Blogging about my books, the writing process, mindset, and anything else I feel like sharing.
It depends!
I know that’s probably not the answer you were hoping for, but like most things when it comes to taxes, the answer to the question, “Do I need an accountant?” isn’t a simple one.
Because most people hire an accountant to do their taxes, let’s look at taxes first. Taxes can be grouped into two broad categories: personal and business.
Read MoreSome entrepreneurs feel like working with an accountant is expensive, but when you think of everything a professional accountant can do for you, they’re actually priceless! Some of these things include staying current on tax changes so you can save the most tax, filing paperwork on time so you don’t get charged unnecessary penalties, and analyzing your business income and expenses to help improve your bottom line. In this post, you will learn how to find an accountant who will become your trusted business advisor.
Read MoreIs your writing hobby actually a business? And does it really matter? Absolutely! Especially if you want to save a bit of tax while you’re getting your business up and running.
So you’ve been earning a bit here and there with your self-published books or maybe bloggers have been paying you to write posts for them, but when you look at the money you’ve spent to publish those books or the tools you’ve paid for to run your freelance writing business, you realize you haven’t broken even, so you decide not to include your writing “business” on your taxes.
Read MoreThis post was originally published as Chapter 12 in my book Keep More Money. While the book is about finding the perfect accountant for you and your business, this chapter focuses on personal finance and tips for saving money. Enjoy!
I hope I've shown you how having an accountant is not really expensive when you think of the value you receive for what you pay. If you're still feeling like you can't afford to have an accountant, I hope that some of the money-saving strategies in this chapter will help you find the money to be able to hire yourself an accountant that you can work with to reach your business and financial goals.
Read MoreAs a former accountant, I get really annoyed when people use terms like “profit” and “ROI” incorrectly, especially in their marketing material. As I research different methods to market my books, I have been bombarded with emails to join courses. This is all well and good, I signed up to learn more about these courses, but lately, one of the course providers made the claim that I would only have to sell 20 books at $10 each to recover the cost of the course.
Read MoreI LOVE September! For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved September. I love the cooler temperatures, hitting the books, meeting new friends, and taking in the beautiful fall foliage. This year, I’m excited for my kids to go back to school. I love spending time with my kids, but this past summer was very stressful for me.
Read MoreIn my almost twenty years in the public accounting industry, there were a few questions I got asked almost every day: How can I avoid paying tax? How can I pay less tax? Why do I owe so much? Tax avoidance is illegal, and thank goodness, because there are a lot of essential government services taxpayer dollars pay for. The good news is, there are ways you can reduce your tax bill. For now, I’m going to focus on small business owners and the top three mistakes they can avoid to save tax.
Read MoreI’m wrapping up editing my lyrical children’s book Scruffy Muffin Loses His Money. It’s a project I’ve been working on with my kids as a way to help them learn about all the different things you can do with money. They created most of the story. I took what they told me and put it in rhyming form.
This summer, we will be writing a second Scruffy Muffin book. As a fun way to start thinking about what will happen to Scruffy Muffin and his money in this new adventure, I decided we would do a fun financial literacy project where I ask my kids various questions about money and record their answers.
Read MoreHi, I'm Michelle! Writing is a passion of mine. I love to entertain and educate through my writing. I started out writing about business and money and have moved on to thrillers and picture books.
Spending time with family is what I'm all about. Life's too short!
I have two amazing sons who love Lego and ninjas...and TV (sigh)!! We read a ton of storybooks to make up for the TV thing. One of the best ways to explain things is through stories of course.
If it was up to me, I'd have chips and dip for dinner every night with a super dark chocolate bar to round out the meal...and maybe an apple! It's a good thing I've got kids and a husband. They keep me responsible (and healthy).
