Itemized Deductions: From Common and Easy to Unusual and Tricky
For additional information regarding 2014 tax planning, you can download our 2014 Tax Planning Guide from the Resources tab on our website. For most taxpayers, questions about what is deductible far outnumber the questions about what is taxable. Why? Most income is reported to you and the IRS shortly after year-end on standard documents…
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Tax Extenders – What You Need to Know
In addition to being unnecessarily complex, another frustrating aspect of tax compliance is that the rules change every year. 2014 is no exception. Each year, Congress and the President review the tax rules slated for expiration in the upcoming year and, for the most part, enact legislation to extend those rules for the next year….
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A Few Thoughts on the Affordable Care Act
We have been talking about the Affordable Care Act for more than four years now. Since 2010, we’ve spent countless hours trying to grasp all of the implications and fine print of the law so we can fully understand its impacts on our clients. Although some of the important provisions have been delayed, most small…
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How Much Cash Should be in Your Practice?
As a practice owner, you get paid last. If you have any cash left over after meeting the payroll and paying your bills, only then can you consider taking a paycheck yourself. But how much should you pay yourself and how much cash should be in your practice? I typically suggest that a practice keep…
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Hiring the Right Financial Professional: Be Vigilant
Part One: The Bookkeeper Part Two: The Controller Part Three: The CFO Regardless of the degree of financial oversight your company requires—whether you need a bookkeeper, a controller or a CFO—vigilance is vital when it comes to finding the right person for your job. I advise following prudent, proven practices when placing someone in the…
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Hiring the Right Financial Professional: The CFO
Part three of four in a SmartMoney series by Mike Baker Read Part One: The Bookkeeper and Part Two: The Controller. The larger the company, the more complicated the financial decisions and the more responsibilities required of those people minding the money. Earlier in this series, I talked about bookkeepers and controllers, professionals who are…
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Financial Performance Measures: A Checklist for Tracking your Practice Performance
Part 1: Goodwill and the Sale of a Dental Practice Part 2: The Taxation of Goodwill Part 3: Building Practice Goodwill Consistent with the thinking that activities that get scheduled get done, I recommend a checklist of practice performance goals and measures to which you refer at least monthly. This checklist ought to reflect what…
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Hiring the Right Financial Professional: The Controller
Part two of four in a SmartMoney series Read Part One: The Bookkeeper The recent recession was a grim reminder that we simply can’t be too careful when it comes to the company’s finances. But what type of financial professional does your company really need? A small operation might do well to hire an experienced…
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Building Practice Goodwill
Read Part 1 and Part 2 in this Goodwill Series. In my previous two posts, I have discussed how goodwill is the driver of value in your practice and how goodwill is taxed at more advantageous rates than regular income. And if that isn’t enough, the byproducts of building superior goodwill in your practice benefit…
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Hiring the Right Financial Professional: The Bookkeeper
Part one of four in a SmartMoney series If your company is like most, you are beginning to see welcome signs of financial recovery. But the memory of the recession has not faded, and vigilance about company finances must remain a top priority. I’ve seen too many businesses launch a search for a financial professional…
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