What is a 1099?
A Form 1099-MISC is used to report income paid to independent contractors. It tells the IRS how much you paid to a contractor for services during the year.

When are 1099s due?
January 31st. This means they must be filed with the IRS and delivered (at least postmarked) to the recipients by that date.

Who do I send 1099s to?
Unincorporated vendors paid $600+ for services using cash, check, bank transfer, or debit card. You do not need to send one to those who are Corporations or S-Corporations. How do you know? Ask them for a W9. That will let you know their business’s status so you know whether or not they should receive one.

What if I paid them using PayPal or credit cards?
You don’t need to do anything! Those companies will send a 1099-K for you. If you use the Friends and Family option in PayPal you will need to issue a 1099-MISC. Note: using Friends and Family to pay independent contractors violates PayPal’s terms of service and can restful in your account being frozen or closed.

What is the easiest way to file my 1099s?
Hire a bookkeeper! I have a few openings for 1099 clients if you need help.

What if I didn’t file a 1099 for someone that I should have?
File as soon as possible. You may be required to pay a fee depending on how lat you file.

So you're thinking of hiring a bookkeeper –– I think that's a great idea! Here are a few things you need to have in place before you hire:

The first thing you'll want to do is setup business bank, credit card, and/or PayPal accounts. It is not a good idea to run your business through your personal accounts. Not only does it make tax time a mess, but it will make your bookkeeping a nightmare!! So if you're looking to hire a bookkeeper in the near future be sure you have your business accounts setup first.

The second thing I recommend doing before hiring a bookkeeper is to follow bookkeepers on Instagram. No, not just me (though I would be honored if I'm one of them––find me here)! Go follow two or three. You need to see who you connect with, the type of clients they specialize in, and who you love learning from. You'll get a good feel for what you're looking for and when you're ready to hire you'll have your favorite picked out!

The last thing to do before hiring is prepare your budget! A good bookkeeper will cost the typical business $200-$300 per month. A word of wisdom: hire a bookkeeper that charges a flat fee. You don't need the stress of wondering how much your bookkeeper is going to charge each month.

Also, don't base your choice only on cost. Cheapest isn't always the best. Look at the packages the various bookkeepers offer and choose the one that meets your needs.

​Any other questions about what to do before hiring a bookkeeper?

​Over 3 years in business I've learned a lot the hard way... You know the feeling I'm sure! Today I'm sharing my top business tips to save you a headache or two:

Benjamin Franklin said, “Beware of little expenses; a small leak will sink a great ship.” Are you aware of the little expenses in your business? Or do you wonder what happens to your income each month? Don’t dismiss even the smallest expenses because they all add up!

Keep your workspace clean so you can focus on your projects without distraction. It is harder to focus with piles of paperwork and other messes on your desk.

If you are a business owner, having a planner (digital or paper) is a lifesaver. It keeps you organized, on schedule, and sane. Often, stress comes not from having too much to do, but from worrying about forgetting something. Writing everything down frees your brain up to do what's important.

You are not alone. It is easy to think that everyone around us has success and we are the only one struggling with failure and doubts. But the reality is that behind each successful business is a lot of dedication, hard work, failure, disappointment, and (most importantly) persistence. So if you've fallen down the rabbit hole of looking at everyone else's success and comparing it to your failures and disappointments, stop. Get up. Dust yourself off. And remember that the highlight reel is all you’re seeing... 

Do you ever get caught up doing things that aren't really moving your business forward? Me too. Make sure every task counts. Don't do things just because other people do them. Instead, focus on the work that will actually move your business in the direction of your goals.

 Genuine community is essential for our businesses to thrive. You cannot hide behind your Instagram account hoping people will notice and buy your product or service. You need to build a community: genuinely comment on people's posts, DM people you want to get to know better, and reach out to set up virtual meetups. Remember that you are not reaching out to people with the goal of them becoming a client. Your goal is to build a supporting community.

In my life I've been trying to be more intentional about the things I keep around. You know those clothes in the back of the closet you haven't worn for a year? I've been learning to let those kind of things go. In my business, I've simplified my discovery call booking process by using Acuity. It holds all my appointment openings so people can schedule at their own convenience! (btw, if you want to simplify your bookkeeping process, schedule a free discovery call using my Acuity link!).

Does your desk ever get messy? Mine does quite often. One thing I've used to help cut the clutter is file boxes to keep near my desk. In them are pretty file folders to hold different categories of paperwork. I have one for each client, several for my personal business, and some for courses I am taking. I always have one folder in the front labeled "in progress." That way if I haven't finished a client's project by the end of the day I can clean off my desk and put the client's folder in there for easy access the next day.

You know those things you dread doing and put off for months? Maybe it's cleaning out your desk drawer or filing your taxes or doing last month's (year’s!) bookkeeping. This week take the first step to accomplish it. You can also choose to delegate the task so you don't even have to worry about it anymore. Schedule a free discovery call today if you want to delegate your bookkeeping.