Dear ,
Happy New Year from the SME team! As always, the New Year brings about both wanted and unwanted change. As we enter 2013, part of the change that all Americans are faced with is the passing of the "Fiscal Cliff" deal at the eleventh hour. This deal, also known as the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, contains a wide array of provisions that will affect taxpayers. If you are like most taxpayers, you remain unsure about just what this bill means for you.
The SME team stands ready to help! As you begin to conquer the resolutions that you've set, let the specialists at SME help you to have a financially successful 2013. The tax experts at SME can evaluate your return and assist you in utilizing tax credits and deductions that will save you money. In addition, planning is an important part of managing your taxes and SME can help you plan and prepare for the changes that 2013 brings.
Be sure and check out this month's tax, marketing and technology tips. We wish you a prosperous 2013!
Michelle Bennett, CPA
Partner
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Special Section
Sales Tax Rate to Increase 8%
Attention CSRA: Sales Tax Rate to Increase 8% effective January 1st for the following counties:
Appling, Bleckley, Burke, Candler, Chattahoochee, Clay, Columbia, Crisp, Dodge, Dooly, Emanuel, Evans, Glascock, Hancock, Harris, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Lincoln, Macon, Marion, McDuffie, Montgomery, Muscogee, Quitman, Randolph, Richmond, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Taylor, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Webster, Wheeler, Wilcox, and Wilkes.
Click below to read the Special Article, Sales Tax Rate to Increase 8%.
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Special Section
American Taxpayer Relief Act Summary
This is a great summary of the provisions in the fiscal cliff deal. Click below to read the Special Article on the American Taxpayer Relief Act Summary.
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Marketing Tip from Rebecca L. Plankey
Lights, Camera, Action!
The Christmas season is behind us, the personal resolutions are being maintained...well, maybe... but have you thought about your business goals for 2013?
If you haven't already outlined an action plan for your business, now is the time to do it! Continue to move forward even in uncertain times. Don't let fear of the unknown paralyze your goals of breaking into a new market, offering a new service and promoting yourself to prospective clients. Remember why you started your business in the first place. Reignite that passion and work in the areas of your business that excite you. Reach out to your employees. What are they hearing on the front lines that clients want? Host a brainstorming session and reward your team member who comes up with the next implementable idea!
Are you limiting your income by doing the same old, same old? Look for new ways to sell more products and services to existing and prospective clients. Do clients always come to you? Why not take your services on the road and visit them? Get to know more about their business; help meet their needs with your knowledge or introduce them to someone who can help.
Make it a goal to try something new this year! Think advertising won't help? Make a commitment to run an ad campaign and give it everything you've got! Chances are the results will pay off in the long run. So start now, you have all year to see how it goes!
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Technology Tip from Paul Wade
Getting Organized in 2013
What New Year's resolutions did you make for 2013? Perhaps you made a resolution to get more organized. What better way to do this than by reducing the amount of paper clutter in your office.
Here at SME, we've been working towards going "paperless" (or less paper as the case may be) for a number of years. There are many products out there that can help. If you're using a recent version of QuickBooks, you can scan invoices into the program and attach them to your electronic accounting records. If you really want to step up your efforts, you can spend tens of thousands of dollars on document management software. There are a number of vendors that cater specifically to our industry and no doubt there are vendors that cater to yours. If you aren't looking to spend a ton of money, companies like NeatŪ offer relatively inexpensive digital scanning and filing systems.
If you can find and implement the right solution, these systems are effective at reducing clutter and making it easier to search and retrieve documents. They might make your life a lot easier.
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Thanks for taking the time to read our newsletter. Stay tuned for next month's tips and features.
Sincerely,
Serotta Maddocks Evans, CPAs |
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Tax Tip
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Our January Tax Tip explains the three major types of employee fraud and shows how these can threaten most companies.
Check out our Tax Blog for details.
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Confused about QuickBooks?
We post monthly tips on the QuickBooks section of our website. Check back for updates and
new tips.
Latest Topic:
Is 2013 The Year You Finally Go Mobile With Financial Data?
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