ONYX Bookkeeping

January and February business related courses, events, workshops, and trainings through COCC Center for Business, Industry, and Professional Development at the link below.

You can subscribe to these updates in the upper right of that page.

https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Your-2-Month-Snapshot.html?soid=1108537777434&aid=DZF4T2WCLdo

If a business owner asks me if their business fits under the "creative professional" umbrella **AND** they work with animals or plants, I usually say "Of Course!" ...because animals and plants are possibly my two most favorite things on the planet.

A lot of my free time is happily spent on my fish, rabbits, front yard garden, pet insects, learning about what I want to deep dive into next, and designing after-school art+animal science classes for kids.

I realized that my interest and enthusiasm for these industries is not conveyed very well in my online presence, so I'm putting it out there, clearly. If your business involves animals and/or plants I would love to work with you.

Send me a message through my website to get started. www.ONYXbend.com

https://worklifehaven.com/working-parents/

"Recognizing the benefits of coworking spaces in supporting work-life balance can be a game-changer for working parents."

I 100% agree. ...and luckily, Bend has a fabulous number of coworking spaces.

Maximizing Productivity for Working Parents Working parents have it tough enough. Review some of these tips for maximizing productivity (and self-care) as a mom, dad, or parent.

Pro tip: It's WAY easier to get a W-9 from your vendor if you ask that they submit it with their invoice [before you pay] rather than trying to scramble in January to get documents from a list of people you may have paid a year ago.

Whether or not you need to submit a 1099 with that info from their W-9 depends on several factors and it can be a little confusing. For example, Corporations don't need a W-9, unless they're a law office. Single member LLC's do need a W-9, but not if they've elected to be taxed as an S-corp. The person you pay for your office space needs to be issued a different type of W-9 than the business that you pay for cleaning services. The payment method you use also determines whether or not you even need to issue a 1099 at all. I could go on and on... but I won't. :)

I think now you might understand why business owners and self employed people choose to have someone else handle their 1099 filings.

If you have absolutely no clue what I'm talking about, and you're self employed or own a small business, feel free to message me.

-Alisha

Last night I had the privilege of being the guest speaker at one of the Business Accelerator trainings for childcare providers in Deschutes County.

This program is a joint effort betweenthe COCC Center for Business, Industry, and Professional Development and NeighborImpact. It provides free business training, mentorship, and substantial grants for those wanting to start -or- expand their current childcare/preschool center. The end goal is to create more childcare openings in our area, ran by individuals that are set up for success in terms of financial and educational support.

It's pretty amazing.

See this link for more info: https://www.cocc.edu/news/sbdc-early-child-education-business-accelerator-program.aspx

For more info contact:

Denise Hudson - [email protected] (Registered family homebased program)

Hannah Kuehl - [email protected] (Commercial center program)

In my post yesterday I posed the question: "If you grab lunch in the middle of a busy work day, and are literally working while eating, isn't that considered a business expense?"
..and my answer was "No, not usually."

So, what the heck does that mean?

It means that the answer is "no," BUT! of course there are exceptions.

Here's an example: According to the IRS Publication 463, when you're traveling for business, THOSE meals ARE considered a business expense, even if it's just you taking a lunch break by yourself at Chipoltle or having Thai take-out in a hot tub. Travel meal expense actually even includes "amounts spent for food, beverages, taxes, and related tips."

You're welcome. 🤓

Need help with your small business or self-employed bookkeeping? Message me here or find the contact page on my website: www.ONYXbend.com

source: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p463

🥗🍜🌮 If you grab lunch in the middle of a busy work day, and are literally working while eating, isn't that considered a business expense?
[[ No, not usually. ]]

☕ Is getting coffee ever a business expense?
[[ Yes, but only in certain instances. ]]

📲 This link below has a wonderful guide to help understand the answers to those questions and more. ⬇️
https://www.keepertax.com/posts/freelancers-guide-to-the-business-meal-deduction

Still have questions? Let me know.

If you're not going to make the IRS tax filing deadline today, because your business/self-employed bookkeeping was more of a beast than anticipated... It's OK!

1. Breathe.
2. File an extension.
3. ...and get in touch with me. Sorting it all out and knowing which expenses you're supposed to include, is what I do.

www.ONYXbend.com

🟪🟥🟧 If you use Canva
for your business,
this FREE virtual event
might be worth signing up for.
▪️◾️◼️🟩◼️◾️▪️

Canva Create: Brand New Era Take your front-row seat for Canva Create, our free virtual event. Join us on March 23, 2023, at 9 am (PDT) to discover how we’re reimagining visual communication for brands of all sizes.

If you are interested in opening or expanding a small childcare facility/preschool in Central Oregon there is a now a substantial amount of state grant funds available through NeighborImpact.

They have partnered with COCC Center for Business, Industry, and Professional Development to offer business education, training, and mentorship to grant recipients.

I may be involved in the small business bookkeeping section of that educational program, and I can tell you that the whole thing is a fantastic opportunity.

Please share this if you know someone that could benefit.

If you would like more info, contact Hannah Kuehl at [email protected]

NeighborImpact expands child care opportunities in Central Oregon NeighborImpact is using a state grant to offer funding and educational opportunities to child care providers and those who want to become child care providers in Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson

In celebration of Indigenous People's Day yesterday, I'd like to introduce you to two organizations, right here in our community, that you can learn about and support financially. If you have other suggestions and ideas, please share below.

Tananáwit: A COMMUNITY OF WARM SPRINGS ARTISTS
https://warmspringsartists.org/

Warm Springs Community Action Team (WSCAT)
https://wscat.org/programs-services/

🎁 CLIENT GIFTS 🎁
$25 per client (per year) is what the IRS sets as the maximum you can consider as a legitimate business expense.

Gifting season is upon us!
The links below will help you be prepared.

Message me if you have any questions!

Publication 463, Ch. 3: https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-prior/p463--2021.pdf

https://www.keepertax.com/posts/are-client-gifts-a-tax-write-off

Did you know that the IRS increased their standard mileage rate mid-year? Typically there is a set rate, that lasts the whole year, but the spike in gas prices prompted a mid-year shift.

So, effective July 1st, 2022 the new rate is 62.5 cents per mile for business travel. .and if you don't track business miles, this is a good reminder to start. It can be a HUGE tax deduction. If you're not sure how to do it, feel free to message or email me with questions!

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-increases-mileage-rate-for-remainder-of-2022

IRS increases mileage rate for remainder of 2022 | Internal Revenue Service IR-2022-124, June 9, 2022 — The Internal Revenue Service today announced an increase in the optional standard mileage rate for the final 6 months of 2022. Taxpayers may use the optional standard mileage rates to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business and certain oth...

If you're a little unclear on what actually qualifies as a "business meal," you're not alone.

I finally found a guide for self-employed people, that is
comprehensive and not full of accounting jargon.

(It says "2021" in the title, but the basics are the same and it's been updated recently.)

Feel free to post any questions below, if you're still a little fuzzy on any part of it.
https://www.keepertax.com/posts/freelancers-guide-to-the-business-meal-deduction

Keeper Tax

How to Deduct Business Meals in 2021: Ultimate Guide All types of self-employed people should claim business lunches. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about writing off meals: what to claim, what to avoid, how to keep records, and which meals are 100% deductible in 2021.

My next 3 days are all about QuickBooks Online Advanced Training and annual re-certification exams. Here's a little peek into the live video conference classes that I'm in.

No matter how big or small, I hope you are able to do something that makes you happy this weekend.

📌 If you're self employed or own a small business and wish you would have applied for the PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) it's not too late.

📰📰📰 "On Tuesday evening, the Senate approved a bill by unanimous consent that would keep the program accepting applications until August 8th."

Automatic forgiveness is on the table as well. We shall see what they decide.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianthompson1/2020/07/01/house-passes-eight-week-extension-of-ppp-senate-proposes-automatic-forgiveness-of-loans-under-150000/

House Extends PPP Application Deadline; Senate Proposal Would Streamline Forgiveness Of Loans Under $150,000 Less than 24 hours after the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) shut down, Congress has given the loan program new life.

✅ To keep my Quickbooks Online Proadvisor status I have to do annual trainings and pass an exam on all of the various updates and new features in QBO.

These cloudy days have been perfect for that. 💻

This year, my favorite part was learning about the new mileage tracking and receipt forwarding functions.

"Deschutes County is approved to enter Phase 2 of the State's reopening process on Saturday, June 6."

To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/36YAOCh

Deschutes County is approved to enter Phase 2 of the State's reopening process on Saturday, June 6.

To learn more, visit https://bit.ly/36YAOCh

Heading into the weekend like...

If you're like Drake and haven't done your because you're too turnt up, I can't help you.

BUT! If you haven't done your taxes because you're behind on your ...THAT I can help with.

Message me and we'll get it all squared away.

How would you feel......if you had a clear picture of your net income each month and didn't have that looming end-of-the-year-not-super-accurate bookkeeping scramble at tax time?

I can do that for you.
I keep track of it all, on a monthly basis, completely remotely. 📲📲 📲 Message me for more info!

Sometimes we need the simple reminders. ❤️

Could the article's title be better? Maybe.

Does it provide some good guidelines -and- advice on what to do if you're having trouble keeping up? Yes.

https://abovethelaw.com/2019/11/4-things-you-should-do-now-to-avoid-screwing-yourself-in-a-tax-audit/

4 Things You Should Do Now To Avoid Screwing Yourself In A Tax Audit Even though the chances of being audited is relatively low, you should still take preventive measures.