Where accounting makes "cents"

  A qualified construction accountant doesn’t just “review totals.” They trace cost flow from source → job → financial statement. If your overhead percentage hasn’t been challenged lately — it’s time. One of the most common problems I find when I review contractor books: 👉 Direct job costs buried inside Overhead accounts Here’s what usually gets dumped into Overhead by mistake: ➖ Project labor that wasn’t tied to jobs ➖Materials bought without job names attached ➖Subcontractors coded to generic expense accounts ➖Equipment rentals not assigned to projects ➖Permit & inspection fees expensed as admin costs Result? ❌ Job profitability reports are fiction ❌ Bids are based on distorted historical margins ❌ Overhead looks bloated ❌ You underprice future work ❌ You blame the market — instead of the math #accountant #accounting #bookkeeper #bookkeeping #generalcontractor #jobcost #costaccounting #projects #outsourcedaccountant #traditionaccounting #travelingaccountant #...

  If your financial statements show “Sales Tax Expense” on the P&L — your books are wrong. Period. 🚩 This week I reviewed two different sets of financials from two different prospective clients. One prepared by a tax pro. One prepared internally by the business owner. Both had the same mistake. Sales tax is NOT an expense. ❎ You are not the customer. ✅ You are the collector. It is a liability you hold in trust for the state. When it shows up as an expense, it tells me: • No one understands the flow of sales tax • The liability account isn’t being reconciled • Payments are being dumped to the P&L • Compliance is being treated like guesswork • The reports cannot be trusted at face value Harsh? Yes. But incorrect books are harsher when the state comes calling. #bookkeeping #accounting #salestax #smallbusinessfinance #constructionaccounting #financialcontrols #diagnosticreview #accountant #business #businessowner #balancesheet #dataentry #consultant #cfe #...