<![CDATA[TSBAS Accounting Bookkeeping Payroll Tax Preparation - Blog]]>Mon, 24 Aug 2026 08:58:50 -0400EditMySite<![CDATA[Budgeting Power]]>Wed, 19 Aug 2026 09:36:04 GMThttps://www.tsbas.com/blog/budgeting-powerGas prices have been on a yo-yo journey through much of this year as the war in Iran continues with conflicting stories of how close we have been to agreements every other day. We are currently not at the highs experienced earlier this year, but prices remain higher than they have been in years and are almost a dollar more expensive per gallon than a year ago.

While covering this, many media outlets speak to how it strains family budgets, especially as grocery prices also climb. To me, this highlights the need for many to live with a budget.

It is tougher to know just how much more you are paying for gas if you don’t know how much you were paying for gas in the first place. If you don’t know how much you spent on groceries last month, it’s tough to know if you really did spend more this month or if that number at the register just felt bigger.

And let’s not discount the ability of all this news coverage to make you feel a little off kilter just because you hear it that often. If someone tells you things are getting worse and worse, you may start to feel it just because it’s that much in the ether and not because of any personal evidence.

What budgeting does is give you knowledge. The increase in gas prices is undeniable, but just how much this affects someone can vary greatly. If you live in a city and your commute to work happens on your feet, this isn’t going to break your budget. If you live in a rural area and your workplace is 50 miles away, that strain is going to be real.

But then again, if you live in that rural area and buy a lot of produce from a farmstand, your food bill may be under control. If you are in a city and many of your meals are delivered to you, things might start to turn again.

This isn’t to say that the news is wrong and trying to scare people. This isn’t to say that there is one way to live that leads to greater happiness than others. This is to say that what matters most is how something affects you personally. The more you know about your own situation, the more you can make moves that help you in your own situation. There really is power in knowledge and the best thing you can do in uncertain times is to concentrate on the knowledge that will help you most so you can be as certain as possible for yourself.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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]]><![CDATA[Charitable Donations]]>Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:46:02 GMThttps://www.tsbas.com/blog/charitable-donationsThe IRS has put out a couple of notices over the past couple of weeks about charitable donations, so there must be something brewing about these and how they affect your tax picture. The most obvious change is that starting with tax year 2026 there can be a deduction available for these donations without having to itemize your deductions. This then is a good time to think about these transactions while there is still time to potentially put them to use next tax season.

The first big note then is just being aware that such donations can benefit you to the tune of $1,000 for a single taxpayer and $2,000 for a married couple. If you have been taking the standard deduction for years, you may not be in the habit of saving receipts for charitable donations, so you should start doing that, for even if it’s a smaller amount, it will still help lower your tax obligation.

There are some things to remember when it comes to this, though, and one of the biggest may be knowing what qualifies as a charitable contribution. All donations to legitimate charitable organizations are pretty much good to go. Please note, though, that there are places to send your money that do not qualify. The most obvious are these are many political donations and campaigns set up on sites like GoFundMe, which may be for charitable causes, but the money is not going to actual charitable organizations, they are not legitimate to claim on a tax return.

For those that are legitimate, keep proof of all donations you make during the year and be sure that you have written acknowledgement for any donation larger than $250.

If this is something that may play a big part in your tax return, please be sure to look into the information that the IRS is releasing and do not hesitate to reach out to us if you it still does not answer your questions.  These and all tips from the IRS are available on irs.gov/newsroom/irs-tax-tips.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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]]><![CDATA[Midyear Check-In]]>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:33:52 GMThttps://www.tsbas.com/blog/midyear-check-inAnd there it went – the first half of the year.

For many, it seems like summer has just started since the kids only finished school what feels like days ago. And wait, the start of the summer can’t mean that the year is half over, that doesn’t happen until the end of summer, right?

I don’t want to come in with strict calendar logic and ruin anyone’s holiday daydreaming. In fact, I hope that you only have many good beach and ice cream days upcoming. Things are what they are, though.

And of course, it is then my job to make the time of year mean something to your larger financial picture. But again, I will try to not make this a tale of good times ending.

January 1 comes with so much mental push to do something new and I can’t pretend that July 1 will provide the same impetus. And how is this for a positive spin, maybe it doesn’t even have to!

If you are in the same spot of life as you were to start the year, I will allow you a pass. If whatever you had going on Jan. 1 looks like it’s going to be much the same until Dec. 31, then hey, good job and carry on.

But if something has changed in your life, let’s make sure that everything is in place so that it won’t cause a problem. This can from something as simple as having a new address. If some people now have one address for you and some have another, that can cause some potential issues next tax season when the IRS is trying to put together everything that happened in your financial picture. So just make sure everyone has your most current information.

And now that it is the summer, it is marriage season, and proper authorities are going to need to track if that also leads to a move or possibly even a name change. Your tax filing status is also going to change, and checking in with your withholding is a good idea to make sure you’re not having too much or not enough withheld from your paychecks.

Maybe you’ve changed jobs since the start of the year or picked up some extra part-time work. When doing this, did you take the time to see how much you would likely owe in taxes at the end of the year? Did you make the necessary adjustments across jobs to be sure this will look like you want it to look at the end of the year?

When some of these big changes happen, these aren’t the types of questions you think of first, and they shouldn’t be, for they are not the biggest parts of such life moves. Now that we are halfway through the year, though, it’s time to give it a little deeper look and make sure that things are changed while there is still time for them to make an impact.

And from there, please, enjoy the season!

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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]]><![CDATA[Why Am I Receiving Official-Looking Letters After Starting My Business?]]>Mon, 29 Jun 2026 21:16:35 GMThttps://www.tsbas.com/blog/why-am-i-receiving-official-looking-letters-after-starting-my-businessYou finally registered your business.
Then the letters started arriving.
Or maybe your inbox filled with urgent emails warning that you're past due, out of compliance, or need to file something immediately.
If your first thought was, "Did I miss something?" you're not alone.
This is one of the most common questions we receive from new business owners.
The good news? Receiving these notices is completely normal.
​Why does this happen?
When you register a business with your state, much of the information you provide becomes part of the public record. Companies monitor these public filings and use that information to market their services to new business owners.

If you registered your business through a third-party filing service, it's also possible that your contact information was shared with marketing partners, depending on the company's privacy policy and terms of service.

As a result, you may begin receiving letters and emails offering services related to your business. Some of these companies provide legitimate services. Others are simply advertising. Either way, many of these notices are designed to create a sense of urgency so you'll act quickly.
Why do these notices seem so official?
Many companies use language designed to grab your attention. You might see phrases like:
  • Compliance Alert
  • Final Notice
  • Past Due
  • Immediate Action Required
  • Annual Filing Reminder
  • Avoid Penalties
Some notices even resemble government correspondence by using official-looking formatting, reference numbers, and legal terminology. For example, we've seen emails with subject lines stating a business is "Past Due" when, after reviewing the details, the notice wasn't applicable to that business's filing requirements at all. That doesn't necessarily mean the company is doing anything improper. It does mean you should pause before assuming you've missed an important filing.
Common notices new business owners receive
 After starting a business, it's common to receive offers or reminders for:
  • Annual report filing services
  • Registered agent services
  • Labor law posters
  • Corporate record books
  • Business compliance services
  • Quarterly tax filing assistance
  • Business licenses and permits
  • Business credit offers
  • EIN-related services
Some of these services may be useful depending on your business. Others may duplicate services you're already receiving or aren't necessary at all. The important thing is understanding what your business is actually required to do, not simply responding to whichever letter arrives first.
What should you do?
  1. Don't panic. Receiving one of these notices does not mean you've done something wrong.
  2. Don't pay it immediately. Before spending money or signing up for a service, take a few minutes to determine exactly what the notice is offering and who sent it.
  3. Send it to us. If you're a TSBAS client, email us a copy or upload it through your client portal.

We'll let you know:
  • Whether it's an actual government notice.
  • Whether your business is required to take any action.
  • Whether the service being offered is something you actually need.
A quick review can often save you money and eliminate unnecessary stress.
Every business has different filing requirements
Not every business has the same obligations.

Depending on your business structure, state, and activities, you may have requirements for annual reports, payroll tax filings, sales tax returns, estimated tax payments, industry-specific registrations, and more. That's why generic notices can be misleading. They're written for a broad audience and don't take your specific situation into account.
When in doubt, ask.
One of the biggest benefits of working with a trusted accountant isn't just preparing your tax return. It's having someone you can turn to when something unexpected shows up in your mailbox or inbox. If you receive a notice that concerns you, don't spend the day worrying about it. 

Send it to us first.

We'll help you determine whether it's a legitimate government notice, a reminder about a filing requirement, or simply a company marketing its services. Owning a business comes with enough surprises. Your mail shouldn't have to be one of them.

All my best,
Nicole Odeh, EA

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]]><![CDATA[Are You Ready?]]>Wed, 17 Jun 2026 12:00:52 GMThttps://www.tsbas.com/blog/are-you-readyWhen tax season ended, I wrote a couple times about how it made sense to work quickly to make any changes that came up as good ideas in that time before the ideas faded into the background and things remained unchanged until next year. Maybe some people listened, maybe many more didn’t.

It’s a classic type of task that leads to procrastination. You know that getting it done will be a good thing.  Most of you may even want to get it done. But if you don’t do it … well, how much is really going to change? Very little at that moment, and that’s the problem.

In many of the same ways, there are long-term tasks that you probably know you should have done in your life or business. There are always things that we would want to do more than them. How long did it take you to get your will in order after all? Or have you still not done it?

So here is another little warning – from both the personal and business side - as we head into the summer, which may be known as the start of hurricane season in some parts. Do you have your insurance in order? Are important documents saved in a way that they won’t be lost?

If you are comfortable with things surrounding potential disasters, great, you get a gold star. If you worry that you may be able to do better, though, this is the time to get on it before you wish you would have. I don’t have anything specific actions to harp upon here, but did want to bring up the idea and hopefully start the conversation for you if you needed it.

So if there is something you feel you need in this area, I would like to point you toward ready.gov where you can find multiple resources surrounding various potential disasters and emergencies so you can set things up to make yourself feel more comfortable about your current situation.

Warmly,

Josh Bousquet
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