Business meals at a restaurant are now fully tax deductible — at least for the next two years. To promote increased business spending at restaurants, the “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021” directed the IRS to increase the deduction from 50% to 100% of the cost of food and beverages provided by a restaurant. The IRS had… Read More
If you’re one of the millions of Americans waiting patiently for your 2020 federal tax refund, I sympathize with you. This tax filing season has been one like never before and I am hearing from many of you wondering why you haven’t received your payment yet. There are several reasons for the delays, but I… Read More
Turning Your Hobby Into a Business You’ve loved dogs all your life so you decide to start a dog training business. Turning your hobby into a business can provide tax benefits if you do it right. But it can create a big tax headache if you do it wrong. One of the main benefits of… Read More
At Bourke Accounting, I am often accused of leaning towards the “dark side.” While my co-workers are now dressed in summery pastels and floral prints, I’m still favoring mostly black. Bookkeeper Mary regales us with funny stories about her grandchildren; I wonder aloud if the bubonic squirrel found in Colorado is a harbinger of the… Read More
I once had a boss who berated me in a meeting for writing purchase orders wrong. When I pointed out that I, in fact, didn’t write purchase orders, he warned me to do it right the next time. While I was working in HR, there was a woman who called out sick at least 4… Read More
I don’t have to tell you that the holiday season is upon us. We have already tolerated the same 3 Christmas songs on a mind-bending loop as we have struggled through the mall (and every other public space). We have donated to well-meaning Santas collecting for well-meaning causes, we have bought some nice things for… Read More
I have a friend who keeps his used band aids. My grandmother saved empty Chanel No. 5 bottles. Some things we save are sentimental: 3rd grade history essays, love letters from the neat guy we met on Spring Break 20 years ago, signed pictures of Corey Feldman. In a world where we save so many… Read More
In 1993, San Francisco citizens came out in droves to vote to allow a police officer to “walk his beat with a ventriloquist’s dummy,” according to Mentalfloss.com. This was part of a program to “break down barriers between citizens and police.” Nothing screams “trust me” like a grown man walking down the street with… Read More
The internet is capable of a lot of damage. Infidelity, petty arguments, too much wasted time playing Cookie Cats and, we know, even arrests. But there’s one thing that is often overlooked: a lot of our country’s primary source history is now on the web. Because of the internet, we don’t only get the chance… Read More
I work for tax preparers. Because of that, I am now in the process of gearing up for my Super Bowl, my Mardi Gras, my harvest season. I am eating better, drinking lots of water and getting plenty of sleep. I am getting ready for Tax Season. Of course, this changes my life – longer… Read More