The Firm of Gardner & Billing, CPAs PLLC

Remembering 9/11: The Photo Archive A photographer documents the efforts of Ground Zero workers in the days after September 11th. Part of the Emmy Award winning web series, Remembering 9/11

We want to keep you informed about some major changes coming in 2017.   As it turns out, tax year 2016 is the year of deadline changes!   The IRS has put several new and important filing deadlines in place for the coming tax season that have a BIG impact on both you and our office.... **1065 Partnerships** New entity filing structures have been put in place for the 2016 tax year which has moved the due date of 1065 Partnership tax returns forward to MARCH 15, 2017. In prior years, 1065 filing was due by April 15 th , so this new deadline means you have 30 fewer days to prepare your tax information.   Now is a good time to get your record up to date, so that you only have to finish the final few months to have your information completed.  **1120 Corporations** New entity filing structures have been put in place for the 2016 tax year which has extended the due date of your 1120 Corporation (C-Corp) tax return to APRIL 15, 2017. ...

The office of Gardner & Billing CPAs  will be closed Monday, September 5th  in observance of Labor Day.   Wishing you all a safe and happy weekend!

 You may have recently received a business mailing from the Montana Secretary of State.   In fact, you may have received multiple mailings containing activation codes for the new SIMS(be) online system.   So what exactly is SIMS and why is your code important?   What is SIMS (BE)? The new Secretary of State Information Management System (SIMS) Business Entity (BE) system allows online access to business documents and filings with the Montana Secretary of State.   What that means is, once registered, you can access your business entity documents (such as articles of incorporation) and submit your business report filings online.   Why register and why is the code important?     If you manage a corporation or LLC, you are required to file an annual report with the MT Secretary of State each year by April 15 th .   Previously, you could very simply file this report online via the SOS website by using your business ...

If you filed a 2015 tax return extension, the final filing deadline is October 17th, 2016.    The summer is slipping away and October will be here before we know it, so it's a good time to start thinking about your bookkeeping!  If we have not yet received your complete tax information, please start rounding it up now.  We need all information by October 1st (at the very latest) to ensure we have enough time to complete your returns.  If you have any questions or concerns related to your tax extension, please feel free to call our office, or stop by.  Following Labor Day, our office is back to regular hours and we will be open 5 days a week. 

Read the fine print to avoid devastating financial mistakes. By James Sullivan, CPA/PFS, and Melissa Towell July 25, 2016 Half of American families with student loan debt delay saving for retirement Student loan arrangements can have unforeseen, long-lasting implications for a family's financial future. To illustrate this point, let's look at a nightmare scenario that is based on a real-life situation. A few months before his eagerly anticipated early retirement, 62-year-old Tom was diagnosed with a terminal disease. Most patients with this disease live two to five years from the date of the diagnosis. Tom was always careful planning his family's finances. He prepared a monthly budget and began planning for an early retirement with his wife, Jo, when he was in his early 30s. His four children all went to college, which the family financed primarily through private student loans. But Tom missed a crucial detail included in the promissory note. If the student or the co-...