you are spending your money. Also maintain your personal and business accounting completely separate.

If you are new to accounting or are busy with other business processes, it is advisable to hire professional tax services in San Antonio. By hiring a CPA in San Antonio, you can outsource your bookkeeping, tax planning advice, tax preparation and other accounting tasks. For a Certified Public Accountant in San Antonio, call 210 701 1040.