Losing the Intimidation of Accounting

With your Southeast Regional Ag News, I’m Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

Just like that, we’re approaching the end to another tax year. I’m the person on our farm who has been doing the bookwork for the better part of the last decade. It’s intimidating! This week I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside a team of accountants who specifically works in agriculture. Britney Tempel, CPA, gave me a little pep talk…don’t be intimidated. When it comes to what you’re doing in your accounting software, it’s all forgivable. And don’t be shy with your accountant!

“Try to be proactive. Don’t stall. Like you said, you kind of get intimidated and there’s a bunch of things out there whether that be your QuickBooks file or lack of a QuickBooks file or just questions you haven’t asked before or things you’re unsure or you feel like because you’ve been farming or ranching for 10 years or 20 years or 30 years that you should know these things and you don’t. And so it’s just intimidating to start the conversation. But I think the most difficult thing for us is we can only be so helpful with the right information. There’s only so much we can do if we only have half the story. It’s never too late to start. And so just initiating that conversating and feeling empowered enough to know that you really hold all the knowledge on that operation.”

There you have it, an accounting fighting the good fight with that reminder to get your numbers in order and work with an accountant who is working for you.