Scaling Finance Operations: When to Hire a Controller vs. Outsourced Accounting
If you’re a seed‑stage founder or the first finance hire, you eventually hit an inflection point. The books still (mostly) close, cash is in the bank (usually), and investors want “a simple forecast” (yesterday). Rapid growth creates complexity, more customers,...
Building Your Dream Team: Hiring 1 to 10 Employees
The jump from zero employees to one is a huge one. There’s a ton to consider here, from the company culture you’re going to start developing to the specific responsibilities of that first hire. A lot of your work here depends on your company, your product/service, and...
The State of Tech Tax Incentives: What Your Startup Can Still Claim in 2025
If you’re building at the pre-seed or seed stage, the tax code can either be an anchor or a tailwind. Our job at ShayCPA is to make it the latter. Here’s a founder-friendly rundown of what’s still on the table in 2025, what’s changed in practice, and how to position...
SaaS Sales Tax in New York
If you sell SaaS in the Empire State, you might need to collect and remit sales taxes. New York taxpayer guidance says, “Prewritten computer software is taxable as tangible personal property.” Navigating New York’s SaaS Sales Tax Rules If you’re creating...
Equity Compensation Mistakes Tech Startups Make Before a Funding Round
Why Equity Compensation Can Make or Break a Deal When you’re gearing up for a funding round, there’s a lot at stake. Investors are scrutinizing every line item, every agreement, every assumption. And one area that can make or break a deal is equity compensation. For...
Year-End Tax Planning Strategies for Tech Founders in 2025
If you’re building in tech, Q4 isn’t just sprint-planning and GA launches, it’s when small, high-impact tax moves can unlock real cash flow. At ShayCPA, we work with founders every day who are juggling runway, board expectations, and hiring plans. Smart year-end...
From Zero to One — Paying Yourself and Making Your First Hire
Starting your company usually feels like stepping into the unknown. You’re about to face a wealth of unpredictability as you try to navigate toward success. In some ways, though, things will never be simpler. That’s because once you hire your first employee,...
LLC vs S-Corp vs C-Corp: Tax and Fundraising Tips for Startup Founders
At ShayCPA, we meet founders at every stage of their journey—from the first spark of an idea to scaling with venture capital and beyond. One of the very first questions we hear is: “What’s the best business entity for my tech company: an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp?” It’s...
Getting Compliant for SaaS Sales Taxes
Companies that provide SaaS products need to take certain steps to make sure they’re compliant with any sales tax laws that apply to them. Doing that gets a lot easier when you know what those steps entail. With that in mind, let’s go over your SaaS company’s...
Protecting Your Financials Starts with Closing the Books Right
Closing your books is more than just an accounting formality—it’s a safeguard for your business’s financial integrity. For many early-stage tech companies, where growth is rapid and every transaction counts, ensuring that your records remain unaltered once finalized...
Mastering SaaS Bookkeeping: Essential Considerations for Success
Bookkeeping for Software as a Service (SaaS) companies presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities. Unlike traditional businesses, SaaS companies operate on a subscription-based model, often deal with deferred revenue, and have complex financial metrics that...
QuickBooks Alternatives: New Players Worth Your Consideration
QuickBooks has long been the standard in accounting software, and for good reason. It’s a robust tool packed with lots of features, and it can scale with your business. That said, it’s not the only player in the game. And some of the other options can offer...
SaaS Success Starts with a Flawless Month-End Close
When it comes to SaaS companies, the month-end close isn’t just about numbers—it’s about people. A successful close requires not only the right tools and processes but also a skilled and collaborative team. This blog will explore the roles, workflows, and strategies...
Staying Ahead of 2025: Accounting Tips
Each year, we like to tee up a few accounting tips. While there are absolutely some best practices all tech companies should deploy year after year, it’s also true that things change in the accounting world. As new regulation impacts taxes and new bookkeeping...
Preparing for Your First Financial Audit: A Checklist for Startups
Growing a startup comes with a potentially heady mix of near-endless opportunities surrounded by countless pitfalls. While the freedom that comes with scaling up the business is exciting, sometimes it’s nice to know you’re on the right track as verified by outside...
Bookkeeping Basics for SaaS Companies: Managing Revenue Recognition
On the surface, bookkeeping might not seem that complicated. A client or customer pays you money, so you record it on your books on the date it was paid. Right? Wrong. Because of the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (FASB’s) Accounting Standards Codification...
BOI Update: Reporting Requirements On Pause
Running any business comes with a small mountain of paperwork. There’s all the documentation you need to file at founding. You need to manage your annual filings with the IRS and applicable state tax authorities. You need to periodically renew registrations, licenses,...
Beneficial Ownership Information Reporting (BOI) and the Corporate Transparency Act: What Tech Companies Need To Know
At the start of this year (2024), new legislation was enacted requiring many companies operating in the U.S. to complete an additional filing. Before you start dreading this extra to-do, you should know a few things. First, the filing is relatively simple. Secondly,...
Building Your Dream Team: Hiring 1 to 10 Employees
The jump from zero employees to one is a huge one. There’s a ton to consider here, from the company culture you’re going to start developing to the specific responsibilities of that first hire. A lot of your work here depends on your company, your product/service, and...
Equity Compensation Mistakes Tech Startups Make Before a Funding Round
Why Equity Compensation Can Make or Break a Deal When you’re gearing up for a funding round, there’s a lot at stake. Investors are scrutinizing every line item, every agreement, every assumption. And one area that can make or break a deal is equity compensation. For...
From Zero to One — Paying Yourself and Making Your First Hire
Starting your company usually feels like stepping into the unknown. You’re about to face a wealth of unpredictability as you try to navigate toward success. In some ways, though, things will never be simpler. That’s because once you hire your first employee,...
LLC vs S-Corp vs C-Corp: Tax and Fundraising Tips for Startup Founders
At ShayCPA, we meet founders at every stage of their journey—from the first spark of an idea to scaling with venture capital and beyond. One of the very first questions we hear is: “What’s the best business entity for my tech company: an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp?” It’s...
An Overview of the Business Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
July 4, 2025 wasn’t just the last Independence Day before the United States’s upcoming Semiquincentennial. It was also a historic day because it cemented one of the biggest pieces of legislation in recent history. The formerly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)...
Changing Your Business Address: A Comprehensive Guide for Keeping the IRS and Other Agencies Informed
When a business moves, ensuring that every regulatory body and partner is updated with your new address is essential for smooth operations and continued compliance. Changing your business address isn’t as simple as updating your website or sending out new business...
How NYC Hotspot Empowers Innovation in Tech and Biotech Companies
New York City has established itself as a global leader in technology and biotech innovation, fostering an ecosystem that supports startups and established companies alike. A key initiative driving this growth is the NYC Innovation Hot Spot program—a state-backed...
Understanding Investor Information Rights: A Guide for Founders
As a startup founder, bringing investors on board is an exciting milestone. However, it also comes with responsibilities, including providing certain information about your company's performance. One key area investors often negotiate during funding rounds is...
Understanding NYC’s 401(k) Rules for Startups: A Guide for Small Employers
For startups in New York City, offering a 401(k) or other retirement savings plan is not only a smart move for attracting and retaining talent—it may also be required by law. New York City (and New York State) have enacted regulations that mandate eligible...
Our Team Is QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor Certified – Recertification 2025
We’re thrilled to announce that our entire accounting and tax team at Shay CPA P.C. has successfully completed their QuickBooks Online ProAdvisor and Advanced ProAdvisor recertifications for 2025. This annual group training is more than just an exam—it’s an...
Gusto’s People Advisory Program: We’re Certified!
As accountants, we’re more than number-crunchers. We’re in the weeds with our clients, supporting them as they make decisions that shape the future of their companies. We routinely support startups with strategy and process development, laying the foundation they need...
Shay CPA’s 3rd Annual Company NYC Retreat Recap
This year, Shay CPA hosted its third annual company retreat in the heart of New York City, an event packed with learning, connection, and celebration. From engaging presentations to immersive team-building workshops and a fun-filled final day, the retreat offered our...
Thank You to Our Clients, Partners, and Team
Over here at ShayCPA, we’ve grown and learned a lot over the course of 2023. As I look back, I have a lot of gratitude. This year, there were quite a few different highlights. We had some amazing accomplishments, including hitting our ten-year anniversary. And we’ve...
ShayCPA Looks Back on 2023
It’s been a busy year for our team — in the best possible way. We’ve had the opportunity to travel all around the country to participate in a handful of exciting events, from our own company retreat to industry favorites like TechCrunch Disrupt and QuickBooks...
Celebrating a decade of excellence at Shay CPA!
November 15th, 2013, was my last day at my full-time job at WNET-Channel 13. That day was a culmination of a three-year journey prior where I was moonlighting and creating my CPA firm on the side - nights, weekends, and even lunch hours. Leaving a full-time job was a...
ShayCPA’s 2nd Annual Retreat Recap: Uniting for Growth
We're excited to share the incredible experiences and moments from our 2nd Annual Company Retreat in New York City. Over three days, our team united for collaboration, gained insights, and enjoyed thrilling adventures that left us with unforgettable memories. Let's...
Insights from ShayCPA’s QBO ProAdvisor Certifications
Super proud of our team for completing their QBO ProAdvisor and Advanced ProAdvisor Certifications this week. Here are some takeaways from our training that can help our finance leaders in the technology space. Deferred Revenue: Deferred Revenue is finally...
Tech Day- Founders Summit 2022
SHAY CPA P.C. sponsored TechDay HQ's 2022 Founder's Summit event in NYC. TechDay HQ's Founder's Summit is a highly focused conference designed exclusively for startup founders and their c-suite executives. The conference featured educational sessions presented by...
Building Your Dream Team: Hiring 1 to 10 Employees
The jump from zero employees to one is a huge one. There’s a ton to consider here, from the company culture you’re going to start developing to the specific responsibilities of that first hire. A lot of your work here depends on your company, your product/service, and...
Equity Compensation Mistakes Tech Startups Make Before a Funding Round
Why Equity Compensation Can Make or Break a Deal When you’re gearing up for a funding round, there’s a lot at stake. Investors are scrutinizing every line item, every agreement, every assumption. And one area that can make or break a deal is equity compensation. For...
From Zero to One — Paying Yourself and Making Your First Hire
Starting your company usually feels like stepping into the unknown. You’re about to face a wealth of unpredictability as you try to navigate toward success. In some ways, though, things will never be simpler. That’s because once you hire your first employee,...
LLC vs S-Corp vs C-Corp: Tax and Fundraising Tips for Startup Founders
At ShayCPA, we meet founders at every stage of their journey—from the first spark of an idea to scaling with venture capital and beyond. One of the very first questions we hear is: “What’s the best business entity for my tech company: an LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp?” It’s...
An Overview of the Business Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
July 4, 2025 wasn’t just the last Independence Day before the United States’s upcoming Semiquincentennial. It was also a historic day because it cemented one of the biggest pieces of legislation in recent history. The formerly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)...
How NYC Hotspot Empowers Innovation in Tech and Biotech Companies
New York City has established itself as a global leader in technology and biotech innovation, fostering an ecosystem that supports startups and established companies alike. A key initiative driving this growth is the NYC Innovation Hot Spot program—a state-backed...
How Startups Can (and Should) Leverage Economic Development Corporations Without Losing Their Edge
If you’re a tech founder in a city like New York, there’s a good chance you’ve come across a quasi-governmental entity known as an Economic Development Corporation (EDC). The New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) is one of the most prominent...
Understanding Investor Information Rights: A Guide for Founders
As a startup founder, bringing investors on board is an exciting milestone. However, it also comes with responsibilities, including providing certain information about your company's performance. One key area investors often negotiate during funding rounds is...
Understanding NYC’s 401(k) Rules for Startups: A Guide for Small Employers
For startups in New York City, offering a 401(k) or other retirement savings plan is not only a smart move for attracting and retaining talent—it may also be required by law. New York City (and New York State) have enacted regulations that mandate eligible...
The State of Tech Tax Incentives: What Your Startup Can Still Claim in 2025
If you’re building at the pre-seed or seed stage, the tax code can either be an anchor or a tailwind. Our job at ShayCPA is to make it the latter. Here’s a founder-friendly rundown of what’s still on the table in 2025, what’s changed in practice, and how to position...
SaaS Sales Tax in New York
If you sell SaaS in the Empire State, you might need to collect and remit sales taxes. New York taxpayer guidance says, “Prewritten computer software is taxable as tangible personal property.” Navigating New York’s SaaS Sales Tax Rules If you’re creating...
Year-End Tax Planning Strategies for Tech Founders in 2025
If you’re building in tech, Q4 isn’t just sprint-planning and GA launches, it’s when small, high-impact tax moves can unlock real cash flow. At ShayCPA, we work with founders every day who are juggling runway, board expectations, and hiring plans. Smart year-end...
Getting Compliant for SaaS Sales Taxes
Companies that provide SaaS products need to take certain steps to make sure they’re compliant with any sales tax laws that apply to them. Doing that gets a lot easier when you know what those steps entail. With that in mind, let’s go over your SaaS company’s...
Sales Tax for SaaS Companies
We have an important alert for all software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies: you might be subject to sales tax. While most of us think of sales tax as applying to tangible goods, plenty of states have implemented this tax for software products, too. Fortunately, if...
Qualifying Small Business Stock – The One Big Beautiful Bill Act Expands QSBS
Capital gains tax is a particularly painful one. It directly eats into your profit, taking a significant chunk. That’s especially troubling to founders and investors who want to liquidate some of their shares. With capital gains in play, the amount of money you...
OBBBA (Now “The Act”) Individual Tax Provisions That Affect Founders and Investors
Now that the Act — commonly called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) — has been signed into law, it introduces a number of changes for individual taxpayers. Even as we await implementation action from the Treasury Department, people who want to plan ahead can...
Scary Numbers: How To Effectively Deal With Tax Notices
Over the last 20 years of being an accountant, I’ve opened my fair share of mail to find tax notices so daunting they could wake you in cold sweat. These letters—from federal, state, or city agencies—might demand income tax, franchise tax, sales tax, unemployment...
An Overview of the Business Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
July 4, 2025 wasn’t just the last Independence Day before the United States’s upcoming Semiquincentennial. It was also a historic day because it cemented one of the biggest pieces of legislation in recent history. The formerly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)...
Scaling Finance Operations: When to Hire a Controller vs. Outsourced Accounting
If you’re a seed‑stage founder or the first finance hire, you eventually hit an inflection point. The books still (mostly) close, cash is in the bank (usually), and investors want “a simple forecast” (yesterday). Rapid growth creates complexity, more customers,...
FinTech Optimization: Creating the Right Stack for Your Company at Every Stage
Managing the company’s finances is one of the biggest — and, often, most daunting — to-dos for any founder. Fortunately, financial technology (fintech, for short) makes this a lot easier. It can automate time-consuming tasks, streamline reporting to generate insights...
An Overview of the Business Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
July 4, 2025 wasn’t just the last Independence Day before the United States’s upcoming Semiquincentennial. It was also a historic day because it cemented one of the biggest pieces of legislation in recent history. The formerly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)...
When “Rip and Replace” Becomes a Habit: How CFOs Can Disrupt (Rather Than Drive) Growth
The allure of “digital transformation” can be hard to resist—especially when it comes from a seasoned VP of Finance or CFO who wants to show they can make a big impact. Often, the first move is a flashy system overhaul: switching general ledger (G/L) platforms,...
How to Prepare for Your Next VC Board Meeting: What CFOs Need to Know
Keeping investors satisfied is a big, important undertaking for any company that’s funded by outside sources. If your organization is backed by venture capital (VC) equity, that probably means having regular board meetings with key VC stakeholders. That can be a...
Achieving Efficient Financial Management in 2025
When we start planning for a new year, things often look rosy. We might set sweeping goals and make ambitious projections. Then, the reality of life settles in. As the year gets underway, the busyness that comes with running a business has probably already presented...
Bank Sweep Products in 2025: A CFO’s Guide for Tech Companies
Tech companies in 2025 face a financial landscape shaped by fintech innovation and recent bank failures. The Silicon Valley Bank collapse in 2023 underscored why founders must diversify and protect large cash deposits. Meanwhile, rising interest rates mean idle cash...
Preparing for Your First Financial Audit: A Checklist for Startups
Growing a startup comes with a potentially heady mix of near-endless opportunities surrounded by countless pitfalls. While the freedom that comes with scaling up the business is exciting, sometimes it’s nice to know you’re on the right track as verified by outside...
Annual Budgeting & Forecasting Checklist
Whether you’re a startup working with a fractional CFO or a well-established tech company with a fully built finance function, this is a particularly important time of year. As we get into 2025, some steps you take now can set you up for financial success. That said,...
Accounting for startups: How tech startups can leverage technology in their accounting operations
Founding a tech startup is about bridging the gap between a need and reality with technology. That firm focus on the power of technology should encompass as many areas of your business operations as possible, accounting being the foundation of your venture. As a...
SBIR/STTR Grant Funding 101: How to secure non-dilutive funding for science & tech start-ups
In the competitive world of startups, finding money that lets you keep full control of your creative business is like finding a hidden gem. The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs represent such a treasure,...
How CorpNet Helps Startups with State Compliance
Sometimes, running your business isn’t the hardest part of running your business. Instead, complying with state and federal regulations, from taxes to employer requirements, feels most burdensome. Fortunately, you can pay someone else to handle that for you. And...
All about SECURE Act 2.0 Tax Credits for Small Businesses
Paid non-client of Betterment. Views may not be representative, see more reviews at G2. Learn more about Shay CPA’s relationship with Betterment. Betterment is not a tax advisor, nor should any information herein be considered tax advice. Please consult a qualified...
PR For Your Startup – Is the Right Time Now?
By Scott Rosenblum As we head into 2024, founders might be reviewing revenue goals, hiring, operational costs, taxes, and marketing spending. Some may also be considering adding Public Relations to that spend to help build brand awareness. Most founders hear that...
Gusto vs. Justworks: A Closer Look
Building a business has changed — and in a way that can make your life easier. Thanks to the latest software tools, it’s getting simpler to do things that used to be a huge time suck, like filing payroll and tracking employee work hours. Before you can start wielding...
Brex vs. Ramp – What’s Best for Your Tech Company?
If you’re looking for a solution to power your startup’s fintech stack, we’ve got good news. Relatively new players in the game bring streamlined options paired with better insights to help power your growth. You might have heard of two of the leaders: Ramp and Brex....
Section 174 has changed: what startups need to do for 2024–2025
If your company builds software or does any kind of product R&D, Section 174 affects your tax bill. Congress just split the old rules in two, and the IRS/Treasury issued transition guidance telling you how to switch (Rev Proc 2025-28). Here’s the plain English...
Section 174 Updates: With the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, R&D Expensing Just Got Easier
On Independence Day 2025, President Trump signed a broad-sweeping piece of legislation into law. It’s been widely called the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), but the name was stripped to “the Act.” This massive document covers so much ground that some lawmakers...
An Overview of the Business Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act
July 4, 2025 wasn’t just the last Independence Day before the United States’s upcoming Semiquincentennial. It was also a historic day because it cemented one of the biggest pieces of legislation in recent history. The formerly named One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA)...
Understanding the R&D Tax Credit for NOL Companies
The federal R&D tax credit is designed to incentivize companies engaged in qualified research activities. For early-stage companies without taxable income, the credit can be used to offset payroll taxes instead of income tax liability. However, this benefit isn’t...
Navigating the Latest Section 174 R&D Capitalization Rules: What Founders Need to Know in 2025
For early-stage startups, research and development (R&D) is the lifeblood of innovation. Historically, small companies benefited from being able to immediately deduct R&D costs each year. However, legislative changes enacted under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act...
Navigating R&D Tax Credits: Maximizing Benefits for Companies
As the year comes to a close, you might be thinking about ways to minimize your 2024 tax bill. At any tech company, that means exploring how to maximize your R&D tax credit. Technically called the “Credit for Increasing Research Activities,” this tax savings...
Updates to Section 174 and How They Impact Your Company
Back in 2017, as the holiday season was well underway, startups got what many consider the opposite of a gift. With the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), companies lost the right to take a tax deduction for R&D expenses in the year in which those...
R&D Credits for AI/ML Companies
If your company is leaning into the exploding opportunities created by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), you’re probably excited about what it could do for your business. Lots of people and companies are champing at the bit for AI/ML products and...
Using Your R&D Tax Credit Against Payroll Taxes
As you wrapped up the 2023 books for your startup, you probably did some high-level financial review and analysis. Looking over key documents like your profit and loss statement, you get a better idea of what’s driving revenue — and where you’re spending. For most...