Tim Thompson CPA - September 2020

Tim Thompson CPA - September 2020

September 2020

How not Deleting my eharmony Account

Led to a Proposal on top of Enchanted Rock

Four years ago, I proposed to my wife in late September, and the journey that got us there was a pretty interesting one. Before we even met, Shelby had sworn to her kids that she wasn’t going to date while they were still in school. She’d been divorced for several years at that point, but her kids kept telling her she should get back out there. So, they created an eharmony account for her. Now, I’d been on eharmony before, and having been in this area for a long time, I know just about everyone. There would be times where I’d see someone I knew, and it was always fun catching up with them, but there were some good times and some bad times, too. In the dating field, I’d gone through my fair share of ups and downs, and I reached a point where I decided to shut off my account. On New Year’s Eve — 2015 rolling into 2016 — I went in to shut off my profile when I saw I had a new “Meet Your New Match.” So, like an addicted gambler, I went to take a look and saw Shelby for the first time. Shelby’s profile said she was from Coppell, Texas, but I didn’t recognize her at all, so I took a look at the pictures she had uploaded to see if I knew any of her friends. I saw a picture of her wearing scuba diving gear 50 feet underwater, holding a laminated copy of Chatter (the monthly magazine my church puts out). Realizing that she was part of my church, lived in Coppell, and was the prettiest girl I’d ever seen, I decided to send her a message. One of the tricky things on eharmony is that it doesn’t tell you how long a person has been inactive for: You never know if a person is currently active or if they haven’t been on for years. So, I gave Shelby 48 hours. If I didn’t hear anything back from her, I would delete the app for good. But, she responded to me that very night

and the two of us started talking. At first, we were fine just staying friends, but shortly after we met, we started dating and couldn’t stay away from each other. Shelby and I realized after the first few months, that this was it, and not long after that we talked about getting engaged. I went and got her a ring, then started preparing for the big proposal. I let my daughter in on the plan because I needed someone to have the camera ready to roll when the time came, and to steer the conversation toward marriage. We ended up planning a big family trip late in September to visit my sister and brother-in-law (who live near Enchanted Rock State Park), and to take an innocent hike up Enchanted Rock with all our kids, just for a fun daytrip. As we were marching up Enchanted Rock, my daughter had the camera rolling, and, like we planned, was the one who brought up the topic with a simple, “Y’all should get married up here,” which really got the ball rolling. We were resting at the top, Shelby lying there laughing, when I got this genius idea. I decided to use one of the water bottles we brought to cushion my knee, because I didn’t want to kneel on solid rock. I slipped the ring out of my pocket, maneuvered over to her, put the bottle under my knee — and the cap shot off, drenching her. It made her laugh even harder when I held out the ring and asked, “What do you think?” The best part about it was that my daughter caught the whole thing on video. The water part and all of Shelby’s kids and her looking at the camera then back at me in surprise. It was a brilliant plan.

everyone who was working their way up and said, “I just got engaged!” And we’ve had such an amazing time together ever since. It’s been interesting blending five kids under one roof and working with different parenting styles and schedules. It’s been a bit of a merry-go-round, but we love it — and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

We celebrated three years together in June, and I look forward to many, many more.

I remember, as we were coming off the side of Enchanted Rock, Shelby held up the ring to

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What Happened on the 21st Night of September?

4 Decades of Earth, Wind & Fire’s ‘September’

“Do you remember the 21st night of September?”

“I learned my greatest lesson ever in songwriting from him,” Willis recalled in a 2014 interview with NPR, “which was never let the lyric get in the way of the groove.” The groove is why “September” has stood the test of time, right from

In 1978, Maurice White of the band Earth, Wind & Fire first asked this question in the song “September,” a funky disco song that quickly topped the charts. While disco may be dead today, “September” certainly isn’t. The song is still featured in movies, TV shows, and wedding playlists. On Sept. 21, 2019, the funk hit was streamed over 2.5 million times. It’s no wonder that the Los Angeles City Council declared Sept. 21 Earth, Wind & Fire Day. The story behind “September” is almost as enduring as the song itself. It was co-written by White and Allee Willis, who eventually became a Grammy- winning songwriter and Tony nominee. But before any of that, Willis was a struggling songwriter in Los Angeles living off food stamps. When White reached out and asked Willis to help write the next Earth, Wind & Fire hit, it was truly her big break. White and Willis proved to be excellent songwriting partners, but they clashed over one key element of the song: the nonsensical phrase “ba-dee-ya,” which White included in the chorus. Throughout the songwriting process, Willis begged to change the phrase to real words. At the final vocal session, Willis finally demanded to know what ba-dee-ya meant. White replied, “Who cares?”

that very first lyric. For decades, people have asked Willis and members of the band about the significance of Sept. 21. As it turns out, there isn’t much beyond the sound. “We went through all the dates: ‘Do you remember the first, the second, the third, the fourth …’ and the one that just felt the best was the 21st,” Willis explained.

The truth is that nothing happened on the 21st night of September — except a whole lot of dancing.

Did You Know? We Offer QuickBooks Accounting and After-the-Fact Bookkeeping

Tim Thompson CPA offers a variety of services in tax and accounting to our clients, including a deep understanding of QuickBooks. Accounting software is important for small businesses, especially when it comes to tracking sales and expenses, creating invoices, and generating payroll. QuickBooks gives smaller or mid-sized businesses the ability to complete all of their bookkeeping and financial management in one place. This software even has the ability to create customized designs specifically for the unique needs of any business. To help individuals get their QuickBooks account set up, we offer a variety of services, including QuickBooks setup, training, answers, and even a few tips. We want to help you get your software up to par with your expectations and requirements, so you can keep track of your business finances easily. However, sometimes life happens and things might become busier and busier. You might find that you have less time to dedicate toward your QuickBooks software. We’ve seen circumstances like these before and understand the importance of continuing to

manage your finances, even though your time is stretched thin. That is why we also offer after-the- fact bookkeeping services: You can send all of your financial documents at the end of each month, and we can record and account all of it for you. By doing after-the-fact bookkeeping, we can keep your financial information and spending updated, which allows you to think about real time. Being able to make decisions for yourself based on the information that is kept up to date since yesterday — that’s what we push for. In the event that your banker calls, asking for a financial statement or if you’re interested in buying something for your business, you’ll have everything you need to know right away. If you want to make decisions based on your financial information, you should be letting us take a look at everything on a frequent basis. To learn more about how we can help you set up and maintain your QuickBooks software, call Tim Thompson CPA, PLLC, at 877-829-7847.

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Don’t Ignore an IRS Notice A New Company for Tax Resolutions You may have seen our announcement that we started a new company last year specifically for tax resolution. This is an important aspect of the type of work we do in regard to tax and accounting services. With everything going on in the world, especially during the global pandemic that started up in the middle of tax season, our new company is more important than ever. Last year, the enforcement division of the IRS was given huge marching orders and began to send out notices to people across the country. It was the type of work they hadn’t done in several years. However, once COVID-19 hit, things were put on pause for the time being, but it’s starting to pick up again. In the past few months, the IRS has once again become active, and they are working to send out as many notices as possible. It’s not unreasonable that anyone who receives a letter from the IRS — especially during these uncertain times — will experience a spike of anxiety or fear. When you see that letter in the mailbox, it’s natural to become so scared that you don’t want to open the letter, but it is so important that you do.

SUDOKU

EASY STUFFED SWEET POTATOES

If you get any notices from the IRS, notify our office at once. Even though it might be the last thing you want to think about, that letter is not something you want to let linger. Besides, all things might not be terrible. A lot

of the time, we discover the IRS is wrong or the information presented in the letters is not fully accurate.

• 4 medium sweet potatoes • 1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed • 2 medium tomatoes, diced • 1 tbsp olive oil • 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp coriander • 3/4 tsp salt • 1/4 cup sour cream • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

By reaching out and explaining the situation and sending the letter to us

electronically, we can begin working with you to find the

1. With a fork, prick each sweet potato a few times. Microwave the potatoes on high 12–15 minutes, or until cooked through. 2. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the beans, tomatoes, olive oil, cumin, coriander, and salt. When the potatoes are done, microwave the mixture on high for 2–3 minutes. 3. Cool potatoes slightly, then cut each potato open lengthwise. Pull the halves apart to create space to spoon the warm bean salsa inside. 4. Add a scoop of sour cream to each potato, garnish with cilantro, and serve!

best solution and next steps for you.

Having been in this business for 15 years, we have the experience and knowledge to help you through tough times. If you see an IRS notice sitting in your mailbox,

don’t place it on your counter and forget about it. Call our office — we can help.

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537 Houston St., Coppell, TX 75019 • 877-829-7847 • MyDFWCPA.com

Inside

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A Decision That Changed My Life

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The Truth Behind the 21st Night of September QuickBooks Accounting and After-the-Fact Bookkeeping

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Helping Find a Solution: IRS Notice Easy Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

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Streaming Services Change Entertainment

Streaming Services Change the Face of Entertainment ENJOY YOUR FAVORITE FILMS EARLIER

T he way we watch our favorite shows and movies has changed drastically in recent years and even more so this year. With the pandemic impacting the world, people found themselves stuck inside their homes looking for new sources of entertainment, and many found exactly what they were looking for through the numerous streaming services available to us. The pandemic made time for people to watch their favorite shows again and again, and it also changed the way businesses, such as Disney and Universal Studios, release their movies. Throughout the spring, many movies were released early and some skipped theater showings all together. “Trolls: World Tour” was released through video-on-demand and earned nearly $100 million in rental fees on its April 10 debut, grossing far more than the first “Trolls” movie debut in 2016. Other movies, such as “Onward” and “Frozen II,” were released early on different digital platforms for purchase or rent. One of the most anticipated early releases under this new system is “Hamilton.” This hit Broadway show has drawn thousands of people to the theater since its debut in 2015. A stage performance of “Hamilton” was filmed in 2016 in just over three days. The resulting movie creates

an opportunity for everyone to see the show, whether or not they were able to catch it live on stage. Disney bought the rights to the

film last year and announced this February that it would be released on Oct. 15, 2021, in theaters.

However, due to the pandemic, Disney decided that what people needed most was something they could enjoy, even if they couldn’t leave their homes. On May 12, the studio announced the film would be available to stream on Disney+ starting on the July Fourth holiday. “Hamilton” fans and those who’ve never seen the play are thrilled to watch the film 16 months in advance of the originally scheduled release. Streaming services have changed how people consume their entertainment, and the pandemic has changed how streaming services offer it. Both changes are helping people get through these difficult times.

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