[quote=“BikerFry,post:63,topic:24617"”]
Haha I can’t wait to get rolling on my MBA so I can know what the fuck you guys are talking about. 
[/quote]
Going a little OT here but… I have a 4 year degree from buff state. In computers, experience > school. It also goes back to the “don’t burn bridges” advice. 3/4ths of my consulting has gone to previous employers.
The tax stuff you just have to find someone you trust and believe what they say. I turned my downstairs into an office. Now 1/3rd of my mortgage, heat, electric, water etc are all business expenses. When I go out to get groceries and essentials on the weekend, I make sure something I buy is business related. Stamps, paper, pens etc. Now the mileage is a business expense. Go out to dinner? Make sure to talk at least a little about your business. If < $75 the government doesn’t even require a receipt. If > $75 they just require the receipt and a log. I have a bunch of dinner receipts with names and business ideas jotted on the back. My generator I bought during the storm, yep, bought that because I had to get my computers back online to keep working. Business expense. Cell phone and cable modem… I wouldn’t pay for either if I didn’t need them for my business, so that’s a business expense. The tax guy wants at least 12k in expenses on the business side, so I’ll be paying tax on 18k, not 30k. I’ve got some Amvets sheets (just a heads up, they’re nice enough if you bring a decent amount of stuff they simply sign the inventory sheet and hand it to you blank, letting you fill it out at home) and some other misc deductions, so hopefully I’ll be pretty close to that 12k. I went to a couple conferences on web dev, so the mileage and expenses on those was obviously a business expense too. When I first went to see my tax guy to ask about paying in quarterly (which I had to do for state) he gave me a PILE of sheets to track all the stuff I should be deducting. It’s pretty interesting, and eye opening to see how businesses pay taxes.
I wouldn’t go nuts on the deductions without an experienced tax guy to look everything over. They’ll know what will put up flags and what won’t. No one wants an audit.