CPAs are often seen as nothing more than number crunchers. However, they have much greater responsibilities than this. They are actually people who act as business and financial strategists.
CPAs Vs. Regular Accountants
One of the differences between a CPA and a non-CPA is that a CPA is placed under much greater qualification and licensing goals. Because of how hard a CPA typically works in order to receive the designation, the CPA will typically work even harder to prove that he or she deserves the designation.
- If you're self-employed, filing your taxes can be a real nightmare. The IRS is notorious for auditing small business owners. Unfortunately, that label applies to most people who are self-employed. The last thing you want to deal with is an IRS audit. They'll want to dig into all your business records to make sure everything matches. If you haven't incorporated, your personal taxes and assets will be fair game too. If you're self-employed, the first thing you want to do is get yourself incorporated.
- If you are in your 20s, chances are financial planning is the last thing you want to think about. Maybe you're in college or just starting your first real job and have only enough to pay your monthly bills. Whatever the case may be, you are at an age where making wise decisions now can have a significant impact on your financial future. Here are three important financial decisions to make in your 20s:
- When you apply for a mortgage loan, you're really asking a lender to take a big chance on you. As one of the largest investments the average person makes, lenders must have full confidence in both your ability and willingness to repay. There are several things you can do to diminish this confidence. Make certain you aren't making this mistake. Don't Buy a Car First Avoid buying a car just before you plan to purchase a home.
- If you have decided to take up a hobby, then coin collecting may speak to you as an interest. If so, then you will need to learn some of the numismatic basics. One of the basics is learning the coin grading scale and understanding how coins are graded by one of the four professional grading institutions. You may notice that one or several of your coins appear more aesthetically pleasing, but are graded lower than others.