Record Keeping

Advocate can determine your business’ individual record keeping needs, apply more efficient and streamlined record keeping processes, thus reducing your internal operating costs eliminating the redundant costs of dual review by both a bookkeeper and a tax preparer. We train your staff in using QuickBooks, thus assuring compatibility of systems and accuracy in the transfer of information from your team to ours, and back again.

• Offload any or all of these administrative services to Advocate:
• Monthly reconciliation of bank statements and credit cards
• Review of your monthly statements and charges
• Bill Payment option with worry free bill payments
• Monthly or Quarterly Tax Payments scheduled and made for you
• Monthly comprehensive review giving your company direction
• Customer invoicing and collection including weekly bank deposits

Payroll

It sounds so simple – writing a handful of checks, and distributing them to your employees. It’s the hidden complexities that lead so many employers of all sizes to outsource their payroll function to specialists – and it’s the hands-on advice and support offered by Advocate that motivate so many local companies to rely on us for the full array of payroll services. (Did you know that an estimated 50% of businesses that process payroll in-house receive tax penalties, averaging $800 per year! See for yourself the hours of work you’ll save when you rely on Advocate for these repetitive, routine, but painstakingly important functions each payroll period, quarter, and year-end:

• Process salary, hourly, commissions, tips, bonuses, union, and non-union payroll with Direct Deposit
• Track and manage employee vacation days, sick days, insurance and 401K payments
• Submit new hire reporting to the State
• Prepare custom payroll reports, including detailed wage and earnings statement each payroll period. These statements answer commonly asked questions about Form W-4, tax, and benefit accumulations.
• Calculate and pay Federal, Social Security and Medicare taxes via EFTPS
• Complete Quarterly 941 Federal Forms
• Calculate Quarterly payments for Form 940 Federal Unemployment Tax
• Determine and pay State taxes via EFTPS
• File Quarterly State Reports for withholding
• Record Quarterly State Unemployment Report and Direct Deposit to the State
• Prepare and distribute W-2s and 1099s at year-end, electronic filing with more than 50 employees
• Balance W-3 to send to government along with W-2 copies for each employee
• Create and distribute Form 1099 to appropriate vendors
• Summarize all Form 1099s and complete Form 1096 documentation for government filing

Tax Returns And Filings

When we hear the word “taxes,” most of us immediately think about the check we have to write on April 15th to the IRS. If only it were that simple! Business owners have to think beyond income taxes to sales taxes, payroll taxes, employee withholding payments – and all the reports that go with all of them, and that have to be filed frequently and timely. Rely on Advocate to keep track of the what and the when – and then to do it for you. Look at all of the separate filings we can take off your hands:

• Calculate and pay Federal, Social Security and Medicare taxes via EFTPS
• Complete Quarterly 941 Federal Forms
• Calculate Quarterly payments for Form 940 Federal Unemployment Tax
• Determine and pay State taxes via EFTPS
• File Quarterly State Reports for withholding
• Determine and pay all local sales taxes timely
• Record Quarterly State Unemployment Report and Direct Deposit to the State
• Prepare and distribute W-2s and 1099s at year-end, electronic filing with more than 50 employees
• Balance W-3 to send to government along with W-2 copies for each employee
• Create and distribute Form 1099 to appropriate vendors
• Summarize all Form 1099s and complete Form 1096 documentation for government filing

Accounts Payable And Receivable

Advocate offers three levels of Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable Services. Rely on us for any combination.

• Bill Payment option with worry free bill payments
• Customer invoicing and collection including weekly bank deposits
• Accounts receivable monitoring to assure timely receipt of payments

When you rely on Advocate for Accounts Receivable services, you’ll emerge with a more complete account history and documentation for both you and your customer than most businesses are able to develop on their own. And with Accounts Receivable typically amounting to anywhere from 21% to 34% of a company’s assets, it’s important to keep your customers current, maximize your cash flow, and be in a position to demonstrate professionalism, efficiency, and accurate documentation (especially in the case of disputes).

Quickbooks Training

QuickBooks® is the world's most popular small business accounting software. Smart businesses use it to record and send invoices, document receipts, manage customer information, process payroll, track billable time, pay bills, run financial reports, and much more. Advocate recommends QuickBooks to all of our clients, as the most timely and efficient way for you to record the information that’s gathered on site, and as the most accurate and foolproof way to transfer that information to us so that we’re starting our work on your behalf with correct and complete information.

What if your staff is not familiar with QuickBooks®? Not a problem! Advocate offers both standard and custom training programs, including Level 1 programs for new users, and Level 2 programs for experienced users. Enroll members of your staff in our next open training session or we’ll work with you to customize the curriculum to meet your individual business needs. QuickBooks PRO Advisors, we can also show you how to quickly adapt your QuickBooks system to any new software systems you acquire.

• QuickBooks Level 1 - Full Day Course
• Accounting Basics
• Setting up QuickBooks
• Lists
• Bank Accounts
• Sales Information – Invoices & Receipts
• Receiving Payments – Making Deposits
• Setting up Inventory
• Entering and Paying Bills

• QuickBooks Level 2 - Full Day Course
• Using Credit Cards
• Asset & Liability Accounts
• Reports & Graphs
• Sales Tax
• Payroll
• Estimating & Process Invoicing
• Tracking Time
• Customizing Forms

• Each Class Includes:
• Top Notch Instructors
• High Quality Manual
• Certification of Completion

incorporations

Choosing the best business structure (such as sole proprietor, partnership, corporation (C or Sub S), limited liability company) for your particular situation is a critical decision you need to make with your trusted professional advisers (accountant, attorney, banker). Click here to read why. But when it’s been determined that some form of corporate structure is best for you, Advocate takes care of the paperwork. The decision requires professional advice; the implementation can be handled seamlessly and cost-effectively by administrative personnel who are familiar with the forms and procedures and can take care of the paperwork accurately and speedily.