Have you heard of “Giving Tuesday” yet? On December 1, 2015, many charities used “Giving Tuesday” as a catchy way to launch their year-end fundraising campaigns. It’s a critical time of year for the not-for-profit sector. Historically, a significant amount of charitable donations occur in the last weeks, days and even hours of the year  Continue Reading »

Few things say “thank you” like food. As the holidays and year-end crunch approach, many Maine employers will bring pizza or donuts into the office, organize a holiday luncheon or provide their staff with free Thanksgiving turkeys. Employer-provided meals offer an opportunity to thank employees for another year of service — or to entice them to  Continue Reading »

Here in Maine, Fall is often a time to stop and enjoy the beautiful foliage, but it is also the time to start your year-end tax planning for 2015, and to tie up loose ends that remain from the 2014 tax season. However, be aware that the October 15th extension date has passed. Here are  Continue Reading »

There are some tax breaks out there that may be available to small business owners. However, business owners may only qualify if their adjusted gross income is under a certain amount. If a small business owners could qualify, but their income was a little too high, they might lose access to tax breaks like higher  Continue Reading »

A natural disaster is always bad news for a Maine-based small business, but sometimes a tax break can be salvaged. A hurricane, earthquake, tornado, fire, flood, or storm usually means that business owners can claim a casualty loss deduction on their tax returns. Usually, vehicle collisions or thefts also qualify for the tax break. Remember,  Continue Reading »

After a recent U.S. Tax Court decision, current deductions aren’t allowed for most expenses incurred during the start-up phase of a new business. When compared with the federal treatment of start-up expenses, it can be confusing for small business owners. Here’s what the rules for deducting start-up costs actually are: Deduct Section 162 Expenses Now  Continue Reading »

A simplified employee pension (SEP) is a good way to start securing a small business owner’s retirement, and the business can gain tax advantages right away. An added advantage is that setting it up and maintaining it is not very difficult. SEP Basics The SEP is mainly intended for self-employed people, including sole proprietors, partners,  Continue Reading »

After another brutal Maine winter, summer is finally here. Even though many small business owners may try to take some time off to enjoy the sun, it’s still important to remain diligent about business and personal tax planning. Here are some summer tax-planning tips to help out. Summer Tax Tip #1: Entertain Business Clients Small  Continue Reading »

As a Maine-based small business owner, you might find yourself having to travel, abroad or within the United States. When traveling abroad, it may be tempting to take a couple of extra days to do some sightseeing. It’s important to remember that the tax rules for foreign business travel differ from those for domestic trips.  Continue Reading »

Many Maine-based small business owners start out with an office in their homes. An important benefit to this is being able to deduct the expense of the office on the tax return. It’s key for home-based business owners to know that in order to receive the deduction, the space must be used regularly and exclusively  Continue Reading »