Kentucky Derby Horse Names: Tax Pro Edition

Posted by Traci WheelercloseAuthor: Traci Wheeler Name: Traci Wheeler
Email: traci@redmoonsolutions.com
Site: http://blog.redmoonsolutions.com
About: Traci is a member of the executive leadership team and leads our sales and marketing efforts at Red Moon Solutions. She has over ten years of software business experience serving small and large clients in a variety of industries.See Authors Posts (120) on May 3, 2012 in Events, Humor, May, Tax | 0 comments

Saturday will mark the 138th running of the Kentucky Derby, . Mint Juleps will be flowing freely as the well-dressed crowd cheers on their favorite horses, including Union Rags & Bodemeister. So, you may be asking yourself…what in the world does the Kentucky Derby have to do with taxes, right? Well, horses are MACRS property, and they can be depreciated. But, that’s not very exciting! So, since I won’t be traveling to Louisville to experience the “Greatest Two Minutes in Sports” and to make things a little more exciting, I came up with my own list of horses – tax pro style.

Outsourcing and Insourcing – What are Companies Doing Out There?

Posted by Kelley LearcloseAuthor: Kelley Lear Name: Kelley Lear
Email: kelley.lear@redmoonsolutions.com
Site: http://blog.redmoonsolutions.com
About: Kelley is a member of the executive leadership team and leads our sales and marketing efforts at Red Moon Solutions. Kelley’s extensive experience in project management, product management, and consulting with Fortune 500 and Global 1000 clients is extremely important in this role.See Authors Posts (127) on May 2, 2012 in Compliance, Empowerment Series, Finance, IT, Process Improvement, Tax | 2 comments

Two years ago we started an outsourcing service for fixed assets management – calculating book/tax (Federal, AMT, ACE, States, E&P…) depreciation calculations, bonus, Mid-Quarter, Section 179, etc. as well as providing data for monthly reporting, quarterly provision and all tax compliance forms.  We started this service as we heard from customers that they were interested in outsourcing this part of their tax departments.  Most of our current clients keep Federal and State Income Tax compliance in-house, but actually outsource some of their narrower functions which they have difficulty staffing, and/or those that they believe they can outsource and spend more time on greater value add activities such as analysis and planning for tax saving.  We actually hadn’t originally planned on providing this service, as this was completely customer driven. 

Pinterest Revealed: 5 Worthy Finds for Accounting &Tax Pros

Posted by Traci WheelercloseAuthor: Traci Wheeler Name: Traci Wheeler
Email: traci@redmoonsolutions.com
Site: http://blog.redmoonsolutions.com
About: Traci is a member of the executive leadership team and leads our sales and marketing efforts at Red Moon Solutions. She has over ten years of software business experience serving small and large clients in a variety of industries.See Authors Posts (120) on May 1, 2012 in Humor, May, Tax | 0 comments

If you haven’t heard or read about Pinterest by now, you have either been living under a rock or buried under tax returns in your office since the beginning of the year.   I am guessing the latter rings true for most tax pros, so I will tell you about what you have been missing.

Pinterest is the relatively new social sharing site that mimics the old bulletin boards you remember from your childhood.  Virtual bulletin “boards” can be created, and then images and videos can be “pinned”.   The images will then link back to other sites.  For example, a picture of a chicken casserole will link back to the originating site with a recipe.  As I have explored the site personally over the last several months, pinning pictures of food and do-it-yourself ideas for at home, I have often wondered what kind of appeal it might have to tax pros. 

Bonus Depreciation: Is It Worth It?

Posted by Susan SabatinicloseAuthor: Susan Sabatini Name: Susan Sabatini
Email: susan.sabatini@redmoonsolutions.com
Site:
About: Susan Sabatini is the Client Services Manager at Red Moon Solutions. She uses her project management experience and a client focus to ensure Red Moon Solutions’ clients have successful implementations. Susan also leads our client support team.See Authors Posts (9) on Apr 26, 2012 in April, Compliance, Fixed Assets, Tax | 1 comment

Earlier this year, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) released the Section 179 and Bonus Depreciation Expensing Allowances: Current Law, Legislative Proposals in the 112th Congress, and Economic Effects report written by Gary Guenther, Analyst in Public Finance.  Included with a historical analysis of the effects of increased limitation on Section 179 and the advent of bonus depreciation, the report also gives a preview of initiatives by the current Congress to modify Section 179 and bonus.

As we are currently subject to a Congress polarized by self-interest, the business community has difficulty planning for any anticipated changes in Sec 179 and bonus.

Spring has Sprung!

Posted by Kelley LearcloseAuthor: Kelley Lear Name: Kelley Lear
Email: kelley.lear@redmoonsolutions.com
Site: http://blog.redmoonsolutions.com
About: Kelley is a member of the executive leadership team and leads our sales and marketing efforts at Red Moon Solutions. Kelley’s extensive experience in project management, product management, and consulting with Fortune 500 and Global 1000 clients is extremely important in this role.See Authors Posts (127) on Apr 25, 2012 in April, Empowerment Series, Humor, Leadership, Motivation, Tax | 0 comments

Aside from  finishing your individual income taxes, looking forward to ever more beautiful weather, budding flowers and summer vacations, what does spring make you think of?  Spring cleaning perhaps?  OK, not as exciting as planning your summer vacations and day dreaming about laying on a beach slowly sipping a frilly umbrella drink, but spring cleaning can be fun.  And, it can end up being pretty darn productive.  Especially for tax professionals!  Look around your office.  Look around your desk.  Don’t run past the files in the hallway with endless rows of file cabinets and the old offices that have been gutted to incorporate ever more rows of daunting grey file cabinets.  Don’t hide those eyes. 

Who Needs Inspiration After a Long Tax Season?

Posted by Traci WheelercloseAuthor: Traci Wheeler Name: Traci Wheeler
Email: traci@redmoonsolutions.com
Site: http://blog.redmoonsolutions.com
About: Traci is a member of the executive leadership team and leads our sales and marketing efforts at Red Moon Solutions. She has over ten years of software business experience serving small and large clients in a variety of industries.See Authors Posts (120) on Apr 24, 2012 in April, Empowerment Series, Motivation | 0 comments

There are some times at work where it is hard to get through the day.  I watch the clock.  I drink too much caffeine.  My mood isn’t the best.  If you just wrapped up tax season, you may know what I am talking about.

When I have days like that, I look for some inspiration to turn things around.  Often times, I turn to my e-mail inbox where I typically have enough reading material, in the form of blog subscriptions and newsletters, to keep me busy for the next month.  One of my favorite go-to sources for inspiration is Seth Godin.  His words of wisdom are frequently all I need to snap out of my funk.