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Author: Jake Snelson

If you caught Ben on Periscope this morning, he provided a quick overview on the basics of quarterly taxes for your small business. As a small business owner, you’re no stranger to Uncle Sam wanting his cut of everything you’ve make. While you may not need to worry about quarterly taxes during the first few years you’re in business, you’ll eventually get to a point where you need to start paying them…yes, four times each year.

Small business owners operate under a pay-as-you-earn system for federal taxes, rather than a W2 employee who has taxes taken out of their check before it hits their account. The IRS expects small business owners to be responsible tax payers, and softens the blow of a huge end of year tax bill by splitting it up into four installments. These are called quarterly taxes, and you’ll need to pay them if you anticipate your end of year tax bill to be more than $1,000. Use IRS Form 1040-ES to see if you’re tax bill might end up being more than that.

So what if you don’t pay quarterly taxes and you were supposed to? Well, unfortunately the IRS doesn’t forget it and you won’t fly under the radar for long. You’ll just pay your quarterly taxes all at once, when taxes are due in April. The penalty and interest for not paying your quarterlies is based on the difference between the amount you should have paid in for each installment and the amount you actually paid for as long as the underpayment remains outstanding.

Our CPA, Ben, suggests paying quarterly taxes for your small business if you plan to bring home more than $10,000 profit this year.

For 2016, quarterly taxes are due on April 18th, June 15th, September 15th, and then again on January 17, 2017.

If you were uninsured in 2015, you may owe a penalty on your taxes this year. However, you can still save money by claiming an exemption, which about 70% of Americans are doing in 2016. A whopping 300,000 people who paid the penalty last year would have qualified for the exemption, according to the IRS. No worries, Mazuma won’t let that happen to you. Here is the good news and the bad news about being uninsured in 2015.

Here’s the bad news first: the penalty has increased since 2014. The penalty for being uninsured in 2015 is $325 per adult and $162.50 per child (up to $975 for a family) or 2% of household income, whichever is greater. Yikes. You’ll sometimes hear this penalty called the  “individual responsibility payment.” If you went without coverage for only part of 2015, you’ll only owe part of the fee.

There is good news, though! For some Americans who do not already have insurance through their employer, their parents, Medicaid, Medicare, the Veterans health care program, individual insurance, or healthcare.gov– you may be exempt.

The Affordable Care Act allows certain people to claim exemptions, even if they were uninsured in 2015. These people may be followers of particular religious groups, members of Native American tribes, and people who do not meet the minimum income requirement, leaving them unable to afford healthcare coverage.

For the most part, if you were uninsured in 2015, you’ll have to pay the penalty. But, here’s a list of specific cases where you may be able to get an exemption.

Exemptions include:

  • You’re uninsured for less than 3 consecutive months of the year
  • Your lowest-priced coverage option is more than 8% of your household income
  • You don’t have to file a tax return because your income is under the IRS filing requirement ($10,000 if single, 20,000 married filing jointly)
  • You’re a member of a federally recognized tribe or eligible for services through an Indian Health Services provider
  • You’re a member of a recognized health care sharing ministry
  • You’re a member of a recognized religious sect with religious objections to insurance, including Social Security and Medicare
  • You’re incarcerated, and not awaiting the administering of charges against you
  • You’re not lawfully present in the United States,
  • You may qualify for the Cancellation Hardship Exemption if you received a cancellation notice due to your health plan not meeting minimum requirements.
  • You also may qualify for a hardship exemption if your circumstances affected your ability to purchase health coverage

(List from Intuit.)

Still not sure if you qualify for an exemption? Give Mazuma a call, we can help.

Tax season is in full swing and that April 18th deadline is coming quickly. If you missed the boat on setting financial new years resolutions (or maybe you fell off the boat and need to get back on), here are a few ways to revamp and get yourself and your business financially fit during tax season:

Tax season is in full swing

  1. Close out the 2015 year. A lot of taxpayers don’t actually know where they stand for the previous year until they get their taxes done. Even though you’ve still got a month left to file, it’s best to get your taxes done as soon as possible so you know your income and expenses for the previous year. Gather up your receipts and invoices and make an appointment with your accountant so you can officially close the books on 2015.
  2.  Be smart with your refund. Make a plan for what you’ll do with your refund before it hits your account. It’s too easy to just spend it away if you don’t have a spending/savings plan beforehand. Write down your goal so you’ll stick to it. Here are a few ways to invest your refund back into your business. On the other hand, if you owe taxes to the IRS, get them paid ASAP. You don’t want a looming tax bill all year long, although you can set up a payment plan with the IRS if you need to. Pay as much as you can as soon as you can, and plan to set aside money along the way next year so you’re not hit with a big bill next tax season.
  3. Pay yourself first. As a business owner, it’s easy to take care of everyone else and every other expense and then not have a paycheck at the end of the month. Rather than just keeping what’s left over as your paycheck, set yourself a salary and try to follow it as closely as possible. This also makes tax season a little less of a headache.
  4. Create a plan for the remainder of the year. If you didn’t create a plan in January, now is the time! You’ll know where you stand financially after you get your taxes done, so you can budget accordingly for the rest of the year. You may decide you only want to create your budget a month at a time, which is fine, but be sure to keep the big picture in mind as well. Here are a few tips on creating a simple budget for your small business.
  5. Find ways to save money. Again, now that you know where you stand this tax season, dig a little deeper into your budget and find ways to save money. Cut out unnecessary costs and get your spending on track. The best way to do this is to keep meticulous track of all expenses for a month or two, and adjust accordingly.

Cut out unnecessary costs

How are you getting financially fit this tax season? We’d love to hear in the comment below!

FAQs:

1. Why is it important to close out the 2015 year for taxes?
Closing out the previous year helps you understand your financial standing and prepare accurate tax filings based on income and expenses.
2. What should I do with my tax refund?
Have a plan in place before receiving your refund to avoid impulsive spending. Consider reinvesting it into your business or paying off debts to enhance financial stability.
3. What if I owe taxes to the IRS?
If you owe taxes, prioritize payment to avoid accumulating interest and penalties. Setting up a payment plan with the IRS can help manage the burden.
4. Why is paying myself first important as a business owner?
Prioritizing your salary ensures financial stability and helps streamline tax obligations, making tax season less stressful.
5. How can I create a budget for the remainder of the year?
After assessing your financial status post-tax season, develop a comprehensive budget considering both short-term and long-term goals. Regularly monitor and adjust as needed to stay on track.

Now that you’re making money on your blog, you’ll need to pay quarterly estimated taxes. If you traded in your 9-5 day job for your blog business, you may not have even heard of quarterly estimated taxes. Here’s a quick rundown for you:

taxes were already withheld
If you worked for someone else and received a paycheck, taxes were already withheld and you didn’t have to worry about them. However, if you’re self-employed, you’re still required to pay those taxes. Those come in the form of quarterly estimated taxes. Quarterly estimated taxes cover social security, federal, and state taxes. You’ll need to pay quarterly taxes if you anticipate having a tax bill of $1,000 or more for your blog this tax year.

Here’s how to pay quarterly estimated taxes for your blog business:

Use Form 1040-ES to estimate how much you owe. A good rule of thumb is to take what your projected income is for the year, and divide by four. Take that number and multiply by 15%. This is the amount you’ll owe the IRS for your quarterly taxes. This amount is not exact though, and you’ll need to reference last years’ tax returns and follow the instructions on Form 1040-ES to determine how much you owe.
Quarterly estimated taxes are due on April 18th, June 15th, September 15th, and January 17th 2016. You can pay all four installments by April 18th, or submit your quarterly payment by each of these deadlines. The IRS allows you to pay quarterly estimated taxes online, by phone, or by mail.

Love this post in our Business of Blogging Series? You might also enjoy:

Separating the Blogging Myths from the Blogging Truths

Deciding on a Business Entity for your Blog

Obtaining a Tax ID Number and Proper Licenses to Run Your Blog Business

Start Making Money on Your Blog

Creating and Maintaining an Organized Bookkeeping System for Your Blog

Tracking Blog Expenses the Right Way

How to Create a Budget for Your Blog

Hiring an Expert to Manage Your Blog Finances

If you’ve been following along with our Business of Blogging series, you’re now a Blogging-Accounting-Pro, or at least close to it! For the most part, when you start your blog you should be able to manage most bookkeeping and accounting tasks for yourself. However, if you’re diligent and determined to grow your blog, it will likely get to a point where you can no longer handle the demands of bookkeeping and accounting. That’s when we recommend you hire an expert.

Rather than providing a suggested dollar amount for which point to hire an expert, we recommend looking to outsource when your bookkeeping and accounting tasks are getting in the way of your creative work as a blogger. If you are spending money on your blog every week, receiving multiple streams of income, and not finding the time to match it all up, it may be time to hire an expert.

An accountant can help you manage your blog finances, stay current and in good standing with the IRS, and help you avoid any tax surprises. They can also provide you with guidance on deducting expenses properly and catch any mistakes you may have made in your bookkeeping.

Mazuma offers low-priced monthly plans for bloggers with no membership requirements. You just upload all of your blog receipts and income for your Vyde accountant and they take care of the rest. They also offer tax advice for your blog at any time, and at no additional fee. If you feel that your blog accounting and bookkeeping tasks have become unmanageable, give Vyde a call today.

 

Love this post in our Business of Blogging Series? You might also enjoy:

Separating the Blogging Myths from the Blogging Truths

Deciding on a Business Entity for your Blog

Obtaining a Tax ID Number and Proper Licenses to Run Your Blog Business

Start Making Money on Your Blog

Creating and Maintaining an Organized Bookkeeping System for Your Blog

Tracking Blog Expenses the Right Way

How to Create a Budget for Your Blog

Making Smart Investments in Your Blog Business

Paying Estimated Quarterly Taxes for Your Blog Business

Hiring an Expert to Manage Your Blog Finances

 

 

 

If your blog is continually growing, it may be time to hire an expert to take care of your accounting & bookkeeping, so that you can focus on creativity.

You’ve probably heard the old adage, “You have to spend money to make money.” This adage is just as true for the blogging business as any other business. If you want to turn your blogging hobby into a legitimate business, you have to invest a little bit of money to make it happen. However, that doesn’t mean you have to throw your money at every opportunity that comes along.

Here are a few smart ways to invest in your blogging business without breaking the bank:

  • Domain name. In order for your blog to be recognized as professional, you’ll have to ditch the “.blogspot” or “.wordpress” in your domain name. Sites like BlueHost offer domain hosting for as little as $3.95 a month. If you don’t want to pay a monthly fee, buy multiple years worth of hosting up front. Most hosting sites will refund you if you cancel your subscription early.
  • A professional look. Whether you choose to hire a graphic designer, web designer, or simply do it yourself, you’ll need to spend a little money to get your site looking beautiful and working properly. A logo helps brand your business and helps your following recognize your blog. This investment ranges anywhere from $50 to thousands, depending on your budget.
  • A nice camera. You don’t have to spend thousands of dollars to get a crisp photo for your blog posts. However, a nice camera that can produce high-quality photos is a smart investment for your blogging business. You can deduct your camera purchase on your taxes all in one year, or if you spent a bit more on it, you can depreciate it over time.
  • Conferences and trainings. If you read part one of our Business of Blogging series, you know not to expect to make millions of dollars overnight. There’s a huge learning curve to blogging, and you need to know what you’re doing in order to make money. Blog conferences are a great way to learn the basics and are a smart investment for your blog business.
  • Professional headshots. Other than your logo, your headshot is the representation of your blog. Most bloggers use their headshots for their social media profiles, so it’s important that you’re happy with it. You can take your own, but if you don’t know your way around a camera, it’s not a bad investment to hire a professional.
  • Business cards. Not everyone you meet who is a potential supporter of your blog will actually be through your blog. Having business cards handy will is a great way to advertise your blog and keep you at the forefront of potential sponsors’ minds. Business cards are also great to hand out to other bloggers, especially at conferences. They’re a relatively inexpensive business investment, but critical to success.
  • Editing software. Free programs such as PicMonkey are great, but many bloggers choose to invest in professional editing/designing software such as Photoshop or Illustrator. Adobe subscriptions range from $20 a` month to $50 a month, or you could even purchase one of the older CS versions on a disc for your blog business.
  • A professional accountant. Not just because you’re here reading an accounting blog! When you start making money on your blog, tracking expenses and filing taxes properly can become a huge hassle. This is especially true if you have multiple streams of income for your blog. Consider investing in the services of an accountant to help make your blog as profitable as possible.

While this is not an all-inclusive list of smart investments for your blogging business, it’s a great start for the novice blogger. The best part about all of the above investments is that they are tax-deductible and will reduce your taxable income at the end of the year.

 

Love this post in our Business of Blogging Series? You might also enjoy:

Separating the Blogging Myths from the Blogging Truths

Deciding on a Business Entity for your Blog

Obtaining a Tax ID Number and Proper Licenses to Run Your Blog Business

Start Making Money on Your Blog

Creating and Maintaining an Organized Bookkeeping System for Your Blog

Tracking Blog Expenses the Right Way

How to Create a Budget for Your Blog

Paying Estimated Quarterly Taxes for Your Blog Business

Hiring an Expert to Manage Your Blog Finances

If you want to turn your blogging hobby into a thriving blogging business, you have to invest in the right tools. Then, we can help you save on your taxes.

Whether you’re brand new at blogging, or you’ve been at it for a while, the importance of creating and sticking to a budget for your blog cannot be overemphasized. A blog business can be inexpensive to run and highly profitable, or just  the opposite. Keeping close track of your blog finances is just the ticket to maximize those profits.

Here’s how to create a budget for your blog in a few simple steps:
  1. Decide on your method. The budget for your blog doesn’t have to be anything fancy or over the top. It can be scratched out on paper with a pencil, laid out in a spreadsheet, or created using business accounting software, like Quickbooks. It’s best to determine a length of time your budget will be used for, whether it be monthly, quarterly, or annually. However, keeping a monthly budget for your blog is the best way to stay on track and monitor expenses closely, so if you create a longer budget, plan to track monthly expenses as well.
  2. Plan for expenses. A blog budget is viewed and tracked in a spreadsheet form. If you begin with a one page spreadsheet, the first category you’ll want to put in is your fixed expenses. These will include any subscription expenses, domain hosting, monthly costs of maintaining your blog, portions of your internet and phone bill, and the like. Next are your variable expenses which would include things like materials for certain blog posts, conference fees, graphic design fees, etc. Basically anything that changes from month to month will go into your variable expenses.
  3. Lay out your Budgeted Expenses. You can determine your budgeted expenses by averaging past expenses in each category. These expenses will likely change from month to month as different needs for your business arise. If you are just starting your blog, you may want to invest more up front to get things up and running, or you might choose to wait until your blog is more profitable to invest more money. Either way, these expenses need to be factored into the budget for your blog.
  4. Forecast your monthly revenue and place it in a subheading called budgeted income. Then, at the end of the month add up what you made from your blog. Be sure to factor in all your streams of income, such as ads, sponsored posts, Google Adsense, Blog Her, Etsy shop, services, etc. Place you actual expenses and actual income in a column next to the budgeted sections and compare the two at the end of the month.
  5.  Determine the difference between budgeted income/expenses and actual income/expenses. You’ll want to calculate the difference between the two and place the figures in a difference column off to the side. This is the number you’ll want to reflect on at the end of each month. By determining the reason for the difference, you can either identify a potential problem and fix it, or capitalize on a potential opportunity you had not noticed. Ideally, you’re actual expenses come in at less than your budgeted expenses, and vice versa for income.
  6. Adjust Accordingly. It is important to identify why your budgeted and actual expenses and income don’t match and make changes accordingly in next month’s small business budget. You may need to spend more during some months, and you may also plan to make less in other months.

While creating a budget for your blog is completely doable for any blogger, it’s best to consult a professional CPA or financial advisor to help you get started on your budget and factor in any important legal and financial obligations you may have with the IRS. Keeping track of your blog income and expenses will help you be as profitable as possible.

Love this post in our Business of Blogging Series? You might also enjoy:

Separating the Blogging Myths from the Blogging Truths

Deciding on a Business Entity for your Blog

Obtaining a Tax ID Number and Proper Licenses to Run Your Blog Business

Start Making Money on Your Blog

Creating and Maintaining an Organized Bookkeeping System for Your Blog

Tracking Blog Expenses the Right Way

Making Smart Investments in Your Blog Business

Paying Estimated Quarterly Taxes for Your Blog Business

Hiring an Expert to Manage Your Blog Finances

 

As a blogger (and business owner), you need to track your business expenses! Tracking your expenses will help you take the right deductions on your taxes. A huge part of putting an organized medium or small business bookkeeping system into practice is tracking expenses for your blog business. Many small business owners don’t keep close track of their expenses and then panic when tax season arrives and they can’t provide proof of all their deductions. Here’s a quick overview of how to track business expenses and the types of expenses you should be tracking.

Track Mileage/Vehicle Expenses for your Blog Business

If you use your car for your blog business, you can deduct some of those expenses; as long as you track the business expenses. You might use your car to shop for supplies, travel to conferences, and the like. Here’s the key with deducting vehicle expenses on your taxes: you have to keep track of miles driven for business. You can use the Standard Mileage Deduction, which offers a certain dollar amount per mile driven for business. For 2017, you can deduct 53.5 cents for every mile driven. That way, you don’t have to keep track of receipts for gas, oil changes, car washes, etc. You just track your miles driven for business use and use the Standard Mileage Deduction come tax time. Visit this post for tips on tracking mileage.

Track Travel Expenses, Conference Fees, Meals, and Hotel Stays for your Blog Business

One of the great perks of having a blog business is travel. Whether you’re taking an exotic vacation in order to offer recommendations and reviews on your blog, or traveling to a conference or training, money that comes out of your pocket is deductible. You can deduct the entire expense of conference fees, since they are to better yourself and your business. Travel to and from conferences is also 100% deductible, along with hotel stays. Meals while on a business trip can be deducted at 50%. The key with deducting travel expenses for your blog business is to make sure your travel is truly work-related and not just a family vacation turned business trip. Make sure you keep any paperwork on your trip so that you can track your business expenses come tax time.

Track the Expenses of Products used in Blog Posts

Bloggers often have to purchase numerous products to use in their posts, and deducting these items can be tricky. If you’re making a craft, recipe, or home decor piece for your blog, you can deduct the items you purchased specifically for that post. However, if you’re going to eat the dinner or use the piece to decorate your personal space, or give the craft as a gift to a family member, things get tricky. Technically, deductions are only legitimate when they’re for your business. As you can see, the lines get a little blurry when that business is a blog. This is a gray area that the IRS has not addressed directly. A safe way to claim these deductions is to use the 50% rule. If you are using the items purchased for your blog AND for your personal use, deduct the expense at 50%. If you’re using it only for your blog, deduct it at 100%.

Track Personal Expenses for your Blog Business

There is often some overlap in personal expenses and business expenses. (See category above.) If you’re using your home for your blog business, then you can deduct some of your personal home expenses on your taxes. If you’re claiming a “home office” on your taxes, you can deduct things like a portion of your mortgage, utilities, electric bill, and so forth. In this case, you would simply use the size of your home office in relation to the size of your entire home and deduct accordingly. For example, if your home is 2,000 sq. ft. and your home office is 200 sq. ft., you would deduct 10% of those bills. Other personal expenses that may be deducted for a blog business are your internet bill and phone bill. These are also deducted at the percentage they are used for your business. If you use your phone 50% of the time for business, you can deduct 50% of your phone bill. It is up to you to determine how much these items are used for business vs. personal use.

 

It’s important when you run a blog to track business expenses, so that you can determine if your blog was profitable. If you have any other questions about what business expenses you should track please ask us and we’re happy to help you out!

 

Love this post in our Business of Blogging Series? You might also enjoy:

Separating the Blogging Myths from the Blogging Truths

Deciding on a Business Entity for your Blog

Obtaining a Tax ID Number and Proper Licenses to Run Your Blog Business

Start Making Money on Your Blog.

Creating and Maintaining an Organized Bookkeeping System for Your Blog

How to Create a Budget for Your Blog

Making Smart Investments in Your Blog Business

Paying Estimated Quarterly Taxes for Your Blog Business

Hiring an Expert to Manage Your Blog Finances

Business of Blogging Part 6 - Keeping Track of Business expenses the Right Way | Accounting & Taxes for Bloggers | Mazuma USA

As a blogger (and business owner), you need to track your business expenses! Tracking your expenses will help you take the right deductions on your taxes.

Depending on your business type, you need to file tax forms that report your business’ income for the year. The IRS requires different paperwork for the different business structures–Sole Proprietors, LLCs, and S Corps. While there are different forms for the varying business structures, taxable income for small businesses is generally calculated in the same way.

Sole Proprietors

Sole Proprietors and Single Owner LLCs, report business income on a Schedule C. A Schedule C form is filled out and attached to a personal tax return (1040.) A Schedule C reports your business’ income and losses. To simplify the process, some small business owners opt to fill out a Schedule C-EZ instead. This simplified version of a Schedule C omits the details and just asks for your business income and expenses. There are some stipulations to using the EZ form, though. You can only fill it out if you operate one sole proprietorship, do not report more than $5,000 in business expenses, are reporting a net profit, don’t hold business inventory during the year, have no employees and are not claiming a deduction for a home-office.

If you file a Schedule C for your business, you’ll likely also need to file a Schedule SE. (Schedule SE stands for “Self-Employment Taxes.”) Being self employed means that you don’t have an employer withholding money from your paycheck to cover Social Security and Medicare Taxes; therefore, you have to pay them yourself. If your sole proprietorship or single member LLC earns more than $400 of net profit, you’ll need to fill out this form in addition to the Schedule C.

Because Schedule C’s are filed with personal returns, the filing deadline is the usual April 15th. (April 18th in 2016.)

LLS and S Corps

LLC and S Corporations report business income on Form 1120.  This form is for reporting income, gains, losses, deductions, and credits, and also for figuring your income tax liability for the year. You should file form 1120 separately from your 1040. Form 1120 is more detailed than a Schedule C form.

A Form 1120 must be filed by the 15th day of the third month following the close of the tax year, which for most taxpayers is March 15. You cannot send this form to the IRS with your personal income tax return.

Still have questions about which forms you need to file for your small business? Send us a quick message and we’ll help you out.

Bookkeeping is an essential business task, but it's rarely a top priority. We're sharing our secret formula to tackle bookkeeping.An organized bookkeeping system is arguably the most critical component of monetizing a blog business. It doesn’t matter if you’re making boocoo bucks on your blog if you aren’t tracking money coming in and money going out. Here’s how we suggest you manage your time when you’re taking care of your own small business bookkeeping and accounting tasks.

Mazuma’s Secret Bookkeeping Formula

If you’re a blogger, you’re likely a list person. You like schedules, checklists, and organization. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the bookkeeping part of your blog, here’s a simple formula that when followed closely, will limit time spent and increase profits for your business.

30 minutes / week

Schedule 30 minutes each week to do the following:

  • Gather all receipts spent on blog-related items that week and make note of what they were for.
  • Jot down miles driven for your blog business if you’re planning to use those an expense for taxes.
  • Review your ad revenue and make notes
  • Enter everything into a bookkeeping program–whether it’s an excel spreadsheet or something fancier, you must keep track.
1 hour / month
  • File all receipts from the month. To learn more about filing receipts digitally, visit this post.
  • Review all your entries for the month in your bookkeeping program.
  • Add up your income and expenses for the month to determine profit.
  • Compare to your anticipated budget and adjust where necessary.
  • Pay bills and send invoices.
  • Adjust for the next month.
1 hour / quarter
  • Review income and expenses for the quarter and enter into bookkeeping program.
  • Determine how much you owe and pay your estimated quarterly taxes.
  • Make changes to your budget and plan spending for the next 3 months.
2 hours / year
  • Review your yearly income and expenses.
  • Create a budget for the next year based on last year’s budget and anticipated growth.
  • Schedule time for weekly, monthly, quarterly, and yearly bookkeeping tasks.

Follow this bookkeeping schedule and you’re sure to stay on top of your blogging finances. When you’re blog business becomes too large to manage, you might consider outsourcing those services to save yourself time and money.

 

Love this post in our Business of Blogging Series? You might also enjoy:

Separating the Blogging Myths from the Blogging Truths

Deciding on a Business Entity for your Blog

Obtaining a Tax ID Number and Proper Licenses to Run Your Blog Business

Start Making Money on Your Blog

Tracking Blog Expenses the Right Way

How to Create a Budget for Your Blog

Making Smart Investments in Your Blog Business

Paying Estimated Quarterly Taxes for Your Blog Business

Hiring an Expert to Manage Your Blog Finances

Business of Blogging Part 5 - Create & Maintain an Organized Bookkeeping System | Accounting & Taxes for Bloggers | Mazuma USA

Bookkeeping is an essential business task, but it's rarely a top priority. We're sharing our secret formula to tackle bookkeeping.