Why did we create the Shoebox Program?

If you have bags, boxes, or drawers of receipts that you keep saying "you're going to get to this."  Your wallet/purse is just overflowing with papers you've been carrying around for months but you're afraid of letting go of them because you may need them later.  Your desk has paperwork laying all over the place, stacked into various piles and you're just not sure where to start or how to handle the job.  You're constantly scrambling when it's tax time, spending hours upon hours going through the stacks of paper and trying to figure out what's important and what's not.  You box everything up and drop it off to your tax preparer and expect them to figure it out.  Does any of this ever ring a bell?  Don't worry, we have the solution!

About the Shoebox Program:

The Shoebox program was designed for individuals, families, and small businesses, who just don't have the time or resources to keep their finances organized.  The purpose of the program is to make things easier and more manageable for people who need accurate financial information but aren't sure how to go about it.

The Way It Works:

1.  We ship you a plastic shoebox container, where you put all of your receipts, bank statements, credit card statements, etc. that you need maintained.  As part of that initial package, we provide you with two pre-addressed stamped envelopes for you to load up from your container once it begins getting filled, and drop them into any U.S. mailbox.  Each envelope label has tracking information, so we know where it's at, once it has been received by the post office.  Upon receipt of your envelope(s), we send your replacements to begin the process all over again.

2.  Upon receipt of your information, our staff goes through your envelope, everything is scanned into a PDF format for your viewing later, and then it is either entered into a Quicken® or QuickBooks® file, verified for accuracy, and then the appropriate reports are provided to demonstrate your financial outlook on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.

3.  Does the IRS accept digital receipts?  According to ruling Rev. Proc. 97-22, the IRS allows one to prepare, record, transfer, index, store, preserve, retrieve, and reproduce books and records by either electronically imaging hard copy documents to an electronic storage media, or transferring computerized books and records to an electronic storage media that allows them to be viewed or reproduced without using the original program.

4. If there are questions we have regarding any of your receipts or statement transactions, we send you an e-mail alert to verify the proper coding.  If you alert us to transactions that should be coded a diffrent way, we will make the those changes upon your alert to us.

5.  All information is hosted on a data encrypted, off-site server, for which you will have an ID and password that you provide.

Due to the increase of IRS audits with an 11% increase during 2009, the training for IRS auditors in QuickBooks®, and the requests for itemized receipts (not just bank/credit card statements), it's getting harder and harder to keep track of everything.  This is why we not only offer scanning of all of your necessary paperwork, but also keep track of the necessary deductions in the event anything should get called into question.  We offer you the information to determine if something is considered a tax deduction or not too, in order to help maximize your deductions.

Who does this program benefit?

• Individuals and/or families who aren't sure of their spending habits and need a more accurate financial picture, especially when tax time comes around, in order to maximize their deductions.
• Independent contractors who need to track every possible deduction in work-related matters, to help offset their income.
• Small businesses who can't afford a qualified professional to handle their work because the volume of their transactions is too small.

Too many people leave money on the table when it comes to making accurate financial decisions.  Our primary goal is to help educate our clients on where your money goes, help maximize your tax filing information, and save you monies in the long-term.

Monthly Pricing:

Household Clients

Silver Package - 50 transactions or less per month - $79.95
Gold Package - 51-150 transactions per month - $199.95
Platinum Package - 151-300 transactions per month - $349.95

Small Business Clients

Silver Package - 50 transactions or less per month - $139.95
Gold Package -51-150 transactions per month - $349.95
Platinum Package - 151-300 transactions per month - $599.95

FAQs:

Can I just send in a PDF of my statements?

Yes - simply log into your portal and upload the information.  It will be faster for us to log in your information to either software we use for you, however the receipts are still important to make sure we don't miss any important potential tax deductions.

Who handles your information?

We work with trained bookkeepers and accountants, who work with the rules and regulations related to GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles).

Do we offer tax advice?

We present the information of what is considered income or a deduction as determined by the Internal Revenue Service.  We also offer specific case studies about specific deductions, however this is for informational purposes only and you should consult your tax advisor as its relates to your situation.