Cohen CPA Strategies LLC

10/28/2026

𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗶𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗲?

Whether you record an expense when you pay the bill or when the work is completed depends on whether your business uses cash-basis or accrual accounting. And that timing can change how your financial reports look.

With 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, you record income when money comes in and expenses when money goes out.

With 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, you record expenses when they're incurred, even if you pay the bill at a different time.

For example, if you pay a contractor in advance for work they'll complete next year, that payment may appear differently in your books depending on which method you use.

When those costs are being recorded matters. Otherwise, you might have trouble figuring out why one month looks more expensive than another.

𝘞𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴?

10/28/2026

Cohen CPA Strategies LLC's Guide: Can You Give Employees Tax Free Bonuses for the Holidays?

Can you give employees tax-free bonuses before year-end? Learn IRS rules on cash gifts and how to use de minimis perks and gross-ups legally.

10/27/2026

The founder of Ring still puts his personal email address on every product box so he can get real intel from customer emails that land in his inbox.

Talk about a customer care strategy!

The entrepreneur says customer emails give him “ground truth data.” Experts say the tactic only works under one condition.

10/26/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿?

To donate stock to charity, transfer the shares directly into the charity's brokerage account without selling them first.

Here's how:
1. Ask the charity for its stock transfer instructions, including its DTC number and brokerage account information.
2. Contact your brokerage firm to authorize the transfer, specifying which stock and how many shares you're donating.
3. Notify the charity beforehand. Electronic transfers don't always identify the donor, so the charity needs to know the shares are coming from you.
4. Request a written acknowledgment confirming the gift and whether you received anything in return.

And remember: 𝘚𝘶𝘣𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦.

For year-end planning, you'll want the shares to reach the charity's account by December 31. I'd recommend starting by early December to leave time for processing and confirming receipt.

𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘵𝘰 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘺? 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘨𝘰?

10/23/2026

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸?

It's probably on this list of spending decisions that haunt Americans long after Halloween.

Many Americans (60%) have spent money on something expensive they later regretted, and a majority with regrets have more than one, according to a new NerdWallet survey.

10/22/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸?

Yes, the IRS can impose an Accumulated Earnings Tax on C corporations that retain profits beyond their reasonable business needs to avoid paying shareholder dividend taxes.

The tax rate is 20%. But having a large cash balance doesn't automatically mean you owe this tax. The IRS first looks at 𝘸𝘩𝘺 your corporation is holding onto that money.

Maybe you're building reserves to cover operating expenses during a slow period. Or you're planning a major equipment purchase.

Those are legitimate reasons for retaining cash, but you still need documentation showing why the money is necessary.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳?

10/21/2026

𝗖𝗮𝗻 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗮𝘅𝗲𝘀?

Yes, if you own stock that's increased in value, donating the shares directly to a qualified charity can save you capital gains taxes while giving you a potential charitable deduction.

𝘌𝘹𝘢𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦: You bought stock for $5,000 a few years ago. Today, it's worth $20,000.

If you sell it, you realize a $15,000 taxable capital gain, even if you donate all the proceeds afterward.

But if you transfer the shares directly to the charity, you avoid realizing that gain. And if you've held the stock for more than a year and itemize, you may be able to deduct its full $20,000 value (subject to IRS deduction limits).

So, if you're planning year-end charitable donations, it's worth looking at the investments you already own before writing a check.

𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩?

10/21/2026

Types of Prepaid Expenses to Optimize Your Montgomery County Business's Cash Flow Before Dec 31

Cut your 2026 business taxes before Dec 31. Claim the prepaid expense deduction for tax savings on software, rent, and insurance.

10/20/2026

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁?

A good starting point is enough cash to cover three to six months of essential operating expenses. You'll also want to set aside money for taxes, based on what you expect to owe.

But the exact amount depends on how your business brings in money.

If you have predictable, recurring revenue (like monthly retainers or subscriptions), three months of expenses may be enough.

If you carry inventory, work on large projects, or experience big seasonal swings, you'll likely need closer to six months.

As for taxes, for most pass-through entities (LLCs, sole props), a good starting point is transferring 𝟮𝟱%–𝟯𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 into a dedicated tax account to cover both income and self-employment taxes.

Remember, the IRS expects quarterly estimated payments, so you'll be emptying that reserve four times a year. (We can help you dial in your exact percentage.)

𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦?

10/19/2026

𝗗𝗶𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻, 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁?

Mistakes happen, whether a return was prepared by tax software or another preparer. We can take a second look, identify errors or missed opportunities, and amend the return when a correction is needed.

Comment 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 so we can set up a time to talk.