MAIN Business Accounting

It's the nitty gritty, bottom line backbone of any successful business.

Without an accountant - and good accounting records - you can't see where you've been, where you are, or in what direction your business is headed. Tracking a sales campaign means accurate record keeping. Business strategies need to be honed if the accounts don't meet expectations.

The only way to reality check the health of your business is to look at what's coming in and what's going out... credits and debits are the voices that tell you if your business is growing or in need of an overhaul.

Business taxes are complicated and constantly getting revised. A good accountant knows the latest tax regs, how to set up your business to take advantage of incentives, and how to keep your tax payments on time and accurate. Knowing which deductions apply to your business and taking every benefit available can mean a far lower tax bill.

Finally, iIf the government decides to audit your company books, your accountant should have everything in order to make the experience as painless as possible.

Small business owners often wear the accountant's hat along with many others. That's fine if you know what you are doing. Most experts advise getting an accountant to go over your books -- even if you do the bookkeeping yourself. Using an accountant who will keep you books for you frees up time to spend developing your business. The profits you make with the time you've gained often more than make up for the cost of a good accountant.

Find an accountant or CPA worldwide, or check out industry news, education, tools and resources for the accounting professional or student at these top sites...

also see -> Small Business Accounting | IRS Tax Forms

More about accounting around the Web:

CPARunner - "An accounting world at your fingertips" and they mean it - with an intelligently organized homepage linking to news, associations, tax info and much more.

Tax and Accounting Sites Directory - Another great, comprehensive directory of online accounting information including news, international resources, career and job postings.

AccountingWEB - The major cyber community for accountants offering forums, news, feature articles, resources. Sign up for the Premium subscription to access it all.

SmartPros - Engagingly written breaking news and feature articles on tax reform and accounting industry developments. Also offering online education and resources.

Careers in Accounting - Good overview of the accounting biz and how to join it, with discussions on required skills & talent, job options & salary, with related links to job listings and more information.

Accounting - Compete career guide from the Princeton Review with how to prepare for a career beginning in high school, a list of major colleges offering accounting degrees, sample undergraduate curriculum.