For The Truckers
Employees (W-2 earners)
Free e-file with return preparation
Minimum fee $80 for income tax return prep. Average fee: $130
5% discount for members of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
Self-employed (1099 earners)
Individual Income Tax Return Preparation- $170 minimum (one US and one state tax return prep)
(21% below the national average)
Bookkeeping & Income Tax Return Preparation- $65 per month per truck (includes one US and one state tax return prep)
(34% below the national average)
Bookkeeping only- $50 per month per truck
(38% below the national average)
2290 Form Preparation- $75 preparation fee (does not include fees due to govt agencies)
(39% below the national average)
USDOT, Safety Certification, Transportation Authorities, etc.- $75 preparation fee per form
(does not include fees due to govt agencies)
(39% below the national average)
Taxpayer Representation before IRS and other tax agencies
Free financial analysis tool for trip valuation can be downloaded here. You need to have Microsoft Office 2007's Excel program or you can download the reader from Microsoft's website. Not much has changed yet with the tax rules for 2009. The Excel files will be updated as changes occur.
I know what its like to be on the road and gone for weeks and months at a time. I drove more than 500,000 miles cross country pulling dry vans and reefers. I was a solo driver, a team driver, and a driver trainer during my almost four years driving over-the-road. After I left truck driving, I entered the operational support side of the trucking industry. I was a night operations dispatcher responsible for overseeing the activities of anywhere from 400 to 2200 trucks during my shift. After that position, I became a daytime regional dispatcher. I exchanged that position to become an expense manager. My purpose there was to help the trucking company become efficient, turn it around, and make it become profitable. I assumed the collateral duties of managing the retail fuel purchase system for 2200+ trucks. This involved negotiating discounts and helping drivers identify the best places to buy fuel at. Towards the end of my full-time involvement in the trucking industry, I became a freight broker. My last position within the trucking industry was an internal auditor. During my time as an internal auditor, I audited accounts receivable, accounts payable, and payroll/contractor settlements. I realized then that average person would have difficulty understanding the typical contractor settlements and have a hard time identifying any mistakes. Towards the end of my role as an internal auditor, I assumed the majority of the duties of the operations manager, equipment manager, and vice-president of operations positions. I have seen the company merger and acquisition process from both sides (the acquirer and the acquiree).
I am here to serve the trucking industry in a way that most bookkeepers and tax professionals will not or cannot. I don't just provide a custom profit/loss statement to you each month (this is unique to your specific situation). Several of my clients have been or currently are leased to or employed by top 100 carriers.
I also review your settlement sheets looking for errors and unreimbursed expenses that you should have been paid for. I look to make sure that each trip you gave me the information on has been 1) paid to you and 2) paid correctly. A recent example of this is one of my clients (an owner/operator leased to a carrier) took a mileage based load from CA to AZ to FL. His company paid him from CA to AZ (a little over 300 miles). His company failed to pay him the remaining 2700 miles. When I reviewed his settlements, I caught it and informed him and his settlement department about the error. His settlements were corrected immediately. Beyond this example, if the proper paywork is on file, I will (whenever possible) communicate with your settlement department to help keep your settlements straight and accurate. I will also provide you with a lease/purchase analysis for the lease drivers and help you evaluate your financing options. In short, I provide all of the chief financial officer, the controller, the bookkeeper, the consultant, and the tax professional services to you. And I do this at below market rates. It is my goal to personalize my services to meet your needs and to help you become the most profitable owner/operator that you can be. I will gladly meet with you whenever and wherever it is mutually possible. I am not beyond returning a call or email at 11pm at night if it will meet your needs better.
Always do the right thing- regardless of the consequences... Andrew Griffith
Internal Revenue Service Circular 230 Disclosure
This written advice is not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used by any taxpayer, for the purpose of avoiding penalties that may be imposed on the taxpayer.
Admitted to practice before the Internal Revenue Service
*National average fees obtained from the 2007 NSA Income & Fees Survey Report
© 2007-2009 Andrew Griffith, MBA, EA, CFC, CFE, ATP
