Looking back over 2006, I’ve compiled what I believe are the best of the best blog postings for Your Money Matters.

Tax savings and increased cash flow – Wow! These words are music to the ears of business property owners and real estate investors. These favorable aspects result from the use of IRS sanctioned cost segregation studies (CSS) in that depreciation is accelerated on commercial and investment properties by the reallocation of costs.

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Granted the 3rd quarter is practically over. However, this does provide some insight into planning what and how much you plan to spend in Q4 2006 vs. Q1 2007.

A dentist performing heart surgery, a real estate attorney taking a personal injury case, a civil engineer performing aerospace activity! What wrong with this picture? Well most, if not every, profession encompasses a wide body of knowledge. Such is the case for CPAs as well. Contrary to popular belief, the practice of accountancy expands far beyond just taxes.

Now comes word of another CCH acquisition. This time, as announced on Labor day, CCH is acquiring the stock of TaxWise and its subsidiary, Universal Tax Systems, Inc. (UTS).

So you have an idea, a marketable skill set, knowledge of an unfilled niche, or other such items as the basis for starting a business. Caught up in the excitement of starting a business, you proceed forward, generate business and then eventually crash and burn. Perhaps you didn’t consider tax considerations, perhaps it was lack of cash flow, or even perhaps it was back office issues. Now, don’t get me wrong, many do succeed despite themselves based purely on gut feel and persistence. However, given the opportunity to do a little advance planning, the chances of success increase exponentially. With a focus upon the tax considerations, the following provides a good structure for starting the business.

Grow the Business, Stay within your business plan; Track your costs, etc. I could go on and on. Everyone is full of advice but few actually provide the tools to get something done in a simple and effective way. The key words here are Simple and Effective. Earlier this summer, Intuit, the maker of QuickBooks, came out with an entry level estimating software directed at contractors.

Interested in the least expensive place to locate a business? Check out the results of this KPMG study.

This act provides tax credits for the purchase of fuel-efficient hybrid electric vehicles and energy efficient appliances and products beginning in the tax year 2006. I promise you that many tax payers will overlook this deduction out of the mere fact that many are disorganized and uninformed. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. However, the good news is that you don’t have to fall into that category. Note, this is a tax credit as opposed to a tax deduction.