Clarke CPA LLC

Clarke CPA LLC Taxation | Consulting | Bookkeeping | Payroll
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"Hey, quick admin thing! Could you send me your completed W-9 for my records? Thank you!" That's it. That's the text! 📲I...
05/29/2026

"Hey, quick admin thing! Could you send me your completed W-9 for my records? Thank you!"

That's it. That's the text! 📲

If you're paying contractors (like a virtual assistant or social media manager), you may need to issue them a 1099-NEC.

To do this, you need their legal name and taxpayer ID... which comes from their W-9.

Ideally, you should get a new contractor's W-9 as part of your onboarding process before you ever pay them (but trust me, as a small biz owner CPA, I know this isn't always how it works in practice).

If they hesitate or ask why, just let them know it's an IRS requirement for businesses with contractors!





We’re grateful for clients who trust Clarke CPA LLC to make tax season feel clear, organized, and stress-free. Thank you...
05/29/2026

We’re grateful for clients who trust Clarke CPA LLC to make tax season feel clear, organized, and stress-free. Thank you for allowing us to serve you!

Your first IRS notice feels super scary, but you don't have to deal with it all alone! 📨Even if I'm not the one who prep...
05/28/2026

Your first IRS notice feels super scary, but you don't have to deal with it all alone! 📨

Even if I'm not the one who prepared your tax return, I can help you understand what the notice means and what needs to happen next.

For Clarke CPA's clients, we're already familiar with your return, what was reported, and the facts behind it, so we're not starting from scratch!

The worst thing you can do when it comes to an IRS notice is to ignore it. You're just kicking the problem down the road, and that's how penalties start to really stack up.

So yes, I can help you navigate things if a scary IRS notice finds its way to your mailbox! 📬

Mixing business with marriage? 💍 Running your business with your spouse can be a real dream (or an actual nightmare with...
05/27/2026

Mixing business with marriage? 💍

Running your business with your spouse can be a real dream (or an actual nightmare with the IRS if you don't follow the rules). 🫣

[Your niches] like to do this because your spouse can get paid AND it's a business tax write-off, but here's what you need to know before you do it:

Your spouse actually needs to be doing real, meaningful work in your business.

That comes with setting them up on payroll, tax withholdings, and all the fun HR paperwork (W-4, I-9, you know the drill).

And their salary? 💸

It needs to align with market rates! You shouldn't be paying your spouse the big bucks if you wouldn't pay that to an employee (who isn't related to you) in a similar role.

It's best practice to document their job description, expected work hours, and responsibilities.

If you've ever been on the receiving end of an IRS audit notice, you know this heart-sinking feeling all too well.For me...
05/26/2026

If you've ever been on the receiving end of an IRS audit notice, you know this heart-sinking feeling all too well.

For me, it's another day at the office! I've seen my fair share of audits; sometimes, clients just randomly get selected.

For this small biz owner, here's what we did:

We immediately gathered all documentation related to expenses. We double-checked and cross-referenced each number to make sure our arguments were air-tight! 🧾

Then, when the auditor wanted to chat, my client was able to feel 100% confident answering their questions.

And that was all it took! 🤷

Evidence provided, audit closed, waaay less stress than navigating a whole IRS audit alone.

Proud of you for filing your taxes. I mean it! 🫶But if this tax season didn't go as smoothly as you hoped, swipe for the...
05/25/2026

Proud of you for filing your taxes. I mean it! 🫶

But if this tax season didn't go as smoothly as you hoped, swipe for the tax homework I'm assigning to you.

Do these things this May if you want a waaay less stressful time next April!






Small biz owners, my best tax advice is to make sure your business is set up to work for you, not cost you money in the ...
05/22/2026

Small biz owners, my best tax advice is to make sure your business is set up to work for you, not cost you money in the background. 💸

It all starts with your entity! The IRS treats sole proprietorships, LLCs, and S corporations differently from a tax perspective, so the "best" setup is going to depend on your unique business.

I also want to make sure you have a solid bookkeeping system in place that's actually capturing all of your income and expenses. 📚

And finally, I think you should be working with an accountant who understands the ins + outs of your business. There's a big difference between generic tax prep and a strategy based on the common expenses, credits, and pain points for small biz owners.

Here's what made the difference in this small biz owner's tax bill:1️⃣ We adjusted their entity structure and compensati...
05/21/2026

Here's what made the difference in this small biz owner's tax bill:

1️⃣ We adjusted their entity structure and compensation (distributions + salary).

2️⃣ They maxed out their contributions to their SEP IRA to reduce their taxable income and save for retirement.

3️⃣ They accelerated purchasing office supplies to increase their deductions for the year.

Tax planning throughout the year is the key to making sure you don't pay too much in April!

Please, please, pleaseee don't just rush through your W-4 on the first day at a new job!It's not just an onboarding task...
05/20/2026

Please, please, pleaseee don't just rush through your W-4 on the first day at a new job!

It's not just an onboarding task; it's telling your employer how much federal tax to take from your paycheck.

Filling out your W-4 correctly is the difference between not owing at tax time and getting hit with a surprise bill (or unnecessary refund). 💸

If you want a little extra help, use the IRS's Tax Withholding Estimator to really dial in your W-4.

If your CPA isn't having these conversations with you now... You could be limiting the tax planning strategies that you ...
05/19/2026

If your CPA isn't having these conversations with you now... You could be limiting the tax planning strategies that you have in your arsenal.

The longer you wait to tax plan (especialllly if you wait until after year-end), the fewer options you have.

If you're a small biz owner who's ready to get proactive about your taxes, use the link in my bio to schedule your tax planning session this month! 📆

Address

1718 Peachtree Street NW Suite 1096
Atlanta, GA
30309

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 1pm

Telephone

+14047727792

Website

https://clarketax.taxdome.com/, http://www.clarkecpallc.com/

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