​While we all want to open our arms and our wallets to our loved ones and a big turkey dinner, 2020 might not be the best time to do that. While this might be a hard holiday pill to swallow, it's all going to be okay.

Thanksgiving is in the air, and we know that many of our Goose Creek friends and customers are getting excited to gather with their loved ones to celebrate. While everything is still very up in the air and uncertain, we hope that when choosing to gather with your loved ones this year that you choose to do so safely and with your loved ones in mind. 2020 is the year of smaller Thanksgivings, outdoor gatherings, gatherings with bigger smiles and fewer hugs, and sharing a meal over zoom and FaceTime. This might be a different holiday season for so many reasons, and we are here to support and offer our comfort and condolences. It will look much different in our homes this year too, so we sympathize and understand how many of you are feeling right now.

While the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays might be different when it comes to how far we can and cannot travel and how many of our loved ones we will be seeing, many of us might be tempted to make it look and feel the same. This is a quick route towards spending way more than is needed right now or ultimately what you actually want to do. Remember, Christmas is just a few short weeks after Thanksgiving, so make sure to spread out all of your holiday budgets wisely. With all of these ideas in mind, we were inspired to write this week's blog. We wanted to share a few tips and suggestions on how to save money through the 2020 holiday season, and what that can mean for you and your loved ones.

TRAVEL BILLS
Many of us won't be traveling for the holidays this year. Instead, we will be staying put and creating new traditions with our bubbles, our close friends, the relatives we live closest to, or just with our nuclear family members. While this is still an incredible way to celebrate the holidays, it can be difficult not to see the whole family or all of your friends during this time of year. The silver lining of all of this? You can save hundreds of dollars by not spending it on plane tickets, hotel rooms, and other travel expenses. You can save money not driving those long distances, save money not having to put a lot of work into your car to make those long drives, and you can also save a little peace of mind not having to worry about driving in the snow or ice when many of us haven't done that in years. Instead, make time to plan Zoom Calls, Facetime Calls, and group phone calls. Save this unused travel money to help pay for the shipping on all of the Christmas presents you have your eyes on for your loved ones, save it for when you can travel to see your family again, or save it to help out with those surprise extra bills that might appear at the end of the year. Don't forget, once we hit January 1, 2021, tax day will be here faster than you might think. Maybe saving a few dollars here and there can help with paying your taxes as well.

TO BLACK FRIDAY OR NO?
Black Friday has already started for a lot of our favorite big box stores with in-store deals, discounts, and online deals. While the big Black Friday shopping might not happen as it has in the past, that doesn't mean that it's going to stop or slow down online Black Friday or Cyber Monday sales. We've mentioned this in previous blogs, but as we all reach for our credit cards to buy everything we come across in our Black Friday shopping sprees and going with our "treat yourself" mentality to make these difficult holidays feel a little bit better, maybe step on the brakes. Trying to avoid these big shopping sprees right now can be a huge benefit to you and your bank account. If you're still planning on shopping, set a spending limit and a budget for yourself. This includes if you are planning to do your holiday shopping on Black Friday or Cyber Monday. Pick who you are shopping for, how much you're going to spend on each person, and stick with it. We know a big Christmas for your loved ones can be a knee jerk reaction to a difficult year, but be financially smart about it. Outside of budgeting your cash flow, make sure that these plans include putting a spending limit on your credit cards. You can come up with every excuse to use your credit cards when your Christmas budget has been depleted, but try and go easy with the plastic. Can you imagine the gift it would be to start 2021 financially stable with little to no outstanding balance on your credit cards? We also recommend that if you are planning to shop big on thanksgiving, try and shop small. Invest in local small businesses, local artists, or creators on websites like Etsy or Redbubble for all of your shopping needs. These are the people that need your Black Friday money more than Walmart or Target. If you're investing in local artists and small businesses, this is an investment in your local community and local economy.

TURKEY TIME
We know that Thanksgiving comes with this beautiful picture of a giant turkey with as many sides and desserts surrounding it that can fit on the table. When having a smaller 2020 Thanksgiving, why put that pressure on your family, yourself, your refrigerator, or your wallet? There is nothing in the rule book that says you have to get a huge 20-pound turkey for the holiday. There are smaller birds available, and the option of only getting half a turkey or just a fantastic cut of a turkey breast is out there too and at a much lower price than your standard turkey. This can help save a ton of money on your initial Thanksgiving grocery bill, and it can also help with your leftover situation. Not everyone is on board with eating Thanksgiving leftovers for days on end. So why buy a ton of food that's just going to go to waste? Also, there is no rule saying that you have to eat turkey for Thanksgiving. If you want to try a different protein, go totally vegetarian or vegan, or just have your favorite fast food to celebrate the day, that's okay too. However, if you end up with a big turkey and a large number of leftovers, it can help save you money on the following week's grocery bill following Turkey day. As you plan your turkey day menu, plan a menu for the week to follow that can reuse as many leftovers as possible. The key is to pick a wide variety of recipes that doesn't make you feel like you're just eating turkey for a week straight.

Also, save on the drinks. Many people who enjoy adult beverages during the holidays might go get some wine or beer for the day. Instead of buying multiple bottles of wine or cases of beer, choose a cocktail or punch to share. If you're going to be preparing a traditional meal, use Costco or Sam's Club to help save money. Also, keep an eye on online deals and coups. Don't forget, if you are hosting a small gathering, a potluck Thanksgiving is a perfect way for everyone invited to save money!

SIMPLE AND CHIC
While the Griswald's would disagree with us, keeping your decorations for Thanksgiving and Christmas on the simpler side can help you save money too. It's tempting because right now every store you walk into is already bursting with Christmas decorations. They might be calling out to you to redo all of your decorations this year, but stick with what you already have. Believe us, this will be a huge money saver and can help reduce your stress and anxiety about decorating the perfect house and home for your in-laws to see this year. Take that pressure off, you're staying safe and saving money by decorating with what you already have!

A LITTLE MORE, A LITTLE LESS
While many of us are still having a hard time adjusting to the fact that Thanksgiving will look different this year, and dealing with being away from our loved ones, we will still have food on our tables. Regardless of it being a big turkey dinner or a pizza, there will be something there. Take some of the extra money you're going to be saving by following these tips and donate to those in need.

PLANNING FOR WHATS NEXT
We know that Turkey Day and Christmas might be what has your full attention is focused on right now. What about the day AFTER Thanksgiving? Just like the day after Halloween and Valentine's day, a lot of Thanksgiving food items will be significantly marked down. Buy the non-perishable items that are on sale and save them for Christmas dinner or help lighten the load in your grocery bills over the next couple of weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas. While everyone is participating in this year's unique and socially distanced black Friday events, head to the grocery store instead and save big for the next few weeks and beyond.

The great thing about Thanksgiving can be the goals you set for yourself financially, and being able to reach them without stress. This can be your reason for the season and your reason to celebrate without breaking the bank. Enjoy the little things this year, and be ready to financially step into 2021. Remember, if you are looking for the best accounting services in Goose Creek, the best tax preparation in Goose Creek, business consulting in Goose Creek, bookkeeping in Goose Creek, or payroll services in Goose Creek, we are here for you! Our phone lines and inboxes are waiting for you. Don't hesitate! Please stay safe, everyone. We will see you soon!

The face of tax day has been changed by the state of the world. But what does this all mean for us as individuals? How is this going to affect how each of us is expected to pay our taxes?  

Tax day truly means something very different than it has in all of its history now than ever before. This year, as of recent legislation, tax day has been moved from April 15th to July 15th due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even in very normal situations, this is a very stressful time for everyone. During this unknown and uncharted time, it has become very stressful at a whole new level for businesses, closed businesses, employees who have been temporarily laid off, and for everyone not knowing what to do next. The government and the IRS hoped that this 90-day extension would ease the stress of not having funds on hand to pay for your taxes by their original due date, due to the loss of your job or paycheck, all in hopes that by July 15th everything will have returned to normal. It's is a very optimistic hope and wish that it is, and all of us are hoping that by July all of this will have blow over, but who knows what could happen.

If you have already filed your taxes, we hope that your tax return is safely in your hands and has helped you through this difficult time. If you're planning to file and pay your taxes before the new July 15th deadline, the IRS is still processing paperwork and is ready to get your tax return back to you. But, if you still need more time, then you're in luck. Unlike a traditional extension, this is allowing filing and payment to be both sent in by July 15th. But, the IRS understands that you might be needing your return more than ever this year. This new deferment is just giving you a chance to take more time to file if you need it. All of us here at Hoods are ready to support our Goose Creek family through these new changes and to help guild, instruct and file for you. But, with all of the changes, do you know what this deferment means and who it applies to? Is this going to help you individually or not?

As of March 20th, the IRS made the official statement that federal income tax filing was moved to its new date of July 15th. Taxpayers are also able to defer federal income tax payments without any penalties and interest, no matter how much is owed. Thankfully this new deferment applies to all taxpayers. This means individuals, those who pay self-employment taxes, corporations, businesses, and trusts and estates. Everyone can benefit from these changes without any penalty. There is also limited paperwork that comes with this change. Unlike a traditional deferment, you do not need to let the IRS know that you're filing later. If you haven't filed by April 15th, the assumption will be made that you are going to be using the new due date as your official tax day. If you do decide to follow the new deferment, and July 15th is still not enough time, you can still ask for an additional extension. This is where the new paperwork comes in. If you need more time as an individual, you will need to file Form 4868, and businesses will need to file Form 7004. Outside of that, no new paperwork is needed!

Even with this extra relief, the IRS still recommends that you file as soon as possible, as the future is still very unknown. To help your financial situation and to get your return back to you as quickly as possible, they are taking no longer than 21 days to get your paperwork filed and refund to you. As we mentioned in past blogs, filing closer to the due date can cause your return to take up to 30 days if not longer to get back to you. This is no longer the case. The IRS is working harder and faster to help out where ever they can.

With the daily changes happening in our country, and the IRS being a vital key to keeping our government afloat in the days ahead, there could be a few bumps along the way with your taxes. Please be patient with them. We also recommend filing online if you were planning to do otherwise. All IRS workers have moved to remote work, and will no longer be accepting appointments in person. Hoods is still here to help you, but we suggest for all business to be done over the phone, through email, and other digital forms of communication for safety sake.

Tax time has never been more unique or shrouded with so many unknowns. During this time, if you have any questions or concerns, we continue to be your tax specialist in Goose Creek. We will get through this together, successfully get your taxes filed, and happily get your tax return back to you and your family. Continue to stay safe and stay at home!

Has this been a financially difficult year for you and your family? Here are five unique ways to help your family save some money to make those difficult times a little easier. 
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Home and family expenses are something that will always be there. No matter where you are in your life, something usually always pops up that becomes an unexpected cost or something you just weren't financially prepared for. It's okay, it happens! Commonly, you are always looking for the next best way to save a few dollars every month or every week as you budget for your family or your life. Here are five different and unique ways to save a little extra money to help your family stay a little more financially comfortable no matter what happens.

1. Save The Tips 

It's understandable why so much of our paychecks go to our favorite restaurants. If you have a busy schedule, you might not have enough time or want to spend any free time you have left in the kitchen cooking three meals a day, seven days a week. You might not be the best cook or even know how to cook. But, so much extra money can be saved even by cutting one meal out a month, a whole week of meals out, or even cutting your weekly Starbucks! Don't believe us? Try this experiment. Go out just like you normally do and save your receipts for a whole month. Even for your cups of coffee throughout the day. At the end of the month, add up everything you spent when you skipped out on the kitchen. Multiply that number by 12 and just see how much you could potentially save in a whole year! It just might shock you. 

   2. Work From Home
Who wouldn't love the opportunity to go to work in your PJs, in a beautiful and comfortable space that you've created, with your favorite four-legged pet as your coworker? A lot of perks will come out of this choice faster than you could think. Right away, you'll be saving money on your commute. You might be walking a few feet to get to work, but you will no longer be driving miles to get to the office and back home again. This will cut down on gas cost and maintenance to your vehicle. This could also be a huge time saver for you. You can have the option to sleep in a little longer before you have to clock in. You can use this extra time to drop your kids off at school or pick them up. You can save money on babysitters, too! You'll be home if anything happens, you won't need a pickup service, and you no longer need to rely on anyone to be there when they get home.

You also won't need to go out for breakfast, lunch, snacks, or coffee. You can walk right into your kitchen for anything you might need. This could also turn into another monetary gain from your employer. It ultimately saves them money in operational cost if you're working from home using your own power, internet, and phone lines. So, they just might be willing to give you a raise for making this move home since you will be helping them save more money in the long run too. 

   3. Weekends and Vacations 
How often do you take advantage of your town or city? How often have you treated yourself to a staycation? You don't have to spend tons of money or any money at all to create the best weekends, trips, or memories. Take advantage of the free parks and natural wonders around you. Take a packed lunch to the beach, a local pond, or park. Take advantage of free concerts, free admission days to art galleries and museums. Pay close attention to your town's local paper and read up on all the free activities offered throughout the year. Volunteer for local charities, go fishing, check out our local library, and go stargazing! The possibilities are endless!

Have you heard of a staycation? It is exactly what it sounds like. Get ready to spend the most relaxing weekend (or week!) in your favorite PJs, cooking your favorite meals, and finally renting or checking out that movie or book you've been dying to get your hands on. If you're taking a full week of vacation - enjoy the wonders of your city. You don't need to spend hundreds or thousands of dollars to travel somewhere. Stay in a local hotel and pretend you're a tourist. See the sights, finally try out that new restaurant, and find a new (to you) watering hole! Enjoy your whole vacation with the comfort of your own home or hometown in the background! 

   4. Programmable Thermostats and Solar Panels
 It's easy when the depths of winter and the height of summer comes along that your electric bill skyrockets into some very scary high numbers. But think about it - you're keeping your home cozy or cool for a lot of time that you're not even home to enjoy it. And, it can be cumbersome to remember to change those thermostats before you walk out the door every day. Why not invest a little to gain back a lot? Programmable thermostats have become very affordable and most, if not all of them, can be controlled by your smart devices. So even if you forget to set them before you leave for the day, you can change your thermostats from anywhere!

On top of that, save even more money by taking advantage of the sun here in the Lowcountry! If it has to be so hot, why not take advantage of it? Installations of solar panels can be extremely affordable if you work out the proper contract and don't buy them. Once they're installed and up and running if you're not using all the power you're generating, a lot of the time this power can be carried over into the next month. And sometimes, your local power companies will buy this extra power from you - giving you a little more money in the bank or credit towards the months when the sun isn't out as much. And don't worry about those cloudy days or cooler weather. Solar panels store energy for days and months that are known for not soaking up the sun. This way your money-saving options can continue throughout the year! 

   5. Save Money when the Windfall Comes 
Have you recently stumbled upon a very profitable time in your life? Have you recently inherited or won a good sum of money? Have you recently received a wonderful raise or bonus? Congratulations! The first thing a lot of us will do is throw this exciting chunk of change at a new car, a shopping spree, or a lavish vacation. There is nothing wrong with celebrating and enjoying these profitable times, but these windfalls won't always come around. Instead of spending all of this exciting capital on the fun stuff, put some of it in savings. Invest it for tougher and tighter times. Save it now for an even bigger and better dream or the opportunity to retire sooner. It might not be the most fun you could have at that moment, but you will appreciate it later down the line. Maybe when you least expect it! 

Hard financial times happen for all of us. But if you think about money-saving tips in new and unique ways, these hard times may become fewer and farther between. Start now by implementing these 5 tips into your everyday life to make the rest of 2019, and into the beginning of 2020, a little easier for you and your bank account! 

Our most recent blog was dedicated to all the known and unknown items you can look forward to writing off your personal taxes this year. But with new tax cuts and the Job Act of 2017 are you aware of everything you can no longer write off on your personal taxes this year?
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It was a delight to share in our last blog all of the wonderful known, and possibly unknown items, that you can write off of your personal taxes come April 15th. These write-offs can be such a relief to any family and a surprise to your bank account when Uncle Sam comes knocking. But it's just as important to know what you cannot write off your family's taxes, so there are no unpleasant surprises. This year could be one of the most difficult years of write-offs thanks to Tax Cuts and the Job Act of 2017. Tax code has changed dramatically, and once you have filed your 1040 (your personal federal income return) this tax season - these write-offs will no longer be available to you.

Understandably, you may not know about these new laws. Tax law for your personal taxes are hard to keep up with or hard to follow - the documents are all available for research, but they can be difficult volumes to understand and interpenetrate. But these new changes are credited to be the largest tax overhaul in over 30 years. A lot of people won't even know about these changes until they go to file. Beat this statistic and read up now - this way you can prepare your finances to pay for items this tax season that you've never had to pay for before.

• Personal Exemptions. You can no longer claim a deduction for yourself, your spouse, or for any of your dependents. Thankfully the tax credit for children under 17 has been raised to $1000 and is much easier to access. There is also a new credit for all other dependents (although not of spouses or the taxpayer) for $500.
• Alimony. As of December 31, 2018 alimony is no longer a deductible and is no longer included in taxable income. But if you were divorced before this date you can continue to deduct and report alimony payments.
• Home Equity Loan Interest. Home equity interest money, which is interest on mortgage debt to pay for anything, used outside of helping to buy, build, or improve your home is no longer deductible. Existing home equity debt is no longer grandfathered in either.
• Personal theft losses can no longer be deducted.
• Casualty losses that are not declared a disaster by the President are no longer deductible.
• Investment expenses are no longer deductible.
• Tax preparation fees are no longer deductible.
• Legal fees paid on an award, judgment, or a settlement are no longer deductible.
• Nonmilitary job-related moving expenses. These expenses are will now be included in taxable wages, tips, ad compensations reported on a W2.

Were you aware of all of these changes? How much are they going to affect you and your family this coming tax season? These are the general changes - but there are more fine print restrictions that live in much grayer areas that have changed as well and are no longer offered.

• Unlimited state and local tax deductions.
• A $1 million mortgage interest deduction.
• Deductions for unreimbursed employee expenses.
• Miscellaneous itemized deductions.
• Deductions for certain school donations.
• Deductions from tax extenders.

For many families, this might be one of the most difficult tax seasons they experience. But knowing ahead of time may help ease the shock. Be prepared and if you can, save as much as you can to begin paying for these new tax items or for what you will no longer be able to write off. Hoods is here to help you prepare for it all, and here to answer any questions you might have!

Businesses and Corporations aren't the only ones who can have write-offs and deductibles. As a tax-paying citizen, you can too! Do you know all of the common and most important write-offs for you and your family? Don't worry - this will explain them all!
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You might think it crazy that some people look forward to doing their taxes every year. But really, they're letting you in on a really important secret. Taxes DON'T have to be as painful as they have been played off to be. What have taxes done to you? I mean - besides taking your hard earned money every April 15th. But maybe think about it from another angle - what can doing your taxes give back to you? Just two magic words: itemized deductions. That is the golden ticket. But are you keeping track of all of your expenses and are you writing off everything that you can? It's so easy to overlook some of the most common and lucrative tax deductions. So we are here to shine a light on all of them -  so maybe next tax season, you can save a couple extra of those hard earned dollars.

Tax season is still nine months away, but we always recommend staying on top of your expenses, keeping track of all your important paperwork, and staying organized. There are TONS of amazing apps and programs that can help you do that. You just need to find the right one that works for you. It's so easy now to go paperless too - if you aren't totally paperless yet, maybe look into that. It'll cut down on the number of pieces of paper you have to keep your eyes on. And might open up a drawer or two in your desk. Always make the most out of any available tax deductions and exemptions. Each one that you claim gets subtracted from your gross income so your actual taxable income is automatically lowered.

First, I want to address those who work from home. This does span between the world of business tax and personal tax and can sometimes be a grey area. But be just as dedicated in keeping track of all of your work records and receipts as you would your own personal papers. You can write off your home workspace, no matter the size. Even if it's just a small corner of the kitchen or your den. But this dedicated space can ONLY ever be used for work purposes. The tip on knowing how much to write off is this: measure the workspace and divide it by the square footage of your home. The percentage you come up with is the amount of housing payment and utility that you can deduct every year. You can also write off other business expenses such as paper, pens, computers, and other commonly used goods and services. But again, similarly to your workspace, you can only use these dedicated items for your business. This also includes your phone lines.  You can only write off the percentage of your cellphone bill of how much time you're using it for business. If you still have a landline (kudos to you!) you cannot write it off unless you have two landlines. The IRS doesn't recognize your first landline as a deductible, but it will recognize your second landline as a deductible. That way they know your first line is used for anything but business, while the other is used only for business.

If you don't own your own business and work from home - don't worry. There are still plenty of other write-offs for you and your family. Of course, tax law and tax code do change every year. So if you personally do your taxes yourself and use a program like Quickbooks or have your accountant do your taxes every year - always make sure you're up to date on any changes to any tax law. Most big changes will quickly be made into very public knowledge - what else do we love to talk about more than changes that will affect our income? But always double-check! Your next step is to decide how you're going to file. There are four common deduction categories, but there are more. Make sure you look into all of them before you file. But if you're filing as a single person the total number of deductions is $12,000. If you married and filing jointly or you're a qualified widow(er) with a dependent child the standard deduction is $24,000. If you're filing as the Head of Household, the standard deduction is $18,000.

To receive your deductions, itemizing all of them might help you save some more money. But you still might have to do a little extra math. So keep your calculator close. If your itemized deductions add up to more than your standard deduction - you will end up saving money on your taxes by taking the extra steps to itemize your deductions!
COMMON ITEMIZED DEDUCTIONS! (Don't overlook these gems!)

• Charitable Contributions
• Value-based car requisition fees
• Medical and Dental expenses
• Traditional IRA & HSA contributions
• Home mortgage points and property tax
• College tuition and student loan interest
• Work-related expenses
• Self Employment Income
• State and local income, sales and property tax
• Child Care
• Business use of your home
• Earned income tax credit

How incredible are all of those? How much did you already know and what was news for you? Hopefully, these tips and insights will help keep a little more money in your bank account this coming tax season!