What To Do If Your Startup Gets Audited
Getting an audit notice from a tax authority is enough to stop most founders in their tracks. It doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve done anything wrong, though. While things like high deductions can definitely trigger an audit, it’s also possible to get chosen at...
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...
Innovating the Month-End Close Checklist: Fintech Tools that Can Help
The month-end close is a critical tool in any tech company’s arsenal. It’s also a lot of work. Gathering up all of the details you need to look back over the last month and account for every penny can be a major lift. Add in the need to update key financial reports...
Early-Stage Financial Strategy: Tips for Startups As Funding Slows Down
Not so very long ago, investors were thrilled about the opportunities tech presented to them. Everyone was on the hunt for the next unicorn, and founders had ample opportunity to build the runway they needed to get their companies off the ground. Things have changed,...
Enhancing Accuracy with a Month-End Close Checklist: Tips for Tech CFOs
Founders and finance teams want to keep a finger on the pulse of the company’s health. With a month-end close, they get the detailed look they need to evaluate their runway, revenue trends, and more. Plus, this regular step ensures that the financial reports investors...
Changing Your Fiscal Year for Your Tech Company
The IRS wants to see your books in twelve-month batches. That doesn’t mean you have to file your tax return based on the calendar year, though. If a January 1 start and a December 31 close doesn’t make sense for your business, you have the option to change to a fiscal...
Finding the Ideal Financial Tech Stack for Your Tech Company
The latest tech tools can make work easier, and that’s particularly true when it comes to your finances. Financial technology — or fintech, for short — automates time-consuming tasks like categorizing expenses. It can help you get the reporting you need to make...
The Ultimate Month-End Close Checklist for Tech Companies
Undertaking a month-end close serves your tech company in a myriad of ways. First, it ensures accuracy in your books. If you’re burning through your runway faster than expected, this regular check-in clues you into the issue early. Secondly, it gives you a clear view...
Wave vs. QuickBooks Online: Comparing Two Leading Accounting Softwares
There’s absolutely no reason to manually manage your accounting. Today’s accounting software can do a lot of the heavy lifting for you, from compiling all of your transactions into a single place to creating key financial reports. In fact, the focus shouldn’t be on...
Budgeting for 2024 for Your Tech Company
Think back to the earliest days of your startup. What started off as nothing more than an idea bloomed into a company. How did that happen? To a large extent, you can probably chalk it up to careful planning followed by diligent execution. With the new year about to...
How to Safely Use ChatGPT for Your Tech Company Accounting
For years, forward thinkers have been having conversations about how artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to transform the way we live and work. But it wasn’t until ChatGPT exploded onto the scene that everyday people started to sit up and take notice. With...
Crunching the Numbers: Decoding the Right Time for a Financial Statement Audit
There's an adage that says, "The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now." However, when it comes to financial statement audits, the timing isn't quite as forgiving as planting trees. Understanding the dynamics of your financial...
2023 Chart of Accounts for Tech Founders
When compared to traditional small businesses, early-stage technology startups have nuances that they need to consider when putting together their financial statements and chart of accounts. Often, I find that entrepreneurs have used a financial model to assist them...
Spring Cleaning: How Organizing Your Bookkeeping Now Can Get You Ready for Your Next Fundraise
‘Tis the season. As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, it’s time to undertake the annual chore of spring cleaning. This doesn’t just apply to your abode. Employing a spring cleaning mentality at your startup — especially when it comes to your books — can...
Revenue Recognition for SaaS Companies
Founders, as you embark on your journey of starting your SaaS-based business, one thing that will come up time and time again will be the concept of “revenue recognition.” That, of course, begs the question: what is revenue recognition? In short, it’s the process of...
Accrual-Based (GAAP) Accounting and Its importance for Tech Companies
Accounting can be more complicated than you expect. Even if you feel completely comfortable monitoring your personal finances, once you found a startup, there’s more to consider. Specifically, companies have to factor in accounts payable (AP) and accounts receivable...
Best Practices for Your Tech Company’s Expense Policy
When you’re an agile startup, allowing your employees to expense items and ask for reimbursement can give you a level of flexibility that you probably need. But it can also add a layer of complexity that you probably don’t need. That’s especially true if you don’t...
Startups – What’s your burn rate?
It might be time to update the old adage. Maybe it’s not cash that’s king, but cash flow. One study conducted by U.S. Bank concluded that 82% of business failures can be chalked up to bad cash management. When your startup’s in its early days, it probably isn’t...
Shutting Down Your Tech Company? Here’s What You Need to Know
If you’ve run out of runway and you’re out of options, it might be time to hang up your hat. Don’t fling it onto that hat rack just yet, though. Before you can shut down a tech company (or any company, for that matter), you need to take certain steps. Failing to...
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...
Hiring Employees and Contractors in the U.S. and Abroad: Tax Considerations & Software Solutions
A good team is the backbone of any thriving company. And the rise of technology has made it easier than ever before to expand your hiring pool well outside the boundaries of your city or even your state. Before you seek out the best and the brightest, though, make...
Understanding the Down Round in Tech Companies: Accounting & Tax Implications
Going through a down round isn’t ideal, but plenty of startups have successfully leveraged one — or several — on their way to success. Whether you’re considering this option because of internal factors (like lackluster financial performance) or external ones (like...
Transfer Pricing Basics for Tech Companies
As an early-stage tech company, expanding your operations overseas can provide access to new markets and tap into a global talent pool. However, hiring software developers and engineers in foreign countries requires having a transfer pricing agreement in place. ...
Safeguarding Your Intellectual Property and Financial Assets
A couple of years ago, we explored how tech companies can put measures in place to protect their physical, financial, and intangible assets. But in light of the increasing complexity around intellectual property (IP) rights and the fallout of the Silicon Valley Bank...
What are SAFE Agreements?
A relatively new tool has come into founders’ hands: simple agreements for future equity, or SAFEs. But are they, as the name suggests, simple? Not necessarily. They’re still worth wrapping your head around, though, because SAFEs could give you a way to get the...
What are Convertible Notes?
Finding investors for your early-stage startup can feel particularly challenging. When you’re working with what might amount to little more than a good idea and a basic product, it’s hard to quantify. And yet, so much of startup financing hinges on getting a valuation...
Cash Management: How to Manage Cash for Your Startup — and Why It Matters
You’ve probably heard it before: cash is the lifeblood of a business. You need it running through your company’s veins to keep things functioning. Without it, you’ll struggle to do core things like pay employees and maintain your office space, let alone market your...
The Truth About Being a Tech Company Service Provider
As a CPA, I’ve been working with technology companies since 2010. It started out as something I did on the side, but it turned into a full-time business in late 2013. The tech industry is a unique animal, and I’ve learned a lot over the last decade. As I’ve been...
Meet Our Staff: Megan Mahlstadt
In case you missed it, we’ve been using our blog page to introduce you to our ShayCPA team members. As we continue growing, it gives us an excellent opportunity to make sure you know the people who might be answering your email or phone call. Plus, it’s a chance to...
Meet Our Staff: Elias Bardis
As our ShayCPA team grows, we've had the opportunity to bring some fantastic talent onboard. Elias is no exception. We'd like to give you the chance to get to know him a little better in our latest edition of the Meet Our Staff feature. Elias joined us at the very...
Meet Our Staff: Grace Tsou
Lots of kids dread going to math class — but Grace has always been different. She’s had what she calls an “amicable relationship” with numbers since her youth. That made her a perfect fit for a career in accounting. As our longest-tenured staff accountant here at...
Meet Our Staff: Nina Lopez-Ortiz
Here at ShayCPA, we strive to deliver a personalized experience. We know that finances are a source of stress for a lot of tech startup founders, and we want to help alleviate that with our dedicated expertise and our friendly approach. With that in mind, we want to...
The ShayCPA team are Quickbooks ProAdvisor Certified
When it comes to picking an accounting system for your technology company Quickbooks is a great place to start. ShayCPA’s team is Quickbooks Online Advanced Certified. What does that mean? Advanced Certification for the Quickbooks Online System requires our team to...
Our Team is Bill.com Certified
Let SHAY CPA P.C. help your startup with its A/P and A/R process. Each of our accounting staff members is certified in using Bill.com which helps set up a process for payments. This is great for companies that need a simple process for bill-pay/receivables management,...
Akshay Shrimanker awarded Forty Under 40 award by the NYSSCPA
The Forty Under 40 award recognizes NYSSCPA (New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants) members who demonstrated leadership in their organization, made significant professional achievements in the past year and have gone “above and beyond” in giving back...
Meet Our Team
In my three years of experience at Shay CPA, I’ve worked with many different tech companies and founders, from newly formed start-up companies to large publicly traded corporations. Working with these different companies allowed me to observe and learn about the tech...
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1099 + Other Year-End Reporting Tips for Your Tech Startup | 2024
Startup founders, as you embark on making sure your tech company is compliant with all of its tax obligations in 2024, a host of deadlines are upcoming for you and your finance team to navigate which involve information returns (W2s, 1099s, and other reporting). ...
Form 6166, Tax Residency, and Why It Matters for Your Startup
Expanding your operations abroad means that your business is doing well enough to scale in a big way. It’s a major milestone. But it can also come with a major tax burden if you’re not careful. Once you start operating internationally, your startup could be subject...
6 Year-End Tax Planning Tips for 2023
As the year wraps up, it’s time to start making that list and checking it twice. No, it’s not your holiday gift list. It’s your year-end tax planning to-dos. Taking some time to get yourself sorted could mean thousands of dollars of savings between your startup’s...
Passing the Four-Part R&D Tax Credit Test
Who wouldn’t want to cut their tax bill by as much as $500,000? It’s no surprise, then, that a lot of companies — especially startups trying to extend their runway as much as possible — explore the R&D tax credit. Technically called the Credit for Increasing...
What New York-Based Tech Companies Should Know About QETC Filings
The state of New York offers some serious tax perks for tech startups operating within its borders. Specifically, if you can get certified as a qualified emerging tech company (QETC), you and your investors can claim some meaningful credits to lower your tax...
Don’t Let New York’s Franchise Tax Sneak Up On You
When you think about taxes, you probably directly associate the money that goes out to tax authorities with the money that’s come in. Take sales tax as an example. The more you sell, the more you’re going to pay. Income tax isn’t so different: the more you earn, the...
Understanding the Down Round in Tech Companies: Accounting & Tax Implications
Going through a down round isn’t ideal, but plenty of startups have successfully leveraged one — or several — on their way to success. Whether you’re considering this option because of internal factors (like lackluster financial performance) or external ones (like...
2023 Tech Company Tax Tips
Does thinking about filing your taxes put some tension on your shoulders? If so, it’s probably because you’ve had a less-than-ideal filing experience in the past. And in most cases, those unwelcome filing instances come from surprises. Or you might be feeling...
Research and Experimental Expenditure (Section 174) Tax Treatment Changes Startups Need to Know
As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), there was a change to Section 174 that directly impacts the R&D tax credit many startups take. Beginning after 12/31/2021, research and experimental expenditures need to be capitalized instead of expensed as previously...
What are Convertible Notes?
Finding investors for your early-stage startup can feel particularly challenging. When you’re working with what might amount to little more than a good idea and a basic product, it’s hard to quantify. And yet, so much of startup financing hinges on getting a valuation...
Mosaic vs. Causal: FP&A Apps Worth a Look
When you think about things that make or break a startup, a lot probably comes to mind. From strategic thinking to runway, your burgeoning company needs a lot of things to go right in order to thrive. The good and bad news is that a lot of those factors interplay. If...
COGS in SaaS: Understanding Cost of Goods Sold
Unlike e-commerce businesses and manufacturers, software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies usually don’t have inventory in the traditional sense. Instead, modern software is delivered to customers through the rental of servers and cloud storage services, where the...
When and How to Raise a Series A
You’re past seed-stage funding, but unless your startup is particularly lucky, that doesn’t mean you’re past needing outside investing to continue your growth. Sure, some businesses can bootstrap. But if you’ve got a vision that you want to bring to life on any kind...
What is Financial Due Diligence?
When you’re trying to get people excited about your idea, it’s tempting to want to gild the lily. But startup founders should never put themselves in a position where they’ve overpromised only to underdeliver. It can — and almost always will — catch up to you because...
Protecting Your Funding: FDIC Insurance and Beyond
When you’re building your business, securing a new round of funding marks a huge milestone. But as a founder, you know what really matters is what happens next. How you handle that money shapes your business. It can literally make or break you. That means you’re...
MRR vs. ARR: What’s The Difference and Why Does It Matter?
Since most startups operate at a loss in their early years, it might feel like there’s no way to get a handle on areas where you are seeing revenue growth. Fortunately, even while you’re operating on a shoestring, you can tap into two metrics to visualize where your...
What are Customer Acquisition Costs (CAC)? Organic vs. Paid
In an ideal world, your startup’s product or service would be so wow-worthy that people would be falling over themselves to buy it. And you might have some cases of that. But it’s no way to build a business. If it was, sales and marketing departments wouldn’t exist. ...
What is a Fractional CFO?
A lot of pieces make up a successful startup: a great idea, an innovative team, willing investors — the list goes on. But at the end of the day, there’s one key component that can make or break everything else: your finances. The way your organization manages its...
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Important Changes to R&D Deductions (Section 174) – FAQ
R&D Expenditure Capitalization Rules (New for 2022) The TCJA amended Section 174 relating to the federal tax treatment of research or experimental expenditures paid or incurred during the taxable year. The new Section 174 rules require taxpayers to...
Research and Experimental Expenditure (Section 174) Tax Treatment Changes Startups Need to Know
As part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA), there was a change to Section 174 that directly impacts the R&D tax credit many startups take. Beginning after 12/31/2021, research and experimental expenditures need to be capitalized instead of expensed as previously...
Your Guide to 2022 R&D Tax Credits
As a startup founder, you’re trying to keep as much money inside your business as possible. If you’re not capitalizing on the federal research tax credit — commonly called the R&D tax credit — you could be missing out in a major way here. This credit lets you...
Startup Guide to California Franchise Tax and R&D Tax Credit
When you open a business in California, there’s one agency with which you need to get familiar pretty fast: the California Franchise Tax Board (FTB). You might even want to bookmark that page. As you establish your business in the Golden State, you’re going to be...
Your Guide to R&D Tax Credits
By: Kacie Goff Research and development (R&D) can help boost not just an individual business’s profitability, but also the economy around them. Dedicated R&D presents the opportunity to fine-tune innovations, allowing companies to forge new ground — and do so...