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The IRS recently published a newswire urging people to safeguard their records. IRS Acting Commissioner, Kevin M. Brown stated, “With forecasts calling for an active Atlantic hurricane season, the IRS encourages taxpayers to protect tax and financial documents that can be hard to replace.” (Newswire dated June 1, 2007)

Actually whether or not you live in a hurricane area, there are many things that can happen to destroy important records. We all think about big natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes, etc. But there are other disasters that can affect anyone no matter where you live. They include such things as fires, flooded basements, theft, accidentally throwing things away, etc.

If you happen to get audited, the IRS doesn’t particularly care why you no longer have your records and they will go off the records they can gather. The IRS can provide you with W-2 information, income from interest, dividends, stock sales, 1099 information, interest paid on government student loans, and how much mortgage interest you paid to a financial institution. They don’t have records of business deductions, donations, dependents, alimony paid, daycare expenses, medical expenses, etc.

There are several ways you can choose to keep your records safe.

1. Paperless Record keeping: With the wide use of computers, internet bank records, W-2 forms, and other documents can easily be downloaded to your computer. Other documents can be scanned in. This can then be saved onto a USB drive as a back up which can be store in a safety deposit box and/or sent to a relative in another city.

2. CD or DVD: Records can be scanned into the computer and burned onto a CD or DVD. Several copies can be made inexpensively and stored in several places.

3. Record Keeping Companies: There are companies that will copy and keep your records in their vaults so that in the case of a disaster they can provide you with a copy.

4. Protective Boxes and Safes: You can purchase fire proof and water proof boxes and small safes to keep valuable records in. They can work well if you don’t live in a place were place where a natural disaster will likely take down the entire house.

Other items you may want to document and keep safe are personal records such as birth certificates, social security cards, passports, insurance documents, home closing documents, and investment documents. In large disasters, it is important to be able to prove who you are and that your children belong to you. If your home is destroyed you may need to prove ownership.

There once was a family of eight. One evening the whole family went to the local pool for an evening of swimming and fun. They were gone about two hours and when they arrived home, their home was on fire. The fire department was there and the neighbors had all been frantically trying to find them. The plug on their toaster had shorted out and started the fire. It was a small fire that was quickly contained, but the fire department wouldn’t let the family go in until they were sure everything was safe, which took a day. They stood there with nothing but their swimsuits and towels as neighbors ran to their homes to find clothing and diapers so the family could at least get dressed.

When they were finally able to enter their home, the smoke had damaged everything. They spent a week in a hotel until the insurance could make arrangements to find temporary housing, Then came the task of listing all the things that had been destroyed and working with the insurance company to fix their home and replace the contents.

This was a relatively small disaster as disasters go. But it could happen to anyone. In any disaster it is good to have a record of your personal belongings, especially items of greater value. Photographing or video taping the contents of your home can be a great help when filing an insurance claim after a disaster.

Also, if you do not have insurance to cover losses, they can be deducted on your tax returns. Recording what you have, when you purchased it and what you paid for it can also expedite claims. The IRS has a free disaster loss workbook that can help individuals and businesses compile a detailed list of belongings. The IRS publication 584 is for individuals and the publication 584B is for businesses.

Nothing can take away the pain and trauma of a disaster, but being prepared can make the recovery process much easier. Review your emergency plan annually. Make sure records that have been safeguarded are current and up to date. Being prepared takes much of the worry out of life.

Christopher Anderson is part owner of Lone Peak Business Solutions, Inc. He wants to share his success as a business owner with others who desire to own their own business. He also believes that the economy is stronger with more business owners, and as a result, he is focused on helping business owners succeed.

There is nothing worse than preparing Income Taxes and finding that there were many deductions we didn’t keep track of. Not keeping track of deductions can be very costly come tax time. It is very important to keep good records all year round.

For every dollar you don’t deduct, you could be paying up to 35% back to Uncle Sam. If the dollar has been spent, taxes shouldn’t have to be paid on it. Think of the productivity of your business if you could put 35% of your income back into your business rather than in the hands of politicians. What kind of advertising campaign could you do with 35% extra cash flow every month. With a little organization and planning this can be possible.

Most business owners remember to take the big obvious deductions such as cost of goods sold, materials, tools, supplies, and employee expenses. But often times it is the small seemingly insignificant deductions that can make or break a company. Lone Peak Business Solutions has the 10 most commonly missed business deductions.

1. Advertising - Business cards, newspaper ads, information packets you hand out, free samples, flyers, product testing, videos and CD’s.

2. Children - Money paid to children for helping with such things as delivering flyers, product, stuffing envelopes, cleaning office and car, etc.

3. Dues and Subscriptions - Dues to professional organizations and magazines that have to do with your trade or business.

4. Educational Expense - Classes or seminars that you take to improve your business.

5. Gifts - Gifts to clients and associates.

6. Laundry and Cleaning - This includes uniforms and Protective clothing and also your clothing when you are out of town.

7. Travel - Hotels, airfare, cab fare, parking, cleaning while away from home, trip log.

8. Home Office - A home office must be a separate room in your home to do business and accounting. Part of your living room or bedroom will not count. A percentage of utility Bills, home owners insurance, property tax, mortgage interest, refinance fees, repairs and maintenance, cleaning supplies, office decor, etc. are deductible. You find out the percentage by dividing the square footage of the office by the square footage of the entire house.

9. Mileage or Vehicle - There are two ways to take a vehicle expense. One is to take the mileage you use when picking up product, supplies, office supplies, meetings, handing out advertising or business cards, meals and entertaining clients, etc. The other way is to take the expense of using the vehicle: fuel, parts, mechanics, oil changes, etc. Along with taking expenses, you can also depreciate the vehicle.

10. Telephone - Cell phone, long distance calls on home phone, extra phone lines into home for business, fax or Internet.

Items such as paper clips, bank charges, credit card charges and home office expense seem small and unimportant at the time, but multiply those little things over a year or two and then multiply it times 35% and it can add up to quite a bit of money that should be in your pocket rather than in the government’s pocket.

Along with keeping track of expenses it is important to evaluate your income and expenses on at least a quarterly basis. This allows you to determine if too much is being spent any one place. It allows you to determine if all the deductions that can be are being claimed. It allows you to determine how to better increase sales and decrease costs.

Christopher Anderson is part owner of Lone Peak Business Solutions, Inc. He wants to share his success as a business owner with others who desire to own their own business. He also believes that the economy is stronger with more business owners, and as a result, he is focused on helping business owners succeed.

Whenever a business starts there is always the question of how the people that provide services for the business will be paid. Will those services be performed by employees or will independent contractors be used?

Before the business can determine how to treat payments they need to know and make clear the business relationship. It is important to establish this relationship because an employee has taxes withheld, social security and medicare matched by the employer, unemployment insurance paid, workers compensation insurance paid and often benefits provided. An independent contractor just gets paid. It is a big expense difference.

To determine whether an individual is an employee or and independent contractor, the relationship of the business and worker must be examined. It comes down to does the business have control over what and how a job will be done or do they just control the results of the job. The determination falls into three categories: behavior control, financial control, and type of relationship.

Behavioral Control

Employees are generally subject to instructions about when, where, and how to work. The employer controls when and where the work is performed and what hours the person will be at the job. The person is told what tools and equipment to use, who else can be hired to assist with the work and where to purchase supplies and services. They are told what work is to be performed by a specific individual and what order or sequence to follow. Employees also may be required to receive training by the employer.

Independent Contractors can be hired to do a certain job in a certain place and be completed by a certain time. However, how the job is done is up to the contractor. When the work is performed, what equipment is used, who is hired to assist and where materials and supplies are purchased are up to the Independent Contractor. They also obtain and pay for their own training.

Financial Control

An employee is generally guaranteed a regular wage amount for an hourly, weekly or other period of time, even if the wage or salary is connected with a commission. They may be paid whether work is being performed or not. An employee generally does not have an investment in the company unless there are stock options available. They usually have any expenses they incur for things such as travel, phone, or equipment reimbursed.

An Independent Contractor is not reimbursed for any expenses. They generally have a business of their own or a significant investment in the facilities and equipment used to perform the work. An Independent Contractor is free to offer services to the general public and can take on jobs for other companies or individuals. They generally advertise their services and maintain a home office or visible business location. They generally get hired and paid by the job, usually a flat fee. Although some jobs can be billed hourly. An Independent Contractor can make a profit or loss on the job.

Type of Relationship

An Employee generally signs a employee contract. The employee is generally provided benefits such as insurance, pension plan, vacation and sick pay. Employee’s are engaged for an indefinite period of time. They perform activities that are a regular daily part of the business. They fill out an IRS W-4 form that tells the employer how much taxes to withhold. They are not free to do business for other companies and in fact some companies have penalties if they do.

Independent Contractors have job by job contracts or for specific project or periods of time that state they are responsible for their own taxes. They are not provided with any benefits. They fill out an IRS W-9 form telling the IRS that no taxes are required to be withheld.

It is important to determine what kind of relationship from the beginning of your business. If you treat an employee as an independent contractor and you have no reasonable basis for doing so, you may be held liable for employment taxes for that person. Also, if you pay an individual as an Independent Contractor, they do not qualify for unemployment of workers compensation so if they try to collect it, you will want to be ready to verify they are not an employee.

More information about Employees and Independent Contractor is found in the IRS publication 15A.

Christopher Anderson is part owner of Lone Peak Business Solutions, Inc. He wants to share his success as a business owner with others who desire to own their own business. He also believes that the economy is stronger with more business owners, and as a result, he is focused on helping business owners succeed.

The service offered by these companies serves as the key for a doctor, or any healthcare provider for that matter, to get paid. The healthcare industry in America is alive and well, but in spite of this, many doctors and other healthcare providers dont have any idea how to get themselves paid quickly and efficiently. The answer, of course, lies in insurance. And how are insurance claimed? This is where medical billing companies come in.

Medical billing companies are the ones who would submit claims to insurance companies in order to receive payment for services rendered by a healthcare provider. The process is basically the same for most insurance companies, regardless of whether they are a private company or a government-owned one.

The Billing Process

Essentially, the first step to jumpstart the whole billing process is the patients office visit. The healthcare provider will see the patient, diagnose his illness, and suggest treatment for such. Afterwards, depending on the service provided and the examination, the doctor then creates or updates the patients medical record. This record contains the summary of each of the patients visit, including details about treatment and demographic information related to the patient.

When you combine the treatment, diagnosis, and duration of service, this forms the procedure code, determined for usage in the billing of insurance. The doctor can of course take care of claims processing himself. However, the work can become tedious, especially when he should be focusing more on his healthcare practice than on insurance. Hence, the medical billing companies shoulder the burden for him.

The medical billing companies will use the information provided by the doctor to formulate the billing record. This record is generated manually or through the use of a software program. Often, the companies generate the billing record electronically. However, there are some that also produce hard copies as well (usually on a standardized form called an HCFA). This form includes the various diagnoses identified by numbers from the current ICD-9 manual.

It is the medical billing companies who will submit this billing record or claim to a clearinghouse. The clearinghouse acts as an intermediary for the information. Typically, when electronic billing is used, the medical billing companies must send their records to the clearinghouse.

Sometimes though, the record may also be sent directly to the insurance company. This is to ensure that everything is processed as efficiently as possible.

Doctors depend on medical billing companies for the money they get for the services they rendered. They can hardly find time to process everything themselves. The services offered are a great help in reducing the things they would have to worry about.

For more articles and information or to view a selection of accounting articles and information and bookkeeping articles and information visit Articles.net.au - Your source for free Articles, Information and Website Content.

If you plan on starting a business, a basic knowledge of the accounting code guide is necessary in order to keep track of your transactions. Even if you are not a bookkeeper and you decide to hire a professional, the basic accounting knowledge is always a plus in the success of your business.

Accounting information is organized within the financial system of your company through the Chart of Accounts (COA). A list of all account names and numbers (cost elements) that appear in the company’s General Ledger is included in this document.

The COA is used to classify transactions as income, expenditure, assets, liabilities and equity. All financial transactions must be coded against an internal order (indicating ownership) and cost element (what the transaction represents), which provide the basis for budgeting, monitoring and reporting. The elements of the COA are:

FUND
This is a 6 character code which basically describes to source of funding in a transaction. Generally, the first 5 digits represent the office of the president fund number, while the final digit is used to establish sub-funds for further breakdown.

ORGANIZATION
It is also a 6 digit code, which represents the department of a company.

ACCOUNT
It is a six character code which represents the basic accounts classification. There are 7 different account types, and these are: assets, liability, system control, fund balance, revenue, expenditure and transfer.

PROGRAM
Yet another six character code, it represents the functions of the respective company.

ACTIVITY
This is designed for future use.

LOCATION
It is a six character code, and it is used for identifying assets from transactions.

INDEX
This one is a seven character code and it represents FOPAL (fund, organization, program, activity and location). The first three characters of the index are letters and they represent the name of the organization. The last four identify the FOPAL combinations.

This is a simple and basic walkthrough in the world of the accounting code guide. A professional bookkeeper is much more than that though, and if you consider an accounting career, you should know that it’s a work that requires a lot of patience, but it can pay off in the end.

You should also consider purchasing accounting software (although you can also get it for free) if you are serious about your company. The choice is yours, and it really depends on the size of your organization also. Most of the business owners leave the accounting stuff to specialized people, who are able to process all the information correctly, people who have a good knowledge of the accounting code guide.

Essential accounting code guide

Accounting code guide.
http://www.accountingcodeguide.com

Great accounting software resource

Accounting software.
http://www.accountingsoftwarefaq.com

Every business needs to keep good records to ensure bills are paid, obligations are met and checkbook balances match up. Whether it’s a home-based business, a Fortune 500 company or even the business of running a household, well-kept books can really help guide a “business” in the right direction when it comes to keeping finances in order. More and more people are turning to computerized programs for keeping money in check. The reasons for this are many.

Computerized financial programs are becoming the way most business gets done for a number of reasons. Not the least of which, of course, are ease of use, simplicity in seeing the bottom line and ability to track actions as they happen. Combining online banking services with online bookkeeping has made managing the books even easier.

For home use, computerized bookkeeping is fantastic, especially when combined with online banking and bill payment options. Programs abound that help regular people keep their books as neat and clean as any big corporation’s and they’re used for a number of reasons, including:

* Ability to instantly update and have the program track bottom line and types of purchases. Some programs will even help separate out all charity donations and other tax deductible items for future use on tax forms.

* Quick way to see the bottom line. Computerized checkbook registers, for example, can instantly show a user how much they have, what they need to meet regular obligations and more. This is great for those who combine their use with online banking and bill paying methods.

* Better ability to see where the money goes. Clean and clear registers help users track their purchases and bottom lines easier. This is great for those who are living within a budget to help guide decisions about future buys and where costs should be cut.

Computerized bookkeeping systems are especially loved by businesses for the way they can simplify even a complicated business’ books. Computerized programs offer the following (and more) advantages for businesses:

* Ability to track expenses and income for different divisions while melding it all together into an overall budgetary plan.

* Quick and easy to see how money is being spent and even why.

* Ability to track trends in spending and income.

* Fast reports for a variety of things including expense categories such as capital outlays, salaries, benefits and so on.

* Easier earnings reporting. These systems tend to do all the calculations for a business, so running reports, getting projections and so on is simple and easy. All that really needs to be done is to purchase the correct program to meet a business’ needs and input the proper data.

* Simplicity in cutting checks. Many financial programs come with check cutting tools that enable companies to run their payroll, pay bills and so on with ease while the program constantly updates the bottom line.

Making it quick and easy for individuals and businesses to track their bottom lines, computerized bookkeeping programs are becoming hard to replace. By offering ease of use and a lot of options, these programs can help virtually anyone institute a solid accounting system.

More Resources

Accounting software.

http://www.accountingsoftware1.com

Online tax assistance.

http://www.taxhelp-onlinenow.com

When you live in Never Never Land, aren’t things supposed to be fun? According to Michael Jackson’s latest financial woes the answer is no. Earning large amounts of money since he was five, how can Michael Jackson have a fiscal fiasco?

It boils down to spending versus watching the bottom line. Although Jackson’s bottom line included 50% ownership in The Beatles Catalogue, a stake in the Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan Catalogues estimated to be worth

Bookkeeping is fundamental in running your business in an informed way. It is important that you have an organized, transparent and updated bookkeeping system in place. One of the ways to keep track of your company’s books is bank reconciliation.

What is bank reconciliation?
The procedure of comparing the account balance given by the bank with that of the company’s book of accounts and explaining any discrepancy is bank reconciliation. The discrepancy in the balances may be due to the different timing of registering the data in the bank’s books and in your company’s books. This discrepancy is normal and is rectified automatically within small time. However, sometimes the discrepancy is due to an error, which has to be rectified manually and to catch this error you need bank reconciliation. Companies generally do bank reconciliation at the end of each month.

Reasons for maintaining bank reconciliation
Regular monthly bank reconciliation keeps your company’s financial records clear and updated. You never build up an erroneous backlog. Also, you can understand your accounting status all the time. It is important that you have a prompt and reliable communication system with the bank so that you keep your records accurate.

Bank Reconciliation Statement
It is better to prepare a bank reconciliation statement by yourself so that you are able to figure out the causes of discrepancy.

Structure: The statement is divided into two sections. The right section reflects your bookkeeping for bank transactions and the left side reflects the bank’s records for your account with them.

Heading: The heading of the statement will have the bank’s complete name with the date of reconciliation.

Items: The first item of the statement is your opening balance just before the reconciliation. Check each item of the statement further for the following. If the transaction is missing from you our company’s account and it is on the bank’s record then you need to enter it in your books. If the bank section has missed it then enter it under their section. If the missing transaction belongs to the bank such as any fees deductions or interest credits, then it is an error at the bank’s end and it will rectify the error.

Adjustments: Once the reasons for the discrepancy have been figured out then you should include the missing information in journal entries.

Items of Bank’s Statement
Credit: Banks may credit some interest periodically into your account as applicable on the account balance.

Debit: These will be any of the bank charges on your account as applicable.

Erroneous credit: Any incorrectly placed credit in your account is booked under this head. Sometimes, the bank makes a deposit in the wrong account.

Items on Your Account Books
Unpresented check: Your Company’s books should record any checks issue immediately at the time of issue. The bank will, however, record it when the check is presented to it.

Software for bank reconciliation
There is a lot of bank reconciliation software readily available in the market. This software is compatible with all the latest accounting packages. The data is automatically imported, checked and reported through the software making your job easier.

David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes afree weekly e-newsletter on Small Business Consulting at their web site http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com

When you confirm that the balance in your checkbook is in sync with your corresponding bank statement, it is known as account reconciliation.

Any record that you keep regarding your financial transactions with banks, credit card companies, or retail stores is known as an account. It is an arrangement between buyers and sellers in which payments are to be made in the future. The different forms of payment are checks, bills of exchange, and promissory notes. These are transferable, signed documents, which guarantee to pay the bearer a sum of money at a later date.

Purposes of Account Reconciliation
Account reconciliation makes available a suitable method for reconciling the accounts to the monthly financial reports produced by the Financial Records System (FRS). Account reconciliation helps you evaluate departmental account records in regards to the reports, which have been generated by the FRS. This helps you to better verify the accuracy of each account statement. The person in charge of each account should verify the account every month. Account reconciliation helps ensure accurate reports on the account. It helps to identify errors and inconsistencies in your accounting.

In order to perform the reconciliation most efficiently, you should be certain that the person in charge of an account maintains full and accurate records. It is your choice to maintain the records in a manual filing system or on a computer program. You can develop your own filing and record keeping system. It should be capable of providing an effective means of reconciling your accounts on a monthly basis. You can make use of the following files to make the reconciliation process easier.

Open Transaction Files: These files hold all source documents that you may have started for the account, but have not yet processed. Some common types of source documents are Distribution of Deposit forms (for cash receipts), Check Requests, Purchase Orders, Prepaid Purchase Orders, Interdepartmental Billing Forms, Merchandise Orders, and Travel Authorizations.

Pending Files: These files hold source documents that had some activities posted on the FRS report, but await further activities before they can be completed. These include Purchase Orders, Inter-departmental Billing Forms, Travel Authorizations and Travel Expense Reports.

Closed Transaction Files: These files hold the source documents that are fully processed in the FRS. You can always refer to the Records Retention Policy to establish how long documents must be maintained on file.

Monthly Reports: You receive these after the end of each month. The accounts must be reconciled to the monthly reports. The FBM090, Account Statement, and the FBM091 and Report of Transactions can be handed over to the person handling each account. You then compare the open transaction and pending files to the FBM091 and the Report of Transactions, which has a detailed list of transactions posted in a particular month. Make a comparison of the source documents with the report to find out if the encumbrance was properly established, adjusted, or canceled in the correct account and the correct object code.

Additional Help
Software is available to help you in reconciling your accounts in an automated fashion. Apart from providing you with all the help, they are reasonably priced as well.

David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes afree weekly e-newsletter on Small Business Consulting at their web site http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com

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