The Books Charmer Bookkeeping

05/29/2026

Why is bookkeeping important?

Because running a business without bookkeeping is like driving with your eyes closed.

Good bookkeeping helps business owners:
Know their profits
Stay ready for tax season
Track expenses
Manage cash flow
Avoid costly mistakes
Make smarter business decisions

Your books tell the story of your business and accurate books help create a successful one.

-✨ The Books Charmer ✨-

Send a message to learn more

05/28/2026

1099 INFO FOR BUSINESS OWNERS

If you paid contractors this year, don’t wait until January panic mode to think about 1099s. A few recent changes and IRS enforcement efforts mean bookkeeping matters more than ever.

Here’s your reminder checklist:

✔️ Collect W-9s BEFORE paying contractors
✔️ Track payments correctly throughout the year
✔️ Separate contractors from employees properly
✔️ Double-check payment apps & electronic payments
✔️ Keep clean records for mileage, reimbursements, and invoices

The IRS penalties for incorrect or late 1099s can add up fast. Good bookkeeping = less stress, fewer surprises, and no January scavenger hunt.

-✨️ The Books Charmer ✨️-

05/27/2026

✈️ Business travel tip:
Just because you talked about your business on vacation doesn’t automatically make the trip deductible. The IRS is against “networking” poolside with a margarita in hand.

BUT legitimate business travel expenses *can* include things like:
✔️ Flights
✔️ Hotels
✔️ Mileage or rental cars
✔️ Meals (usually 50%)
✔️ Conference fees

The key is documentation and making sure the trip is actually business-related.

Your receipts shouldn’t look like:
“2 dolphin tours, 4 souvenir hoodies, and emotional support tacos.” 🌮

-✨️ The Books Charmer ✨️-

05/26/2026

🇺🇸 Hope everyone had an amazing Memorial Day weekend!

Now that the BBQ leftovers are disappearing and the group chat has gone silent, it’s time to face the inbox, the uncategorized transactions, and the “I’ll organize this later” pile.

If your books are currently held together by caffeine and blind optimism, I can help.

✔️ Monthly bookkeeping
✔️ Cleanup & catch-up work
✔️ Financial organization without the headache

Start the week knowing exactly where your business stands!

-✨️ The Books Charmer ✨️-

05/22/2026

“Whatever our souls are made of… mine and my bookkeeping are clearly not the same.” — probably Heathcliff after tax season

POV: You open your bookkeeping after 6 months of avoiding it and suddenly hear:
“Catherine… transactions are missing…”📚💀

Your bank account:
🖤 dramatic
🖤 confusing
🖤 emotionally unavailable

Your uncategorized transactions wandering the moors like:
“Was this business or personal? We may never know.”

Meanwhile your accountant at 11 PM:
“I cannot live without my ledgers.” 😭

Happy Friday to every small business owner currently surviving on caffeine, denial, and vibes.

-✨ The Books Charmer ✨-

Send a message to learn more

05/20/2026

Business Tax Tip: Understanding the W-9 Form

If a client asks you to fill out a W-9, it’s actually a simple form.

A W-9 is used so businesses can collect your tax information before paying you. They may use it later to issue a 1099-NEC at tax time.

Here’s the quick breakdown:

1. Line 1: Enter your legal name
2. Line 2: Enter your business name/DBA if you have one
3. Federal Tax Classification: Choose how your business is taxed (Sole Proprietor, LLC, S Corp, etc.)
4. Address: Use the address you want tax forms mailed to
5. SSN or EIN: Enter your Social Security Number or Employer Identification Number
6. Sign & Date: This confirms the information is correct

A W-9 does NOT mean taxes are being taken out of your payments. If you’re self-employed, you may still need to make estimated quarterly tax payments yourself. Always keep a copy for your records before sending it to a client.

-✨ The Books Charmer ✨-

Send a message to learn more

05/19/2026

Oklahoma Business Owners: Not Every Service Has to Charge Sales Tax

In Oklahoma, MOST service-based businesses do NOT collect sales tax on their services. That includes many businesses like:

Consultants
Acupuncturists
Lawn and landscape services
Cleaning businesses
Many other professional services

However, if you sell physical products along with your services, those items are likely taxable. Think a hairstylist selling shampoo or cleaning business selling cleaning supplies.

Getting sales tax wrong as a service business can lead to overcharging customers.

If you’re unsure whether your Oklahoma business should be collecting sales tax, it’s worth checking now instead of fixing it later. Give me a call/text and we'll sort it out! 918-346-3966

05/18/2026

Our newest foster pup🥰

Fostering is so rewarding and there are many animal rescues that will work with your schedule. For example, we are fostering this pup until next Friday. They provide food, crates, toys, treats. They try to make fostering as simple as possible.

If you can foster, please do! It saves lives.🥰

05/18/2026

Oklahoma business owners: if you paid contractors $2000+ this year, you may be required to send them a 1099-NEC next January.

This includes:
- subcontractors
- freelancers
- virtual assistants
- photographers
- cleaners
- repair techs
- pretty much anyone you paid for services who ISN’T your employee and qualifies for a 1099

Best practice:
1. Collect a W-9 BEFORE you pay a contractor
2. Successfully TIN match the contractor's Tax ID # via the IRS
3. Track payments throughout the year

It's also best practice to request a Certificate of Insurance from contractors where needed and when applicable.

Need help with your 1099 processing/tracking? I am happy to assist! Please text or call 918-346-3966.

-✨ The Books Charmer ✨-

Send a message to learn more

05/16/2026

S-Corp Owners: One of the biggest misconceptions about S-Corps is “Since I own the business, I don’t have to run payroll.”

If your business is taxed as an S-Corp and you actively work in the business, you generally must pay yourself a reasonable salary through payroll before taking distributions.

The IRS expects:
✅ Payroll taxes on wages
✅ Owner distributions can still happen
❌ Taking only draws and skipping payroll can trigger penalties, back taxes, etc.

Good bookkeeping helps make sure distributions are recorded correctly so tax season doesn’t turn into a nightmare.

-✨️ The Books Charmer ✨️-