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Why It’s Important to Keep Personal and Business Finances Separate

It’s tempting to mix personal and business finances, but it’s not always a good idea. There are many benefits to creating a clear boundary between your company’s fiscal matters and your personal income and expenses.

Reduce Liability: Without a clear distinction between personal and business finances, creditors can claim your personal assets to satisfy a business debt. If you utilize personal credit cards and personal loans for your business and your company has financial trouble, there will be consequences to your personal credit score.

Establish a Professional Image: Even if your business is part time and you work from your home, having a separate business account helps establish your business identity, shows your commitment to your company and enables clients to take you seriously.

Simplify Accounting: Keeping personal and business finances distinct will simplify the accounting process, saving time and money. You can access information on your company income and expenses quickly and easily without the need to untangle it from personal expenditures. The tax filing process is streamlined and you get better visibility regarding your business cash flow. Financial statements can be quickly produced for an outside party such as a bank or potential business partner.

Help with Taxes: Keeping personal and business finances separate helps when claiming tax deductions for business-related expenses (i.e. travel, supplies, office expenditures, etc.). A well-documented division protects you from potential penalties in the event of an audit.

Establish Business Credit: A business needs a credit profile to secure business loans and/or establish vendor lines of credit. Mixing personal and business assets makes it challenging to establish a business credit profile.

Protect Your Business and Yourself: Treating your business as a separate entity reduces the possibility of using it for personal expenses, protecting the solvency of your company. If you encounter personal financial difficulties, your business has the potential to sustain you. It also safeguards your personal finances ensuring you have something to fall back on in the event of a business collapse.

Reduce your personal liability, enhance your professionalism, simplify accounting and tax preparation, and protect yourself and your business by establishing a clear financial division between your business and personal finances. Get assistance from a CPA or other professional to help you with this process.

Need help and/or advice on keeping personal and business finances separate? Want to be prepared for the possibility of an audit? The entrepreneurial accounting team at Cook and Company Accountants is eager to help you and your business. We provide the knowledge and resources your company needs. Contact us for a complimentary consultation.

 

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