Ana’s Tax & Accounting Studio

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Ana’s Tax & Accounting Studio Your personal tax and accounting partner. Designed to keep you organized, compliant, and confident.

Serving individuals and small businesses across the Carolinas with secure, fully online tax preparation and bookkeeping.

Can I deduct a business meal? 🍽️Usually — 50% if the meal otherwise qualifies.A meal does not become deductible simply b...
10/12/2026

Can I deduct a business meal? 🍽️
Usually — 50% if the meal otherwise qualifies.
A meal does not become deductible simply because you talked about business while eating. Generally, the meal should have a real business connection, you or an employee should be present, and the cost should not be lavish or extravagant under the circumstances.

For your records, keep:
• the receipt
• the date and place
• who attended
• the business purpose.
There are exceptions to the general 50% limit, so not every meal is treated exactly the same way.

📌 Good recordkeeping can make tax season much easier.Here are 3 records I wish every small-business owner kept consisten...
10/07/2026

📌 Good recordkeeping can make tax season much easier.

Here are 3 records I wish every small-business owner kept consistently during the year:

🧾 Receipts + supporting documents
🚗 Business mileage
📝 Notes explaining the business purpose of expenses

A bank or credit-card statement can show that you paid for something, but it doesn’t always show what you bought or why it was business-related.

💡 The easiest time to document an expense is when it happens — not months later when you’re trying to remember.

✅ Save it. Note it. Track it.

Can I deduct my cell phone and internet for my business?Usually, but if you use the same phone or internet service for b...
10/05/2026

Can I deduct my cell phone and internet for my business?
Usually, but if you use the same phone or internet service for both business and personal purposes, you generally need to separate the business-use portion rather than deducting the entire bill.
A few good habits:
• Keep your monthly bills.
• Use a reasonable method to determine business use.
• Keep personal and business use separate in your records.
A dedicated business line or separate plan can make the documentation much easier, but it is not required for an expense to qualify.
The important question is not simply, “Did I pay this bill?” It is, “What portion was actually used for my business?”

Do you know if your business needs to issue 1099s?If you pay freelancers, contractors, cleaners, designers, bookkeepers,...
09/28/2026

Do you know if your business needs to issue 1099s?

If you pay freelancers, contractors, cleaners, designers, bookkeepers, photographers, consultants, repair people, or other service providers, the answer may be yes.

For payments made in 2026, the general Form 1099-NEC threshold is $2,000. So if your business pays a nonemployee $2,000 or more for services, you may need to issue Form 1099-NEC.

But the amount is only part of the rule.

Before deciding whether a 1099 is required, ask:

Was the payment for your business? Personal payments generally do not create a business 1099 requirement.
What did you pay for? Contractor services are generally reported on Form 1099-NEC. Other payments, such as business rent, may belong on Form 1099-MISC instead.
How did you pay? Payments made by credit/debit card or through certain third-party payment networks generally fall under Form 1099-K reporting by the payment processor, so you generally do not report those same payments again on Form 1099-NEC or 1099-MISC.
Who did you pay? Payments to C corporations and S corporations are generally exempt for ordinary services, but there are important exceptions — including legal services and certain medical/health-care payments.
The one thing every business owner should do BEFORE paying a contractor:

Ask for a completed Form W-9.

The W-9 gives you the contractor’s legal name, tax ID, and federal tax classification, information you may need later to determine whether a 1099 is required.

And don’t wait until January to ask for it.

The IRS recommends getting the W-9 from an independent contractor first and keeping it in your records.

A good habit:

W-9 first → pay contractor → track payments → review 1099 requirements at year-end.

That simple process can save a lot of scrambling in January.

Not sure whether someone you paid needs a 1099?
Look at who you paid, what you paid them for, how much you paid, and how you paid them.

1099-NECWILL YOU RECEIVE ONE FOR 2026?The threshold changed.For payments made in 2026, the general Form 1099-NEC reporti...
09/25/2026

1099-NEC
WILL YOU RECEIVE ONE FOR 2026?

The threshold changed.

For payments made in 2026, the general Form 1099-NEC reporting threshold increased from:
$600 → $2,000
If a business pays you $2,000 or more for services as a nonemployee, you will generally receive a Form 1099-NEC, assuming the payment is otherwise subject to 1099-NEC reporting.
Example:

You provide bookkeeping, photography, consulting, cleaning, design, repair, or other independent-contractor services.

A business pays you:

$2,400 by check or ACH
→ You would generally expect a 1099-NEC.

$1,800 during the year
→ The business generally would not be required to issue a 1099-NEC based on the dollar threshold alone.

Important:
Not receiving a 1099 does not mean the income is tax-free.
You still report your business income based on your own records.

How you were paid matters too.

If the client paid you by credit card or through a qualifying payment network, that payment generally is not reported again on Form 1099-NEC by the client. Those transactions fall under the Form 1099-K reporting rules.
When should you receive it?
For 2026 payments, generally by February 1, 2027, because January 31, 2027 is a Sunday.

1099-KWILL YOU RECEIVE ONE FOR 2026?If you’re paid through a payment app or online marketplace:The platform is generally...
09/24/2026

1099-K
WILL YOU RECEIVE ONE FOR 2026?

If you’re paid through a payment app or online marketplace:
The platform is generally required to issue Form 1099-K when you receive:
More than $20,000
AND
More than 200 transactions
Both thresholds must be exceeded.
But there’s an important exception:
If you accept credit or debit card payments, you can receive a 1099-K regardless of the dollar amount or number of transactions. The $20,000/200 rule is specifically for third-party settlement organizations such as payment apps and online marketplaces.

Below the threshold?

You may not receive a 1099-K from the payment app or marketplace.

But the taxable income still has to be reported!

Small-business tax myth:“If I didn’t receive a 1099, I don’t have to report the income.”Not quite.If you earned business...
09/23/2026

Small-business tax myth:
“If I didn’t receive a 1099, I don’t have to report the income.”
Not quite.
If you earned business income, it can still be reportable even if the payer never sends a 1099.
This is one reason it is important to keep your own income records instead of relying only on tax forms at year-end. Track payments received through checks, cash, payment apps, card processors, and direct deposits.
A missing 1099 does not mean the income disappears for tax purposes.

Extension filers: October 15 is getting closer. 📅If you filed an extension for your 2025 individual tax return, the fede...
09/22/2026

Extension filers: October 15 is getting closer. 📅

If you filed an extension for your 2025 individual tax return, the federal filing deadline is October 15, 2026.

Remember:
An extension = more time to file
It did not give you more time to pay any tax due.

Now is the time to gather missing forms, finish your records, and make sure you’re not still looking for documents at the last minute.

Does forming an LLC automatically lower your taxes?No! This is one of the most common misunderstandings I hear from smal...
09/16/2026

Does forming an LLC automatically lower your taxes?

No!

This is one of the most common misunderstandings I hear from small business owners.

An LLC is a legal business structure. How the business is taxed is a separate question.

A single-member LLC is generally taxed like a sole proprietorship by default, while a multi-member LLC is generally taxed as a partnership. An LLC may also elect another tax treatment, such as S corporation taxation, when it makes sense for the business.

The important part is that an S corporation election is not automatically better just because you have an LLC.

Your income, expenses, payroll requirements, administrative costs, and overall tax situation should all be considered first.

Save this post if you own an LLC or send it to someone who is thinking about starting one.

One of the easiest ways to make tax season less stressful is to stop treating bookkeeping like a once-a-year project.For...
09/14/2026

One of the easiest ways to make tax season less stressful is to stop treating bookkeeping like a once-a-year project.

For many small businesses, a simple monthly routine is enough to make a big difference.

Once a month, try to:

• Categorize your business income and expenses
• Reconcile your bank and credit card accounts
• Save receipts for major purchases
• Update your business mileage
• Review your income, expenses, and profit

Staying reasonably current makes it much easier to catch missing transactions, find documents, and understand how your business is actually doing before tax season arrives.

A little organization each month can save a lot of work later.

How often do you currently update your business records: weekly, monthly, or mostly at tax time?

Address

Charlotte, NC
28273

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 5pm
Tuesday 7am - 5pm
Wednesday 7am - 5pm
Thursday 7am - 5pm
Friday 7am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 4am

Telephone

+17043071785

Website

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