Have you been subjected to a tax return audit before, or are you curious about what leads to an audit? Here are the top 12 red flags that might lead the government to examine your tax return. Please note: these are in no particular order. The more obvious each point stands out on your return, the more likely you are to be audited.

If you own a business but haven't read Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow, we highly recommend it! Its concept is to run your business as if you are going to sell it tomorrow. You should maximize what your business is worth at all times, not just when you're getting ready to sell. CSI Accounting & Payroll's owner, Brian Paulson, took inspiration from this book while creating some of these tips.

Small businesses tend to miss the mark on this and consequently are not worth very much. Sales and profits can be high, but the purchase price can be low at the same time. The following blog post is a list of tips to maximize the value of your business to a potential buyer.

How can you be a better worker, improve your image, and reduce stress at work? These all have the same answer; work each day like it's your last day on the job. This applies to all levels of employees - even owners.

I realize this concept might sound a bit odd at first. However, keep reading. The organization you work for will really appreciate this if something unexpected happens to you. Even if something unexpected does not happen to you, you will be a much better, more productive employee.

The following blog post is based on a letter from CSI Accounting & Payroll's owner, Brian Paulson, to our clients.

As we all know, 2020 and 2021 have been very challenging years in many respects. Along with everything else, Congress has been doing more things than ever before that have implications on the taxation of both businesses and individuals. It has been very challenging to do so, but we pride ourselves on staying on top of what is coming out of Congress so we can quickly summarize it and convey it to our clients.

NOTE: This information was up-to-date at the time that this post was written, but COVID relief laws are constantly being updated and changed. Please contact us directly for updated information.

It has been a privilege to help many wonderful Minnesota small businesses reach their goals and grow their companies. Your success has given CSI owner, Brian Paulson, the platform to help other accounting and payroll firms come up with better ways to serve their clients through his work with the Professional Association of Small Business Accountants (PASBA).

Who's afraid of the IRS? Almost everyone. The key to surviving a tax audit – and even coming out on top – is not to panic or ignore the situation, but to prepare.

If you receive an audit notice in the mail, it's time to set yourself up for success.

The process of hiring, on-boarding, and training new employees isn’t easy, especially for small business owners accustomed to doing everything themselves in the absence of a human resources department.

While the process of finding and hiring a new employee takes time away from your already busy schedule, due diligence up front in the hiring process will pay dividends in the long run.

The key is to be proactive. Bringing someone new into your business family can be intimidating at first, but it’s a necessary process to scale and grow.

We chat with a lot of small to medium-sized businesses in the Twin Cities regarding bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, and tax preparation services, and we’ve found that many owners have the same questions and pain points during the evaluation process.

Here’s a breakdown of the most frequently asked questions from small business owners during initial conversations with us.

The adage states, “family and business don’t mix.” However, the majority of businesses in the United States are family owned or family controlled. Creating a successful business takes hard work, determination, and trust, and accounting is often the most sensitive area of any business.

Dreams of owning your own company or starting your own business probably didn’t evolve from an inner passion to keep a general ledger or to prepare tax documents. You likely started a business to focus on something you love, but now you spend more time tracking reports and keeping the books than getting out and working on your business.