We live over whelmed by the Disney-style images of an idealized life, where love stories end when the couple gets married and they “live happily ever after”.  Have you ever questioned what “ever after” really means?  Let me tell you … it means we buy a house, pay bills, and have arguments over the remote control.  Eventually, we become parents, and time seems to start running against us!  

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The world of accounting and finance is filled with nuanced regulations, many moving parts, and multiple chances for error. It is an industry where a variety of expertise is needed to keep the financial side of businesses up and running. Two of the most significant players in this process are CPA firms and the bookkeepers of small companies they may work with.

What 2017 tax records can you toss once you’ve filed your 2017 return? The answer is simple: none. You need to hold on to all of your 2017 tax records for now. But it’s the perfect time to go through old tax records and see what you can discard.

You may have breathed a sigh of relief after filing your 2017 income tax return (or requesting an extension). But if your office is strewn with reams of paper consisting of years’ worth of tax returns, receipts, canceled checks and other financial records (or your computer desktop), you probably want to get rid of what you can. Follow these tax document management guidelines as you clean up and start organizing important documents.

Accurate job descriptions are the foundation of every organization’s staffing efforts. Without clear, focused documentation of what each position does, you may struggle to hire and retain good employees or even undermine productivity.

Summer will be here before you know it and that means that kids are out of school and ready for some relaxation and fun. If you continue to work full time during the summer, you must find reliable childcare for your kids during the duration of the summer. Finding a summer nanny could be something that you’ve never had to do before. It’s important to note that hiring a nanny for the summer is different than paying a babysitter for services occasionally. Hiring a summer nanny means you’re officially a household employer and with that, comes some rules that you’ll have to adhere to.

When employees are off the clock, how they choose to spend their time is up to them. However, that doesn’t mean an employer is immune to a staffer’s off-work behavior. Your organization (or personal reputation) can be severely harmed by an employee’s actions — even when he or she isn’t on the job.

If you have a new nanny or senior caregiver, it’s important that you have a reliable way to keep track of their hours worked. Accurate, contemporaneous time tracking will protect you as an employer from unpaid wage and overtime complaints and it will also ensure that the nanny or caregiver is paid for all their hours. Here are some free employee time clock apps that can help.

If you purchased qualifying property by December 31, 2017, you may be able to take advantage of Section 179 expensing on your 2017 tax return. You’ll also want to keep this tax break in mind in your property purchase planning, because the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), signed into law this past December, significantly enhances it beginning in 2018.