Category Archives: Legal / Accounting

By Rachel Phillips
In business, accounting is the day-to-day tracking of financially operations, both in the short term and the long term.
Not only does accounting serve the purpose of tax compliance and record keeping, but also recording metrics used for evaluating business performance. As such, it is a vital function for success in business.
However, with improving technology and the internet, it has become easier than ever for certain business tasks to be done remotely. As a result, recent years have seen an increase in businesses using outsourced accounting services.
When a business outsources accounting, they hire an outside professional to organize and evaluate their books and records.
Accountant and bookkeeper Lisa Daly of Daly Accounting in Queensbury said outsourced accounting can be a smarter financial decision for small businesses.

BY DANIEL S. GLASER, ESQ.
Local. Real Estate. Attorney.
When buying or selling real estate, it is imperative that you have the counsel, guidance, and skill of a local real estate attorney.
For example, next week you are going under the knife for a triple bypass surgery. You are given two options on how to proceed: use the services of a cardiothoracic surgeon; or save some money by trying to do it yourself.
Yes, you may have a steady hand but going with option one seems like the better way to go.
While the hypothetical may seem unrealistic, the message behind it is real. When you are dealing with something very important, for example making the largest purchase in your life, seek assistance from professionals that have a plethora of experience in their field. When you have to make a decision about whom you should use to represent you in your real estate transaction and dealing with hundreds of thousands of dollars, always go with a local real estate attorney.

By Jennifer Farnsworth
As technology continues to grow and expand across the business sector, accounting firms have worked hard to keep up.
Accounting advisory and consulting services have benefited from the way technology has allowed them to work with clients without meeting face-to-face. But these services still need to be personalized. Many local firms have found ways to balance technology with personalized service.
Kristen D. Berdar, CPA, CMA, a partner at BST & Co. CPAs LLP, runs the company’s Virtual Accounting Solutions Division. She said they offer outsourced CFO and accounting solutions for clients on a cloud-based platform, working entirely outside of the client’s office.
They work to create a personalized service that is based on each individual client’s needs and goals.
“We utilize technology to automate and streamline their accounting processes. We also offer them a sense of comfort by knowing their accounting is managed effectively and efficiently by a CPA firm that can also adapt to their changing needs,” said Berdar.

Debra A. Verni, Esq.
Recently, I received an email from one of my client’s daughters. It was mom’s 90th birthday and she took mom to a casino.
Mom won $1,300 on a slot machine. When the staff member came over to cash mom out and give mom her winnings, she asked for photo ID. Mom let her license expire years ago, as she was no longer driving so she did not have a photo ID.
The daughter asked the casino staff member if she could sign for mom as power of attorney because she had photo ID. They said no. Apparently, the rule is that the person who won the money (pushed the button on the slot machine) has to be the one to collect it, so she could not use the power of attorney to collect mom’s winnings.
Although the power of attorney is a very powerful document, it is not powerful enough to collect casino winnings. So why do you need a power of attorney?