Returning Value Blog

As year-end nears, many businesses and nonprofits are planning for 2024. QuickBooks® provides budget and forecast features to help management make financial predictions, as well as assess “what if” scenarios to help make more informed business decisions. Here’s how you can use these tools for your year-end financial planning.

Does your company struggle to close its books at the end of each month? The month-end close requires accounting personnel to round up data from across the organization. This process can strain internal resources, potentially leading to delayed financial reporting, errors, and even fraud. Here are some simple ways to streamline your company’s monthly closing process.

Shareholder advances: Debt or equity?

From time to time, owners of closely held businesses might need to advance their companies' money to bridge a temporary downturn or provide funds for an expansion or another major purchase. How should those advances be classified under U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP)? Depending on the facts and circumstances of the transaction, an advance may be reported as debt or additional paid-in capital.

Does your business work on projects that take longer than a year to complete? Recognizing revenue from long-term projects usually requires the use of the “percentage-of-completion” method. Here’s an overview of when it’s required and how it works.

Your organization may need to track business miles to maximize its tax deductions, reimburse employees for personal vehicle use, and comply with IRS rules and regulations. Navigating this process can be administratively burdensome. Fortunately, QuickBooks® offers functionality that can make the process easier and more accurate.

Many businesses in certain industries employ individuals who receive tips as part of their compensation. These businesses include restaurants, hotels, and salons.

With the 2023 filing season deadline drawing near, be aware that the deadline for businesses to file information returns for hired workers is even closer. By January 31, 2023, employers must file these forms:

A leadership departure in your accounting department can create turmoil, at least temporarily. However, it also provides an opportunity to assess the department’s performance and create a vision for its future performance. Here are four questions to address if your CFO or controller leaves.

Revenue and expenses, as reported on your company’s income statement, have limited usefulness to people inside the organization. Managers often need information presented in a different format in order to make operational and strategic decisions. That’s where activity-based costing comes into play. This costing system is commonly used in the manufacturing and construction sectors to determine which products and customers are profitable, to identify and eliminate waste, and to more accurately price products or bid jobs going forward.

Given the popularity of gift cards among both issuers and recipients, restauranteurs should understand the pros and cons of selling and issuing gift cards.