SILVER LEAF OFFICE

Blog

Bookkeeping tips to help you build a solid financial foundation for your business.
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact

9/2/2019

How to prepare for tax season now

0 Comments

Read Now
 
How many entrepreneurs are thinking of tax season now? Very few. But how many should be? Every single one! There are three things you can do today to make tax season a breeze:

Save Your Receipts. Whether you save them in a file folder or in the cloud, it's up to you. The important thing is that all your business receipts are saved. Why? Because they are required by the IRS if you are audited. They want to see the receipt from Target showing you actually bought office supplies and not a new wardrobe. The burden to prove all those transactions in your bank account are business related will be on you. Taking the time to file receipts today will save you a lot of stress should you be audited later. ​
Learn more about saving receipts in QuickBooks Online
Setup a Bookkeeping System. I highly recommend QuickBooks Online. It's a cloud-based accounting program. Before you run away because you're scared of numbers, let me tell you how QuickBooks Online has helped my clients!
  • Tracking income and expenses, simplifying tax season
  • Sending professional invoices
  • Easily collecting payments
  • Storing receipts using QuickBooks Online’s mobile app
  • Tracking sales tax
Is this something you need? Click here to get 50% off for your first three months. 

Tax Plan. I highly recommend all my clients (and you too!) find a local CPA to work with. A good CPA will offer tax planning services. This is a meeting before the end of the year to help you take tax-saving actions such as identifying deductions, making charitable contributions, or buying new equipment. It is best to schedule this meeting sometime between mid-October through December. 

How prepared do you feel for tax season?
Let me know if I can help with your bookkeeping

Share

0 Comments

8/5/2019

How to upload receipts into QuickBooks Online

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
​Recently, QuickBooks Online rolled out an update to its receipts feature and you need to know about it! It will save you time and even money by eliminating the need to subscribe to other receipt storage systems. You have three options to upload receipts. 

Using QuickBooks Online Desktop.
  • Login to QuickBooks Online on your desktop.
  • Click the Banking menu, select the Receipts Tab. 
  • Drag and drop receipts directly into QuickBooks Online, or select Browse to upload them. 

Using email.
  • Setup a custom email address. Go to the Banking menu, then select the Receipts tab. It'll walk you through the steps.
  • Email or forward receipts to your customized email address. Attach receipts to the email—receipts sent in the body of the email will not work. If you send a file it should be a pdf, jpeg, jpg, gif, or png. Note: You can send multiple receipts in one email. But the total file size should be under 20 MB. Also, be sure each image or file contains only one receipt.​

Using the QuickBooks Online app on your phone.
  • To scan a receipt, install the "QuickBooks Accounting" app on your phone. 
  • Open the app and tap the menu button. 
  • Select Receipt Snap and take a photo of your receipt. 
  • It will automatically appear in the Receipts tab with any other receipts you've added. 
  • Use your computer to manage your receipts from there.

Bonus Tips: 
  • No matter which way you choose to upload receipts, you'll see them under For Review in the Receipts tab. From there match each receipt with it's transactions in QuickBooks Online.
  • Be sure that each image or file contains only a single receipt.
  • ​File size cannot exceed 20 mb.
  • Processing might take a few minutes. If something didn’t quite work, you’ll get an email that lets you know.

Share

0 Comments

1/8/2018

Record Keeping Essentials for Creatives

0 Comments

Read Now
 
Picture
Keeping records is an important part of running your own business (and probably one of the most dreaded things for creatives!). Good records:
  • Keep you sane. No more worrying about where to find your important documents.
  • Save you time. 
  • Help you prepare for tax time.
Are you wondering what kind of records you should be keeping? Wonder no more. Here is a list of the files every small business should have:
Bank Records: Anything bank related: bank statements, bank reconciliations, notices from your bank, and deposit slips. 
Marketing & Advertising: Brochures, business cards, etc. 
Business Records: Corporations: articles of incorporations, bylaws, state filings. Non-corporations: LLC documents, state filings. Also, permits and/or licenses needed to operate your business in your city or state.
Employee records: Employment applications, W-2s, termination letters, time sheets, payroll information, agreement of wages. 
Tax records: Quarterly and annual tax filings, W-9s from independent contractors, documents supporting your tax records, 1099s filed. (hint: the more efficient your record keeping system the easier it is to prepare for tax season!).
Client Records: contact information, contracts. Many photographers and website designers use Dubsado or Honeybook to simply this process!
Accounting & Bookkeeping Records: Receipts, business credit card statements (plus receipts to back them up), invoices, income statements, balance sheets. If you want a simple system I recommend QuickBooks Online. It'll track everything you need for bookkeeping and make tax time a breeze! Plus it can easily sync with Honeybook or Dubsado.
You can keep these files in a filing cabinet, on your computer, or in a cloud-storage system (or any combo of these). Personally, I use all three options. I use QuickBooks Online for my client and bookkeeping records [cloud-storage system], file boxes for important business documents, and my computer for tax and and business records. 

Remember that it is never too late to start a good record keeping system. Even if you’ve been in business for a few years and have let your files fall behind there is no time like the present to get yourself organized. ​

And if you're wondering how long you should keep these documents in your files before you you shred them check out my free guide.

Share

0 Comments
Details

    Categories

    All
    1099s
    Accounting Software
    Benefits Of A Bookkeeper
    Budgeting
    Business Expenses
    Categorizing Expenses
    Emergency Savings
    Hiring A Bookkeeper
    Keeping Records
    QuickBooks Online
    Receipts
    Success Story
    Tax Deductions
    Tax Savings
    Tricks + Tips

Bookkeeping services for small businesses
Schedule a call
Privacy Policy. Disclaimer. 
"Commit your work to the Lord" Proverbs 16:3
©2025 Silver Leaf Office LLC
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Contact