Maria E Tibudan, CPA PC

02/02/2026

Tax Season is here!

02/02/2026

Miss filing taxes in recent years?
Feel stuck on where to begin?
The first step isn’t “fix everything.”
It’s "𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦."
Here’s the order I walk clients through:
1️⃣ 𝗚𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻. Pull together W-2s, 1099s, bank statements... or request your IRS wage & income transcripts (I can help with that).
2️⃣ 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱. The IRS usually focuses on the last six years... and filing newer returns first stops penalties faster.
3️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆. If you owe, there’s a right way and a right order to do it. Sometimes we file all at once, sometimes in stages. It depends on your case.
Getting current is about progress, not perfection.
💬 𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱, 𝘋𝘔 𝘶𝘴. 𝘞𝘦’𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘬.

11/12/2025

A few questions we've been asked over the years when it comes to strategies for customer retention (and our answers to them):

"𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙤𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙥 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨?”
Within a couple of days of delivery or service is best. After that, consider periodic check-ins (monthly, quarterly) depending on your industry.

“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬?”
Respond quickly, stay professional, and avoid defensiveness. Thank the reviewer for their feedback. Apologize if necessary, and explain how you’ll address the issue.

“𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙄 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨?”
Share useful tips, updates, or resources through email or social media. Show up in their world in a way that adds value (not just to sell).

“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?”
Inconsistency. They follow up a few times, then get busy and stop. Retention works best when it’s built into your systems, not left to chance.

Have more questions?
Drop them in the comments below.

11/11/2025

Not every veteran’s story looks the same.

Some came home and started businesses. Some went back to school. Some still carry experiences the rest of us can’t see.

But all answered a call to serve, and that choice shaped the country we get to live and work in today.

On Veterans Day, we pause to recognize that our everyday freedoms (to build, plan, speak, and disagree openly) exist because others stood in hard places to protect them.

To every veteran, and to the families who’ve carried that service in their own way: 𝗧𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗞 𝗬𝗢𝗨.

11/10/2025

If an IRS audit landed on your desk today, how confident are you that your records would hold up?

If you're not, know that confidence with this simply comes from clarity. A few smart systems now can make any audit feel manageable.

Start here:
🧾 Keep digital copies of every receipt (legible, dated, and labeled)
🚗 Track mileage as you go, not later. “Recreated logs” are easy to disallow.
🍽 Note who you met with and why on each meal receipt.

These small habits build big peace of mind later, and they’ll stand up if the IRS puts you on their audit list.

11/07/2025

Every business owner gets surprised by something, and usually not what they expected.

Some surprises are good, some are expensive, and some change how you think about growth.

What’s been the biggest surprise in your business journey so far?

11/06/2025

What do you think people’s biggest financial worry is heading into 2026?
A) Rising cost of living
B) Job or income stability
C) Having enough saved for emergencies
D) Paying off tax debt
E) Retiring comfortably

(Bonus: What are you hearing most people in your circle talk about right now?)

11/05/2025

We work with people every day who are facing tax debt or barely keeping up with their monthly bills. Most didn’t get there because they were careless. They just didn’t have enough to cover everything.

But the hard reality is, when you have no cushion, every surprise bill or slow month sets you back 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. That’s how people stay stuck in the same tax debt cycle.

So here's what we suggest.
• Start smaller than you think you need to.
• Look at where your money is actually going.
• Cut one thing that doesn’t move you forward.
• Save that small amount automatically.

You’re not trying to build wealth right now. You’re buying stability.

A few dollars saved today can be the difference between paying your next tax bill and falling behind again.

11/04/2025

Why Cash Flow Management Is Important At Year-End in Your Bloomfield Hills Business

Learn why cash flow management is important at year-end to turn paper profit into real, available cash and maximize your 2026 growth potential.

11/04/2025

Is the economy going "K-shaped"?
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/10/23/k-shaped-spending-sectors-showing-bifurcation.html

If it is and...

1. You're a high-net-worth individual or successful business owner:
This K-shape trend reinforces the need for sophisticated, proactive tax planning to manage growing assets and potential policy changes.

2. You're in the middle to lower economic class struggling with inflation and spending pressures, every tax deduction and credit matters more than ever.

𝗪𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 "𝗞" 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻, 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝘅 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲.

Let's review your 2025 year-end strategy and begin planning your 2026 outlook now.

11/03/2025

Reducing your nonprofit’s IRS audit risk requires you to move past reaction mode into always-ready mode.

That means building compliance into your daily operations.
✳️ File returns on time
✳️ Document every board decision
✳️ Keep receipts organized
✳️ Separate personal and organizational funds completely

Ask yourself this...
𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗥𝗦 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽 𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘀𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱𝘀, 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿?

If not, it’s time to strengthen your systems.
Not because you expect an audit, but because good records protect the mission you’ve worked so hard to build.

We can help your non-profit create that kind of structure so you can stay focused on impact, not paperwork.

10/31/2025

It’s the right question to ask.

Most audit issues don’t come from doing something wrong.

They come from not being able to show what was done right.

The IRS wants more than a pile of receipts or a few bank statements.

They look for clear, consistent documentation that connects every business expense to a legitimate purpose.

That’s where we use what we call the Proof of 3 framework:
1️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗲: What was bought and from whom
2️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗮𝘆𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: When and how it was paid
3️⃣ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝘂𝗿𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲: Why it was business-related

Not every expense needs all three pieces, but together they form the gold standard for audit defense.

When your records can tell that story, you’re in control... not scrambling for paperwork later.