What Do Employees Want Most: Better Health Benefits or More Vacation Time?

Besides more money, what other perks do employees really want? To answer that age-old question, Accountemps recently surveyed 320 employees and 2,100 CFOs across 20 of the largest US cities. The results were unexpected.
Almost half of the CFOs (41 percent) who responded to the survey said their employees wanted better benefits. Only 19 percent thought their employees wanted more vacation time.
But, surprisingly, 30 percent of employees surveyed said they preferred having more time off.
“Employers might assume that with the passage of the Affordable Care Act and healthcare benefits being front and center that [better benefits] is the most in-demand perk,” said Bill Driscoll, district president for Accountemps, a division of Robert Half that specializes in providing temporary staffing services for accounting, finance, and bookkeeping professionals. “However, managers shouldn’t assume they know what their employees want.”
Driscoll advises managers to ask their team members about which workplace perks are most meaningful to them.
“If you’re not offering those incentives that rank highest on their wish list, your efforts to motivate or retain workers could fall flat,” Driscoll said.
With the economy and job market improving, certainly for accounting and finance professionals, Driscoll said more companies are offering additional vacation days and paid time off.
“Many companies evaluate their compensation, benefits, and perks to remain competitive, as the economy improves and the war for talent heats up,” he noted. “Offering additional vacation time shows employees that you’re committed to helping them achieve greater work-life balance.”
As a manager himself, Driscoll said he tries to set a good example for his employees. He’s already planning a vacation this year to Italy with his family, and he is encouraging his employees to make sure they are using their vacation time to recharge their batteries.
“Vacation days allow employees to take much-needed breaks from work to relax, recharge, and come back with renewed energy and enthusiasm for their job,” Driscoll said. “Both employees and companies benefit when workers are happy and well-rested.”

The IRS Doesn’t Take Pity on Home Sellers Who Suffered a Loss

The Internal Revenue Code looks kindheartedly on homeowners who sell at a profit. Internal Revenue Code Section 121 allows sellers to avoid taxes on some – and perhaps all – of their gains on sales of principal residences. The exclusion amounts are as much as $500,000 for married couples who file joint returns and $250,000 for those who file singly or who are married but file separately.
Revised rules allow surviving spouses more time to sell and still qualify for the $500,000 joint-filer exclusion. This break is available to a surviving spouse who sells within two years of the death of his or her spouse, provided the couple jointly owned and occupied their home.
Profits above the exclusion caps are subject to federal taxes, plus applicable state and local taxes. State and local taxes can be claimed as itemized deductions on Schedule A of Form 1040. But the alternative minimum tax completely disallows certain itemized deductibles, including state and local levies, whether on income or on year-round residences, second homes, or other kinds of real or personal property.
Sellers are able to claim exclusions only if they satisfy two key requirements. First, they’ve owned and lived in the property as a principal residence for periods that aggregate at least two years out of the five-year period that ends on the sale date. Second, they haven’t excluded gain on another sale of a principal residence within the two years that precede the sale date.
But Section 121 is one of those trains designed to run in only one direction, authorizing a phenomenal break for those with profits and offering no relief for those with losses.
Back in 1997, Congress and President Clinton cut a deal to exclude profits on sales. They flirted with allowing sellers a limited deduction for losses, but dropped the idea. The final version of the 1997 legislation left unchanged the rule that generally bars deductions for losses on sales of things that are considered personal assets, such as principal residences. And contrary to what many owners mistakenly believe, mortgage debts don’t enter into the calculation of gain or loss on a sale.
Note also that the law empowers the IRS to use its own special method to calculate whether a seller actually suffered a loss. It’s nowhere as simple as, say, comparing the $650,000 you received when you sold your home with the $700,000 you paid for it in 1996, thereby arriving at a loss of $50,000. You’ll need a calculator whenever there’s also a tax-deferred gain from a previous home sale before May 7, 1997, when the current rules took effect. Should that be so, you must subtract the deferred gain from your present home's cost to determine its adjusted basis at the time of sale.
Let's say the place that costs $700,000 was actually your fifth home, and four prior sales generated a cumulative profit of $600,000. The meaning of those numbers: You reduce that place’s basis downward to $100,000 – the difference between the $700,000 cost and the $600,000 postponed profit. Consequently, under the IRS method, the $650,000 sale doesn’t cause a loss of $50,000. Rather, it results in a gain of $550,000 – the $650,000 sales price minus the $100,000 adjusted basis. Suppose, instead, that the only dwelling you’ve owned is the one purchased for $700,000 and unloaded for $650,000. The IRS agrees you do have a $50,000 loss, but one that’s nondeductible.
The IRS and the courts are adamant in their refusal to make any allowances for extenuating circumstances. For instance, an IRS ruling barred a deduction for a loss caused by a doctor-recommended move from a two-story to a one-story home to allow a child the maximum use of his wheelchair.
It matters not that a homeowner is out of pocket because a job relocation triggered by a layoff, illness, death, divorce, or the like compelled a sudden sale before a home appreciated sufficiently to offset brokerage commissions, legal fees, and other expenses involved in buying and selling. Likewise, a loss isn’t deductible when you move to take a new job or are transferred to a new location.
What if your employer reimburses you for the loss? No offset of an otherwise nondeductible loss against the reimbursement because they’re separate transactions. The loss stays nondeductible. Nor is it permissible to include the reimbursement as part of the selling price and avail yourself of the exclusion. The reimbursement counts as income, says the IRS.

What Young Accountants Know That You Don’t

I recently spoke with graduates from some of the top accounting programs in the country to find out all the latest accounting best practices that your new, digitally savvy competitors have been learning to help level the playing field.
While there was much to glean from their perspective, there were five key things that recent accounting graduates know about growing a successful practice that you don’t ... but should!
The Client Search Begins Online
When it comes to attracting potential new clients, the strategic focus has largely shifted to Google search results. Consumers today first turn to Google to begin most B2B and B2C transactions. The look and content of your practice’s website matters, too – potential new clients are actively comparing your practice to others (welcome to the world of multi-tab browsing). The top accounting programs now preach the importance of a sleek-looking website, listings on popular review sites like Angie’s List, and directory listings with the accounting packages you work with (for example: QuickBooks' find an accountant search) to aid your Google search ranking.
When it comes to being found, you need to make sure you’re up to date on Local Search tactics – they are different than general SEO best practices. The easiest way to get started is to create a Google Plus page for your accounting practice. These listings come up on Google searches first, before webpage listings.
Emphasize Helpfulness
Today’s customers expect service, even before they actually begin a business relationship. Your website should have free, helpful resources and some informative guides or white papers. A recent KoMarketing study of customers searching for new business services found that nearly 40 percent claimed such resources, and info-rich guides were a “must-have” for them to consider selecting a business.
Clients Perceive Expertise Through Social Media
Today’s clients increasingly associate social media presence with expertise for businesses. You don’t need to post every day, but every few days share some industry news or a business accomplishment. Social media accounts have taken on the role of word-of-mouth referrals (several people your client knows already “like” your Facebook page). Social media also has created a new, powerful consumer mindset of “social proof." This relates to associating competence with a high number of social followers. For example, if you have 200 Twitter followers or Facebook “likes," the customer will perceive that your practice is better than another practice that only has 50 Twitter followers or Facebook “likes."
Decisions Are Made by Younger Members of the Business
According to a March 2015 study by Google, more than 50 percent of all B2B researchers are millennials. When considering your potential client profile, keep in mind that these days, it’s likely that a young millennial is presenting his boss with his top three recommendations. You need to appeal to those millennials by having a modern-looking website and demonstrated expertise (social media, testimonials, and extracurricular accreditations).
Pitch Your Skillset Beyond Taxes
The top accounting schools and programs all push the message of diversifying your practice, both to expand business opportunities and to bolster your core practice (perceived expertise and superiority). Without taking any extra classes, most accountants are already equipped to add several new offerings to their practice’s repertoire: competitive business analysis, business budgeting and forecasting, investor due diligence, exit and succession planning, and a great deal more. Go for it!
Small businesses still find in-person events like conferences to be the best way to investigate new business opportunities. Even the most advanced, innovative accounting programs agree that when it comes to attracting small business clients, in-person events such as industry conferences remain paramount. Try to attend at least one conference a year to actually meet potential new clients, and to showcase your practice.

WorkingPoint Review

Pros
It can track all account balances, including PayPal and Etsy accounts. It has a comprehensive dashboard with status graphs, and it provides general accounting reports. WorkingPoint is also accessible via a web-optimized mobile version.

Cons
WorkingPoint does not offer credit card processing, project tracking or multi-currency billing.

The Verdict:

 7.63/10

 

WorkingPoint is most suitable for solo operations, since it doesn’t track time, projects or employees (without an add-on). However, it does provide adequate basic accounting tools and the mobile version is fully functional.

WorkingPoint is a streamlined online accounting software nearly as capable as traditional accounting software. It does most things that clunky accounting software can do, but without the filler. Sure, mainstream accounting software can track which warehouse a specific widget is located in, but most startups and independent contractors do not need that ability – they just want to make invoices and get paid. WorkingPoint can do that. It can monitor accounts, create invoices, manage bills, generate financial reports and produce tax reports. This cloud accounting system has a helpful, attractive dashboard that quickly shows your daily operating costs, expenses, banking summaries, bills due and quick links to common tasks. If you have used traditional accounting software and found it to be overkill, you will appreciate WorkingPoint.

This bookkeeping system easily creates invoices using stored contact and item information. You can customize the invoices with your logo, font choice and personal message. The software can calculate taxes and discounts and manage recurring invoices. Completed invoices can be emailed or saved as PDF files. However, it does not manage currency exchange rates.

When you open an invoice file, you can see whether payments have been made and the history of the invoice, such as who created it. To help monitor shipments, WorkingPoint will store shipping information, tracking numbers and shipping dates. Helpful reports include top customers, item sales and sales forecasting. To assist you and your accountant track accounts, it produces income statements, balance sheets and cash flow statements. Tax reports available include sales tax, estimated tax, 1099 and Schedule C reports.

WorkingPoint is best suited for those who have another method to track projects, or those who work alone. This service does not include a project tracker, yet it has expense- and time-tracking tools that many contract and freelance workers need. Although the Thunderstorm version of WorkingPoint supports unlimited users, it does not provide collaboration tools for project or job tracking

WorkingPoint provides a mobile version optimized for iOS and Android mobile phones. Using the mobile version, you can view customer contact information, track billable time, create invoices, record bills, check balances and view items. The mobile version syncs with the online version, and it is free if you have a regular WorkingPoint account.

A few features that make WorkingPoint different from other services we reviewed are that you can add email-marketing tools. This online accounting service also supports online company profiles, which is similar to a business social media tool. Using this tool, you can create a free company profile featuring your products and services with links back to your site. You can communicate with other WorkingPoint customers, see who is viewing your profile and share your company profile with other contacts. This could be helpful for businesses that have little or no web presence.

Less Accounting Review,

Pros
LessAccounting reduces the tediousness of routine accounting tasks and is ideal for those who operate more than one business. This accounting service does not limit the number of invoices you can send out or the number of businesses you can track through one dashboard.

Cons
This cloud-accounting service does not have tools for tracking time, tasks or projects. LessAccounting does not provide mobile apps. You have to use your mobile phone browser to access your account.

The Verdict:

 7.82/10

 

LessEverything has created an online accounting product that eliminates what most people abhor about accounting software, such as data entry, complicated billing and features they never use. LessAccounting is light and can reduce your accounting time to just a few hours per month.

LessAccounting's tag line is, "All small business accounting software sucks, we just suck the least." Most small-business owners and freelancers are not accountants, and they don't want to be. Nevertheless, they are burdened with the necessary chore of keeping their books. LessAccounting is designed to manage all traditional accounting software tasks in a simplified manner to help relieve your frustration and time spent on tedious tasks.

This online service tracks invoices, payments, mileage, proposals and expenses. It also provides all reports that your accountant needs to configure your business's taxes. LessAccounting can save you countless hours spent importing data by directly connecting to your bank accounts.

This service is ideal for those who provide hourly-billed or other services and not inventory. Although it can add items to invoices, it is not equipped to track volumes of inventory. LessAccounting will speed up your invoicing by auto-filling customer information and managing recurring invoices. It will also allow you to switch templates and currency at the invoice entry point rather than in the settings area. However, you have to add items in a second screen, which we found a tad annoying. To help you find and sort invoices later, you can add tags to them.

LessAccounting is an apt choice if you need to track mileage and track expenses by client. Keeping track of business mileage can help immensely at tax time and at 56.5 cents per mile for the 2013 tax year, mileage adds up quickly and should be tracked accurately. You can also track expenses with mobile phones and assign billable expenses to specific clients. However, keep in mind that though it can track more than one business through one account, you have to pay for each business separately. For the most part, LessAccounting is marketed to photographers, designers, developers, marketers and SEO consultants.

 Though eCommerce sites and retailers can use the software, it does not track complex inventory scenarios.
This online accounting solution is optimized to run smoothly with popular browsers on Macs and PCs, as well as via a mobile web browser. LessAccounting no longer provides an app for mobile devices, so to access your account by mobile you will need a capable smartphone with a web browser and data plan. Popular, compatible third-party integrations include ZenCash, Highrise, Basecamp, PayPal, Shopify and LessTimeSheet.

AccountEdge Pro Review

Pros
AccountEdge Pro is an all-inclusive small business accounting package with all modules included.

Cons
This software does not provide add-ons for managing fixed assets or deprecation of company-owned properties.

The Verdict:

 9.25/10

This company has maintained its focus on creating a dependable accounting solution specifically for small businesses. It easily handles basic accounting as well as other services needed to manage a small businesses, such as customer management, payroll processing and inventory control.

AccountEdge Pro, a product of Acclivity, is an all-in-one accounting package suitable to satisfy the needs of most small companies. It can easily manage basic accounting as well as inventory, payroll, banking, document management and payment processing. To help support a mobile or remote team, Acclivity offers online options and mobile apps. This software is available for Macs and PCs, and Acclivity provides tools for migrating data from QuickBooks for Macs, if you want to make the switch.

Even though Acclivity is a rather small company, it has a dedicated development team that continues to roll out new technology. One of the reasons AccountEdge earns the Top Ten Reviews Bronze Award is because the company, despite being small, continues to provide the resources to be able to evolve its software. This small business accounting software is dynamic, well supported and compatible with emergent technologies. New for 2015, Acclivity added serialized inventory and commission tracking.

AccountEdge Pro for Windows includes all accounting modules in one purchase. Although Acclivity does not sell industry-specific packages, the business accounting software comes with more than 100 business templates (with a chart of accounts) to help you get started. Templates include those for media agencies, law offices, consulting firms and more. All business templates are fully customizable, or you can create your own. AccountEdge comes fully stocked with tools to manage accounts, time billing, payroll, inventory, sales, contacts, purchases and banking.

Xero Review

Pros
This online accounting software is a full accounting solution with traditional features such as chart of accounts, aged accounts receivable reports and general ledgers. It can also manage more complex accounting tasks such as fixed assets and depreciation.

Cons
While Xero provides adept basic accounting tools, most other types of business support services have to be added using a compatible add-on. To make this a complete business solution, you'll have to add quote creation and time-tracking tools.

The Verdict:

 8.5/10

 

Xero easily manages basic accounting tasks. It supports unlimited users, processes payroll and allows up to 100GB of file storage. It also can support multiple currencies and tax rates. However, if you need job or time tracking, you will have to seek out additional technology.

Xero accounts, regardless of the version, support unlimited users and give you mobile access for iPhone and Android devices. This cloud-accounting software can also manage basic inventory and fixed asset depreciation. However, it provides limited project or job-tracking tools. Xero provides project, time and task management through an assortment of add-ons. So, while these tools are available, they require an additional monthly fee. The Xero accounting plans are not based on the number of invoices sent, but rather on payroll and file storage limitations.

Xero can easily create personalized, professional invoices featuring your logo. You can edit invoices by altering margins, padding, fonts, titles, logo placement and terms. You can also create and save custom layouts as well as upload template files. You can create new invoices easily with auto-filled information such as customer and inventory data. For instant payment, you can add a credit card or PayPal payment link to invoices. Invoices can be configured to display in a choice of over 160 currency denominations. Plus you can add default currencies to specific customers.

However, Xero provides few project, job and time-tracking tools. For example, you can create a budget to track project expenses such as advertising, printing, travel or wages related to that budget. This is a workaround, but it works for basic projects. Xero also tracks expenses, and you can attach images of receipts to expense tickets for your records. In terms of inventory, it can save the item code or name, a description, the unit price, the account and tax rates. Inventory tools are adequate for those who manage limited stock or services, which is the case for most micro businesses.

Xero's online accounting service provides mobile tools for Blackberry, iPhone, Android and Windows mobile platforms that are available for free in the iTunes App Store and the Google Play Store. Using mobile apps, you can create and send invoices, submit expenses and receipts, and manage overdue invoices from anywhere. The mobile version is slimmed down, but it includes useful tools for the road such as the ability to take a picture of a receipt using your phone to submit and track expense approvals. However, though it can track expenses, it does not have tools for tracking time. For mobile time tracking you will need to utilize a third-party solution.

Zoho Books Review

Pros
Zoho Books provides complete accounting tools and the ability to track projects across platforms, including on PCs, Macs and most mobile devices. It also provides a service that will mail invoices to your clients for you.

Cons
Although Zoho Books includes the ability to manage projects, the features are limited. To utilize project tracking tools, you will have to use its Projects product alongside Zoho Books

The Verdict:

 8.88/10

 

 

This cloud-based business app includes the tools you need to quickly create custom invoices, accept payments, and track time and expenses. It works with numerous other Zoho apps and most mobile phones. Zoho Books is especially useful for those who work on the go or do not need to manage a lot of inventory.

Zoho offers numerous productivity tools that work together, from chat apps to CRM tools. For the purpose of this review, we looked at Zoho Books. Zoho Books is online accounting software with the ability to track projects and automatically download bank data. Although Zoho Invoice does much of what this version does, Zoho Books includes more accounting functions, invoice templates and reports for only slightly more than the Invoice version. We also looked at what the project module in Books can do compared to what Zoho Projects does.

Zoho Books can create invoices from a choice of templates using your logo and online payment provider, such as PayPal, 2Checkout or Authorize.net. Zoho Books accounts provide unlimited invoicing for one organization for a low monthly price. This business tool can help freelancers and consultant teams track expenses, time, clients, payments due, vendors, account balances and overdue invoices. Using this cloud-accounting service, you can create customized invoices from a selection of invoice styles with your logo, personal messages, terms and conditions, and payment links.

Invoices can be configured to be recurring, and you can clone invoices that you want to use again. Invoices can be sent by email or saved as PDF files. Zoho will also mail invoices to your clients via snail mail using stamp credits you purchase. Zoho Books provides most traditional accounting tools as well as more than 30 insightful reports for you and your accountant, such as tax reports, profit and loss statements, and journal reports. It can also assist with preparing and printing 1099 forms.

This accounting system has a tool for tracking projects. Project files include the ability to assign billing method, project cost, budget type and budget amount. This service will also track time, billable and nonbillable expenses, and project-associated tasks. Receipt images can be attached to expense records to help you keep your records accountable. If you need additional project tracking tools for collaboration, detailed tasks, milestone management, document storage and other project management, you can add Zoho Projects to Zoho Books for an additional monthly fee.

Zoho provides a variety of mobile tools through a single interface. Using Zoho mobile, you can create invoices, monitor project activity, access contact information, manage documents, view email, access your calendar and more, depending on the Zoho services you are signed up to use. The mobile app works on most smartphones, including iPhone, Android and Windows mobile phones.

This app provider is not limited to one product. Therefore, if you would like to add features beyond basic invoicing and project tracking, you can easily – and they are all compatible with one another. Business applications include remote support tools, a bug tracker for development teams, marketing tools, CRM, an HR app, reporting apps and customer support apps. Collaboration tools include chat, document storage, discussion tools, email, online meetings and a wiki tool. If you need online accounting tools with a bit more, Zoho can help you.

Sage One Review

Pros
Sage One is efficient, easy-to-use accounting software bundled with project tracking, task management, collaboration and payment processing. It is an online solution, so it is always up to date, backed up, encrypted and accessible via any web connection.

Cons
If you are looking for traditional accounting software such as products similar to Sage 50 or QuickBooks Pro, this is not it. Sage One is designed for entrepreneurs, freelancers and startups, not companies that need to manage a lot of inventory or employees.

The Verdict:

 8.88/10

 

Create invoices and get paid quickly with Sage One. You can manage projects, track tasks, track time and accept payments using this one solution. In addition, Sage One accounts support unlimited collaborators, projects, tasks and invoicing without any additional fees.

Sage One is an innovative small-business invoicing system created by Sage Accounting. Sage has been creating popular accounting products for over 30 years, but Sage One is different. This product is designed to be used by freelancers, entrepreneurs and fresh startups, and by those who may know nothing about formal accounting. This Top Ten Reviews Bronze Award winner is intended for those who need professional invoicing and online collaboration tools. It can track projects as well as finances. Plus it is accessible via any web browser from anywhere with internet access, making it ideal for those who may not have a formal office location or who work on the go.
Over 90 percent of businesses registered in the U.S. are composed of a single person. Although big companies require complex accounting solutions, freelancers, contractors and sole proprietors do not. Sage One is an ideal solution for managing small businesses and collaborating on projects. This online accounting software easily creates invoices, tracks tasks, manages projects and performs general accounting duties to help you manage the details of your business.
Sage One accounts support unlimited collaborators, customers and invoicing. An account also supports two administrators with full access rights so that you can work with a business partner or your accountant without an additional charge. You can add more administrators for $10 each per month. Each account comes with 5GB of free storage for your documents and projects. Sage accounting offers two accounting choices: Sage One Invoicing and Sage One Standard. The Invoicing version can support most that only need online invoicing, income tracking and contact management. The Standard version also includes bill and expense tracking, financial reports, project and task tracking and more, making it suitable for those who require more than just simple invoicing.

QuickBooks Online Simple Start

Pros
This online accounting service provides advanced invoicing, reporting, expense tracking, billing and payment tracking. It also comes with mobile tools for creating invoices and tracking expenses using iPhones and Android devices.

Cons
While the introductory version can invoice and perform basic tasks, you have to upgrade or add other modules to access additional features.

The Verdict:

 9.23/10

Using QuickBooks and associated add-ons it can be configured to perform any task you require. It works well with Intuit’s POS software and TurboTax so you don’t have to tediously try to get your data to work with other solutions. The dashboard is well designed and provides quick insights into what is going on with your business. Overall, it is still one of the best small-business accounting solutions available.

 

 

 Over 80% of QuickBook users report to save time every week using this accounting software. And now that it is also available online, small business owners are no longer tied to their desktop to manage their books. The newest version of QuickBooks Online includes numerous automated features including automatic backup, scheduled billing and bank reconciliation. Online accounts can be accessed from anywhere using any including mobile devices. This Top Ten Reviews Silver Award winning accounting solution is ideally suited for helping to run small businesses, including managing payroll, inventory and taxes.
Intuit offers three versions of QuickBooks Online: Simple Start, Essentials and Plus. Each version includes basic invoicing tools, but as the versions advance, more features, reports and users are supported. Essentials is Intuit's most popular version. It includes recurring billing, payment scheduling and user-access controls. The Plus version includes the inventory module and more tracking tools. Payroll and payment processing can be added to any version. The Plus version supports up to five concurrent users, adequate for most small businesses.

FreshBooks Seedling

Pros
FreshBook’s most salient, top features include its simple-to-use interface, extensive mobile tools and snail-mail invoicing. Additionally, it is compatible with numerous add-on products that can greatly expand what you can do with the software.

Cons
Freshbooks is not equipped to manage large volumes of inventory, nor can it manage complex vendor and purchase-order situations.

The Verdict:

 9.45/10

If you do not need to manage complex inventory situations, FreshBooks can easily help you invoice time, expenses and services. In addition, it supports several payment processors so you are not locked into just one processing service.

FreshBooks is liberating. Using this online accounting service, you can expect to free up hours of your work time per week – plus, you will be able to track time and create invoices away from your desk using your mobile device. FreshBooks has received several awards for its exceptional customer service and it supports numerous payment gateways, including PayPal, iTransact and Authorize.Net. We applaud its streamlined interface and innovative, free features, including client portals, and award this popular online accounting solution our Top Ten Reviews Gold Award.
Keeping books as a freelancer or creative consultant does not have to be difficult. With FreshBooks, you can create a branded invoice within minutes, convert an estimate into an invoice with two clicks and potentially get paid twice as fast by accepting payments online. You do not have to be tied to your office, either. FreshBooks provides free iOS and Android apps that can create invoices, track time and expenses, and manage timesheets anywhere.
The introductory paid account, called Seedling, is most suitable for those who do not need to manage a lot of clients, since it is limited to managing 25 clients and supports one user. The Evergreen account supports unlimited clients and five users. The Mighty Oak account supports unlimited clients, and additional users are $10 each per month. The Mighty Oak version is the one you need to subscribe to manage project managers, team timesheets and team expense reporting. FreshBooks does offer free online client portals where clients can view their invoices and balances. Mobile apps for the iPad and iPhone are also free to subscribers. A Blackberry app is available via a third-party provider.

 

QuickBooks 2015 For Dummies

Keep your business finances under control easily with QuickBooks
If you're like most people involved with a small business, accounting is the last thing you want to spend a lot of time on. Luckily, QuickBooks For Dummies makes it easy to get all the confusing finance stuff out of the way so you can concentrate on other aspects of your growing business. Inside this fun, easy-to-read guide, you'll find out how to manage your financial records, track sales and inventory, pay bills, figure out job costs, and more.
With easy-to-follow guidance and plain-English explanations that cut through the financial jargon, this resource shows you how to get started with QuickBooks, populate QuickBooks lists, create invoices and credit memos, record sales receipts, set up inventory items, record and pay bills, track business checkbooks and credit cards, print checks, build a budget, generate financial reports, and so much more.

• Walks you through installing the software and configuring QuickBooks for your business needs
• Shows you how to write checks, set up payroll reminders, and keep the payroll rolling
• Covers how to securely download bank and credit card transactions, as well as how to pay bills online
• Provides easy-to-follow steps for keeping track of your checkbook, credit and debit accounts, inventory, payroll, and budgets

Written by a CPA who knows QuickBooks and understands your unique business needs, QuickBooks For Dummies is your go-to guide for getting past the paperwork and putting the program to work.

Get it here :  Quickbooks for Dummies

How to: Enter Delayed Charges Invoices in QuickBooks

Do you keep a bunch of post-its on your desk to remind you what products you bought and services you did for customers? Instead, use delayed charges to keep track and create invoices when the time comes.

Open Delayed Charge

Go to the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Delayed Charge.

 

Enter the Customer

Enter the customer you need to invoice in the Choose a Customer field. If this is a new customer, click Add.

In the New Customer window click Save. Only the customer’s name gets saved. You can go to the customer page later to enter additional information.

Enter the Date

Enter the date you purchased the product or performed the service for your customer.

Enter the Products or Services

Enter the products or services you provided for this customer and any information about this product or service.

If this is a new product or service, type it in and click Add.

Choose the Income Account

In the Product or Service Information window, choose the Income Account. This is not a bank account it is a bookkeeping account.

Enter the Price or Charge

Enter the Price or Charge and Save it.

Save and Close

You can Save and Close or if you have new charges to add, click Save and New.

Invoice Your Customer

When it comes time to invoice your customer, go to Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Invoice.

Enter that customer’s name and click Add all to put this charge into the invoice.

Finished

Get QuickBooks for Free at : Click HERE

How to: Receive a payment in QuickBooks

You got paid! Great--now you need to record the payment in QuickBooks. That's called receiving a payment. Watch this video to learn how.

Receive Payment

Go to the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Receive Payment. Select the customer who paid you in the choose a customer field.

Enter the date you were paid.

Then enter the payment method.

For the Reference Number, enter the check number.

Undeposited Funds

When you receive payments that you’re going to deposit in a group, go to the Deposit Menu and choose the Undeposited Funds account. If you have already deposited this payment, then choose the account you deposited it to.

Click Save and New if you need to receive another payment, or Save and Close if you’re finished.

Recording Undeposited Funds

If you grouped the payment with other checks they appear automatically on the Bank Deposit page. To access this, go to the Plus Sign Menu and under Other choose Bank Deposit.

You can check each payment that you deposited. Make sure the payment method is correct and that the reference number has the proper check number for each check payment. Click Save and Close when you’re finished.

Finished

 

Get QuickBooks for Free at : Click HERE

QuickBooks Overview: Money in tasks

 You're making sales and getting paid--great! This video shows you how to record sales and payments in QuickBooks. Click on a task below or watch the video above to learn how to do it in QuickBooks.

 

Record Sales with a Sales Receipt
 

Sales

If you sell something and get paid immediately, record the sale with a sales receipt. In the Navigation Bar under Transactions, click Sales.

Choose Sales Receipt

Go to New Transaction and click on Sales Receipt.

Fill Out Your Sales Receipt

Enter all of the necessary customer information and save it.

Record Sales with an Invoice
 

Invoice

If you let your customers pay you later, record the sale with an invoice. Click on the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers, click Invoice.

Enter Customer Information

Enter all of the necessary customer information and save it.

Receive Your Payments

When your customer pays, record the payment on the Receive Payments form by clicking the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Receive Payment.

Enter Customer Payment Information

Select the customer and then enter their payment method accordingly. Save the payment.

Record Your Deposit
 

Bank Deposits

To record your deposit, go to the Plus Sign Menu and under Other choose Bank Deposit.

Choose an Account

Choose the proper account and then select Existing Payment or Add New Deposit. Then Save it.

Record Unbilled Activity

Customers

To keep track of pending customer invoices, like billable hours or purchased products, go to the Navigation Bar and choose Customers.

Unbilled Activity

Click Unbilled Activity in the color-coded money bar to see what has not been charged yet.

Record a Delayed Charge

Save Invoice

To remind yourself to invoice your customers, go to the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Delayed Charge.

Enter Customer Information

Choose a customer and enter the product or service. Then save the delayed charge.

Keep a Weekly Timesheet

Open Weekly Timesheet

Choose a customer and enter the product or service. Then save the delayed charge.

Add Billable Items and Hours

Add any billable items along with the daily hours and save the weekly timesheet.

Invoice Your Customers

Open Invoice

To invoice your customers for these hours, go to the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Invoice.

Add Billable Hours

This is where you will add your billable hours from the Weekly Timesheet.

Create a Customer Credit Memo

Open Credit Memo

If a customer wants credit to use later or apply to an invoice now, create a credit memo. Go to the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Credit Memo.

Enter Customer Information

Choose a customer and enter their billing information and choose a product or service and any taxes or discounts. Save the credit memo.

Refund Receipts

Open Refund Receipts

If the customer wants their money back, record that payment to them with a Refund Receipt. Go back to the Plus Sign Menu and under Customers choose Refund Receipt.

Enter Customer Information

Choose a customer and enter their billing information and choose a product or service and any taxes or discounts. Save the refund receipt.

Analyze Sales by Customer

Open Reports

To analyze your sales by what you sold and to whom, go to the Navigation Bar and choose Reports.

Sales By Customer

Type “Sales” into the search field and choose Sales by Customer.

Finished

Get QuickBooks for Free at : Click HERE