Ryan Lasker

ryguy1234

NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS: 117 | LAST PUBLISH DATE: 05-18-2022

Summary

Ryan Lasker is an accounting writer with a penchant for breaking down complex topics and has work published in USA TODAY. He is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) licensed in the District of Columbia, holds a Master of Accountancy, and specializes in small-business financial planning.

Ryan's Recent Articles

• What to Include in a Bill of Materials
  May 18, 2022
  A bill of materials (BOM) specifies the raw materials, parts, and costs needed to manufacture your product. Here are six essential items to include in …
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• A Small Business Guide to Inventory
  May 18, 2022
  Managing your inventory is essential to keep up with the consumer demand for your product. Here we outline the benefits of successfully managing your inventory.
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• A Small Business Guide to Pretax Deductions
  May 18, 2022
  A pretax deduction is money taken out of an employee's paycheck before taxes are withheld. Here are four deductions you can use to reduce your …
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• Supplemental Pay: 2 Methods for Withholding Income Taxes
  May 18, 2022
  Supplemental pay is a variable payment from bonuses to sales commissions made to employees. Here's how supplemental pay works and how to handle withholding tax.
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• 7 Types of Payroll Reports and How to Make Them
  May 18, 2022
  Payroll reports help small businesses understand payroll costs and summarize payroll data. Here are the seven most common payroll report types that are used.
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• 28 Payroll Terms You Should Know
  May 18, 2022
  Small business owners should familiarize themselves with standard payroll terms. Here is a list of the most common payroll terms you'll be confronted with.
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• 9 Tasks to Put on Your Payroll Audit Checklist
  May 18, 2022
  A payroll audit ensures you're paying employees on time, with accuracy, and in compliance with the law. Learn how to perform a payroll audit for …
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• 8 Types of Payroll Fraud and 5 Ways to Prevent It
  May 18, 2022
  Payroll fraud can occur if you're not careful and can cost you thousands of dollars if you do nothing. Here's how to prevent payroll fraud …
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• 10 Payroll Tax Forms Your Small Business Needs to Know
  May 18, 2022
  Small businesses must collect and report payroll information using the correct payroll forms. Here are 10 tax forms your business should submit in a timely …
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• What’s in a Paycheck? Payroll Taxes vs. Income Taxes
  May 18, 2022
  Payroll tax and income tax will both affect your payroll check differently, but what's the difference? Here's how to calculate payroll tax and income tax.
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• 7 Payroll Errors and How to Avoid Them
  May 18, 2022
  Payroll errors can cost your small business money, and you may not find out about it for weeks. Here's how to avoid some of the …
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• 4 Considerations for Choosing Your Business’s Pay Period
  May 18, 2022
  Small business owners choose their pay periods based on business cash flow and employee needs. Learn how to decide which pay period works best for …
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• 3 Signs That Your Business Should Switch to Payroll Software
  May 18, 2022
  When should your business switch from manual payroll to payroll software? The Ascent goes through the relevant signs of when it's time to make the …
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• What Are Payroll Liabilities?
  May 18, 2022
  Payroll liabilities remain on your books until you pay the money owed. Here are five of the most common payroll liabilities your small business will …
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• Here’s When to Outsource Payroll
  May 18, 2022
  Are you paying employees late or have employees earning overtime? It might be time to outsource your payroll. Here’s what to look for, as well …
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• A Small Business Guide to SaaS Payroll
  May 18, 2022
  A SaaS payroll system offers an automated solution so you can process payroll from anywhere. We cover the benefits and limitations to help you decide.
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• A Guide to Nonprofit Payroll
  May 18, 2022
  When it comes to doing payroll at a nonprofit, you may or may not be responsible for paying unemployment tax for employees. Find out if …
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• Here’s Why You Should Adopt Paperless Payroll
  May 18, 2022
  Are you ready to take your paychecks, payroll records, and pay stubs to a paperless payroll system? Here are three reasons why you should go …
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• OnPay vs. QuickBooks Online Payroll: Which Wins on Customer Support?
  May 18, 2022
  Both OnPay and Quickbooks Online Payroll customer support professionals can help navigate you through any issues, but which platform does a better job?
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• Here’s How Long to Keep Payroll Records
  May 18, 2022
  How long should payroll records be kept? It differs from state to state. Before tossing your payroll records, here are some retention guidelines to follow.
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• How to Create a Holiday Pay Policy
  May 18, 2022
  Employees that work on major holidays should receive a higher-than-normal hourly wage. Here's how to set up a holiday pay policy that will make employees …
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• How to Accrue Payroll for Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  Accrued payroll is a debt owed to employees. You record the compensation when it’s earned, but it’s not paid until the next period. Here are …
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• How to Print Payroll Checks
  May 18, 2022
  Prior to direct deposit, employees received a printed payroll check; however, some employees prefer printed checks. Follow our five steps on how to print them.
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• How to Calculate the Tip Credit
  May 18, 2022
  A tip credit is a set amount by state law that can be deducted from the hourly minimum wage of tipped employees. Learn how to …
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• 3 Steps to Paying Yourself With an Owner's Draw
  May 18, 2022
  As a business owner, the owner's draw allows you to take your share of cash out of the business. Learn how to pay yourself from …
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• FICA Taxes: What You Should Know
  May 18, 2022
  FICA taxes consist of Medicare and Social Security payroll taxes, which fund retirement benefits. Learn how to calculate it and how much should be withheld.
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• A Beginner's Guide to Minimum Wage by State
  May 18, 2022
  The federal government and most states have passed minimum wage laws to protect workers from unfair compensation. Here's the minimum wage rate for each state.
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• 7 Steps to Small Business Payroll in Canada
  May 18, 2022
  Do you have a business in Canada? There are a few things you should know before setting up payroll. Learn how to do your small …
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• How to Use Variable Pay in Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  Variable pay is an incentive employers can pay to employees when their performance meets or exceeds expectations. Here's how to implement it in four steps.
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• Employee Mileage Reimbursement: What You Need to Know
  May 18, 2022
  If your employees are using their personal vehicles for work, you should reimburse them accordingly. Here's how to quickly calculate mileage reimbursement.
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• Employees on Jury Duty: What You Need to Know
  May 18, 2022
  If your employee gets summoned for jury duty, are you responsible for paying them while they serve? Find out which states require employers to pay …
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• 10 Steps for Doing Payroll Manually
  May 18, 2022
  For businesses with just a few employees, it might make sense to do payroll manually. We show you how to manually calculate payroll for your …
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• How to Calculate Shift Differentials
  May 18, 2022
  Picking up shifts at irregular times of the day incentivizes employees to earn shift differential pay. Here we discuss how to calculate shift differential pay.
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• What Are Gross Wages? A Small Business Guide
  May 18, 2022
  Gross wages include any cash compensation, tips, or fringe benefits received. Here's an introduction to gross wages and how to calculate them for tax purposes.
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• How to Manage Payroll: 9 Steps for Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  If you're looking to do payroll more efficiently, consider an organized payroll management system. Here are the best payroll management tools for your business.
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• 5 Employer Payroll Taxes and How to Calculate Them
  May 18, 2022
  Both employers and employees pay payroll taxes, but which taxes are you responsible for? Here are the most common payroll taxes employers and employees pay.
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• How to Calculate Time and a Half
  May 18, 2022
  If your employees work more than 40 hours per week, the overtime pay rate is required. Here's how to calculate time and a half for …
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• How to Calculate and Pay State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
  May 18, 2022
  The unemployment benefits program starts when an employee gets laid off or let go. Here's how to pay state unemployment taxes for your small business.
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• A Small Business Guide to Using Pay Stubs
  May 18, 2022
  Pay stubs show how employee paychecks are calculated and list deductions line by line. The Ascent covers how to create pay stubs for your employees.
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• A Guide to Small Business Payroll Deductions
  May 18, 2022
  Payroll deductions are costs that employers deduct from their employees' paychecks. The Ascent discusses the types of payroll deductions for your business.
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• How and Why to Automate Billing in Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  When it comes to invoicing customers, automated billing can save you a ton of hours. Here are some tips to set up an effective automated …
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• How to Calculate Prime Costs
  May 18, 2022
  Before calculating prime costs, you need to determine your direct material, direct labor, and manufacturing overhead costs. Here's how to calculate prime costs.
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• 8 Ways to Reinvest Business Profits
  May 18, 2022
  If your business is generating a profit, you should be considering what to do with those earnings. Here are eight smart ways to reinvest your …
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• A Small Business Guide to Reversing Entries
  May 18, 2022
  Reversing entries neutralize journal entries from the previous accounting period. Here’s why you should use reversing entries in your accounting (plus examples).
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• A Step-by-Step Guide to Calculating an Asset's Salvage Value
  May 18, 2022
  The salvage value is the value of the asset after it has been depreciated over its life. Learn how to calculate and record depreciation with …
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• Hobby vs. Business: 9 Questions to Ask
  May 18, 2022
  Not sure if your side hustle should be taxed as a business? Find out if your activity is a hobby or a business under this …
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• A Small Business Guide to Direct Materials
  May 18, 2022
  Calculating direct material costs helps estimate the total manufacturing cost of the product. Here are three best practices when calculating direct materials use.
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• A Guide to Accounting for Restaurants
  May 18, 2022
  Restaurants need to have robust accounting software in place. Here are four considerations to keep in mind as you build your restaurant accounting system.
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• 5 Ways to Use Excel for Small Business Accounting
  May 18, 2022
  Excel is a powerful platform that simplifies hard work with its built-in automation features. Learn how Excel can help you with your business accounting.
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• How to Build a Small Business Cash Budget
  May 18, 2022
  A cash budget predicts when cash comes in and leaves the business and helps identify that enough cash is available. Learn how to prepare one …
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• How to Catch and Correct Transposition Errors
  May 18, 2022
  Transposition errors are inputting errors that happen when you carry a number from one source to another. Here are a few tips on how to …
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• How to Do a Cost Volume Profit Analysis
  May 18, 2022
  A cost volume profit (CVP) analysis determines the number of units that need to be sold to make a profit. Learn how to conduct a …
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• 4 Questions to Ask Yourself When Hiring an Accountant
  May 18, 2022
  As your business grows, you may resort to a small business accountant to handle complex issues. Here are four things to consider when looking for …
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• How to Calculate Materials Quantity Variance
  May 18, 2022
  Materials quantity variance determines the production efficiency of converting raw materials into finished goods. Learn how to calculate it to uncover issues.
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• 4 Accounting Considerations for Law Firms
  May 18, 2022
  Before opening your law firm, make sure you are aware of the accounting compliance standards. Here are three accounting best practices you should implement.
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• How Does AI Affect Small Business Accounting?
  May 18, 2022
  Accounting software companies have invested millions into AI to make small business accounting easier. Here are five tasks AI accounting software can handle.
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• What Are Pro Forma Financial Statements?
  May 18, 2022
  Business owners use pro forma statements to draft forecasted financial statements, budgets, and quotes. Here we detail the three types of pro forma statements.
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• How to Reconcile the General Ledger
  May 18, 2022
  A general ledger lists all the transactions in an account and should be checked for errors. Learn how to prepare a general ledger reconciliation in …
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• A Small Business Guide to Job Costing
  May 18, 2022
  Job costing allows you to focus on building a profitable business by accurately tracking your project expenses. Learn how to calculate the components of a …
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• How to Calculate Your Product’s True Cost with Cost Accounting
  May 18, 2022
  Cost accounting is designed to determine the true cost of the manufactured product. Learn which type of cost accounting you should implement in your business.
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• A Small Business Guide to Fair Value Accounting
  May 18, 2022
  Fair value accounting gives you the estimated value of an asset or liability at today's current market price. Here's an example for how to determine …
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• How to Use the FreshBooks Mobile App in Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  The FreshBooks mobile app is great if you need to expense something while you're outside the office. Here are five features that will make record-keeping …
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• A Small Business Guide to Accumulated Depreciation
  May 18, 2022
  Accumulated depreciation is the total recorded depreciation since an asset was placed in service. Learn how to calculate and record it in your balance sheet.
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• 6 Accounting Concepts E-Commerce Business Owners Need to Know
  May 18, 2022
  Setting up an e-commerce accounting system can be a stressful part of opening a new business. Here are six accounting concepts you need to know …
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• Gross Profit vs. Net Profit: What’s the Difference?
  May 18, 2022
  Gross profit and net profit are two terms businesses use to determine the bottom line. Here we look at the differences between them and how …
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• How to Create a Financial Forecast
  May 18, 2022
  Financial forecasting allows you to predict your company's future performance based on certain assumptions. Learn how to create a forecast for your business.
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• How to Use Unit Contribution Margin to Help Make Business Decisions
  May 18, 2022
  Unit contribution margin measures the profitability of manufactured goods and is used to make production decisions. Here's how to calculate it plus see examples.
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• How to Calculate Total Manufacturing Cost
  May 18, 2022
  Total manufacturing cost is what a company spent to produce its inventory within a given period. Learn how to calculate it and optimize the manufacturing …
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• Best Practices for Small Business Record-Keeping
  May 18, 2022
  An effective record-keeping system can streamline your tax preparation and financial audits. Here are five record-keeping tips that will simplify bookkeeping.
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• How to Use Cost Flow Assumptions in Your Business
  May 18, 2022
  Cost flow assumption determines the order in which FIFO, LIFO, and weighted average costs flow out of a balance sheet account. Here's how it works.
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• How to Use Responsibility Accounting in Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  Responsibility accounting develops clear expectations for your business and its employees. The Ascent covers the benefits of responsibility accounting.
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• Period Costs: What Small Businesses Need to Know
  May 18, 2022
  Period costs are indirect costs such as your selling, administrative, and depreciation expenses. Here's how to calculate period costs for your small business.
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• Balance Sheet vs. Income Statement: What’s the Difference?
  May 18, 2022
  The balance sheet and income statement highlight various aspects of your business’s financial health. The Ascent explains the difference between the two.
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• 3 Ways to Value Any Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  Valuing your business determines the financial value to a potential investor. The Ascent goes through how to value a small business.
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• New Business Applications Up 24% Amid Shaky Economy
  May 18, 2022
  New business applications rose significantly in pandemic-ridden 2020. The Ascent explains what that means and why it might not be so surprising.
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• Form 940 vs. Form 941: What’s the Difference?
  May 18, 2022
  IRS Forms 940 and 941 must be filled out to ensure you're paying employment taxes. We discuss the difference in each form and how to …
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• 3 Tips to Get W-9s From Vendors
  May 18, 2022
  A Form W-9 gathers information about a vendor for a business to prepare contractor tax forms. Here are tips for getting W-9s from vendors and …
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• 3 Ways to Send Forms W-2 to Your Employees
  May 18, 2022
  The Form W-2 details employee earnings and is used when they file their individual income taxes. Here are three ways to send employees their Forms …
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• Onboard New Employees With These Tax Forms
  May 18, 2022
  When hiring new employees, make sure to collect the tax forms you need to run payroll. Here are employee tax forms to complete during the …
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• What "De Minimis" Means for Your Business Taxes
  May 18, 2022
  Small businesses most often use the phrase de minimis to talk about employee benefits. Here are the most common de minimis employee benefits (plus examples).
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• How Do I File Taxes as an Entrepreneur?
  May 18, 2022
  You don't have to be a tax expert to keep your entrepreneur tax-related documents organized. Here are five common tax deductions and tips for handling …
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• How to Deduct Home Office Expenses With Form 8829
  May 18, 2022
  IRS Form 8829 is made for individuals that want to deduct home office expenses. Learn how to get a tax break with your home office …
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• How to Qualify and Apply for PPP Forgiveness
  May 18, 2022
  In order to qualify for 100% PPP loan forgiveness, your business must meet several criteria. Here are the most recent requirements to apply for PPP …
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• A Small Business Guide to the Second COVID Relief Package
  May 18, 2022
  Trump just signed off on a second COVID relief package, and it includes a lot -- such as simplified PPP loan forgiveness. Let's explore what …
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• How Do I Report Excise Taxes? A Guide to Filling out Form 720
  May 18, 2022
  Form 720 is for businesses that need to report excise tax paid on targeted goods and services. Here's how to fill out Form 720 and …
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• How to Deduct the Business Use of Your Car
  May 18, 2022
  If you use your personal car for business, you can take a car tax deduction and lower your tax bill. Learn how to take the …
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• How to Amend Your S Corp Tax Return Form 1120-S
  May 18, 2022
  If you've made an adjustment on your S corp return, you will need to submit Form 1120-S. Learn how to amend an S corp return …
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• How to Fill out IRS Form 945
  May 18, 2022
  Form 945 is used to report backup withholding tax for an independent contractor. Here's why your business might need to complete Form 945 and how …
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• How Are Partnerships Taxed?
  May 18, 2022
  Partnership taxation is based on the partner's portion of income generated by the partnership. Learn how to file your partnership taxes in four easy steps.
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• 4 Steps to Filing a Business Tax Return Extension
  May 18, 2022
  A business tax extension can give your business an additional six months to prepare your tax return. Learn how to file a tax extension in …
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• 12 Tax Tips for Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  Finding ways to reduce your business tax bill should be at the top of your list. Learn how to maximize your deductions and credits with …
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• A Small Business Guide to Excise Taxes
  May 18, 2022
  Excise tax is imposed by the government to generate revenue on certain items like cigarettes, alcohol, fuel, and gambling. Here's how excise tax is recorded.
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• Filing Your Sole Proprietor Taxes Jointly with Spouse
  May 18, 2022
  Should you file your sole proprietorship taxes as married filing jointly? Here are a few things to consider before filing your next tax return with …
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• How to Write off a Car Lease in Your Business
  May 18, 2022
  If you are using a leased car for business, you can deduct a portion of your expenses. Learn which car lease tax write-off method offers …
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• How to File Taxes for an LLC With No Income
  May 18, 2022
  You should expect to file your LLC taxes every calendar year, even if your business had no activity. Learn how to file taxes for an …
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• LLC Tax Classifications: Which One Should You Choose?
  May 18, 2022
  Depending on your LLC tax classification, you can be taxed as a sole proprietor, partnership, or corporation. Here are the types of specific taxes an …
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• 4 Steps to Becoming an S Corp
  May 18, 2022
  An S corporation receives special tax treatment: It allows you to file your business and personal taxes together. Learn how to become an S corp …
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• What Is a Business Tax Receipt?
  May 18, 2022
  A business tax receipt is proof that your company can operate and legally open for business. Learn how to obtain a business tax receipt in …
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• When Do You File Personal and Business Taxes Together?
  May 18, 2022
  Do you file personal and business taxes together? Depending on your business structure, you may want to. Here are some things to consider before tax …
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• A Small Business Guide to MACRS
  May 18, 2022
  The modified accelerated cost recovery system (MACRS) is the IRS's depreciation method used for filing taxes. Learn how MACRS works in five simple steps.
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• Are Unreimbursed Employee Expenses Deductible This Year?
  May 18, 2022
  An unreimbursed employee expense is when an employer doesn’t repay a business expense an employee covered. Learn if you can deduct these types of expenses.
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• 10 Tax Deductions for the Self-Employed
  May 18, 2022
  Business owners should take advantage of self-employed tax deductions to reduce their tax liability. Here are 10 valuable tax deductions to take this year.
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• A Small Business Guide to Independent Contractors vs. Employees
  May 18, 2022
  Taxes, control, and benefits are what sets independent contractors apart from employees. Learn the three criteria the IRS uses to classify a worker.
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• 5 Steps for Filing S Corporation Taxes
  May 18, 2022
  S corporations enjoy pass-through taxation in which the owner pays taxes based on their individual tax rate. Learn how to file S corp taxes in …
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• A Small Business Guide to Bonus Depreciation
  May 18, 2022
  Bonus depreciation allows you to report a chunk of depreciation in the year an asset was purchased. Learn how to claim your bonus depreciation in …
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• How to Fill Out (and File) Schedule C for Form 1040
  May 18, 2022
  Sole proprietorships and single-member LLCs file Schedule C to report business net profit or loss. Follow these 9 steps to filling out and filing Schedule …
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• How to Make a Depreciation Schedule: A Small Business Guide
  May 18, 2022
  Depreciation schedules detail how a fixed asset’s costs are expensed over the life of the asset. Learn how to set up a depreciation schedule for …
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• A Guide to Tax-Advantaged S Corp Health Insurance Deductions
  May 18, 2022
  S corporations can offer health insurance premium coverage for non-owner employees. Learn to achieve the maximum tax advantage for S corp health insurance.
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• A Beginner’s Guide to Independent Contractor Taxes
  May 18, 2022
  An independent contractor is a one-person business that provides goods and services to clients for a fee. Learn how to pay taxes as one in …
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• 6 Steps to Filing Form 1120
  May 18, 2022
  If you have a C corporation, you'll need to use Form 1120 to file your business taxes. Here's a tax preparation checklist that will guide …
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• A Small Business Guide to Pass-Through Entity Types
  May 18, 2022
  A pass-through entity allows the owner to pay taxes as an individual instead of paying corporate taxes. Here's how to decide if it's the right …
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• What Is IRS Form W-3? How to Fill It Out and File It
  May 18, 2022
  IRS Form W-3 tracks your employee's wages, salary, commission, tips, and other compensation. Here we show how to fill it out and how to file …
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• EIN vs. SSN: What’s the Difference?
  May 18, 2022
  The IRS uses Social Security numbers and EINs to identify individuals and businesses for tax purposes. This guide explains the differences between EINs and SSNs.
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• 10 Tax Credits for Your Small Business
  May 18, 2022
  Tax credits are an effective way to reduce your small business tax liability. The Ascent explores 10 small business tax credits business owners can use.
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• How Your Small Business LLC Can Be Taxed
  May 18, 2022
  Starting your business as a limited liability company (LLC) offers certain legal and financial protections. The Ascent explains how LLCs are taxed.
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• How to Calculate the Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
  May 18, 2022
  Businesses contribute to federal unemployment through a payroll tax that is deducted from employee's check. The Ascent shows how to calculate FUTA Tax.
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• How Net Operating Loss Affects Your Business
  May 18, 2022
  A business incurs a net operating loss (NOL) when expenses exceed revenues. The Ascent goes through how to calculate NOL and turn it into a …
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