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2023 Standard Mileage Rates

by | Mar 1, 2023 | tax info

IRS issues standard mileage rates for 2023; business use increases 3 cents per mile

IR-2022-234, December 29, 2022

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service today issued the 2023 optional standard mileage rates used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes.

Beginning on January 1, 2023, the standard mileage rates for the use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be:

  • 65.5 cents per mile driven for business use, up 3 cents from the midyear increase setting the rate for the second half of 2022.
  • 22 cents per mile driven for medical or moving purposes for qualified active-duty members of the Armed Forces, consistent with the increased midyear rate set for the second half of 2022.
  • 14 cents per mile driven in service of charitable organizations; the rate is set by statute and remains unchanged from 2022.

These rates apply to electric and hybrid-electric automobiles, as well as gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles.

The standard mileage rate for business use is based on an annual study of the fixed and variable costs of operating an automobile. The rate for medical and moving purposes is based on the variable costs.

It is important to note that under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, taxpayers cannot claim a miscellaneous itemized deduction for unreimbursed employee travel expenses. Taxpayers also cannot claim a deduction for moving expenses, unless they are members of the Armed Forces on active duty moving under orders to a permanent change of station. For more details see Moving Expenses for Members of the Armed Forces.

Taxpayers always have the option of calculating the actual costs of using their vehicle rather than using the standard mileage rates.

Taxpayers can use the standard mileage rate but generally must opt to use it in the first year the car is available for business use. Then, in later years, they can choose either the standard mileage rate or actual expenses. Leased vehicles must use the standard mileage rate method for the entire lease period (including renewals) if the standard mileage rate is chosen.

Notice 2023-03PDF contains the optional 2023 standard mileage rates, as well as the maximum automobile cost used to calculate the allowance under a fixed and variable rate (FAVR) plan. In addition, the notice provides the maximum fair market value of employer-provided automobiles first made available to employees for personal use in calendar year 2023 for which employers may use the fleet-average valuation rule in or the vehicle cents-per-mile valuation rule.

https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/irs-issues-standard-mileage-rates-for-2023-business-use-increases-3-cents-per-mile

The Value of an Accountant

by | Feb 19, 2023 | bookkeeping, tax info

“The value of an accountant who specializes in year round bookkeeping”

Recently, a prospective client of mine pointed out to me that one of my ‘competitors’ was going to do his books and provide monthly statements for substantially less than I quoted him. So I was forced to ‘defend’ my price.

It turns out that the ‘competitor’ he is referring to is a local bookkeeping service that does not do tax returns. My fees normally include tax returns. But the real issue is of continuity. This service subcontracts the tax returns to someone else.

Several weeks ago, I had run into another prospective client, who coincidentally was using the same bookkeeping service, yet they were talking with me about being their accountant and doing their bookkeeping. It turns out that the bookkeeping service was fine, and had all sort of good ideas and suggestions.

The trouble is that there was no follow through. Many of the suggestions related to the preparation of the tax return, and therefore these suggestions weren’t getting to the ‘accountant’.

In our firm, the accountant reviews the financial statements every single month, and communicates with the client on an ongoing basis with an eye towards preparing the tax return at the end of year. We’re thinking about this all year round, so we don’t have any surprises at the end of the year.

As an Epilogue, the first prospective client saw the light , and became a client. The second one is still trying to figure out where the money would come from.

So, if you insist on having a separate bookkeeper from your accountant, be sure to include your accountant in some of those meetings held throughout the year. This will assure continuity in your business from keeping the books to preparing the final tax returns.

Keeping the Books

by | Feb 19, 2023 | bookkeeping

“Small Business Success…Keeping the books”

A business, whatever the size, is like a wheel with many cogs. And each cog must be in good working condition to keep the wheel running at top speed. One of the important “cogs on the wheel” is bookkeeping, which is simply, keeping records of the business’ financial transactions.

Keeping track of income and expenses is one of these important cogs. An effective bookkeeping service will help guarantee the success of the business. Neglect it, and you may be caught by surprise by how things may unravel financially with the business. In fact, one of the main reasons why small businesses fail is because of the inability to manage the business’ finances.

Here are some reasons why bookkeeping is important:

  1. It gives you a clear picture of your business’ financial standing. How are sales doing vs your operational expenses? Is the business making a profit? Is there some aspect of the business’ expenses that should be reigned in?
  2. It makes you keep track of payables and receivables. Regularly updated records will point out to you information with regards to which invoices need to be followed up since these customers are past due. It will also ensure that you don’t pay penalties just because the business has overdrawn its bank account.
  3. It helps you create your budgets and forecasts. Looking at the trends and seeing how an increase in sales, operational activities and so forth can help you make forecasts as to the budget you need. This will help you see if you need additional funding to ensure that your cash flows and operations are unhampered.
  4. Preparation for tax returns and government-mandated reports. Let’s face it, bookkeeping and taxes go well together. Income tax returns are easier to prepare when your files and financial information is properly in place. This includes quarterly payroll tax reports and sales tax reports. When someone is not there to keep an eye on how much tax you owe and what reports to file, you may find yourself paying too much or too little in taxes or you may have to pay penalty fees for turning in your reports late.
  5. It helps you make informed decisions for your business. Keeping track of your expenses and sales will provide you with trends to help guide you in your business decisions. For instance, how will hiring new staff or buying that new piece of equipment affect your bottom line? Which particular product is proving to be more profitable?
  6. It helps you get funding for your business. The banks will usually require you to submit your financial statements and keeping your books on a regular basis will help you create these reports faster. You will need to submit your income statement, balance sheet and cash flow for the past years as well as the present year’s projections. In addition, if you are looking to taking on a business partner or investor, you will need to provide them with your business’ financial picture.

However, bookkeeping is sometimes a task that is left by the wayside. Maybe one is too busy running the day to day operations or just can’t be bothered by what may be considered as the tedious job of recording receipts and invoices. There are also times when one does not have the experience and the training for bookkeeping.

[ . . . . ] Is your bookkeeping under control? Do you know where your business stands so you don’t get any tax surprise. [ . . . . ]

Contact us today at 757.425.2585 to see how we can help you with your accounting needs.