Sousa and Company CPAs, LLP

What money habit do you need to break?

It’s exhausting, the constant effort to do what’s best for your business. It never ends. But it’s extremely necessary, because it’s up to YOU to leave no stone unturned – to explore every possible means of strengthening your bottom line. And tax season actually has a lot of those opportunities for strengthening your bottom line. You just have to know how to spot them. Or, you can let a seasoned pro spot them for you. If you want to make sure EVERY stone gets turned this tax season, let’s talk.

Here’s a big point of confusion that we see a lot of our clients struggle with: Tax strategy does NOT start during tax season. If you’re just now thinking about making tax-smart moves, we’ve got some not-great news: That ship sailed without you – LAST tax season. Yes, there are some moves you can make right now to make the most of tax season, like filing as soon as possible, and letting us find credits and deductions for you. These are good steps in the right direction. But they’re small. If you want to take BIG strides? Let us help you make a long-term plan of tax-smart steps you can take year-round. It’ll mean more savings, less surprises, and less chance of IRS trouble this time next year. Is your tax mindset more short-term or long-term?

Congratulations Jashon Dadra on your new internship! As a dedicated member of the Beta Alpha Psi Gamma Omicron chapter, your hard work and commitment have paid off. This is an exciting opportunity to grow, learn, and apply your skills in a real-world setting. Wishing you success in this new chapter of your professional journey—keep striving for excellence!

If we could wave a magic wand and fix one thing about your finances, what would it be?

A recent comment from a friend of mine about BOI reporting: “You’d think they were planning a trip to the Caribbean with the amount of flip-flops we’re seeing.” Indeed. But the latest update in the BOI reporting saga is actually good news for you. A few weeks ago, FinCEN set a filing deadline for most businesses of March 21st. Then, on February 27th, they announced they are NOT issuing any penalties for failing to make that deadline. They set that March 21 date as a deadline for themselves, to decide an interim final rule about extending BOI reporting deadlines. Your action steps here are the same as they’ve been all along: Watch for changes, and have your documentation at the ready. It wouldn’t be at all surprising if more flip-flops were in store. And if you need help getting BOI-prepared, drop a comment below.

Excuses that DON’T count for failing to file and pay your taxes: 1. My dog ate my documentation. 2. I wasn’t feeling well…every day of tax season. 3. I thought the deadlines didn’t matter because of the IRS layoffs and budget cuts. 4. I heard the IRS is going kaput, so I thought I was off the hook. Yes, there’s lots of IRS buzz happening in Washington right now. But so far, tax deadlines are still on schedule. Which means you need to STICK TO that schedule. And no matter what talk there’s been about nixing the IRS (which is JUST a proposal right now) – you need to file your taxes this year. Because failing to file/pay comes with significant costs. Don’t let your financial wellbeing get hijacked by what-if scenarios. Practice good tax strategy, and let the IRS chips fall where they may. Let’s get your taxes taken care of, on time, together.

I’m happy to share that I’ve obtained a new certification: Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from California Board of Accountancy!

The home office deduction could mean a bigger refund for you this tax season, IF you’re self-employed. Catch that? You (unfortunately) can’t claim it if you’re just a work-from-home employee. But if you DO qualify, here are 3 things you need to know… ??Your office must be regularly and exclusively used for business. ??Your office must be your principal place of business. ???You can also deduct expenses like printers, monitors, furniture, and more. We can help you with the nitty-gritty of claiming this deduction at your filing appointment, so make sure to grab a spot on our schedule soon. Does working from home help or hurt your work flow efficiency?

Depending on the choices you make right now, you'll end up in one of two groups: 1) Sitting on top of a mountain of tax benefits that are available to those who use them effectively, or 2) Crying at the bottom of a pit of missed tax opportunities. We're here to help YOU process tax season and ensure that your taxes are as locked tight, cost-efficient, and SAVINGS-OPTIMIZED for you as (legally and ethically) possible. So if you’d rather end up in the first group post-tax season, just give us a call.