KLD Consulting LLC

QuickBooks has gotten pretty smart.

Bank feeds, rules, auto-categorization, receipt capture, and AI tools can save a business owner a lot of time.

But here’s the catch:

QuickBooks can process transactions.

It still can’t think like your controller.

It doesn’t always know whether a payment should be split between loan principal and interest. It doesn’t know if a customer deposit should really be income yet. It doesn’t always catch when owner draws, payroll taxes, sales tax, or job costs are coded incorrectly.

And this is where a lot of business owners get stuck.

Their bank account is reconciled.
Their reports print.
Their dashboard looks “fine.”

But the numbers still don’t give them the clarity they need to make good decisions.

Automation is helpful. AI is helpful. QuickBooks is helpful.

But financial judgment still matters.

I just published a new blog post on why QuickBooks automation is a great tool — but not a replacement for controller-level review.

Read it here:

Lake Saint Louis, MO Accounting Firm | Blog Page | KLD Consulting LLC KLD Consulting LLC is a full-service accounting firm specializing in tax strategy, bookkeeping, accounting, controller, and CFO services. located in Lake Saint Louis, MO.

It’s Tax Day, it’s late, and apparently this is still the time of year when business owners act personally attacked by deadlines they absolutely knew were coming.

So I wrote a new blog post:
April’s Greatest Hits: What Business Owners Somehow Still Say at Tax Time

A few of the classics:
“Wait… my extension doesn’t mean I can wait to pay?”
“My spreadsheet was basically bookkeeping.”
“I’ll do better next year.”

A little sarcastic? Yes.
Wrong? Also no.

If April always feels more chaotic than it should, this one’s for you.

Lake Saint Louis, MO Accounting Firm | Blog Page | KLD Consulting LLC KLD Consulting LLC is a full-service accounting firm specializing in tax strategy, bookkeeping, accounting, controller, and CFO services. located in Lake Saint Louis, MO.

You know that fun moment when tax season ends and you think you can finally breathe?

Yeah... about that.

Because the IRS loves a sequel, and this one is called estimated taxes.

If you owed more than expected this year, there’s a good chance estimated payments, withholding, or lack of planning had something to do with it. This new blog breaks down:

✔ who usually needs to pay estimated taxes
✔ why so many business owners get caught off guard
✔ common mistakes to avoid
✔ what to do now so next tax season doesn’t punch you in the face

Read the full post here: https://www.kld-consulting.com/blog.php?id=7

And if you want to get ahead of the surprises, grab my free Tax Strategy Toolkit here: https://www.kld-consulting.com/FreeToolKit.php

Lake Saint Louis, MO Accounting Firm | Blog Page | KLD Consulting LLC KLD Consulting LLC is a full-service accounting firm specializing in tax strategy, bookkeeping, accounting, controller, and CFO services. located in Lake Saint Louis, MO.

Many businesses today outsource one or more of their IT functions to save money. Yet if you don’t manage the risks involved, you could end up spending more and getting less in return. For example, slow support times or services that don’t match your objectives or employees’ needs can undermine productivity. Contact us at (636) 210-4590 for help evaluating a prospective IT outsourcing arrangement or assessing the ROI of an existing one.

One of the biggest challenges when buying a home is coming up with the down payment. But a traditional IRA can help. First-time homebuyers can usually withdraw up to $10,000 from their IRAs penalty-free. (Normally, withdrawals before age 59 1/2 are subject to a 10% penalty.) But there are several rules you must follow to qualify, as well as downsides to consider. And the timing of your withdrawal will be critical. Contact us at (636) 210-4590 for more information.

The employer tax credit for paid family and medical leave has been made permanent. (It previously had been scheduled to expire Dec. 31, 2025.) The credit amount ranges from 12.5% to 25% of eligible wages paid to qualifying employees for up to 12 weeks of paid leave. Beginning in 2026, employers have the option to claim the credit for the same percentage of insurance premiums paid or incurred during the tax year for active family and medical leave coverage. You can’t claim the credit for both wages and premiums, however. Call us at (636) 210-4590 to learn more. We can help evaluate your options and implement a leave program that complies with the IRS requirements for the credit.

Gifts that consist of hard-to-value assets, such as interests in a closely held business, can be risky. A defined-value gift may help you avoid unexpected tax liabilities. A defined-value gift is a gift of assets that are valued at a specific dollar amount rather than a certain number of stock shares or a specified percentage of a business entity. Structured properly, a defined-value gift won’t trigger gift taxes down the road. The key to this strategy is that the defined-value language in the transfer document is drafted as a “formula” clause rather than an invalid “savings” clause. Call us at (636) 210-4590 to learn more.

If you expect to owe tax when you file your return and don’t think you’ll be able to pay the entire amount due, it may be tempting to put off filing. But remember, filing for an extension doesn’t extend your payment deadline. So consider filing on time and paying what you can. If you pay at least part of what you owe on time, you can reduce the interest and late payment penalty you’ll owe because your unpaid balance after the April 15 deadline will be lower. Then set up a payment plan with the IRS. Both short-term and long-term plans are available. Contact us at (636) 210-4590 to get your return filed on time.

For 2026, the federal gift and estate tax exemption increases to $15 million (up from $13.99 million for 2025). That amount will be adjusted annually for inflation for 2027 and beyond. Without tax legislation signed into law in 2025, the exemption would have returned to an inflation-adjusted $5 million for 2026. The generation-skipping transfer tax exemption amount also increases to $15 million for 2026 and will be annually adjusted for inflation after that. Contact us at (636) 210-4590 to discuss how these changes might affect your estate plan.