CSG Tax & Accounting

CSG Tax & Accounting Specializing in individual and small business tax preparation

If you drive for business, there's a mid-year mileage change to know about for 2026! The IRS has revised the standard mi...
10/07/2026

If you drive for business, there's a mid-year mileage change to know about for 2026!

The IRS has revised the standard mileage rate for business driving beginning July 1, 2026.
For business miles driven:

January 1 – June 30: 72.5¢ per mile
July 1 – December 31: 76¢ per mile

The IRS made the unusual mid-year adjustment due to recent increases in fuel prices.

What does this mean for business owners and self-employed individuals?

Keep your mileage records separated between the first and second halves of the year. When it's time to prepare your 2026 tax return, we'll need to know how many business miles were driven during each period so the correct rate can be applied.

The medical and qualifying moving mileage rate also increased from 20.5¢ to 23.5¢ per mile beginning July 1, while the charitable mileage rate remains unchanged at 14¢ per mile.

As always, the mileage deduction isn't just about knowing the rate. Keeping good records throughout the year is key.

If you're behind on your mileage log, now might be a good time to get it caught up before the end of the year!

Proud to have CSG Tax & Accounting sponsor a hole at The December 5th Fund’s charity golf tournament! One of the best pa...
09/27/2026

Proud to have CSG Tax & Accounting sponsor a hole at The December 5th Fund’s charity golf tournament!

One of the best parts of owning a local business is getting the opportunity to support organizations that are making a difference right here in our community. It was a great day for a great cause, and I’m thankful to be a small part of it.

Thanks to everyone who put the event together and everyone who came out to support The December 5th Fund!

The OBBBA led to some tax changes in 2025, and those changes continue into 2026.Clients often ask me if their charitable...
09/22/2026

The OBBBA led to some tax changes in 2025, and those changes continue into 2026.

Clients often ask me if their charitable contributions make a difference on their taxes. In recent years, for many taxpayers, the answer has been no. That's because charitable contributions generally had to be claimed as an itemized deduction, and many taxpayers receive a greater benefit from taking the standard deduction.

That changes in 2026.

Beginning with the 2026 tax year, taxpayers who do not itemize can deduct qualifying cash charitable contributions of up to:

• $1,000 for Single filers
• $2,000 for Married Filing Jointly

This means taxpayers who take the standard deduction may once again receive a federal tax benefit for some of their charitable giving.

There are some important limitations. The new deduction generally applies to cash contributions to certain qualified charitable organizations, so not every donation will qualify. And, as always, keeping documentation of your contributions is important.

Bottom line: If you regularly donate to your church, a local nonprofit, or another charitable organization, don't assume those contributions won't matter on your tax return just because you don't itemize. Keep those receipts in 2026!

Sometimes the biggest difference isn't a tax strategy, it's simply getting the accounting right.I recently worked throug...
09/09/2026

Sometimes the biggest difference isn't a tax strategy, it's simply getting the accounting right.

I recently worked through a set of books where the financial statements were showing significantly more net income than the business had actually earned.

There wasn't a magic tax deduction that fixed it.

Instead, it came down to going transaction by transaction, understanding what actually happened, and making sure the dollars were in the right buckets.

Was it income? A loan? A contribution? A distribution? An asset? A liability? An expense?

Those distinctions matter.

After working through the books and properly categorizing the activity, the financial statements told a very different, and much more accurate story.

Good accounting isn't about trying to make the numbers look better or worse. It's about making sure the numbers are right.

And when they're right, you can make better business decisions and prepare an accurate tax return.

Sometimes the small wins are the best ones!A new client reached out because they needed documentation from the IRS showi...
09/04/2026

Sometimes the small wins are the best ones!

A new client reached out because they needed documentation from the IRS showing that their business tax return extension had been filed. Their bank needed the documentation to keep their loan process moving forward, and they needed it no later than today.

After a few attempts yesterday and again this morning, I was finally able to get through to the IRS, obtain the documentation, and get it over to my client in time.

I'm sharing this because it's a good reminder that being a CPA isn't always about preparing tax returns.

Sometimes it's making the phone calls, figuring out the process, following up, and making sure your client gets what they need when they need it.

It's a pretty good feeling when you can check one of those off the list!

Last week I shared a little about what it means to be a CPA. You may have also noticed another three letters after my na...
09/02/2026

Last week I shared a little about what it means to be a CPA. You may have also noticed another three letters after my name: CFE.

So, what exactly is a CFE?

CFE stands for Certified Fraud Examiner. It's a professional credential focused on the prevention, detection, and investigation of fraud.

Becoming a CFE requires meeting education and professional experience requirements, passing the CFE Exam (which is made up of four exams), and agreeing to follow professional and ethical standards. Like my CPA license, maintaining the credential also requires continuing education each year. I am required to complete 20 hours of continuing education each year.

But this one is especially meaningful to me because fraud examination and forensic accounting are where my true passion for accounting lies.

I earned my Master's degree in Forensic Accounting, and I've always enjoyed looking beyond the numbers to understand the story they're telling. Sometimes that means identifying unusual transactions, tracing where money went, evaluating internal controls, or simply asking, "Why doesn't this make sense?"

That investigative mindset carries over into the work I do every day at CSG Tax & Accounting. Even when I'm not conducting a fraud examination, I'm naturally looking at the bigger picture, asking questions, and trying to understand the "why" behind the numbers.

That's what being a CFE means to me. It's not just another credential after my name, it's a part of accounting I genuinely enjoy.

I have so much pride in being able to call myself a CPA, but what exactly is a CPA?The terms "accountant" and "CPA" are ...
08/27/2026

I have so much pride in being able to call myself a CPA, but what exactly is a CPA?

The terms "accountant" and "CPA" are sometimes used interchangeably, but they're not quite the same thing.

An accountant is someone who works in the accounting field. A CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is an accountant who has met additional education, examination, experience, and licensing requirements established by their state.

Here in Illinois, becoming a CPA has traditionally included completing 150 college credit hours with specific accounting and business coursework, passing the CPA Exam (which is made up of four exams), and completing qualifying professional experience.

And earning the license isn't the end of it.

CPAs are also required to complete continuing professional education to maintain their license and stay current on changes in areas such as accounting, tax law, ethics, and professional standards. In Illinois, I have to submit 120 hours of continuing professional education every three years.

For me, earning the CPA designation was an important step in my career and something I'm proud to carry into the work I do today at CSG Tax & Accounting.

So, when you see "CPA" after someone's name, those three letters represent quite a bit more than a job title!

One thing I’ve learned over the years is just how important communication is when working with your accountant.I’m out o...
08/19/2026

One thing I’ve learned over the years is just how important communication is when working with your accountant.

I’m out of town this week taking my son to college, but I had an opportunity this morning to jump on some calls and help with accounting needs.

Thankfully, the hotel room makes a pretty good temporary office!

As I continue building CSG Tax & Accounting, one of my goals is to make communication and responsiveness a priority. I may not always have an immediate answer, but I want my clients to know I’ll be there when they need me.

For those who are new here, or those that have been following for a while, I thought I'd introduce (or reintroduce) myse...
08/12/2026

For those who are new here, or those that have been following for a while, I thought I'd introduce (or reintroduce) myself. I'm Shea, owner of CSG Tax & Accounting. You might wonder where the 'C' comes in. My first name is actually Christopher, but I've gone by Shea my entire life. I wish I had some cool story about the name, but it's really just my initials.

I'm a licensed CPA and Certified Fraud Examiner based in Edwardsville, but services clients in surrounding cities and towns as well. After spending years working in corporate accounting and consulting, I recently made the decision to pursue my own firm full-time.

I started CSG Tax & Accounting because I believe business owners and individuals deserve more than someone who only shows up during tax season. My goal is to be a trusted advisor who helps clients understand their numbers, make informed decisions, and keep more of what they earn.

I work with individuals, small businesses, and growing companies, providing services including:
• Individual & Business Tax Preparation
• Tax Planning
• Payroll
• Bookkeeping
• Accounting & CFO Services

When I'm not working, you'll usually find me spending time with my family, watching sports, or continually learning ways to better serve my clients.

If we've worked together before, thank you for your trust. If we haven't met yet, I'd love to connect.

And if you know someone looking for a CPA who values communication and long-term relationships, I'd appreciate you keeping CSG Tax & Accounting in mind.

Thanks for following along. I'm excited for what lies ahead!

I received a text message yesterday from a wrong number, and it made my spidey senses start tingling almost immediately....
08/06/2026

I received a text message yesterday from a wrong number, and it made my spidey senses start tingling almost immediately. I’ve been to conferences where FBI agents have discussed these types of scams. Potential fraudsters will send text messages trying to coax those receiving the message into sending them money. This usually happens after several messages have been exchanged. I would usually ignore a message like this, but I wanted to see how long they would continue messaging me. It stopped pretty quickly, but the fact they sent multiple messages to my very short responses had me thinking it would eventually lead to some sort of money request. Sometimes they might have a lead on a new investment strategy and try to get someone to invest into some fraudulent scheme.

Maybe this wasn’t one of those instances and this person was really trying to reach “Mark”. I would think most everyone reading this wouldn’t fall for this type of scam, but I always like to point things out like this so we can look out for our parents and grandparents. I had a client last year lose some money to a fraudulent scam, so it’s important to discuss these things.

Address

3 Sunset Hills Executive Drive
Edwardsville, IL
62025

Telephone

+16185679065

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