blog
January 28, 2017
Listed Property – Huh? Listed Where?

Listed property is a term for vehicles that are specifically listed out on Form 4562 when you file your tax return. ...

December 6, 2016
Mind Your Margins

Americans love food. We love to eat food, talk about food, watch food being made…we even love to take pictures of our food and share it with our social networks. This adoration has grossed an estimated $9.5 billion dollars in Minnesota restaurant sales in 2016, according...

June 6, 2016
Don’t Forget About FATCA

With all the publicity that the FBAR gets with its massive penalties and its unextendable deadline, let’s not lose sight of the FATCA rules and Form 8938 which is due with your individual income tax return....

June 2, 2016
FIRPTA Withholding

It’s FBAR season, all the cool kids know that, but for some foreign taxpayers they are also experiencing a strange sensation called FIRPTA. Of course FIRPTA stands for something; it’s the Foreign Investment in Real Property Tax Act of 1980....

February 22, 2016
Understanding What You Sign

Tax returns have lots of things that you need to sign.  There are signature pages for e-filing a tax return, there are different pages to sign if you are paper filing a return.  Sometimes you need to sign tax elections, or tax engagement letters.  There can be a lot of di...

October 20, 2015
P is for Partnerships

P is for partnerships.  Partnerships are a very common tax structure, but to be taxed as a partnership the underlying business doesn’t necessarily need to be set up as a partnership.  Many new businesses these days are set up as Limited Liability Companies or LLCs. ...

September 2, 2015
Automatic Gratuities

Nothing is more frustrating to a server than frantically running to keep a table of 12 happy, only to find that the table thought a 5% tip was more than enough.  In comes the server’s knight in shining armor: The Automatic Gratuity.  On the face, they sound awesome!...

August 27, 2015
Restaurant Tip Reporting

Few industries can rival restaurants for the crown of “Most Specialized and Complex Tax Regulations”.  Restaurants have the unfortunate “honor” of their own code in income, payroll and sales tax.  A restaurant owner not fluent in these idiosyncrasies can find thems...

July 9, 2015
Strategic Business Planning – 7 Keys to Success

Today there are a number of business systems, tools and books to help small and mid-size businesses execute on their business strategy and reach their long and short-term goals....

April 16, 2015
Cash Flow Projections

Many business owners don’t feel they have time to do a cash flow projection.  This is a very important tool for all business owners to have.  It is a tool that could mean the difference between going out of business or staying in business....

January 8, 2015
Deducting Your Pet Costs

Wondering if you can deduct your pet costs?  People often treat their pets like children, but no matter how much money you spend on that pet the tax code doesn’t allow you to claim your pet as a dependent.  In general the expenses for the family pet won’t be tax deduct...

May 29, 2014
Exempt Organizations and Sales & Use Tax

“What do you mean I have to charge sales tax on my sales?  I’m a tax exempt organization!”  That is a common mistake in the tax exempt community.  In Minnesota, an organization can apply for a formal tax exempt status from the Minnesota Department of Revenue. Form S...