Emerald Financial Partners

Emerald Financial Partners No annoying advisory and financial lingo. Just straight, authoritative and friendly advice.

Visit us: www.emeraldfinancialpartners.com
Or give us a call: (410) 224-2600 We believe you should have a trusted partner, on-call, to support you through the financial decisions that impact your life, your family, and your business. We at Emerald Financial Partners do this by providing a holistic approach to your tax, accounting, and financial needs to enhance your lifestyle and grow your busines

s. Christy Bennett, CPA, says that, “As a millennial, I have a unique understanding of the changing perspectives of my peers. Most people now want an advisor they can access anytime to help them make better financial decisions. We want to help our clients evaluate every aspect of their lives with decisions like how to plan for taxes, save for retirement, create a budget, buy/lease a car, or buy a home.”

Valerie continues, “Small to medium-sized businesses have always been our ‘sweet spot’ because, as a small business, we understand the pains of a start-up, the growth challenges, and the services you need to help you focus on your business. Our new platform will allow us to offer packages that are easy to budget and provide a more comprehensive array of services to meet our business clients’ needs.”

The firm is now located in Arnold, Maryland and serves clients in the local Annapolis area as well as many businesses across the country.

05/29/2026

Fast Fact: Equity denotes the value left over after liabilities have been removed. Recall the equation Assets = Liabilities + Equity. If you take your Assets and subtract your Liabilities, you are left with Equity, which is the portion of the company that is owned by the investors and owners.

Unlock potential capital gains tax exclusion opportunities through properly structured QSBC stock ownership in qualifyin...
05/29/2026

Unlock potential capital gains tax exclusion opportunities through properly structured QSBC stock ownership in qualifying C corporations.

Let’s turn our attention to an increasingly valuable tax planning opportunity involving qualified small business corporation (QSBC) stock.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨?If you rent out your home, apartment, or spare room to guests, income taxes may not be the only...
05/29/2026

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙪𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨?

If you rent out your home, apartment, or spare room to guests, income taxes may not be the only tax issue on the table.

Occupancy taxes are taxes charged on the rental price paid by your guest. They’re sometimes called tourist tax, hotel tax, room tax, or lodging tax.

They’re different from income tax, which is based on your profit.

The confusing part is that occupancy tax rules can change depending on your city or county. And if the tax isn’t collected and sent in correctly, the penalties can be a real problem.

Have a short-term rental or thinking about starting one? Comment “RENTAL” to get help with the tax obligations.

If you are planning to buy a house or anticipate any other transaction that will require proof of income, you may wish t...
05/28/2026

If you are planning to buy a house or anticipate any other transaction that will require proof of income, you may wish to file early. This is especially important if you are self-employed. You can then make your filed tax return available to your bank or other financial institution.

05/28/2026

𝘾𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙢𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚?

If your business deducted tariff payments as an expense in prior years, you may not be able to treat the refund as tax-free money when it comes back.

Most of the refund will likely need to be reported as taxable income in the year you receive it.

There’s another piece to watch too: CBP may include interest with the refund.

For tax reporting, you’ll need to separate:
• The refund principal
• The interest paid on the refund

Don’t just plan for the cash coming in. Plan for how it may show up on your tax return too. DM us if you want help getting that plan in place.

Looking to buy a business? Most buyers don't ask enough questions or require enough financial history to make an informe...
05/27/2026

Looking to buy a business? Most buyers don't ask enough questions or require enough financial history to make an informed decision. Any business worth buying should have kept adequate records. The inability or the unwillingness to provide the proper financial information is an indication that the business may be overpriced.

Google's updates to its search bar are really interesting: https://www.techbrew.com/stories/google-it-while-you-still-ca...
05/27/2026

Google's updates to its search bar are really interesting: https://www.techbrew.com/stories/google-it-while-you-still-can

And you might be tempted to ask all kinds of tax questions with the new features. And the thing is, the answer might sound definitive in the results but actually still be wrong for your situation.

Tax questions need details that AI agents don't think to ask for.

Maybe your income changed. Maybe you got an IRS notice. Maybe you’re asking about a deduction, but the real issue is how your business is set up.

Don't rely on quick answers from Gemini when it comes to your IRS obligations.

Ask a professional you can trust (we're right here).

𝘿𝙤 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢?If you’re charging people to stay in your house, apartment, o...
05/26/2026

𝘿𝙤 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙭𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙢𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙢?

If you’re charging people to stay in your house, apartment, or even just a spare bedroom, that income may need to be reported on your tax return.

In the eyes of the IRS and state taxing authorities, you’re acting as a landlord once guests are paying to stay there.

But the tax treatment depends heavily on your personal use of the space.

Two questions to think about:
1. How many days did guests stay there?
2. How many days did you use the property yourself?

So if you’re renting out part or all of your home, don’t just look at how much money came in.

Your guest days and personal-use days matter too.

Many tax credits are “refundable credits.” This means you can receive a refund even if you owe no income tax. Common exa...
05/26/2026

Many tax credits are “refundable credits.” This means you can receive a refund even if you owe no income tax. Common examples available to students and parents are the earned income tax credit and the premium tax credit.

An operating agreement is an agreement, usually a written document, that sets out the rules by which a LLC is to be oper...
05/25/2026

An operating agreement is an agreement, usually a written document, that sets out the rules by which a LLC is to be operated. It is the LLC equivalent of corporate bylaws or a partnership agreement.

"𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀?"About 42% of full-time working Americans don’t have access to a ...
05/22/2026

"𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀?"

About 42% of full-time working Americans don’t have access to a retirement plan. And as a business owner, you have the power to influence that statistic.

If you've avoided offering a plan because of the administrative burden, it may be worth taking another look.

Under the SECURE 2.0 Act, eligible small businesses may qualify for:
1. A startup cost credit covering up to 100% of eligible administrative and employee education costs.
2. A credit that may help offset employer contributions for qualifying employees.
3. A separate credit for adding automatic enrollment.

But don’t add a retirement plan just to chase tax credits.

What we need to consider is: does the plan fit your cash flow and your long-term business goals?

Let's run the numbers and figure out whether a retirement plan makes sense for your business.

Address

1511 Ritchie Highway, Suite 304
Arnold, MD
21012

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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