Better Books

Better Books You’ve built the income, now make it work smarter!

Better Books helps high-earning real estate investors & entrepreneurs proactively reduce taxes, make strategic financial decisions, & build lasting wealth, with tax strategists who think beyond the books.

There are some tax decisions you simply can’t go back and make in April.By the time your tax return is being prepared, t...
09/05/2026

There are some tax decisions you simply can’t go back and make in April.

By the time your tax return is being prepared, the year is over, and many of the opportunities you had to strategically impact your tax position may be, too.

For high-earning business owners and real estate investors, year-end planning can mean looking ahead at things like:

→ Timing income and expenses
→ Major business purchases or investments
→ Retirement plan contributions
→ Entity structure + owner compensation
→ Real estate transactions and investment activity
→ Opportunities to strategically position yourself for the year ahead

The point isn’t to scramble for every possible deduction before December 31.

You deserve tax strategy that reveals where you’re headed before you get there, and the time to make intentional decisions while you still have options.

Tax preparation tells you what happened.
Tax strategy helps you decide what happens next.

If your first tax strategy conversation happens during tax season, it may be time to start having that conversation sooner.



proactive tax planning | year-end tax strategy | tax planning for high earners | real estate investor tax strategy | entrepreneur tax planning | business owner taxes | wealth building strategy

Meals, travel, vehicles, business expenses...There are plenty of legitimate deductions available to business owners, and...
09/04/2026

Meals, travel, vehicles, business expenses...

There are plenty of legitimate deductions available to business owners, and we WANT you to take advantage of the tax strategies available to you!

But here’s the part that doesn’t get nearly as much attention online:

The IRS knows which expense categories are commonly abused, and when deductions look excessive or questionable for the type and size of business you operate, they may invite a closer look.

That doesn’t mean you should be afraid to take deductions.

It means the strategy shouldn’t stop at, “Can I write this off?”

You should also be asking:

→ Is this a legitimate business expense?
→ Am I documenting it correctly?
→ Could I confidently substantiate it if asked?

Good tax strategy isn’t about finding the most write-offs.

It’s about knowing the tax code well enough to use what’s available to you, with confidence.

This is just ONE of 5 red flags the IRS may be looking for. 👀
Drop "PODCAST" for the full episode of the Know Your Numbers Podcast to hear the other four.



business write offs | tax deductions | proactive tax planning | IRS red flags | entrepreneur tax strategy | real estate investor taxes | high income business owners

09/01/2026

Your 2026 tax bill is being written right now, not next April. 👀

It’s September, we’re entering one of the most important stretches of the year for proactive tax planning.

Q3 is when we can start looking at how the year is actually shaping up: income, profitability, major transactions, investments and what your projected tax liability could look like.

Then Q4 is when many of those conversations turn into action—retirement contributions, strategic purchases, investments, deductions, income timing and other opportunities that may need to happen before December 31.

Once January 1 arrives, many of your options for impacting the previous tax year disappear.

Don’t wait until tax season to find out what you could have done.

🎙️ Chris breaks down the full year-round tax planning system in the newest episode of the Know Your Numbers Podcast. Drop “PODCAST” to listen now!



2026 tax planning | year-end tax strategy | Q4 tax planning | proactive tax planning | high-income business owners | real estate investors | tax savings strategies | wealth building | strategic CPA

Five LLCs. One personal return. Zero reason tax season should feel chaotic!For entrepreneurs managing multiple businesse...
08/28/2026

Five LLCs. One personal return. Zero reason tax season should feel chaotic!

For entrepreneurs managing multiple businesses, tax strategy can get complicated quickly, but your experience with your accounting team shouldn’t.

Clear communication.
Timely filing.
Proactive planning.
A team looking beyond simply getting the returns done to identify opportunities to save.

That’s the kind of relationship we’re working to build with every Better Books client.

Thank you, Brandon, for trusting our team with your businesses and personal tax strategy for the past two years. We’re grateful to be in your corner.

Ready for a more proactive approach to your numbers? Drop "BETTER" to learn what's possible for you.



multi-business entrepreneur | LLC tax returns | proactive tax planning | business tax strategy | high-income entrepreneurs | serial entrepreneurs | tax preparation | strategic CPA | year-round tax planning

08/27/2026

Have THESE tax conversations every quarter 👇

Your tax strategy shouldn’t be one conversation you have every April.

Q1: Where did we land last year—and what are we expecting this year?
Q2: Are we on track, and have any major business, hiring or real estate decisions changed the plan?
Q3: What does our projected tax liability look like—and which strategies should we start preparing to implement?
Q4: What actions do we need to take before the year ends to maximize available opportunities?

In the NEW episode of the Know Your Numbers Podcast, Chris breaks down Better Books’ quarterly tax-planning rhythm and how proactive planning allows business owners and investors to make strategic decisions while there’s still time to make them.

The tax code isn’t just something to deal with every April.

It can, and should, be a blueprint for building wealth year round.

🎙️ Drop “PODCAST” to this full episode of Know Your Numbers wherever you get your podcasts.



quarterly tax planning | proactive tax strategy | year-round tax planning | high-income entrepreneurs | real estate investors | business owners | wealth strategy | strategic CPA | Know Your Numbers Podcast

08/26/2026

Having a bookkeeper doesn’t automatically mean your books are right.

One of our clients, a 7-figure business owner, came to us with someone already handling his bookkeeping.

But there was a problem.

Credit card payments had been incorrectly categorized as income.

By the time we caught it, his income had been overstated by $230,000, creating a tax liability of roughly $70,000 that he didn’t actually owe.

We cleaned up the books, corrected the issue, and helped save him $70,000 in taxes for that year alone.

But the bigger win?

Now his books are accurate, his financials are reviewed regularly, and instead of cleaning up past mistakes, we can focus on proactive tax planning and better financial decisions moving forward.

Tax strategy is only as good as the numbers behind it.

If you’re running a successful business but aren’t completely confident in what your numbers are telling you, it may be time for a second look.

Drop “BETTER” to connect with our team and see what better financial strategy could look like for your business.



tax planning | bookkeeping for business owners | proactive tax strategy | business tax savings | financial strategy | seven figure business | accurate bookkeeping | business financials | strategic accounting

08/25/2026

The marketplace never sleeps.

Your inbox is always there. Your phone is always within reach. There’s always another client to serve, decision to make, number to check, opportunity to pursue, or task that could move the business forward.

For an ambitious business owner, there will always be a reason to keep working.

But what if rest isn’t keeping you from building a successful business?

What if it’s actually part of the system?

In the latest episode of Know Your Numbers, Chris continues our series on systems with one that predates every productivity framework and business book: Sabbath.

A rhythm of six days for work and one intentionally set apart to stop.

Building a business shouldn’t require being enslaved to it.

In a culture constantly searching for solutions to burnout, perhaps the answer isn’t another productivity hack. Perhaps there’s wisdom in returning to the rhythms God established from the beginning.

🎙️ Listen to Episode 155 of Know Your Numbers for Chris’s perspective on Sabbath, business, burnout, and why learning to stop may be one of the most important systems you implement. Drop “PODCAST” and we’ll send it to your inbox.



Christian business owner | faith and business | Sabbath for entrepreneurs | entrepreneurial burnout | business owner burnout | business systems | biblical business principles | Christian entrepreneurship | work and rest | biblical wisdom | sustainable business growth | Know Your Numbers podcast

What could an extra $36,000 do for your business?For Tyler, CEO of Data Up Consulting, it meant a whole lot more than a ...
08/22/2026

What could an extra $36,000 do for your business?

For Tyler, CEO of Data Up Consulting, it meant a whole lot more than a smaller tax bill.

As the company grew, so did the complexity behind the scenes; more clients, more transactions, employees, payroll, retirement plans…and books Tyler was still trying to manage himself.

By the time he came to Better Books, he described it pretty simply:

“We were kind of a mess.”

Our team stepped in to clean up the bookkeeping, take the day-to-day financial workload off his plate, and build a proactive tax strategy, including helping Data Up elect S corporation status.

The result?

Approximately $36,000 in tax savings for 2022.

But our favorite part is what happened next.

Those dollars could stay with the business and be put toward growth. Data Up was able to give more back to employees through bonuses, furnish a home office, invest in commercial property for office space, and keep building toward its next big goal.

And Tyler got something else back, too: his time!

Instead of doing the books and worrying about whether everything was right, he could focus on growth, sales, his team, and where the company was headed next.

That’s what strategic accounting should do for you and your business.

Your accountant shouldn't just keep your books organized. Their support should give you the clarity, strategy, and capacity to build what’s next.



proactive tax strategy | business tax savings | small business accounting | bookkeeping cleanup | S corporation tax strategy | strategic accounting | business growth | tax planning for business owners | Better Books Accounting

What does a great tax professional actually change for a business owner?For Better Books clients Dean + Anthony, the ans...
08/21/2026

What does a great tax professional actually change for a business owner?

For Better Books clients Dean + Anthony, the answer goes well beyond their tax returns.

Before working with Better Books, they were looking for something more proactive: a professional who could help them understand their tax position throughout the year and make strategic decisions with the bigger picture in mind.

Through quarterly planning and ongoing conversations, taxes became something they could plan for, not react to.

And yes, that strategy led to a pretty tangible win: $6–8K refunds for each of them.

They’ll tell you the bigger value is the time, clarity, and peace of mind that comes with knowing someone is actively thinking about their tax strategy alongside them.

When you’re building businesses, pursuing acquisitions, and working toward long-term wealth, your CPA shouldn’t just be the person you call at tax time.

They should be part of the strategy.

→ Read Dean + Anthony’s full client story on the Better Books blog.



tax strategy for business owners, proactive tax planning, CPA for entrepreneurs, real estate investor CPA, business tax planning, wealth building strategy, strategic CPA, quarterly tax planning, entrepreneur finances, tax professional, business acquisitions

08/20/2026

Systems aren’t just for operations, marketing, or managing your money.

Sometimes, the principles that shape the way we live and lead have been in front of us for thousands of years.

In the latest episode of Know Your Numbers, Chris continues his series on systems with one rooted in Scripture.

While this episode gets a little more faith-focused than usual, the principle itself is practical: biblical wisdom isn’t confined to Sunday morning or even Christians. When applied, it can shape the way we approach our decisions, our resources, our businesses, and our lives.

🎙️ Listen to the latest episode of Know Your Numbers wherever you get your podcasts or drop “PODCAST” for a DM with the direct link.



faith and business | biblical business principles | Christian business owner | business systems | biblical wisdom | business leadership | entrepreneurship | financial stewardship | Christian entrepreneurship | Know Your Numbers podcast

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