117: QuickBooks And Year End Tax Strategies Whether You Are Starting A Business Or Side Hustle

117: QuickBooks And Year End Tax Strategies Whether You Are Starting A Business Or Side Hustle, A Solopreneur, Entrepreneur, Mompreneur, Freelancer, Bookkeeper, Virtual Assistant, Business Owner, Or Self-Employed

If you have a business or do bookkeeping for business owners, you know now is the time you need to wrap up your year-end financial statements. If you’ve heard the phrase closing the books, this is exactly what it means. You simply make sure you have all your money coming in and money going out of your business recorded and reconciled so that your financial statements reflect accurate data. You will use this data to prepare your tax return, so it is extremely important that you do this correctly. In today’s podcast episode, you’ll learn the top tasks you need to do to close out your books whether you are using a computerized software system like QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, or FreshBooks for your business finances, or if you are doing your bookkeeping manually with an Excel spreadsheet or even a Google Document. Many of the processes are the same regardless of which system you use to do your bookkeeping. Having your financial statements and your bookkeeping ready so that you can have your tax return prepared on time with little to no stress is the ultimate goal here. Whether you are just getting started with your business, you are a self-employed individual, a solopreneur, an entrepreneur, a small business owner, a remote, virtual, online, or in-house bookkeeper, or a virtual assistant or VA, I want you to make sure you are prepared to file your taxes on time feeling confident that you have accurate data. If you’ve ever wondered what you need to do to finalize your end-of-the-year bookkeeping and financial statements, listen in as I walk you through the steps you need to take today. These tips are essential whether you are using a computerized software system like QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, or FreshBooks for your business finances; or doing your bookkeeping manually with an Excel spreadsheet or even a Google Document. If you are a business owner who wants to take your business to the next level, whether you are starting your business, you’re building your business, or you’re serious about growing your business, I want to invite you to work with me so that you can meet your goals in the most accelerated, streamlined and efficient way possible that also aligns with your life and the impact you want to make with your business. As a CPA, Business Strategist, and Coach, I’ve created two options for you to choose from when you work with me. The first is my Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB. This is a group program where we have live weekly business meetings and coaching sessions to answer your questions so that you can generate revenues and increase the profit in your business. You can learn more about the PROFIT LAB by going to www.FinancialAdventure.com/profit, or if you like the idea of working with me on a more private, one-on-one basis, you can schedule a free consultation session where we’ll go over where you currently are in your business and where you’d like to see yourself and your business in the future. During this session, we’ll begin to map out the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. I’m helping my clients start their businesses, become more profitable, set strategies to move their business forward, and take control of their business and their finances while allowing them the balance and ability to enjoy their personal lives by utilizing business strategy, coaching, mentorship, and support. You can schedule your session today by going to www.FinancialAdventure.com and clicking on the work with me button. By taking action in your business, you’ll achieve your goals. By keeping everything simple, you’ll avoid confusion and overwhelm. You’ll understand your business finances, your next steps, and you’ll follow through with the vision you have for your business…my goal is to help you dream big, follow your heart, and love what you do…

Schedule a free consultation, and we’ll work together to dive into where you’d like to see yourself and your business in the future. We’ll create a laser-focused plan, including which action steps you need to take to get started on the path to success:

https://www.financialadventure.com/work-with-me

Join us in the Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB if you are ready to take control of your business finances and create the profitable business you are striving for. Are you ready to generate revenues and increase the profit in your business:

https://www.financialadventure.com/profit

The Strategic Bookkeeping Academy, including Bookkeeping Basics, is open for registration! You can learn more and sign up here:

https://www.financialadventure.com/sba

Grab Your FREE guide: 5 Essential Strategies For Stress-Free Bookkeeping:

https://www.financialadventure.com/5essentials

Your FREE Online Virtual Bookkeeping Business Starter Guide & Success Path is waiting for you:

https://www.financialadventure.com/starterguide

Apply to join the Mastering Your Small Business Finances CEO Mastermind or the Elevate Your Bookkeeping Business GROW Mastermind group:

https://www.financialadventure.com/mastermind

Looking for a payroll solution for your business? You can get an exclusive 15% discount on your payroll services when you sign up here:

https://www.financialadventure.com/adp

Sign up for a virtual coffee chat to see if starting a Bookkeeping Business is right for you:

https://www.financialadventure.com/discovery

Join Our Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/womenbusinessownersultimatediybookkeepingboutique

Are you a bookkeeper looking to start, grow or scale your bookkeeping business? Join our FREE bookkeeper community here:

https://www.financialadventure.com/bookkeepercommunity

QuickBooks Online - Save 30% Your First 6 Months:

https://www.financialadventure.com/quickbooks

Show Notes:

If you have a business or do bookkeeping for business owners, you know now is the time you need to wrap up your year-end financial statements. If you’ve heard the phrase closing the books, this is exactly what it means. You simply make sure you have all your money coming in and money going out of your business recorded and reconciled so that your financial statements reflect accurate data. You will use this data to prepare your tax return, so it is extremely important that you do this correctly. In today’s podcast episode, you’ll learn the top tasks you need to do to close out your books whether you are using a computerized software system like QuickBooks, Xero, Wave, or FreshBooks for your business finances, or if you are doing your bookkeeping manually with an Excel spreadsheet or even a Google Document. Many of the processes are the same regardless of which system you use to do your bookkeeping. Having your financial statements and your bookkeeping ready so that you can have your tax return prepared on time with little to no stress is the ultimate goal here. Whether you are just getting started with your business, you are a self-employed individual, a solopreneur, an entrepreneur, a small business owner, a remote, virtual, online or in-house bookkeeper, or a virtual assistant or VA, I want you to make sure you are prepared to file your taxes on time feeling confident that you have accurate data. If you’ve ever wondered what you need to do to finalize your end-of-the-year bookkeeping and financial statements, listen in as I walk you through the steps you need to take today. If you are a business owner who wants to take your business to the next level, whether you are starting your business, you’re building your business, or you’re serious about growing your business, I want to invite you to work with me so that you can meet your goals in the most accelerated, streamlined and efficient way possible that also aligns with your life and the impact you want to make with your business. As a CPA, Business Strategist, and Coach, I’ve created two options for you to choose from when you work with me. The first is my Mastering Your Small Business Finances PROFIT LAB. This is a group program where we have live weekly business meetings and coaching sessions to answer your questions so that you can generate revenues and increase the profit in your business. You can learn more about the PROFIT LAB by going to www.FinancialAdventure.com/profit, or if you like the idea of working with me on a more private, one-on-one basis, you can schedule a free consultation session where we’ll go over where you currently are in your business and where you’d like to see yourself and your business in the future. During this session, we’ll begin to map out the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. I’m helping my clients start their businesses, become more profitable, set strategies to move their business forward, and take control of their business and their finances while allowing them the balance and ability to enjoy their personal lives by utilizing business strategy, coaching, mentorship, and support. You can schedule your session today by going to www.FinancialAdventure.com and clicking on the work with me button. By taking action in your business, you’ll achieve your goals. By keeping everything simple, you’ll avoid confusion and overwhelm. You’ll understand your business finances, your next steps, and you’ll follow through with the vision you have for your business…my goal is to help you dream big, follow your heart, and love what you do…

Welcome Back…Closing the books or finalizing your financial statements is something you need to do so that you know you have accurate information to report on your tax return. This is the process to make sure that all your financial transactions are recorded, up to date, and accurate. If all this talk about financial statements and taxes is starting to raise your anxiety, I want you to take a deep breath in and release it slowly. This does not need to be hard or stressful, especially when you know exactly what you need to do and you have someone you know you can trust to help you out if you get stuck. I understand you may have lots of questions, and that is why I am here for you. Sometimes all you need is to be pointed in the right direction, and that’s exactly why I wanted to talk about this topic today.

You might be asking why I think now is the best time to close out your books or finalize your financial statements, and simply put, it is normally when you have received your bank and credit card statements, you can have all your transactions recorded for the year and then can reconcile to ensure you have everything accounted for. It is when you can make any final adjustments so that all your balances are correct. You will also need to have certain information recorded so that you can keep up with compliance matters such as issuing any 1099s by January 31st. If you don’t have all your information recorded, how will you know how much you have paid your vendors? Making sure you have everything caught up by mid-January will help you meet these and other compliance deadlines as well. I’ve covered what 1099s are and what you need to do to file them in a previous podcast episode. If you’d like, you can go back and listen to that episode so that you know what your business is required to file.

We’re going to start off with touching on what your financial statements include. There are two main reports you will need to file your tax return. The first is your Balance Sheet and the second is your Profit & Loss Report or y